Posts
12478
Joined
8/15/2006
Location
AZ
US
http://pulpmx.com/2018/06/06/swizcorner-amateur-hour-thursdays-at-the-h…
I’m someone who is borderline OCD when it comes to diligence in the attempt at lessening the chances for a failure. A failure of any kind. That could refer to personal injury, mechanical failure, loss of any kind… so when I hear that not only did another Pro rider get injured on a practice day at Glen Helen but coincidentally the other 450 rider on the team who just prior to the start of the Nationals saw his year cut short, I’m a little on edge and incredibly baffled.
Lets start at the first most incredible component of this perfect storm, a Pro caliber Motocross track mixing Joe Schmoe with elite Factory Pro’s. It is unreal that this combination exists, let alone is a commonality at Glen Helen. Imagine ANY other sport where Pro’s n Joe’s mix it up together in practice sessions. Let’s go hit the local Basketball court and rain down three’s with Steph Curry. Maybe hit up a well manicured Baseball Diamond to jack homers with Mike Trout. I have plans next week to head to Michigan International Speedway and throw a cinder block on the accelerator as I make Kurt Busche my bitch through turn 3. HOW INSANE DOES THIS ALL SOUND?!
Not only should this not be permissible, it could be the next level of VIP program for JT to institute. We’re talking mega-money here to ride with the Pro’s…. Or you can just do it now by showing up on a Thursday at Glen Helen and paying your practice fee. Ridiculous.
What’s worse? Oh yeah, there’s no flagging crew incorporated into this bastard of an idea! I’m not kidding, this is insane and typing it out now, it really sounds like it should be illegal. The fact that there’s no flagging crew doing their best to keep all the riders safe is bad, really bad… but the most unconscionable thing is that the Team’s who these elite riders are employed by, just go along with it and hope that things work out. How could they with so many facets pointing toward the inevitable failure? It’s just another example of small-time thinking in this sport that leaves us with disastrous results and asking ourselves, “How?” How dare anyone pretend to have any unsatisfied curiosity regarding Factory Husqvarna’s entire 450 roster on the sidelines after learning of the facts surrounding the incidents.
The faux pas of the Glen Helen practice days are just one example of multiple similarly amateurish handlings within the confines of our sport and it is honestly the easiest to both predict and correct, yet here we are. Can someone, ANYONE throw their balls on the crossbar and start to correct these glaring inadequacies in Motocross and Supercross?!
I’m someone who is borderline OCD when it comes to diligence in the attempt at lessening the chances for a failure. A failure of any kind. That could refer to personal injury, mechanical failure, loss of any kind… so when I hear that not only did another Pro rider get injured on a practice day at Glen Helen but coincidentally the other 450 rider on the team who just prior to the start of the Nationals saw his year cut short, I’m a little on edge and incredibly baffled.
Lets start at the first most incredible component of this perfect storm, a Pro caliber Motocross track mixing Joe Schmoe with elite Factory Pro’s. It is unreal that this combination exists, let alone is a commonality at Glen Helen. Imagine ANY other sport where Pro’s n Joe’s mix it up together in practice sessions. Let’s go hit the local Basketball court and rain down three’s with Steph Curry. Maybe hit up a well manicured Baseball Diamond to jack homers with Mike Trout. I have plans next week to head to Michigan International Speedway and throw a cinder block on the accelerator as I make Kurt Busche my bitch through turn 3. HOW INSANE DOES THIS ALL SOUND?!
Not only should this not be permissible, it could be the next level of VIP program for JT to institute. We’re talking mega-money here to ride with the Pro’s…. Or you can just do it now by showing up on a Thursday at Glen Helen and paying your practice fee. Ridiculous.
What’s worse? Oh yeah, there’s no flagging crew incorporated into this bastard of an idea! I’m not kidding, this is insane and typing it out now, it really sounds like it should be illegal. The fact that there’s no flagging crew doing their best to keep all the riders safe is bad, really bad… but the most unconscionable thing is that the Team’s who these elite riders are employed by, just go along with it and hope that things work out. How could they with so many facets pointing toward the inevitable failure? It’s just another example of small-time thinking in this sport that leaves us with disastrous results and asking ourselves, “How?” How dare anyone pretend to have any unsatisfied curiosity regarding Factory Husqvarna’s entire 450 roster on the sidelines after learning of the facts surrounding the incidents.
