Pocono 10/7 report - Sportbike Addicts

tommymac · 10-08-2006, 08:22 AM

Unfortunatley the uneventful streak of good days for that guy racing was broken, today I was that guy, and will get rto that later.

The day started off fookin cold, I got out there prety early and met up with kev and ant and we got set up in the pits. I went over to see ralph and he tells me he forgot the tires for Joe who was already on his way ( and needs to buy a GPS so he doesnt get lost) Fortunatley his wife was supposed to be comming tomorrow so he had her bring them out a day early.

I wound up missing the first session in red becasue I still had to get my stuff together and check my tires ( which Ralph had CBRbob try to fail me on for swirls in my tires ) So I go out the second session and am just not feeling it, my lines are way off and ma mkaing mistakes all over the place so i pit out and try to regroup for the next session.

Now they were runing 4 sessions with basic and blue group was having a crashfest, early on. In one session they were redflagged on 4 straight laps from what salty was telling me. The first real bumerof the day was when when not one but 2 riders had to be airlifted out I spoke to one of the medics ( way before I became a patient) and told me that one guy cracked his helmet prety bad and wasnt breathing on his own so hopefully he will be ok but just basedon that it doesnt sound good.

So we only had 3 sessions before lunch and Glen called a riders meeting to regroup and see what the problem was. So after lunch I go outwith ralph ( who was getting better with each session being its his first day back after his broken collarbone ) and we work on my lines, which were all over the place, plus I came a bit too inside on the apex going onto the straight and launched the cone onto the track I even managed to see that checkered flag thing too, so I figured ray would be happy

So my 4th session I go out and wind up behind a somewhat slower rider than me which I figure was good I will keep me from trying to go too fast and can concentrate on what ralph and I talked about.

So I head out for the fateful last session, now its later in the day and the sun is sitting low in the sky, so theres a lot of glare going off the straight and into the last turns, and you see long shadows from 1 to 4. I run a few laps on my own, and come out of the last turn and am going into the kink and 3 or 4 people pass me bythe kink ( which is a no no ) and that kind of rattles me, so I go into turns 1 and 2 and am comming out of 3 when I see the shadows from 2 bikes behind me ( turns out to be 2 coaches) and I think its the bikes comming up to pass me in turn 3 so I panicked and grabbed some front brake and stood the bike off and went offroad on the outside of 3 I tried to ride it out but the front wheel compressed on a divot on that wonderful grass and I got pitched over the bars ( must have been real graceful seeing my fat ass fly thorough the air ) I came down and hit my head, right shoulder, right hip and this morning my right foot hurts. I was dazed fora few seconds but did a quick assement on myself. No LOC, I could feel and move my feet and toes and kinda recall what happened. the two coaches were right there immediatley and they motioned for the ambulance. I told th emedics who I was and that I just had soome minor bruises ( but I bet I hurt the ground prety good ) so I signed the CYA waiver and got a ride back to the pits with gallo. We discussed what happened and how I cannot loose focus but he can see that happening with the shadows.

the damage is prety minimal, along with a damaged ego I listed my injuries and the bike seems ok, mildly crached plastics on the right, a bent frame slider and my bar end cap came loose. I looked at it closer when I got home, I think I bent the fairring stay too since the nose of the bike appears to be pushed to the left. I will pull it apart this week to further assess the damage.

Sadly I think I am done with pocono east, it may be more of a mental thing but between riding like crap and the crash, we will have to see.

Tom

Ant · 10-08-2006, 08:38 AM

Tom, I don't mean to make you feel badly but I had a great day! I think I like Pocono again but that may be just because I hadn't ridden for 3 months. lol

Morning was fucking arctic but I pushed through. Warmed up a bit throughout the day and I got a bit faster. Had a lot of fun playing with Bowler, Ralph, and later in the day, a Mr. Benes. I think that's lateapex. I even got yelled at for being too agressive.

A lot of traffic but I think I ran a 1:16 something. I even dragged my knee!

Great to see Kevin and Tom and to finally meet Bowler of the Year. And it was even greater to see that hottie pitted next to us. lol I even bought a cd so pics to follow later in the week. God I"m a loser.

opinion914 · 10-08-2006, 09:30 AM

hotties and trackdays dont mix. i didnt know weather to check my tire pressure or spank the monkey.

Ant · 10-08-2006, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by opinion914

hotties and trackdays dont mix. i didnt know weather to check my tire pressure or spank the monkey.

Annoying laugh or not, I'd ask her to marry me!

tommymac · 10-08-2006, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ant

Tom, I don't mean to make you feel badly but I had a great day! I think I like Pocono again but that may be just because I hadn't ridden for 3 months. lol

Morning was fucking arctic but I pushed through. Warmed up a bit throughout the day and I got a bit faster. Had a lot of fun playing with Bowler, Ralph, and later in the day, a Mr. Benes. I think that's lateapex. I even got yelled at for being too agressive.

A lot of traffic but I think I ran a 1:16 something. I even dragged my knee!

Great to see Kevin and Tom and to finally meet Bowler of the Year. And it was even greater to see that hottie pitted next to us. lol I even bought a cd so pics to follow later in the week. God I"m a loser.

No worries ant. It was still alot of fun hanging out with everyone. Besides if I can make jokes about my crash you know it wasnt too bad.

I do want to find out about those guys that were airlifted out, since it sounded like one of them was in bad shape.

Tom

lateapex · 10-08-2006, 08:55 PM

"I came a bit too inside on the apex going onto the straight and launched the cone onto the track"

BTW the not an apex cone, it just there mark the large hole in dirt there. Glad your ok. I was one of the coaches at your incident. The shadow do play tricks on you, as you can experienced, and it takes a few times to not let it bother you.

