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Sorry, but I find Mike completely faultless on this. However, based on the fact that I wasn't there to witness the incident in person---what do I know......
Wishing all the best to the injured racer
Also to me, it doesn't look like he was waving, more like putting his hand up in a "what is going on" type of manner?
Hoping Scott makes a speedy recovery
If you stop racing during a race, get off the track quickly in a safe spot.
Exiting track on a fast straight with jumps is not safe or smart.
Veering from the slow line into the fast main line when exiting is dangerous.
Not MA800's fault.
Race promoters need to do a better job organizing and managing the race classes/speeds per Gate.
Prayers for a speedy recovery to the fallen rider.
Shit happens, Mike was going Mach 9, the guy moved over slightly. If you put Eli Tomac in C rider lap traffic full speed id imagine shit will happen.
How many vital members does it take to see if it was the Vet riders fault or the successful A caliber pro?
Hope our Vet friend heals up quick, it doesn’t matter if he’s to blame or not they should have split up the skill levels better and this could have been avoided.
Pit Row
Listen, did you know a PRO rider is supposed to have more track awareness than a C rider? Now you do.
I suspect it was probably written in some Mx/off-road rule book at some point because a bunch of the over 50 crowd we ride now with do the same thing.
Looking at the rear angle, even being at warp speed there is no way he shouldn’t have seen the rider. Most likely just misjudged the closing speed and didn’t recognize a hand up is him indicating he has slowed.
Given the stories I have seen on here around Glen Helen on open practice days and pros involved in incidents it isn’t much of a surprise unfortunately. The speed difference is mind blowing.
Don’t agree with giving a pro a pass when landing on someone they could clearly see just because of the speed difference. He is lapping him on what, lap 2,3?? Where is his awareness of surroundings? Going fast isn’t staring at your front fender.
The rider was in plain site. The rider held his line.
No one is perfect. This one is on Mike.
He should own it, and apologize.
1. The circumstances that would allow this to take place never should have been allowed in the first place. This was definitely a planning problem, and this is the majority of the responsibility. I don't think it needs much additional commentary b/c there is little nuance here. And, hopefully the organizers will not allow these circumstances again.
2. Alessi probably did what many other riders would have also done. So, he's not really at fault. He was doing what he's been trained to do and what was expected of him. Having said that, it's highly likely he saw what was ahead of him and knew he had a potentially dangerous decision to make and rather than play it safe and lose a second or so, he continued to ride hard. This is not out of character for him; we all know his history of crashes. He's been described as unlucky, but lucky is usually no more than the Murphy's law. If you're slightly more risky, you get hurt slightly more often. I don't see someone highly conscientious like AJ Catanzaro ever hitting this guy. FWIW I was on the elsinore vet track with Alessi just a couple weeks ago. It was both amazing and terrifying. He is just so freaking fast and I really felt like an obstacle and unsafe. Having ultra-fast riders blow past you and cut you off at unexpected angles while you "hold your line" isn't safe just b/c their pros. We don't really belong on the same tracks if they're not willing to slow.
Post a reply to: Mike alessi crash today?