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TDeath21
1/11/2016 1:59pm
1/11/2016 1:59pm
Edited Date/Time
1/12/2016 10:37am
I don't quite understand the AMA/FIM logic behind the red flag. I'll use two examples just from Saturday that make zero sense to me.
The first one was the much talked about Stweart/Dungey incident. Stewart goes down and they immediately red flag it. I felt like Stewart was in the perfect position to receive medical care without disrupting the race. He was off to the side of the track in an area where there were no rhythm sections or whoops. On one side they had the start straight and on the other they had the flat ground prior to the finish line jump. In every overhead shot I saw, the Asterisk mule was right there by the finish line jump, which is right where Stewart was. I felt like they threw the red flag way too soon on this one.
The second was the rider who was down in the 250 heat where Webb passed Craig. He was laying there in a dangerous area (on a rhythm section and a triple right next to him) for two or three laps. Not even Red Cross flags were displayed here, and riders were still racing hard all around him. If the red flag was displayed in the 450 main, then it definitely should have been displayed here.
I feel like the AMA/FIM is way too quick to throw the red flag most of the time. They could give the rider the medical attention they need without disrupting the race. However, putting rider safety above all else is how it should be, and it's understandable when they err on the side of caution and maybe throw the red flag too soon at times. I'm fine with that. However, if that's the case, I don't understand not red flagging the 250 heat race. Maybe it was because the 250 heat was almost over? Who knows?
What do you guys think about the way the use the red flag nowadays? It used to be extremely rare, and now it averages about once per night.
The Webb pass and the Stewart/Dungey incident have been discussed enough. Let's keep this discussion about the red flag usage.
The first one was the much talked about Stweart/Dungey incident. Stewart goes down and they immediately red flag it. I felt like Stewart was in the perfect position to receive medical care without disrupting the race. He was off to the side of the track in an area where there were no rhythm sections or whoops. On one side they had the start straight and on the other they had the flat ground prior to the finish line jump. In every overhead shot I saw, the Asterisk mule was right there by the finish line jump, which is right where Stewart was. I felt like they threw the red flag way too soon on this one.
The second was the rider who was down in the 250 heat where Webb passed Craig. He was laying there in a dangerous area (on a rhythm section and a triple right next to him) for two or three laps. Not even Red Cross flags were displayed here, and riders were still racing hard all around him. If the red flag was displayed in the 450 main, then it definitely should have been displayed here.
I feel like the AMA/FIM is way too quick to throw the red flag most of the time. They could give the rider the medical attention they need without disrupting the race. However, putting rider safety above all else is how it should be, and it's understandable when they err on the side of caution and maybe throw the red flag too soon at times. I'm fine with that. However, if that's the case, I don't understand not red flagging the 250 heat race. Maybe it was because the 250 heat was almost over? Who knows?
What do you guys think about the way the use the red flag nowadays? It used to be extremely rare, and now it averages about once per night.
The Webb pass and the Stewart/Dungey incident have been discussed enough. Let's keep this discussion about the red flag usage.
Do you have access to all of the information that the medical crew were providing back to the AMA for both instances?
Are you a medical professional or safety expert?
I for one would rather trust the medical professionals on the ground that are making the tough decisions and recommendations back to the AMA, than coming on here and second guessing their judgment calls in real time while they are on the scene.
I think they use the red flag to much now days...they have yellow flags, they have Red Cross flags...the red flag should only be used in extreme circumstances.
I don't want to have to be the guy who makes the call on if the circumstances are extreme enough for a red flag or not, so I won't second guess any decisions they make...other than to say I think it's used to much...if they can't get to an unconscious rider or something, sure, red flag...
Restarting races should an extreme extreme exception.
And I'll add, that if a rider is down in location where they can be protected with a yellow flag or red cross flag, and where they can be removed from the track safely (like Stewart could have been), they shouldn't waive the red flag.
It was just a couple years ago that I saw it for the first time...and they took like a 30 minute segment out of the show to explain it...now I'm seeing it almost every weekend.
The Shop
They should all have headsets(which i dont think they all have) and a race director could aid in what flag needs to be put out.
Myself,if I'm down and out of the way like Stewart was no way i want the red flag thrown but that is just me.
The red flag usage is hard to figure out but I sure have noticed that the last 5 years seems to have resulted in more red flags than my first 25 years of watching this sport.
https://youtu.be/BtoKXS0GCa0
Stewart was in a safe place. Feld loves to throw the red flag these days. It wasn't necessary IMO and I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night, bro. That red flag ruined A1 IMO. Still a good race, but we should try to only use the red flag when it is absolutely necessary. That, or do a single file restart if 1 lap of the race is completed. It's not fair to restart a race already in progress with a complete restart, IMHO of course.
Pit Row
Watch Deano in the heat and indeed Dungey and Stewart. If that happens a lap later the Asterisk team and James are in harms way.
Simple as that.
That is the only part I found odd.
So the people that are saying Stewart was in a "safe location to receive medical care without stopping the race", if you were unconscious laying in the main racing line out of a corner, would you be comfortable with the track crew only doing the minimum to make sure that you're safe? If you say yes then you're a liar
Once the injured rider wakes up, more assessments can be made. But, if they have no idea what's going on, the red flag is completely appropriate.
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