Hambin what happened at GH today?

500guy
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500guy 5/6/2010 9:01pm
5/6/2010 9:01pm
Masonry wrote:
I noticed that you and Reed were twittering it up about a crash or some sketchy obstacles.
You know Magoo was always preaching a system like that.

Sounds cool
DL
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DL 5/6/2010 9:03pm
5/6/2010 9:03pm
SH_105 wrote:
Now we are onto the typical way to speak about things on Vital.... Jumping to conclusions when not being there when things happen... I never wanted...
Now we are onto the typical way to speak about things on Vital.... Jumping to conclusions when not being there when things happen... I never wanted this to be a thread that bashed GH, just one showing that all of the Premier riders are fed up with the way SOME tracks are run when they are making good coin... Believe me it would suck if GH did close, but they did dodge another major accident today and it could have been a bad one!! Should, coulda woulda?? Yeah I know but with some, your irrational stupid posts just really are trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill and just for an argument really. We had a very young kid killed there not too long ago, a kid thats parents still mourn their sons death everyday because there could have been change to prevent it years ago, yet we still have ongoing issues with some of the track saftey here or anywhere for that matter. Call it whatever the Flying F&^% you want but we do need to TRY and make these deaths at our tracks a little less frequent wouldnt you say? Maybe thats too much logical thinking for some on here


105
500guy wrote:
Amen

I just wonder why it falls on deaf ears.
Africkinmen Hammy!
snowy816
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snowy816 5/6/2010 9:04pm
5/6/2010 9:04pm
Masonry wrote:
I noticed that you and Reed were twittering it up about a crash or some sketchy obstacles.
Scott that is an unreal idea.

Some tracks in QLD Australia, won't run practice unless so many flaggers, And one track had if you want to ride you have to flag one session minimum. It worked fine and was only 30min out fo your day to flag an area. When you signed up you wrote when yo would flag so you got called out if you tried to dodge it, and wouild hold until you got there.
neverwasfastenuf 5/6/2010 9:30pm
5/6/2010 9:30pm
SH_105 wrote:
The guy is fine, just had a concussion for sure!! It really shook poor Ben up bad!!! Especially after us just losing Sharkey not even a...
The guy is fine, just had a concussion for sure!! It really shook poor Ben up bad!!! Especially after us just losing Sharkey not even a week ago. The guy had fallen on top of a new section that was blind, Ben came around (couldnt see him) and landed square on him!! BT road a nose wheelie down the hill and nearly cartwheeled. So buddy was snoring pretty bad and that freaked us all out. To top it off the track worker tells us that we shouldnt ride there if we are gonna bitch about the track... This was after BT gave him his piece of mind about the blind sections there!! All I said was if they are going to have blind sections then they need to designate a guy to watch them all day!! Whats $60 to pay a guy when they had at one time over 60 riders at $20 a rider.... These are the things we ALL need to address and I will contact Lorie to speak to her about today. Thankfully no harm no foul, the guy is fine and we all went home safe today!!


105
How many flaggers do they have out there on practice days? Did they have 60 riders there today? How many flaggers would it take to cover the problem areas and/or total flaggers needed? Would you and the other riders be willing to take a turn as an additional and knowledgable flagger if it would help improve the situation?

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SH_105
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SH_105 5/6/2010 9:42pm
5/6/2010 9:42pm
neverwasfastenuf wrote:
How many flaggers do they have out there on practice days? Did they have 60 riders there today? How many flaggers would it take to cover...
How many flaggers do they have out there on practice days? Did they have 60 riders there today? How many flaggers would it take to cover the problem areas and/or total flaggers needed? Would you and the other riders be willing to take a turn as an additional and knowledgable flagger if it would help improve the situation?
The 60 riders comment was pointed at how many were on the track at one time today... I understand there are more costs with flaggers and we as riders should be aware and alert when riding... Totally take that as my duty.... The duty I can not take on however is seeing through blind jumps and hills where we dont know if and when someone is down.. Twice today in my own personal riding I dodged 2 guys down on the backside of blind jumps. Im not saying we need 50 flaggers, just ones strategically placed in the blind sections so that nothing bad can happen that is totally preventable. I think some just dig on here for arguments sake with me at times, they probably think Im a Prick... Totally fine by me!! But when I see the parents of the kid I mentioned that passed away, it really hurts because they are still affected everyday!! Even though we know something should and could be done so minor to help the situation.