The faux pas of the Glen Helen practice days are just one example of multiple similarly amateurish handlings within the confines of our sport and it is honestly the easiest to both predict and correct, yet here we are. Can someone, ANYONE throw their balls on the crossbar and start to correct these glaring inadequacies in Motocross and Supercross?!
Mr Info posted this from MXA
THURSDAY AT GLEN HELEN: DID YOU THINK NO ONE WOULD BE THERE?
On Jun 7, 2018 Last updated Jun 7, 2018
Following the Jason Anderson incident last Thursday, where he collided with another rider while riding through the infield, there was a lot of sturm und drang about how factory riders should never practice at Glen Helen again because they have to ride at the same time as amateur riders. It turns out that factory riders and their teams may not think the same way as the masses on the internet—because this Thursday at Glen Helen you couldn’t throw a cat without hitting a factory rider. Why? Because most factory riders rode at Glen Helen on Thursdays when they were amateurs, To them it is second nature to ride with other people—as they do at Milestone, Pala, Cahuilla Creek, 395 and Perris. Plus, if you are testing for the AMA Nationals it’s best to test at an actual AMA National track.
Cooper Webb(2) was at Glen Helen testing out his recently repaired leg alongside fill-in rider Alex Ray (91)
For those who expected a ghost town at the Glen, it was the perfect day to see Ken Roczen, Cooper Webb, Aaron Plessinger, Colt Nichols, Dylan Ferrandis, Weston Peick, Justin Cooper, Toshiki Tomita, Tyler Bowers and Phil Nicoletti (on his new Husqvarna FC450) among the many. Ernie Becker grabbed his Brownie Automatic and snap a few quick pics of “Thursday at Glen Helen.”
Dylan Ferrandis, one of several riders who has been out injured, was at Glen Helen preparing for his return to the National circuit.
Weston Peick probably came to Glen Helen to give Phil Nicoletti a fond farewell from his JGR team. Nicoletti signed on as a full-time fill-in rider at the Rockstar Husqvarna team.
Aaron Plessinger’s National Championship hopes improved by 20% this week with the injury to Zach Osborne. Now he has to deal with the Martin boys.
Justin Cooper won his first-ever AMA National moto last Saturday in Colorado.
Toshiki Tomita gets special care from the Honda mechanics.
Tyler Bowers was back under the Kawasaki awning.
Alex Ray wants to keep his job at Team Yamaha—especially now that Cooper Webb is getting ready to come back.
Justin Jones came to Glen Helen fresh off his Baja 500 win last weekend. Jones is an ISDT Gold Medalist, Junior Tropgt Team winner and four-time Baja Champion. Those are good credentials for the son of a four-time 250 National Motocross Champion.
Colt Nicholls.
Tyler Bowers.
HRC of Japan rider Toshiki Tomite watching the action from the REM side of the National
Ryan has some thoughts, although he chose to be on the track at the same time as an amateur. These guys need to start thinking.
The Shop
If you are not at least an intermediate, you should stay off those tracks on those days. But even if they had pro/intermediate only, riders don't listen. At milestone they have several different tracks but slower riders jump on the main track and don't do the jumps all the time, dangerous. Pretty sure the REM track is usually open on Thursdays for (Beg-Nov) caliber riders. There are options but since I have been riding tracks since 1983, its the same stuff.
Safety is paramount, and mid-week flaggers may be the answer, but then expect gate fees to jump up another $10-20 per day. However, I have seen flaggers that get paid at Milestone and they are pretty much useless, looking at their phones or standing under the trees hundreds of feet from the track. Who will work for $10 per hour and stay glued to watching riders for 8 hours, even with breaks (and most of these flaggers don't ride). They have flaggers, but 9 times out of 10 the riders are the ones who are the first responders during a practice crash and it takes over a minute at times for the Milestone flaggers to get to the accident, especially if its on the other side of the track with no shade. This is also what happened at Glen Helen before the medic crew got to the first downed rider (fellow riders fagged the accident). GH should have red flagged practice but the option was to ride around the accident. Then a second accident happened while trying to ride around the first accident.
