Track Safety People

86honda
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908
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Sickofit, AR US
7/8/2014 5:33pm Edited Date/Time 7/8/2014 9:06pm
DC I am sure your people are qualified, but I witnessed some of the worst flag work at the turn before the finish line at Red Bud . When I see flaggers standing or even with their backs turned to the track while riders are in very dangerous positions upsets me. A random guy jumped the fence to keep a guy from being run over while the flaggers did nothing.
When Malcolm was wadded up in a rut , the flagger was moving his bike while the front of the pack was bearing down on him. Whoever was on the little dirt bike running that part of the track was awful.
Riders deserve better DC.
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level
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6185
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8/27/2006
Location
Acworth, GA US
7/8/2014 5:46pm
One thing they have to start doing is designing tracks without blind spots. I know its tough but this is the part of the sport that needs help and more professionalism. If a rider goes down and the rider behind cannot see a downed rider then that's a problem.
7/8/2014 6:07pm
I was there also for both incidents. There was a young woman near the track and she was supposed to be the flagger for that corner. Her flag barely moved and never made an attempt to get into a position that would make riders alert to Malcolm's position. It seemed like a theme at Red Bud last weekend that the track crew were all probably under the age of 16 and seemed to not understand when a rider would be vulnerable.
The Rock
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HAIKU, HI US
7/8/2014 7:29pm
level wrote:
One thing they have to start doing is designing tracks without blind spots. I know its tough but this is the part of the sport that...
One thing they have to start doing is designing tracks without blind spots. I know its tough but this is the part of the sport that needs help and more professionalism. If a rider goes down and the rider behind cannot see a downed rider then that's a problem.
At Washougal two years in a row they had blind spot incidents at the same spot on the track circa 2000. Mike Brown was involved in at least one of them possibly both and is why this stands out.

The Shop

MxKing809
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Big Sand Whoops, MI US
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7/8/2014 7:43pm Edited Date/Time 7/8/2014 7:45pm
I was in the top row of the grandstands and say the whole Malcolm incident from a birds eye view. The flagger girl that was in the truck path might as well stayed home that day..... She was a conservative 10 ft from the track, just standing there with the flag out. It wasn't until the quad and mini bike mounted officials showed up that any safety was improved for the downed rider.

In that scenario someone who isn't afraid of being hit by a bike needs to be the flagger and put themselves at the blind face or the spot of no return for oncoming riders and get them to check up completely. That took about a minute at redbud.... Which is why everyone is ragging on the flaggers. At the end of the day it's hard to find good help, I get that, and I'm sure the Ritchie's did their best to staff competent people.
yak651
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Appleton, WI US
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7/8/2014 7:50pm
Red Bud is one of the best attended races, I'm sure it wouldn't hurt the Ritchie's to PAY to get some help for a PROFESSIONAL race
mx965
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316
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12/1/2013
Location
Nashville, TN US
7/8/2014 7:55pm
Flaggers always suck. Everywhere.
dboivin
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2926
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Location
Saginaw, MI US
7/8/2014 8:22pm
that race used to be flagged by a biker gang...same gang that made the reputation of red bud as the rowdiest national. Not sure if that bike club still does it (guessing not). the old stories of them blowing up (not with poo) the bathrooms every year comes to mind. I remember a huge bonfire in the extreme back corner of the parking area that was offlimits for us kids and thats where all the noise came from, haha. once an while a cadilac with the top cut off and a couch on the back of it would come on by with about 20 people riding on it (all bikers)....those were the flaggers and security.
neverwas
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Tucson, AZ US
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7/8/2014 9:06pm
dboivin wrote:
that race used to be flagged by a biker gang...same gang that made the reputation of red bud as the rowdiest national. Not sure if that...
that race used to be flagged by a biker gang...same gang that made the reputation of red bud as the rowdiest national. Not sure if that bike club still does it (guessing not). the old stories of them blowing up (not with poo) the bathrooms every year comes to mind. I remember a huge bonfire in the extreme back corner of the parking area that was offlimits for us kids and thats where all the noise came from, haha. once an while a cadilac with the top cut off and a couch on the back of it would come on by with about 20 people riding on it (all bikers)....those were the flaggers and security.
Wow that sounds like The making of a Stones at Altamont scenario.

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