105
Team Euro
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Team Euro 5/6/2010 9:43pm
5/6/2010 9:43pm
snowy816 wrote:
Scott that is an unreal idea. Some tracks in QLD Australia, won't run practice unless so many flaggers, And one track had if you want to...
Scott that is an unreal idea.

Some tracks in QLD Australia, won't run practice unless so many flaggers, And one track had if you want to ride you have to flag one session minimum. It worked fine and was only 30min out fo your day to flag an area. When you signed up you wrote when yo would flag so you got called out if you tried to dodge it, and wouild hold until you got there.
Same system at most European tracks..no flaggers in place ..no practice..safety first.
scott_nz 5/6/2010 9:47pm
5/6/2010 9:47pm
Masonry wrote:
I noticed that you and Reed were twittering it up about a crash or some sketchy obstacles.
snowy816 wrote:
Scott that is an unreal idea. Some tracks in QLD Australia, won't run practice unless so many flaggers, And one track had if you want to...
Scott that is an unreal idea.

Some tracks in QLD Australia, won't run practice unless so many flaggers, And one track had if you want to ride you have to flag one session minimum. It worked fine and was only 30min out fo your day to flag an area. When you signed up you wrote when yo would flag so you got called out if you tried to dodge it, and wouild hold until you got there.
us kiwis are a smart bunch Wink

to be honest we are the only club running them, if you know any of the kids that raced in the oceania champs, ask them about the system, it works very well and has made our track alot safer for practice days, on race days we run extra flag marshall's,

when i went to a glen helen thursday practice about 4 years ago i was shocked, i thought they would have some forms of saftey set up but it was shocking, quads, 65cc to national level pros all at once, i had to leave i could not watch it,
neverwasfastenuf 5/6/2010 9:47pm
5/6/2010 9:47pm
neverwasfastenuf wrote:
How many flaggers do they have out there on practice days? Did they have 60 riders there today? How many flaggers would it take to cover...
How many flaggers do they have out there on practice days? Did they have 60 riders there today? How many flaggers would it take to cover the problem areas and/or total flaggers needed? Would you and the other riders be willing to take a turn as an additional and knowledgable flagger if it would help improve the situation?
SH_105 wrote:
The 60 riders comment was pointed at how many were on the track at one time today... I understand there are more costs with flaggers and...
The 60 riders comment was pointed at how many were on the track at one time today... I understand there are more costs with flaggers and we as riders should be aware and alert when riding... Totally take that as my duty.... The duty I can not take on however is seeing through blind jumps and hills where we dont know if and when someone is down.. Twice today in my own personal riding I dodged 2 guys down on the backside of blind jumps. Im not saying we need 50 flaggers, just ones strategically placed in the blind sections so that nothing bad can happen that is totally preventable. I think some just dig on here for arguments sake with me at times, they probably think Im a Prick... Totally fine by me!! But when I see the parents of the kid I mentioned that passed away, it really hurts because they are still affected everyday!! Even though we know something should and could be done so minor to help the situation.


105
Nah, I'm just trying to find out what it would take to help make it safer. The question about the amount of riders there today was to get a handle on what kind of money they had coming in versus what must be spent on the flaggers needed.
neverwasfastenuf 5/6/2010 9:50pm
5/6/2010 9:50pm
scott_nz wrote:
us kiwis are a smart bunch ;) to be honest we are the only club running them, if you know any of the kids that raced...
us kiwis are a smart bunch Wink

to be honest we are the only club running them, if you know any of the kids that raced in the oceania champs, ask them about the system, it works very well and has made our track alot safer for practice days, on race days we run extra flag marshall's,

when i went to a glen helen thursday practice about 4 years ago i was shocked, i thought they would have some forms of saftey set up but it was shocking, quads, 65cc to national level pros all at once, i had to leave i could not watch it,
Running all those different ability levels of riders and displacement at the same time is asking for trouble!
The Rock
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The Rock 5/6/2010 9:52pm
5/6/2010 9:52pm Edited Date/Time 5/6/2010 9:53pm
Matthes wrote:
Wow, thats just a complete shock really. Can't believe that happened there.

