My thoughts on Heartland Park...

[EX#996]

Cool layout...

Condition of the pavement sucks (rumor is that they will repave it next year)....

Too  many concrete walls.....   :'(

To make that track somewhat safe for racers they need to bring in more airfence and line the walls with hay bales or something.

Personally, I hope the Midwest Region never has to go there again.

Dawn  

[Xian_13]

...

Personally, I hope the Midwest Region never has to go there again.

Dawn  

Wow!
Was it that bad there?
Did the walls bite any of the racers?
(sitting back thinking being broke isn't always bad)

X

[EX#996]

Yes....

One of the walls got someone in the team challenge (I don't know who).

The bike and the rider both hit the wall.  The bike hit the concrete wall upside down tearing off the gas tank, air box, carbs, breaking the triple tree and shearing the frame where the subframe connected.

Both the bike and the rider started on fire.  The last I heard is that the rider has second to third degree burns, two broken legs, a broken pelvis, two broken virtebrae, a lacerated liver (I can't remember if there is anything else).  He did however come to while at the track before the helecopter got there and was responsive so that is a positive sign.

Hopefully, one of his buddies is on the board and could provide and update and an address to mail our get well wishes.

Dawn   :'(

[bobby]

The rider who was injured was Arthur Wagner.  From what I have been told his condition is grave.  His family flew from New York to be with him.  His wife was told that they don't expect him to pull through all of his injuries.  Please keep Artie in your thoughts.

[Nate R]

I've seen several of these this year, where people threw it down to avoid a wall collision, and still get seriously hurt. How tall were the walls at Topeka? Were there fences behind them? Sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't be better in SOME situations to try and ride it out, and fly off the bike over the wall. Just a passing thought.

This is the kinda stuff that makes me uneasy about some tracks. I hope he pulls through. My thoughts are with him and his family. Sad to see.

Why weren't there haybales at least for now? I understand air fence aint cheap, but haybales are WAAAY cheaper than injuries like this.

*sigh* Some day I dream to build a track that is as motorcycle friendly as can be. (From what I've heard, Barber isn't the BEST it COULD be for bikes.)

[twg]

I thought about making the trip in order to race with some new folks.  Now I am glad my girlfriend had to work and kept me home.

I wish Artie and his family all the best !!!  We have seen too many of these posts IMHO.

twg

[EX#996]

The rider who was injured was Arthur Wagner.  From what I have been told his condition is grave.  His family flew from New York to be with him.  His wife was told that they don't expect him to pull through all of his injuries.  Please keep Artie in your thoughts.

Bobby:

Do you have an address, or could you obtain one, as to where we could send our well wishes.

Thank you,

Dawn   :'(

[Jeff]

Guess I didn't miss anything...

Prayers to Arthur and his family for a FULL recovery...

[Super Dave]

The crash that occured in turn eight would be the first one like it that I have ever seen.  I have been racing at Heartland Park since 1989.  The AMA raced there in '89,'90, & '91.  Formula USA was there in 1990.  CCS began racing there in 1992 and continued through 1999, skipping 2000, going back in 2001.

Potentially, Ray Irwin, the new owner of Heartland Park, WILL move the walls back, repave, etc.  I wants us there, he wants to be able to have a viable track for racers, as he IS a racer himself.  I rent his track in Beloit often, so we talked on numerous occasions about the track, what needs to be done, what he wants to do, how he wants to change things etc.

Ultimately, racing has risk.  Racers have died at race tracks in areas that were safe.  Not to say that the walls are ok, but I have never seen an accident like it at that track.

Fire?  What can you do there.  The bike was never on fire that I could tell.  It was next to me all weekend.  As I understand it, the heat of the bike set the grass on fire and then got him.  I put his leathers away in the trailer and could see where the kevlar of his leathers had melted and probably remained in contact against his body.

His guys told me at the track Sunday that he seemed to be doing "OK".  Two broken shoulder blades, etc. as stated before.

[Super_KC124]

Iv'e seen a few people run off the track there and all have been able to make the turn and come back onto the track. I really don't understand how it happend. ??? Anyway, my prayers are with Artie. Get well soon.

[Super Dave]

Indeed...Hope all goes well.  

[GSXR RACER MIKE]

     Which turn is turn 8 where this happened? Is it the LH turn after the tunnel? Just not sure of the numbering scheme of turns at HP.