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Have a near carreer ending wreck there like he did & you probably wouldn't forget it either.
"Then he met his Waterloo at Loudon: a horrifically broken femur caused by a crash into one of Loudon's well-established cement barriers... The injury to DuHamel's leg was so grave that had he ended up in the hands of lessor doctors, he most certainly faced the career-ending prospect of amputation. Thankfully that did not happen..."
If you wanna read about the crash, here ya go
Soup :: Miguel DuHamel Interview 1998
-Pete LRRS/CCS #81 - ECK Racing, TonysTrackDays
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No, T1 I think?
-Pete LRRS/CCS #81 - ECK Racing, TonysTrackDays
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Pretty sure it was T1.
Johnny B was probably there, with pics no doubt.
Joel Taylor
LRRS/CCS #719
Either way, it contributes to why the AMA doesn't sponsor any events at Loudon anymore. That's still kinda cool that we made his memorable list though....even if it is kinda morbid.
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If you run into a wall with a helmet on, you still ran into a wall.
I think He hit the wall in turn 2 One leg is shorter then the other because of it.
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I was Turn 1. As it began to rain. I think he slid up into the wall.
Same Turn that ended Thomas Wilson's career.
Mike Smith broke his leg hitting the wall in Turn 10.
Putting his hands in the air, like he just doesn't care.
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Dave - Motorace - Michelin
As I recall it they we're either in practice or qualifying and it started to drizzle (or rain lightly) and Duhamel was still on slicks....
He entered the T1 braking zone and lost the front, careening into the Nascar T1 wall, through the tire barrier. His leg and part of his body was between his RC45 and the wall when they impacted.
Thomas Wilson on the HD also suffered an injury that weekend that unfortunately, ended his career.
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Here's a rough before/after rendition. I noticed at Road Atlanta that Miguel was getting pissy about the "slow guys" in qualifying. He suggested at the riders meeting that the AMA black flag all but the top 15 riders on the track so that the "fast guys" would have the track to themselves for the last 15 minutes of qualifying.
When it started raining during qualifying at Loudon, everyone pulled onto pit lane. Except Miguel. He continued to attempt to put in a hot lap while the riders on pit lane said "WTF?" (Even Mladin said that he was "Silly".) So he tore down the front straight, threw it into 1 and lost it, hitting the wall.
The AMA was pressed for time, and before qualifying resumed, moving the tires to cover the wall where he hit was discussed. I don't think the issue was having enough time to move the tires alone, but more like the water that would spill out of them and down to the racing line if they were disturbed. I guess they figured that it wouldn't happen again, so nothing was moved. Qualifying resumed, and Thomas Wilson hit the wall in nearly the same place after his brakes failed.
The AMA put together a committee, led by Factory Yamaha rider Tom Kipp, to make recommendations. The most notable change was Turn 1. When the AMA returned in 1999, Mladin started bitching at Ron Barrick during the riders meeting. He accused Kipp of making the track worse than before. Jerry Wood took Mat, Aaron Yates and Doug Chandler for a walking tour around the track, taking notes from them on desired improvements. I have no idea of the contents of that list, nor how much of it was implemented.
By 2000 and 2001, the issue was more about whether to race in the rain or not. 2001 saw the big blowup. After it had been repeatedly announced by the track that the races would go on, rain or shine, the riders boycotted the 600 race. That's when the Bahres went ballistic on Ron Barrick.
I don't know which side pulled the plug on 2002, but it happened.
Last edited by Johnny B; 12-16-07 at 05:56 PM.
Johnny B. (the other one) ®
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I always just hear how technical and difficult Loudon is. I didnt realize he had a big crash here and thats what it was refering to. I just assumed he meant that he made it through Loudon because its so tough, so I kinda feel bad taking it lightly.
Just to clarify, the incident was at the 1998 Loudon Classic. The original crash he had at Road Atlanta was between turns 6 and 7, where there was plenty of runoff and there were absolutely no track safety issue. His latest one in testing there is another story. Funny thing about that season was that as a result of that crash, Anthony Gobert's flunking the drug test and Doug Chandler's mechanical failure at Las Vegas, Ben Bostrom won the Superbike title by default.