I wrote Lori an email one time. Never got a response.
Was that over something that happened when you practicing or did you have a complaint about the snack shack? :-)
AEIOU
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AEIOU 5/6/2010 9:53pm
5/6/2010 9:53pm
Look, it's simple. These guys are the best in the world and they are just trying to save the sport that they and all of us love and possibly your life in the process. Listen to them and things will get better. Running a track is a business. It's time for all track owners to start caring about their customers and enforce stricter safety. The track owners and all riders will benefit in the long run.
The Rock
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The Rock 5/6/2010 10:02pm
5/6/2010 10:02pm
scott_nz wrote:
us kiwis are a smart bunch ;) to be honest we are the only club running them, if you know any of the kids that raced...
us kiwis are a smart bunch Wink

to be honest we are the only club running them, if you know any of the kids that raced in the oceania champs, ask them about the system, it works very well and has made our track alot safer for practice days, on race days we run extra flag marshall's,

when i went to a glen helen thursday practice about 4 years ago i was shocked, i thought they would have some forms of saftey set up but it was shocking, quads, 65cc to national level pros all at once, i had to leave i could not watch it,
Area 51 in upstate NY does something very similar as to what you describe. Personally I feel splitting practice up by skill levels is something EVERY track in the world should do.

calikid57
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calikid57 5/6/2010 10:03pm
5/6/2010 10:03pm
theres a track in england called apex that has used the flashing lights/siren system for donkys years.works great i think.but the problem with this idea is that at tracks over here in cali seem to change week in week out (especially GH) so they wouldnt be able to keep digging up the place and re-routing all the cables and gizmo's it takes to make them work.good idea none the less!
scott_nz 5/6/2010 10:04pm
5/6/2010 10:04pm
scott_nz wrote:
us kiwis are a smart bunch ;) to be honest we are the only club running them, if you know any of the kids that raced...
us kiwis are a smart bunch Wink

to be honest we are the only club running them, if you know any of the kids that raced in the oceania champs, ask them about the system, it works very well and has made our track alot safer for practice days, on race days we run extra flag marshall's,

when i went to a glen helen thursday practice about 4 years ago i was shocked, i thought they would have some forms of saftey set up but it was shocking, quads, 65cc to national level pros all at once, i had to leave i could not watch it,
The Rock wrote:
Area 51 in upstate NY does something very similar as to what you describe. Personally I feel splitting practice up by skill levels is something EVERY...
Area 51 in upstate NY does something very similar as to what you describe. Personally I feel splitting practice up by skill levels is something EVERY track in the world should do.

we do that as well,
The Rock
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The Rock 5/6/2010 10:09pm
5/6/2010 10:09pm
calikid57 wrote:
theres a track in england called apex that has used the flashing lights/siren system for donkys years.works great i think.but the problem with this idea is...
theres a track in england called apex that has used the flashing lights/siren system for donkys years.works great i think.but the problem with this idea is that at tracks over here in cali seem to change week in week out (especially GH) so they wouldnt be able to keep digging up the place and re-routing all the cables and gizmo's it takes to make them work.good idea none the less!
Stay tuned for solar powered wireless beacons....not joking either.
scott_nz 5/6/2010 10:13pm
5/6/2010 10:13pm
calikid57 wrote:
theres a track in england called apex that has used the flashing lights/siren system for donkys years.works great i think.but the problem with this idea is...
theres a track in england called apex that has used the flashing lights/siren system for donkys years.works great i think.but the problem with this idea is that at tracks over here in cali seem to change week in week out (especially GH) so they wouldnt be able to keep digging up the place and re-routing all the cables and gizmo's it takes to make them work.good idea none the less!
The Rock wrote:
Stay tuned for solar powered wireless beacons....not joking either.
hey Rock, we already have the solar powered bit, and are working on the wireless but as well, we have some portable units already that can be moved as the track changed, the technolgy is there already and not expensive,

i really think this needs to be looked at world wide on practice tracks,
neverwasfastenuf 5/6/2010 10:23pm
5/6/2010 10:23pm
calikid57 wrote:
theres a track in england called apex that has used the flashing lights/siren system for donkys years.works great i think.but the problem with this idea is...
theres a track in england called apex that has used the flashing lights/siren system for donkys years.works great i think.but the problem with this idea is that at tracks over here in cali seem to change week in week out (especially GH) so they wouldnt be able to keep digging up the place and re-routing all the cables and gizmo's it takes to make them work.good idea none the less!
The Rock wrote:
Stay tuned for solar powered wireless beacons....not joking either.
scott_nz wrote:
hey Rock, we already have the solar powered bit, and are working on the wireless but as well, we have some portable units already that can...
hey Rock, we already have the solar powered bit, and are working on the wireless but as well, we have some portable units already that can be moved as the track changed, the technolgy is there already and not expensive,

i really think this needs to be looked at world wide on practice tracks,
Damn sure couldn't hurt.
olddude
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olddude 5/6/2010 11:00pm
5/6/2010 11:00pm
Track owners have the same tude as tobacco companies, just less users.

