What’s the most ambulances you’ve seen in a day…

I went to a meeting that had sidecars, in practice someone broke their leg, 1st sidecar race, back injury, helicopter called. 2nd sidecar race, someone got run over, helicopter called. They was before my race as well, held up for an hour each time. The meeting was cut short due to time. 

That is insane. I’m east coast so I wouldn’t know but why do you think there are so many injuries there especially in a single day?

A lot of times when I see the chopper come in to get someone I either pack it up or take it easy for the rest of the day.

Bikes are too fast. 

Not good.

When Pala first reopened in 2015.  Seemed like the main track couldn't stay open for more than 20 minutes because someone would wad it.

riders riding tracks that don't match their skill level, not only dangerous for them, but also for everyone else on the track.  Riders aren't fit, but stay out despite being tired.  People riding 450s, that don't need to be riding 450s.  Cahuilla is a pretty tame track, it can get rough and choppy, but usually nothing too dangerous.  I'm curious to know where they were crashing.

450s, track prep, older riders not in proper shape, young riders throwing caution to the wind... Who knows. Probably a lot of factors at play these days. It's an inherently dangerous sport that has seemingly only gotten more dangerous, but that is just a gut feeling. I can only directly tie that feeling into the development of the 450 4 stroke (heavier bike, more HP).

How's everyone going to fair on 80hp (equivalent) electric bikes, if they become the norm?

Edit: I'll also add that I'm going to be a lifer on my YZ250. I work out at least 4 days a week and take being in shape very seriously. Even then, I feel that I'm barely in enough shape to be ripping motos at any track. My "experiment" on a CRF450 3 years ago resulted in a ruptured ACL. Didn't crash, just dabbed a foot and was done for 11 months. Decided I didn't need that kind of torque going through my body... which is what happened. My YZ will stand up if I dab a foot, while the 450 just went through my leg. That alone is enough to keep me off those monsters.

That's insane. The closest track to me is Budds Creek and often times I will see an ambulance come and go, and the occasional helicopter. I dont think I have ever seen more than one in a single day though. 

At Cahuilla Ive seen two helos and three ambulances in a day. That place just seems to have big crashes.  Maybe its high speed on the vet or an insane triple on the main.  A wise man once said....."A mans gotta know his limitations"

4 helicopters in a day at a Hollister vet race is my record.  

Two is the most but 99% of the time it’s zero. 

I race a motocross series here in the Midwest that attracts about 1000 entries per weekend, and it is rare to see an ambulance leave.  It has a lot to do with track management and prep.  If it is deep, wet, and rough enough, riders aren’t going fast enough to get hurt that bad.  Also, we don’t run C and A riders at the same time.

Every time I’ve ridden in the last year I’ve seen quite a bit of crashing as well as dangerous behavior from riders and the track crew

I'm from Washington but I feel like I see a lot of posts about Cahuilla and injuries. It seems more common in cali than up here at least for younger dudes with only a few years of riding track under their belts to go out and buy a 450 to be able to ride in the dunes and hills that you guys have and while that's fine those things will absolutely get away from you on track. I have been riding for 20 years as a hobby and never raced, I got a 450 6 years ago and rode it for a season and went back to a 250. They are so easy to get into trouble on if you are not equipped for it. 

I haven't ridden in a dozen years. I remember back in the late 80's/early 90's maybe having 3 ambulance rides at the most.

Now there are helicopters? Is the abundance of helicopters similar to the use of red flags these days at SX's? An abundance of caution?

Like you said you work out very often and still feel barely in enough shape to do motos.  Most guys aren't in good regular shape let alone good moto shape. 

Jumps too big.  

Lake Whitney Spring National used to have helicopters in and out all week.

A couple of years ago, Canada Heights uk, if I recall correctly there were 13 race starts and 10 of them were red flagged. 

The meeting was abandoned due to the medical services having to leave the circuit with injured riders. 

I think seeing helos at Cahuilla is because of the  distance to hospitals. I see ambulances / fire trucks fairly frequently at all the tracks. 

As far as the most? That would probably be Elsinore in late 90s -2000. 

So over the years it seems like jump faces have become less steep, the logic is to make them easier and safer, but what ends up happening is everyone hits the thing wide open, and then guys that have no business jumping at all end up dead sailoring every jump on the track, caseing it and side swapping. Another issue i see is that tracks are getting wider and wider and longer straight aways. Once again the logic is safety. but what ends up happening is higher speeds. I remember tracks like LACR and Gorman having a lot steeper jumps and shorter straights, and the tracks being narrower. Food for thought

i have been at a cross country where 6 riders got helicoptered out in 4 trips,  however  it was more to do with how remote the event was, and it was a 2.5 hour ambo trip to hosptial,  they helicoptered a dislocated shoulder, 

Common for me, but then again i live down the street from a fire station. 😂

What about the Clay Classic a couple of years ago, The classic sidecars first race. A few ambulances turned up.

Starwest in the mid-90's was pretty brutal. 

Cahuilla is pretty tame, other than the long distance to a hospital, not sure why so many copter rides. But good thing we have another negative California track thread, there hasn't been enough of them lately.  

Adelanto GP in 15 or 16. My race was red flagged twice because they couldn’t keep an ambulance on site. I remember watching a GoPro on YouTube and people were laid out all over the place in the desert section. Layout was no different than usual so I have no idea why that particular race/year was so bad 

 A lot of new riders went and bought a 450 during Covid era and hopped right on tracks.  Even the vet tracks have 3rd gear wide open jumps these days. 

It doesn't help that the guy building the track has no idea what he's doing and has no business building one. Jump faces are totally wrong. I'm sure you can attest but wont say it. FAR FAR from its glory days of 20 years ago.

Tracks being so dangerous that you repetitively lose riders to injury is not a good business model.

I raced once at Fort Calhoun, South Dakota, in 1983. It was a drought year and the dust was thick enough that it made the over-under jump sketchier than necessary. There were three ambulances runs in the first set of motos, then they called it a day since that’s how many were available.