"and later in the day, a Mr. Benes. I think that's lateapex. "
That's correct it's me. Glad you had a good time.

It was not one of the best days in TPM history. Word on one rider that took a ride is busted ribs, popped lung, and a few other bumps and bruises. He'll be in the hospital for a few days to monitor the slight bleeading in his brain. No word on the other guy yet.

tommymac · 10-09-2006, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lateapex

"I came a bit too inside on the apex going onto the straight and launched the cone onto the track"

BTW the not an apex cone, it just there mark the large hole in dirt there. Glad your ok. I was one of the coaches at your incident. The shadow do play tricks on you, as you can experienced, and it takes a few times to not let it bother you.

"and later in the day, a Mr. Benes. I think that's lateapex. "
That's correct it's me. Glad you had a good time.

It was not one of the best days in TPM history. Word on one rider that took a ride is busted ribs, popped lung, and a few other bumps and bruises. He'll be in the hospital for a few days to monitor the slight bleeading in his brain. No word on the other guy yet.

I did not know that was for a hole out there, glad I didnt hit that when I went over it.

How close were you guys to me when I went off. I got prety rattled when a few people passed me by the kink/pit out area and thought it was going to be more of the same comming through turn 3. I saw later that the sun was casting prety long shadows there, and initially I thought that was another bike comming right up on me.

I guess it was good and bad being a mental error. its bad that it happened, but i know its something I can easily correct and given everything that happened I will take a sore shoulder and foot/ankle and a slightly damaged and not as prety bike any day.

Tom

CBRBob · 10-09-2006, 09:17 AM

George passed you early on the front straight. Kirk and I were behind you.

Kirk looked to be setting up to pass between 3 and 4 when I saw you in the middle of 3 (right hander) look very much to the left! As you know, you go where you look. I then saw your bike wobble as you started to brake and try and keep it going to the right while now staring to the left (grass).

You rode off and pushed Kirk with you as he was slightly to your left (outside in mid-pass). I slowed and motioned to anyone behind me to slow and watched both of you ride toward the chain link fence. I saw you fall and saw Kirk stop about 3 feet shy of the fence as I lost sight and had to ride through turn 4.

As the red came out, George and I took the shortcut out of the bus-stop and saw you and Kirk with the ambulance. Geo and I picked your bike up and heard Kirk ask you why you did that. You said "I heard 2 bikes behind me, then saw their shadows so I got spooked". Fair enough, but, as we always tell everyone, hold your line. If faster people are behind you, they will make the pass. If you alter your (normal) line, bad things happen.

So don't let the sound of bikes behind you affect you. Shadows are only supposed to scare groundhogs back into their hole. Looks like winter is coming!

tommymac · 10-09-2006, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CBRBob

George passed you early on the front straight. Kirk and I were behind you.

Kirk looked to be setting up to pass between 3 and 4 when I saw you in the middle of 3 (right hander) look very much to the left! As you know, you go where you look. I then saw your bike wobble as you started to brake and try and keep it going to the right while now staring to the left (grass).

You rode off and pushed Kirk with you as he was slightly to your left (outside in mid-pass). I slowed and motioned to anyone behind me to slow and watched both of you ride toward the chain link fence. I saw you fall and saw Kirk stop about 3 feet shy of the fence as I lost sight and had to ride through turn 4.

As the red came out, George and I took the shortcut out of the bus-stop and saw you and Kirk with the ambulance. Geo and I picked your bike up and heard Kirk ask you why you did that. You said "I heard 2 bikes behind me, then saw their shadows so I got spooked". Fair enough, but, as we always tell everyone, hold your line. If faster people are behind you, they will make the pass. If you alter your (normal) line, bad things happen.

So don't let the sound of bikes behind you affect you. Shadows are only supposed to scare groundhogs back into their hole. Looks like winter is coming!

there was only one person who passed me comming onto the front, I thought it was 2 or 3. I wasnt sure what forced me to the left, if it was I saw the shadow on that side and fixated on it or saw something to the right and went left. At least no one else went down becasue of it. I though tsomeone was right behind me on the grass. Gallo was even telling me it all happened becasue I lost focus on whats infront of me. usualy I dont even worry about whats behind me I dont know why I did that session, but atleast I know I wont do that again.

Tom

***Cakes206*** · 10-09-2006, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tommymac

I dont know why I did that

Fatigue is usually the culprit for late in the day/last session incidents.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tommymac

So I head out for the fateful last session

EuniceEstelle · 10-09-2006, 11:43 AM

ouch...
were those airlifts from the blue group? just curious ..hope it's not someone i know.

sorry to hear about your day tommy..sometimes it's just not the day to ride...glad you are okay though!

IrocRob · 10-09-2006, 12:24 PM

According to the TeamProMotion website, one of the riders will make a complete recovery,
but the other rider has received life threatening injuries.

My thoughts are with him and his family today.

tommymac · 10-09-2006, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cakes

Fatigue is usually the culprit for late in the day/last session incidents.

usually, but I ran so little early in the day due to th ecold and missing the first session I still felt prety good going out that last session, Normally I am done and already loading up the bike, but I wanted to still work on what ralph had shown me.

Tom

Ant · 10-13-2006, 01:10 PM

Here's some pics from Race Day Photo. I have a funny one of Kevin that I'll post later.

opinion914 · 10-13-2006, 01:35 PM

i havent heard boo about the guy who is seriously injured...hope things are ok