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DanDunes818 5/6/2010 11:11pm
5/6/2010 11:11pm
We have one track in the Portland area that is just open like that w/all classes and all riders on the track at the same time and I'll only go there early early in the morning on a weekday when there's basically nobody there. It can get insane with peewees, 60cc's,quads and all different skill levels out there. We went out w/my buddy that had a kid on a 60 and we rode side by side with him when he was out there just so he felt somewhat safe. A pro riders closing speed against a kid on a 60 is dangerous for all parties concerned not too mention it would scare the shit out of his kid. Every other track out here sends people out in classes. A/B then C/D level 60cc. 80cc etc etc.. Most have flaggers as well. Not allot of flaggers but enough to get the job done decently.
Matthes
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Matthes 5/6/2010 11:13pm
5/6/2010 11:13pm
The Rock wrote:
Was that over something that happened when you practicing or did you have a complaint about the snack shack? :-)
Racing, practicing and testing with teams there. Pretty much all stuff that you don't know much about. Tongue
DanDunes818 5/6/2010 11:15pm
5/6/2010 11:15pm
Oh and BTW.. I sure hope this recent push for track and rider/racer safety keeps it's momentum because it's much needed and way overdue. I just seriously pray that in time after some of the open wounds from the recent tragedies start to heal that people don't forget about the cause and start being complacent again. That's happened so many times before and the result is nothing ever improved..
KennyT
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KennyT 5/6/2010 11:29pm
5/6/2010 11:29pm
After the Brett Downey incident you would think they may have made some changes. Too busy padding their bank account. How about spending a few bucks on some flaggers to protect the riders that keep the place running...nah...that would make too much sense. That place is a shithole, glad to see the National go to Pala.
The Rock
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The Rock 5/6/2010 11:51pm
5/6/2010 11:51pm Edited Date/Time 4/17/2016 10:39pm
The Rock wrote:
Was that over something that happened when you practicing or did you have a complaint about the snack shack? :-)
Matthes wrote:
Racing, practicing and testing with teams there. Pretty much all stuff that you don't know much about. Tongue
Well I am definitely relieved it wasn't about anything that happened to you personally. A crash or a bad burger can have a lasting effect on some people. Tongue

Look forward to talking to you this Saturday.
snowy816
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snowy816 5/7/2010 12:18am
5/7/2010 12:18am
Masonry wrote:
I noticed that you and Reed were twittering it up about a crash or some sketchy obstacles.
snowy816 wrote:
Scott that is an unreal idea. Some tracks in QLD Australia, won't run practice unless so many flaggers, And one track had if you want to...
Scott that is an unreal idea.

Some tracks in QLD Australia, won't run practice unless so many flaggers, And one track had if you want to ride you have to flag one session minimum. It worked fine and was only 30min out fo your day to flag an area. When you signed up you wrote when yo would flag so you got called out if you tried to dodge it, and wouild hold until you got there.
scott_nz wrote:
us kiwis are a smart bunch ;) to be honest we are the only club running them, if you know any of the kids that raced...
us kiwis are a smart bunch Wink

to be honest we are the only club running them, if you know any of the kids that raced in the oceania champs, ask them about the system, it works very well and has made our track alot safer for practice days, on race days we run extra flag marshall's,

when i went to a glen helen thursday practice about 4 years ago i was shocked, i thought they would have some forms of saftey set up but it was shocking, quads, 65cc to national level pros all at once, i had to leave i could not watch it,
I would never let my son go out on a track on his 50 Senior with Qauds, and big bikes. That is insane....

Why can't they do 30min sessions
1. peewee / 50
2. 65 / 85
3. Juniors 125 / 250f (In Australia you have to eb 16 to ride a 250cc stroke or 450 on a AMA track)
4. Seniors

1 1/2 hours between moto's isn't that bad is it??


