Things we’ve learned from the wreck!

[DahMurf]

Some of these are light hearted some of these are more serious. For the most part it’s all food for thought and our personal thoughts on what we’re going to do differently in the future. Take what you want and leave the rest! Here’s hoping none of you ever need this advice!

Don’t skimp on your gear and make sure it fits right! It is the extra layer that helps to keep you safe and relatively unharmed! If you have any doubt about this contact me! I’ll gladly show you my shredded gear to help you visually understand what I mean!

Don’t wear your good underwear racing. If you go down, they will cut it off!

Long hair? Tuck your hair preferably up in your helmet! Mine was braided and tucked in my suit. It came out and skidded across the ground. I lost a handful of hair & ultimately 3 inches of length to straighten it all out! The longer it is, the worse this will be… and it could catch on part of the bike!

Keep an extra set of keys stashed in your trailer and vehicle. If you’re in for an overnighter a quick phone call will get your stuff locked up tight.

Always keep a spare set of clothes & shoes in your vehicle where it’s easily accessible. They will cut all of your gear & clothes off in the hospital leaving you bare butt & without clothes!

Take someone you know intimately with you to the hospital. They will be in charge of your valuables and while the Dr is probing every available orifice you need to be able to count on them to tell you honestly if anything is hanging out from beneath the blanket that you don’t want hanging out since your head will likely be taped down to a backboard leaving you unable to check for yourself!

Having a cell phone in the pocket of your race suit is the quickest way to tell your loved one you’re ok. Having a speed dial number makes it that much easier! An ICE entry (In Case of Emergency) number can help those at the scene.

Do your team members or someone you trust know where your pit is, where your spare keys are, where your "emergency bag" is located, who to contact in the event of an emergency? Where your medical insurance card, id, medical history is located in the event you can’t verbalize it?

We’re going to start carrying a single sheet of paper in our race suits with a copy of our id cards both medical & license, medical history, contact info, medical allergies and any other pertinent info that they grill you for in the ER. Even if your spouse is with you, if it’s a bad scene, having it on paper to hand to a nurse or friend can help you deal with your current reality without the hassle of the paperwork. Keep a copy in your "emergency bag" in the event the form is harmed in the accident.

Additionally with the new HIPAA laws it’s not a bad idea to have a simple form in your race suit and given to your buddy (and even spouse/family) stating that your trusted buddy that’s with you at the track is allowed to have your private medical information for a period of time surrounding the race event. I’m thinking month expiration would give ample time in the event you suffer a critical injury. This would allow them to be your liaison and representative as needed until your family can be consulted and on site. There’s nothing worse then having a close friend in the ER and not being able to be told if they’re ok! This is not to say they can make medical decisions for you, this is just so they can be told what’s going on. Keep a second copy in your "emergency bag" in the event the first is harmed in the accident while in your race suit.

If you have any living wills or medical directives that would also be a good thing to have in an obvious location like both your race suit and emergency bag.

The rest has more to do with sharing rides. We’re all very casual in LSR but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t think about better protecting ourselves and our investments both on & off the track.

Before you offer a ride or accept a ride take a moment to think about who you are about to "partner" with. Are you good friends? If something goes wrong are you close enough friends to work it out amicably? What if you can’t work it out and it ruins the friendship, is that one ride worth the risk? Maybe you don’t know the person and if so, maybe you need to think about that! After all, we are all in it for the speed, if you’re potentially putting your life on the line maybe you should stop for a moment and reflect on what you’re about to do and the abilities and credentials of the person you’re about to "partner" with.

Before you throw a leg over someone else’s bike or drive someone else’s vehicle ask yourself, if I wreck it can I pay for it? Will I be expected to pay for it even if it’s mechanical error, if it’s rider/driver error?

Before you let someone else ride your bike or drive your vehicle ask yourself, if they wreck do you expect them to pay to fix it? If you do, do they know that? Do they have the ability to pay? If not, are you willing to foot the whole bill for repair just for them to get a run? Is the benefit of the run going to the pilot or the team, which may help determine responsibility of the repair? Does it matter if it’s mechanical or rider/driver error? Does this person have medical insurance? Will you be expected to pay for their medical bills if they are injured piloting your vehicle? Are you insured to cover them?

How about extended family. If someone is critically injured or killed while piloting your vehicle their family and loved ones may well sue you as the owner. They may not be aware of the gentleman’s agreement you just made. Maybe a third party witness might be a wise choice. How about just a video phone taping of the conversation of agreement. It might put the loved ones at ease and keep them from even contacting a lawyer.

