Posts
608
Joined
11/30/2009
Location
Lafayette, NJ, USA
With all the craziness we saw this past weekend at the supercross; flat tires, front brake issues. bikes bogging, and about a million crashes (Mookie, tomac, the 3 dudes in the heat race, forkner in the whoops, braytons red flag) I had a few issues with 2 incidents and 1 in particular. Everyone else got their bikes fixed before reentering the track, webbs flat tire was changed, ect. My issues is they let 2 riders reenter the race in a dangerous situation, Tomac and McElrath. Shanes I have a bit less of an issue with, his bike was running he was rolling jumps, staying out of harms way, and the race was nearly over but he got 22nd, he earned one point and put his own safety and the safety of other riders in jeopardy for 1 point. He was still jumping little stuff keeping his momentum and letting people by but was rolling triples and after seeing 3 separate crashes in the same triple the danger is too high, we saw last week with Catanzaro and Hansen too, the week before with Starling and some guy, and the week before with the 450 main. Too dangerous to continue if your bike wont make the jumps every lap. I have an even worse beef with Team Kawasaki and Tomac. NO FRONT BRAKE!? He's lucky he didn't wind up in the cheap seats, not only SUPER dangerous because he has no brakes but also because he went back out and pushed to 13th. Not only that but his team didn't even try to determine what was wrong with the bike. We saw the entire pit stop on tv and it was like dumb and dumber working on the bike, they didn't even put his bike on the stand and spin the wheel they just CUT his brake line?! Anyone could crack the banjo bolt to release air pressure or take an adjustable and straighten a brake rotor or at least asses the situation. I find it wildly unacceptable they let him continue racing with absolutely no front brake, it wouldn't go through tech inspection with no front brake how can you let him continue racing. Obviously it's done and over but lets look at this rationally, there is probably a rule about it everyone is just turning a cheek too and if there isn't there ought to be.
So you have a problem with team Kawasaki letting Tomac go back out to try and earn some points? They're professional mechanics and if that's the best compromise to get him going again in as little time as possible then I'd say it's probably as good as what anyone else could do in the heat of the moment. I've rode bikes with no front brake and I've rode bikes with no rear brake, let me tell you no brake is a LOT better than a bent rotor that locks the wheel up whenever it wants to.
I'd say every racer here has finished a race at some point without a brake lever so what's the difference?
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How stupid would the team of felt if he actually got hurt because of the brake?
I was more surprised by McElrath pulling in to the pits twice. There was 3 minutes left. Nothing you can do. Stopping for anything is just going to cost you more time. Just... keep... going. Roll whatever you have to.
I would be more concerned with people leaving banana peels on the track. If you've ever seen Mario Kart you know how dangerous they can be....
You have no idea what was said among the Kawi guys in the mechanic's area. You think Tomac's situation was more dangerous than Shane's? For who? I'd take no brake over a bike randomly cutting out any day. No problem whatsoever with finishing a race without one of your brakes. This isn't Nascar.
Peelout should be along shortly to tell you to check your sprocket bolts.
I thought my helmet comment would of given it away...
Pit Row
Section 4
Race Rules and Procedures
Section 4.15
b. Although the motorcycle, equipment or apparel passed prior inspections, the motorcycle, equipment or apparel must be in compliance with the rules at the post-race inspection.
Section 1
General Equipment Standards
Section 1.12 Brakes
a. All motorcycles must be equipped with adequate and operating front and rear wheel brakes
According to this it looks like disabling the brake wouldn't be allowed.
I don't know if this is a change in the rules as we've seen front brake lines cut before.
There is a world of difference from finishing a race with a brake that has stopped working, and on that has been deliberately disabled,
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