P.S Tell Coops to wake up ieh bro! back packing in Aussie Natsis not him at all.. Is he injuried?
sbarrington314 5/7/2010 3:45am
5/7/2010 3:45am
JustHanginAround wrote:
All most of you guys do is bitch...if they closed GH down tomorrow you'd bitch about that. If you don't like the way they run the...
All most of you guys do is bitch...if they closed GH down tomorrow you'd bitch about that. If you don't like the way they run the track, then ride elsewhere, or better yet build your own track and pay flaggers to monitor any blind areas. Simple fix.

Plus, if I read it correctly SH stated the track worker made the statement after he was berated by BT?!

The market decides whether or not a track is successful and it seems as though market forces are pretty pleased with GH overall. Frankly, very few if any tracks I've ridden over the years (starting in 73 on an xr75) have had flaggers.
you dont have to post here.
you should start your own forum. and when people bitch, you can terminate their account.
burnside
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burnside 5/7/2010 5:09am
5/7/2010 5:09am
Sounds like both of the guys were lucky not to get injured more seriously... That would have been awful if BT was wiped out again this close to the start of the season due to a lack of a flagger.
mxmat813
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mxmat813 5/7/2010 5:16am
5/7/2010 5:16am
JustHanginAround wrote:
All most of you guys do is bitch...if they closed GH down tomorrow you'd bitch about that. If you don't like the way they run the...
All most of you guys do is bitch...if they closed GH down tomorrow you'd bitch about that. If you don't like the way they run the track, then ride elsewhere, or better yet build your own track and pay flaggers to monitor any blind areas. Simple fix.

Plus, if I read it correctly SH stated the track worker made the statement after he was berated by BT?!

The market decides whether or not a track is successful and it seems as though market forces are pretty pleased with GH overall. Frankly, very few if any tracks I've ridden over the years (starting in 73 on an xr75) have had flaggers.
sbarrington314 wrote:
you dont have to post here.
you should start your own forum. and when people bitch, you can terminate their account.
It's funny, every practice track I go to here in NY has flaggers, medical staff, and rotating practices. Mini's, A/B, and C/D. They rotate every 20 minutes. I went to Florida over the winter and rode at PAX and Bostwick and it was a free-for-all. Their were no flaggers, lots of riders, no medical staff and no rotating practices. I understand most people are careful when they come up on a little dude or dudette on a 50 but what if you don't see them because of a blind jump? PAX is littered with blind jumps.

Does it really come down to the almighty dollar? I'd be willing to pay a little more to practice on a track with flaggers if that's what it took. With 100+ riders it would only be $2 more per person to cover the cost of 3-5 flaggers. I know the sports expensive, but you're riding a $7000 bike, wearing $500+ worth of riding gear, dumping loads of cash into the sport each year. 2-3 bucks a few times a week ain't gonna break the bank.
mxpilot43 5/7/2010 5:37am
5/7/2010 5:37am
sounds to me like somebody needs to harden the fuck up.
DC
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DC 5/7/2010 5:52am
5/7/2010 5:52am Edited Date/Time 4/17/2016 10:39pm
Whip, I'm with SH_105, that's a really good idea. Back east, we really don't have "track days" or open practices like they do out west, so I am not familiar with the economics of it or the liability or the whole format, but I do know that any time you mix a lot of skill groups and motorcycle sizes, it's a recipe for disaster. I do not know how a lot of the other tracks in the AMA Motocross tour do their open practices or ride days, but I will look into it.


I'm really glad Townley is all right, and I really hope that guy that got KO'd is okay too. Last thing we need to do is lose another top rider before summer -- and Ben's last two seasons have been pretty much over before they started. But motocross racers got to practice somewhere, and these things can happen...


DC

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oshow
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oshow 5/7/2010 6:01am
5/7/2010 6:01am
JustHanginAround wrote:
All most of you guys do is bitch...if they closed GH down tomorrow you'd bitch about that. If you don't like the way they run the...
All most of you guys do is bitch...if they closed GH down tomorrow you'd bitch about that. If you don't like the way they run the track, then ride elsewhere, or better yet build your own track and pay flaggers to monitor any blind areas. Simple fix.

Plus, if I read it correctly SH stated the track worker made the statement after he was berated by BT?!

The market decides whether or not a track is successful and it seems as though market forces are pretty pleased with GH overall. Frankly, very few if any tracks I've ridden over the years (starting in 73 on an xr75) have had flaggers.
He should have been berated by Ben, the guy was and is an Idiot.

Post a reply to: Hambin what happened at GH today?