Maybe this all seems a little overkill and a little over thought, but then again, if you are prepared it’s usually a good way to ward off Murphy and end up not needing any of it!

As time goes by we may add more to this list. We’d love to hear thoughts from anyone else who’s been there done that or who have thought of something we didn’t!

Let’s face it, LSR statistically is a very safe sport. There aren’t that many crashes and very few are debilitating and/or fatal. With that in mind it’s important for those of us that have crashed to help pass on what we have learned. Given the choice I always prefer to learn from someone else’s mistakes!

See ya in the fast lane!
Deb

[Glen]

Deb
Well written advice. When things go wrong someone needs to step up to handle the other side and take care of business that other wise can turn into a nightmare. At SCTA and BNI events a medical information sheet is what is given to the EMT's at the incident and gives them a heads up on their medical history and what medications etc they may be on. Also included are the ICE phone numbers.

[DahMurf]

Glen,
 We just started doing that at the ECTA. (I believe the example was taken from the SCTA) I turned mine in but have no idea if it made it to the correct hands or was produced on impact! My feelings are that duplicate information in the hands of more then one person will help to get the right information to the right people at the right time!

Deb

[dwarner]

To add to Deb's list. Have more than on ICE number in your cell phone. As Joanie pointed out, if we are together in an accident it does no good to have her number the only ICE on my phone list.

DW

[DahMurf]

Since I've already been asked I want to be clear about this...

Let me state that we are 100% not having ANY issues in regards to our wreck! We are counting our blessings for who we chose to partner with and in fact the wreck has brought us all closer together as friends. I can't even express strongly enough how positive an outcome this has been from a "negative" wreck. I mean, if I was told hey you're going to wreck, there's only one thing that could have turned out better and that would be to have not broken my collar bone!!!

As we were counting our blessings we realized how very wrong all of this could have gone and the fact that we really didn't think as deeply about it as maybe we should have!

In all honesty I really did consider what might happen if I were to wreck one of Scott's bikes. I felt confident that, while we're not independently wealthy, we would and could do what ever it takes to eventually make things right.

Life is good and I've experienced a very overwhelming display of compassion and respect. I hate that I had to wreck to see it/be shown it but as I sit here today I realize how truly blessed I am for the family, friends and fellow racers I have & know!

Man I can't wait to get back on the track!
Deb
__________________

[RayKimbro]

Good points, Deb - thanks for taking the time to capture and share them w/everyone. 

Emergency data SHOULD be on file for each racer - perhaps MM could set up a form/database to easily permit the ECTA racers to enter their respective data on the website, to prevent the registration folks from having yet MORE paper to track and deal with.

I suspect that each racer here has considered the liability issues, and perhaps made implicit arrangements w/their race partners, but - explicitly documenting expectations w/r/t who is responsible for WHAT is an excellent suggestion.   

[JackD]

VERY GOOD !
After a person has been around racing as either an official or an entrant long enough, they have seen good and bad examples of all the things you have mentioned.
Racing, records, winners, and losers are just a temporary condition at best, but those lessons you have stated are forever and reflect an experience and maturity level that is an all too rare commodity.
After the initial shock of the mishap, excitement, and the disappointment that drives some actions, the publication of those thoughts puts you on the list of the few that actually get it.
A lesson like that shared................................(well you know what I mean).

Jack
 

[1212FBGS]

Very, very, good Deb...
A lot of really good info and things to ad to your vehicle/ equipment check list. If you kinda step back and think about it, there are a lot of racers who show up to race by themselves..... with no help...... and recruit return vehicle drivers. If they take the "e" ride, there not prepared. I saw this alot in road racing, as the racer is going away in the ambulance, the crash truck is dumping his junk off in a unattended pit. Don't show up at the races without help!
kent

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Once upon a time I mentioned to my attorney that I was going to offer a ride (on my race bike, at one of the regular events) to someone.  Lawyer John damn near had apoplexy as he told me not to do it if I valued anything that I own.  He said that since the bike was customised -- not factory stock -- that in the event of an "incident" I'd have no legal place to hide to protect myself or my estate.  He said that a waiver wouldn't save me, a witnessed-before-the-throne-of-God statement wouldn't save me, and that he'd consider abandoning me if I let someone ride because I'd be wasting my money paying him to try to do the impossible.

