Vital Headlines

Sorry for the lag in recent updates. We've been meaning to do a little housekeeping around the site, and the early part of this week is when it happened. But that's a good thing, and part of our mission to continually improve the site. We'll also try and do a little better job of pointing out some of the new updates and upgrades. But now it's on to meatier subjects.

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If you've been doing your daily reading on Vital MX you've no doubt seen the article we did on the Leatt brace. It's also cool to see some buzz being generated, both by our article and from friends in the industry who have worn it and have become believers in the technology.

Of course, being that it's wildly different from pretty much anything we've seen in the past, reaction on some of the message boards ranged from wild enthusiasm to blatant skepticism. One quote was, "I am more amazed at how quickly you folks are ready to jump onto something you have no knowledge about." The same poster also questioned some of Dr. Leatt's credentials…something we didn't really cover in the article. For a second opinion, we checked in with a well-known medical professional for his take on Dr. Leatt and the work that he's done on the brace to date, and he told us, "He HAS done a lot of Trauma work and has used his experience to develop a very impressive software program, using his own research and real-time model/dummy data to validate his work.  He has a computer generated look at James Marshall's crash that perfectly reproduces the injury, and is used to calculate generated forces. I was very impressed."

The same doctor told also mentioned, "The neck 'donuts' are NOT protective and some feel that they can actually INCREASE neck injuries due to their fulcrum effect on the neck when it pinches under the helmet." That might be material to start a whole new debate.

While we expect to see some more discussion on this, it's definitely cool to see some progress being made on the safety front...especially when it comes to cervical spine injuries. Maybe years from now we'll look at this as a first baby step compared to products we'll see in the future, but for now, it's definitely much better than no step at all.

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Who'd have guessed that we'd see David Vuillemin take two of the three nights in Supercross de Paris at Bercy? On a 250F no less? We were pleasantly surprised. (We'd guess that DV was, too, especially considering he started on the second row for the final race.) What might have happened if he hadn't blown up his engine on the first night?

Or how about Josh Grant showing great speed, but crashing out? Or Justin Brayton surprising everyone with a second on the first night. Or Christophe Pourcel winning the night that DV didn't? And how about watching it live on Eurosport's web site? It's always fun watching the Lites talent in action. That's still our beef with that name. There's nothing Lite about the action that class provides.

The one part we were sort of bummed to see was Sebastien Tortelli announcing his retirement from the sport in Bercy. Sure, the former World Champ has been beaten, battered and bruised over the years, but there are some guys who you wish could be around forever not only because you want to continue to watch them ride, but, well…just because they're so pleasant to talk to, always upbeat, and completely attitude-free. That's Sebastian in a nutshell. We wish him the best in whatever it is that's next in life for him.

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The pleas of the Texas MX fans have finally been answered, as Texas will again host a round of the AMA National MX season, starting next Labor Day at Freestone County Raceway in Wortham, TX. That comes at the expense of the Broome-Tioga round in Binghamton, NY.

2007 AMA Toyota Motocross Championship Presented by FMF

 

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Last week was a little weird, since we spent far too much time deciding on whether or not to run photos of the crash sequence from the start of the Supermoto Unlimited race at the final round of the AMA Supermoto Series.

The short version is this…the promoters were concerned that "the incident" would overshadow "the event," and were asking that the images not run…at all. While there's no doubt that the photos are rather gnarly (any time someone alongside the track gets plowed by a bike moving at high speed it's not a good thing), a lot went into the decision to run them. First was to let everyone settle down and let the injured get treated. There were no fatalities, and we checked to make sure that everyone involved would recover, before the photos ran. While Dan Willenborg, the flagger in question, spent a couple days in ICU with a big concussion and broken arm, he's back at home recovering and reportedly doing well. By all accounts he is a true motohead, and there's no doubt that he's one tough guy.

There was also nothing graphically gory in the photos. Our race report mentioned the crash, but didn't dwell on it. We also never ran them as front page items on the site…though that would have pulled far greater numbers than they did.

We also checked with several editors in the industry, and every one of them that I talked to said they'd have run the photos if they'd had them.

Personally, we think the promoters did an awesome job with the event, with a great venue, lots of pre-race promotion, and having a large number of fence posts drilled into the pavement instead of just using temporary stands. But basically, no one could have foreseen a freak crash like that. It was part of the event, but it wasn't the event.