There are stupid riders all the time, both fast and slow, they don't look where they are going, cross-jump, don't look or raise their hand before exiting the track or jumping off the track in a hurry (Jason Anderson incident). Pros also need to be aware they are riding full-speed on a track littered with amateurs. Should the amateurs not ride because there are pros on the track or should the pros rent Glen Helen on Wed to avoid the amateurs so they they can ride full speed?
Things could be done but it might again raise the cost of riding dirt bikes, even on practice days. A race track referee could police the track and kick off slow riders that are below the pace on the main tracks, flaggers that pay attention (good luck and with an added cost to the track of possibly $800-1200 per day if legit employees), kick off fast riders that are making dangerous passes on slower riders. Riders themselves need to learn to hold their line when being passed instead of making last minute lane changes or they need to know who is coming up on them and give the faster rider the main line. Then riders also get upset and stop going to tracks when they start to split up practice sessions because of the down time including watering. Gorman used to split practice up for minis, (beg, nov and vet) and (fast vet, inter. and pros) but we would sit around pretty much all day and maybe get an hour of riding if if we were lucky.
We can't blame the track, the rider or the rider who was hurt, it is a collective problem that "We" all need to do our part. If the track had a few flaggers (might help) if slower riders knew how to hold their line, move out of the way in advance or let people know when they are exiting the track in advance, and fast riders could be more aware of passing slower riders, taking a split second to think what might happen when practicing on an "Open Practice Day" But even if they had "Pro Only Practice Days" pros still show up at random tracks to ride to get seat time.
It is not a specific one thing fix, there are easy solutions but it still might not have changed the outcome of Jason Anderson. We want to be able to afford to ride for fun but if you want track personal to cross every T and dot every I when they open their doors it could cost everyone more at the gate. I would pay $10 for good flaggers but I know its very difficult to get good flaggers to work part time and bake in the the sun or freeze there butt off in the winter for minimum wage.
My rant is over
A few tracks here now have lights and sirens on jumps, that are controlled by a central point , meaning you don’t need a lot of flagers ,
Much safer , also here all clubs will split practices on open practice days with a heap of riders
I can’t believe having so much money in a stock or property or any other investment and not taking better care of it
All the dumb asses on here want to say ‘no big deal’ but it totally illustrates how dumb most of the people in our sport are. Including executives and leaders.
Who in their right mind let’s the reigning supercross champion ride on the same track at the same time as joe blow?
Yep you got your money worth on that decision.
Another one down. Oh well they will all be back next week. Let’s see what happens then.
JS7 Reedy RC4 BB4 any many others create these private compounds in Florida for a reason...
Pit Row
It's also been mentioned many times before that pros get to ride for free at the Glen. Is that still true?
Buy your own track, or become a top pro rider and you can make your own decisions too.
Be careful what you wish for, NASCAR is dead from this regulation some are requesting.
When I switched over to supermoto/road racing, the difference was incredible. When I first started racing MX, no race couldn't leave the gate unless the ambulance was there. Now they don't even have an ambulance at the track for a motocross race. Road racing still has the same rules that MX used to have in that regard.
Road racing has a few things they do right that motocross used to do. Things like an actual tech inspection. Not sending some kid through the pits to put stickers on number plates and calling it tech inspection. Mandated back protection. Never allowing groups of dissimilar speed together on the track at the same time. Flagging crews (yes crews!) with headsets in every corner.
It's weird to me that with all the lawsuits that have shut down tracks, that safety in motocross has gone backwards over the years. Yes I know it's inherently unsafe, but that doesn't mean you can't have some basic protections in place. The people running these tracks need to start treating them more like the race tracks they are and less like a gravel pit.
Post a reply to: Pulp: This might peel the paint on somebody's Orange Glow Helmet