That said -- I've let a few others make runs on the bike, hoping that my assessment of their abilities was sufficient to assure me that they'd likely not have an incident, and also that my bike was in good enough condition that an incident caused by a failure on the bike likely wouldn't happen.  Now -- if a rider had been on the bike and had hit a cone, like Debbie did -- it's not my fault, it's not the bike's fault, and my assessment of her riding abilities would have probably told me to go ahead and let her make a run.  If she'd crashed -- sure enough, we'd be in the middle of sorting through all of the points that she's mentioned:  Who pays for the parts, who pays for the doctor?

Thanks for the frank assessment, Deb.  And -- could you be so kind as to publish that list/those lists of things to do so we can print them and post them in the trailer, and so we can have a copy to keep handy as we are packing?

Best regards -- and say hi to the short-haired guy, too.

PS  On our medical sheets Nancy and I both show each other as the party to contact in emergency -- and we also include someone else, too.

[bak189]

Hey, Deb:  Your list is great and will be very helpfull  to most newby's to the sport.
But don't take this personal............what you really have to look at is.........WHY DID I RUN INTO THE CONE??  In my 50 plus years of racing M/C's and sidecars (70 old now) I have raced every type of M/C venue there is (except hill climb) most of it in the Pro-Ranks, and I have had my share of mishaps, after every "mishap" I would sit down and try to figure out what I did wrong so it would not occur next time.  Just trying to be helpful......
nothing personal......just some advise from GRANDPA  Bob.......Take care with the shoulder.........

[DahMurf]

Hi "Grandpa Bob"!
Thanks for a most excellent suggestion and response.

Not that you asked for a response, but as with most that I've written since the get off, this, along with what you wrote may serve to help steer others in the right direction.

The initial answer and mistake that was blatantly obvious to me the moment I stopped was "target fixation". Many may take and accept that answer and be done with the analysis but some of us tend to analyze things to death! I didn't stop my analysis (or have I?) until I thoroughly dissected my performance throughout the entire event. There were little things that could have been done better all along, as I think with anything you dissect. (I mean really, how many of us ever have a perfect run start to finish, let alone every time!) I can see places where I could have done things better and signs that could have alerted me that I needed to make an adjustment to my plan. I have had discussions with many that have been faster then me and with a few that while they haven't been faster posses motorcycling skills and training that I have yet to take or acquire. I have a very clear understanding of the physics behind how I got myself into the position to be staring down a cone and what prevented me from looking away. I mean, to the simple person the answer was just look away but to anyone that's ever fallen victim to target fixation there's a reason you couldn't look away and you have to figure out that reason and how to change the circumstance so that it doesn't reoccur. I have a solid plan for the next time I get on a bike and down the track. I'm not sure if it's the right plan for me until I try to execute it, but I have more then one option until I figure out how it's going to work for me.

I know that is all pretty vague and it was meant to be. What works for me might not work for the next guy and what I think is the answer may be wrong. It's between my team and myself to work out the fine details but suffice it to say a lot was learned and I'll be an even better rider for it! Like they say "shit happens". I made a mistake, I've analyzed the circumstance, came up with a plan to move forward. It sounds like a simple mistake on the surface but ended up a complicated formula after thorough analysis. What matters to me is what I've learned will help me to safely move forward and faster in the future!

Thank you gramps your post was VERY helpful and needed to be said!
Deb

[1212FBGS]

target fixation is a very real thing.... it is hard to teach a reasonable person to over look or just look away from a potential danger. I professional high diving, all the diver does is turn his head and the body follows with the motion. for us all you have to do is turn your eyes... in the road racing schools we just told the racers to overlook the danger and just look for the normal line... one split second look away usually does it. Deb beleave it of not, your next passes will be easy as cake... after all you already know where the cone is! just look for your normal line on the track, ignore the cone and the bike will follow.
Kent

[bak189]

Deb, great it sound like you have given it a lot of thought and this is good......like Kent noted,  I am sure your next run will be just fine.
Target fixation can certainly get one in a lot of trouble........I know of several land speed racers that have gotten in bad trouble at Bonneville do to target fixation......Glen, can tell us how many times someone has run over the timing lights.......
 I have been told the way to "break" the fixation is to momentarily close your eyes.....just for half a second......don't know if that works....have never tried it.  Take care....and next time out we all want to see you go 250.......Scott has the equipment that will do it!!!!!!!!!

