typing one handed ...... please bear with me. first, i would like to express my sincere thanks to stt staff and any riders that helped get my gear packed up after my crash. stt goes above and beyond in this regard and i really appreciate it. i was in i group on a red 748, red/white leathers. 2nd session of the day, maybe lap 3 or 4 entering t6 i collided with another rider and went down. fractured collar bone and a small fracture to whatever bone is the shoulder blade. i would like to have a better feel for what happened, so i was hoping someone might have seen it. anyone? my only real interest is to try and understand what i may have done to contribute to the crash. i collided with a rider that was behind me, and would also like to know if he came out ok. thanks.
I only saw the aftermath of your crash in T6 and seeing you down was basically what I saw. I asked all weekend about your status, and its good to hear that you are well enough to post up here. It looked like you came into T6 too hot and esp in the morning other riders were taking it slow ( i know I was). Basically the track was wet & muddy in that corner, and it wouldnt have been pretty for anyone pushing it there. But anyways, I'm sure all of us are glad to hear that you will be ok.
I didnt see anyone else takin away in another ambulance after your crash. There were other crashes were the ambulance responded but no other ones that I saw after your crash so im assuming the other guy or gal was ok. Do u remember if u were hit first or did u lose traction first?
i understand an accurate recollection of these kinds of things can get dicey, but i remember the corner being very crowded, and i approached from the middle of the track. very suddenly, i felt a very strong impact from behind, and i was along for the ride at that point. i don't recall any loss of traction at all ...... i felt i was simply braking for the corner and very much in control. with the water and the mud in that corner (and in many other places) i remember thinking that if it stayed like that all day i would leave with 1/2" chicken strips at the end of the day. ridable, but the track was in no condition to push. in hindsight, i probably should have just got in line and waited for a better opportunity to get by. hindsight is fun with broken bones. thanks for the input, guys. please keep it coming if there is anyone else that may have some feedback.
Jim, I am very happy you are ok. Please call Bonnie or send her an email about our discussion (the one we had when you were in the car). You can PM me if you would like to talk again. I know you were a little disoriented from the tumble when we talked. However, I would like to invite you to come to the night events at the Autobahn on May 26th. I know you won't be doing any riding, but there will be a jump house for the kids, a band, food, games etc. At least you can hang with us and enjoy the night. Let me know so I will add you to the list of participants for that day and have the gate fees waived. Again, I am relieved you are doing well. See you soon
hey, thanks nick. i also wanted to thank you again for getting my gear squared away after the crash. it was a big help and i appreciate it. that night event sounds like a blast, and i certainly should be 'up and running' by then.
Jim, I was about 200 feet behind the mele and saw you after the dust cleared. It just looked like too many bikes and too little track with everyone attempting to get clear of eachother. The unfortunate part was that everyone was trying to get through first rather than hold up and wait till space was available. It looke like two bikes tangled and then seperated taking out a third. Better track conditions may have helped or it could have been worse as we would have all been pushing harder. I was preoccupied with braking myself in order to avoid any further colateral damage. I tell ya, it is hard to drive past a fallen rider knowing that help is several minutes behind! It is good to hear that you are ok but it does sound painful. If you need some track plastic for your 748, let me know. I have a LH lower and a RH mid and Lower sitting in boxes. If you need any help getting it fixed up. I would be happy to help. I'm in the north west suburbs.
thanks for the feedback jethro. anything that helps me to understand what went wrong is greatly appreciated. i'm sure my bike is messed up, but to be honest it's still sitting in my trailer at work and i'm really not sure how much damage there is. i was told they rode it away from the scene, so i guess that's a good sign. i'll track you down if that plastic is needed. thanks again.