Don't feel bad. Gobert claimed that he was so relieved to get out of Loudon intact that he smoked a few bones with some fans. He flunked the drug test a couple of weeks later.I just assumed he meant that he made it through Loudon because its so tough, so I kinda feel bad taking it lightly.
Johnny B. (the other one) ®
Butler's Rest Home - "No Vacancy"
Super Motard Champ 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985
Visit the Rest Home: http://resthome.50megs.com
"Listen to your ass, it's giving you lots of information!" - Buddy Melges
There was one more HUGE crash in Turn One. It was on a super special Triumph. It also hit that barrier in Turn 1 and exploded. The bike was a one-off race kit machine.
I think BK was racing it? It wasn't AMA, but I think NASB. Either 97 or 98 maybe?.
Ken Condon and I were standing at the end of hot pit watching the race when he crashed and the bike just exploded.
Putting his hands in the air, like he just doesn't care.
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Dave - Motorace - Michelin
Hey Johnny,
Youi ever consider a book about Road Racing at Brian and Louden? You seem to have the knowledge, experience, and the 'touch' as a writer?
I'd buy one!
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I'm pretty sure that it was the 1996 F-USA event at Loudon. Scott Zampach was on the Triumph (I think the team owner was Kevin Hansen, current owner of the Safety First team) and he tangled with Brian Kent going into Turn 1. The Triumph had a fiberglass fuel tank and it ruptured. HUGE fire. See John Flory's pictures below. They actually had to treat spectators in the grandstands for smoke inhalation. At the time, they didn't know whether Scott was going to live or not, so his bike was impounded pending any possible investigation. I had custody of the bike on a trailer. I was at the spot where you usually see me (All hell broke loose at my intersection, with ambulances, police cars, etc. zipping on and off the track.) and I had to eventually move the trailer inside the Scales Garage because there were too many rubberneckers picking at the wrecked bike. The thing was still smoldering, so I had to leave the door open a crack and watch the smoke pouring out of there.
That was Scott Zampach's last race. Another irony was that our own Russ Katzenburger, who once podiumed a Kaw 600 in the 750 Supersport race at the Loudon Classic, (Aaron Yates crashed twice trying to get past him for third.) suffered race career ending injuries at Daytona while trying out for the Triumph ride given up by Zampach.
God, I couldn't even begin to figure out how to put everything together in a book!
These photos make that Yamaha in Turn 5 last season look like a small weenie roast. You ever seen four ambulances on the track at the same time?
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Last edited by Johnny B; 12-17-07 at 12:45 AM.
Johnny B. (the other one) ®
Butler's Rest Home - "No Vacancy"
Super Motard Champ 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985
Visit the Rest Home: http://resthome.50megs.com
"Listen to your ass, it's giving you lots of information!" - Buddy Melges
Last edited by Johnny B; 12-16-07 at 08:20 PM.
Johnny B. (the other one) ®
Butler's Rest Home - "No Vacancy"
Super Motard Champ 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985
Visit the Rest Home: http://resthome.50megs.com
"Listen to your ass, it's giving you lots of information!" - Buddy Melges
John, I saw that crash as it happened right from the pit wall. Zampach faded to the right and clipped BK's front tire. They were both down and sliding just before the 4 board, at about 150 mph. They hit the tire wall so hard the tires and bikes went about half way up the chain link fence on the out side of Nascar T1. That's about 25 feet or so. Corner workers were pulling Scott and Brain out of the flames with out even checking for any injuries. They had too because the flames from the Triumph's ruptured Carbon Fiber tank had set the tires on fire almost immediately. That was one of the scariest crashes I've ever seen. BK and I were just talking about that last season too. He doesn't remember a thing. I think the year was 1997 or 1998. 1996 was the year Ritchie Alexander ran over Eric Wood's head. Eric said he was fine and wanted to ride the second leg, but after about 15 min all Eric could do was drool........Shall we start the great Helmet Debate again???
I love these history lessons. You guys are regular encyclopeidas of Loudon Lore.
I salute you!
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Johnny B should write a book on Loudon. The scene, the races, the people. I'm serious.
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