[John Noonan]

Deb, great it sound like you have given it a lot of thought and this is good......like Kent noted,  I am sure your next run will be just fine.
Target fixation can certainly get one in a lot of trouble........I know of several land speed racers that have gotten in bad trouble at Bonneville do to target fixation......Glen, can tell us how many times someone has run over the timing lights.......
 I have been told the way to "break" the fixation is to momentarily close your eyes.....just for half a second......don't know if that works....have never tried it.  Take care....and next time out we all want to see you go 250.......Scott has the equipment that will do it!!!!!!!!!

Yes he does!!

J

[Super Kaz]

Deb, great it sound like you have given it a lot of thought and this is good......like Kent noted,  I am sure your next run will be just fine.
Target fixation can certainly get one in a lot of trouble........I know of several land speed racers that have gotten in bad trouble at Bonneville do to target fixation......Glen, can tell us how many times someone has run over the timing lights.......
 I have been told the way to "break" the fixation is to momentarily close your eyes.....just for half a second......don't know if that works....have never tried it.  Take care....and next time out we all want to see you go 250.......Scott has the equipment that will do it!!!!!!!!!

Yes he does!!

J

Deb,Kent, Bob,Slim and Jack,
Great info. I'm going to appologise again as my past respones were not ment to be Hurtful. I would like to add a little to a HARD LESSON I learned my 1st time RACING @ BONNEVILLE ! I was warming up my Bike and testing the Salt as it was really bad the day before I was told to go out easy and come back hard by a much more seasoned racer. He was my Guide.Well STUPID '''Me""' missunderstude which direction I was told to go.  So off I go!
I had just clicked into 5th and was really starting to fly when I noticed a Very Shiny silverish Mirage in the distance.
I did as stated above and BLINKED MY EYE'S!
When I opened them I realised it was Not a Mirage but a LAKE out in the Middle of No where in the Bonneville Salt Flats!
 I knew there WAS NO WAY I could save this one as I was doing about 140mph into a 6-8 inch deep Salt lake!
I just touched my front brake and Lowsided so fast I didn't have time to let go of the handle bars!
I did the Body surf/slip and Slide for at least 200 feet!I jumped up imedieatly only to find my Bike in Pieces strung across this little lake!
I ran to my Bike"I was supposed to be at the starting line racing,and couldn't get my bike restarted !
THANK GOD someone"I'm so sorry I don't remeber his name',but he had seen me in my GAY GREEN SUIT heading for Trouble!
 I was at least 2 or 3 miles from the Pit's and another 2 from the starting line!
 All's I could do was start walking back"Thank God I was Not seriouly injured",and THE GENTLEMAN WITH THE PORTABLE DYNO DROVE UP in his dually AND SAVED MY A$$!
He took me back to the Pit's and I really made ANOTHER a$$ of myself Blaming the Racer for what I THOUGHT AT THE TIME was His Fault!
 He was Kind enough to have his crew chief drive me back oiut to the lake and pick up what was left of my SURFBOARD/V-ROD ,and load it in the trailer!
 I was so upset because my bike was Trashed and the Salt was Awesome!
 I started loading up to go home ,and another racer said what are you doing?"SorryI forgot your name",but he then offered to help me put my bike back together!
 We Spent about 3 or 4 hour's trying to get it fixed "Broken Turbo Header was the badest part" well try as we did. I got back to the starting line to make another run,and 1 mile into the pass the header welds melted and my race was over ! My 1st race@ B-Ville was over,but I sure did Learn allot that day!
NEVER Try and Test any where you don't know whats out there specially Bonneville as it could have been my Last race ever!
I'm able to look back and realise what an IDIOT I WAS AND HOW BAD I REACTED!
 I blamed everyone but myself"at the time",and it cost me about $20,000+ to learn that lesson '' in Prize money and Bike Damage" to learn that Lesson!
 Pretty cheap considering what Could have happened ! I rebuilt the bike only to blow it up in the 1st mile at the next race because Salt had gotten into my tank and siezed my fuel Pump"100psi to 40 psi= KABOOM at 180 mph in the 1st mile! Point is 'even The Best Racer's in the World' do Dumb things and I'm  guilty as CHARGED!
If you ever go to Bonneville and want to do a Little testing before or after the event make sure you know where your riding,and let someone else know also! There is a Happy ending as the Next year I came Back and Won my Class'Fastest American V-Twin'  and Broke 200mph in the process ' a 1st for a V-rod anywhere'! I have a few More HARD LESSON'S Learned,but I think you get my point 'we all make mistakes' thankfully it's Not Our Last and we can Both Race again another day! Never Give Up,and Thank God for Good Friends!  So with that I want to ask you and everyone else I might have offended for FORGIVENESS!
Humbly,
Kaz.........