As sort of an aside to this, I also follow along with nearly every type of motorsports, and go to other races when I get a chance. Last weekend my son and I went out to the NHRA Finals at Pomona to check out the action, and I have to say, pretty much any of the guys in the fuel classes, whether in a Funny Car or Top Fuel Dragster, should be classified as nuts. Making runs at under five seconds and at over 300 MPH is not the healthiest way to make a living…though they probably think RC and James are equally crazy.

Anyway, one of the big "moments" of the weekend came during qualifying on Friday when Del Worsham's Funny Car had an engine expire spectacularly, and he couldn't reach the parachute switches from his strapped-in position due to the warped body. He did all he could to get the car slowed down, but was still flying when he got to the sand trap at the end of the run, which is when he started cartwheeling end over end.

The bottom line? We were might glad to see him exit the car with only minor injuries. It didn't overshadow the event, but it was definitely part of it, and of course, it made all the highlight reels.

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With Thanksgiving already looming, we're already starting to eye the upcoming 2006/2007 World Supercross GP rounds in Toronto and Vancouver. But before the action kicks off, Ricky Carmichael and Chad Reed will be visiting making a hospital visit in Toronto, in support of fundraising efforts for MX for Children (www.mxforchildren.org). The speedy duo will also be doing a personal VIP Meet & Greet with a group of top fundraisers, and Paul Gross is the guy who's making this happen. You may remember Paul from a similar event held before the Seattle SX in '06, and he helped fill us in on what this is all about.

What is www.mxforchildren.org, and how did you get involved in this project?

MX for Children is a volunteer organization that has a vision to help raise funds for Children's Hospitals around the continent by creating a series of goodwill events between the motocross/Supercross industry and fans and local Children's hospitals that are funding by philanthropy.  I started the organization in 2005 while my son William was in the hospital in his first two months of life.  I wanted to give back to that hospital – Seattle Children's -- by creating a fundraising event in conjunction with motocross. So I created the Inside Line Experience and a number of other fundraising events around Supercross and motocross.

This Inside Line pledge drive is designed to raise funds for research for hydrocephalus, the #1 cause of brain surgery in kids. Can you tell us more about the disease?

Hydrocephalus is the abnormal accumulation of fluid in the brain.  It can be either congenital or acquired through traumatic brain injury.  The excess fluid causes extreme pressure inside the skull which will cause death if it is not relieved in a timely manner. There is no cure and the only treatment is the surgical implantation of a shunt -- a tube to divert the excess fluid from the brain to the belly.  Because of the failure rate of shunts, kids with hydrocephalus often have to endure multiple brain surgeries just to survive. 

Tell me a little about the Inside Line Experience. What do the top ten fundraisers receive?

The top ten fundraisers get two passes to an unforgettable behind-the-scene look at professional Supercross.  They get to have a small group private meet and greet with top racers (Ricky and Chad have announced their support so far) for autographs, photographs, and just talking.  They get to attend the pre-race press conference and then watch a private race practice at Rogers Centre.  On the day of the main event, they get to walk the track, tour a factory rig and get great seats too!

How can individuals participate?

Go to www.mxforchildren.org and click on the Register link which will download a pledge form.  Donate or collect pledges that exceed $500 and they become eligible to win two passes to the Inside Line Experience.  The top ten that have raised more than $500 will get this experience.

Is this something that only the local fans in the Toronto area can participate in?

Anyone can raise money and participate in the event but they have to be in Toronto in advance of Toronto SX to get the experience. 

Ricky Carmichael and Chad Reed are participating in this with you.  How cool is it that two of the top riders in the sport will take time out to do this?

I think it is incredibly cool.  I think it is a great way for professional athletes to give a little bit of their time to help an invaluable local charity.  And when they tour the hospital and the kids light up with the opportunity to meet them, it is even cooler.

Some of the kids they'll visit in the hospital may not actively follow the sport...do they get any advance information about who they'll be  meeting? Or are they just happy to have celebrity visitors?

When kids see these guys in factory shirts and hats they get excited.  When they hear that they are the top racers, they get more excited.  Some times they know them and sometimes they don't, it doesn't matter for the kids. Autographed team ware and gifts from some of the rider's sponsors are icing on the cake.

Are there plans for additional events during the '06/'07 season?

We are planning another Supercross Triple Charity in Seattle, which includes the Inside Line Experience, a raffle led by Suzuki with a new RM-Z250 and a silent auction.

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Okay, that's enough venting and spouting for this week. Be sure to check back throughout the week for more goodies here on Vital MX. Oh, and go sign up and fill out your profile, would ya? The community is growing daily, and we don't want you to miss out on the fun.