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Novice #143 Round 8 Race Report
I don’t even know where to begin. Pretty eventful weekend.
Thursday I practiced in the afternoon. Gorgeous weather. Bike was handling well and I saw a few laps in the 1:25’s about 2 seconds off of my PB.
Friday I hung around and played pit bitch for a friend who I had signed up for Penguin licensing school on my bike. I had been trying to get him to come out all year. He had a blast and completed the class with flying colors. Both of our wives came up that night. If he starts riding next year this it will be awesome as my wife will have someone to hang around with that she already knows etc… We had made the decision earlier in the week to leave the kids at home since Stacey and Nicole (the wives) are nervous enough.
Saturday Dave and I were going to split practices (him first, me second) but the combination of the rain and the bike adjustments that would have been required (shift pattern, suspension adjustments, numbers, etc) deterred me. I let him run and he went out 2 times during the open practice. Dave (#144) got a great launch and managed to win his rookie race. We also had signed him up for Race #3 simply to get some seat time. He placed first there also.
I was scheduled for race #10 so we brought the bike in and changed the numbers, transponders, made some suspension adjustments, and changed it back to GP shift. I was pretty excited going into race 10 as Keith Draghi (#769), Kevin Fogg (#449) and I were pretty close in the point standings. Whomever took first would win the class for the year. I gave Keith a fist bump at the grid. Keith and traded positions a few times on the first lap and I passed him about halfway through. I thought I was being extra cautious in Turn 2 but managed to spin the rear tire up and lowside. I had gapped Keith pretty well and with the cornerworkers help, we half rolled half dragged the bike down to the inside and across the grass. Snapped clutch lever and a bent shifter; we couldn’t get the bike into neutral and the crash truck was called for. A very minor lowside. I think I may have been too far inside on the pavement patch. I’ll have to review the video. I leaned up against the guard rail with the bike in front of me and watched the rest of the 6 laps talking with the wives and Dave over my shoulder through the fence. I was grumpy and they went back to the garage to meet me there. Thank god – because I was really happy my wife wasn’t around for what happened next.
The race finished up and the crash truck came out onto the course from turn 3 to turn 2. One of the novices missed pit in and had to do an extra lap which delayed things a bit. The truck was up against the nascar concrete wall on the outside of two and backed up in order to get off the race line. Once the rider went by he came up the wall and across the wet grass. I had my back to the guard rail and the bike across me parallel to the track with the handlebars toward turn 3 and the tail toward turn 2. Both hands were on the clip ons. I’m not sure if the crash truck lost the brakes or simply slid on the wet grass but it ended up impacting the motorcycle broadside with its front bumper and pushed the bike into me and then into the guard rail. I remember screaming as what felt like my lower half exploded. The crash truck reversed and the bike fell at about the same time I did. Mel and crew did what they could for me before rushing me to Concord for emergency surgery. Fractured left hand from getting squished between the clip ons and the guard rail. Snapped distal femur on the right leg. They added a titanium rod and some ti screws to my femur. I won’t be on a motorcycle for the remainder of the season and have already resigned from the ski racing team I race with every year. I haven’t seen the bike yet. It was supposed to be going to Daytona in a week as a spare race bike for a friend but I guess the damage from the impact with the truck is too much to fix. I’m hoping to take a look at it tomorrow to see if the frame is cracked, etc… I’m pretty convinced that the combination of the suit and the “crush zone” of the motorcycle saved my legs. If the bike hadn’t been there I would have been pinned between ~1985 Ford F250 steel bumper and steel posted ~4 foot high Nascar barrier. Fortunate but still shitty.
A huge thanks to the Mullin’s, Souhegan Valley Motorsports, the Tansey’s, Dave and whomever else helped to pack up all my stuff and drive my rig home. I’m not sure who was involved so I apologize if I missed anyone. It’ll probably be a few weeks before I can unpack the truck but I’m seriously grateful for all the well wishes. Mel’s humor during the ambulance ride was also much appreciated. Definitely some really incredible people involved in this series.
Anyone know how I should follow up with this? I recall many people in the medic building remarking that this wasn’t a “motorcycle accident” in regards to insurance policies as the race was over and it involved a truck. I’m not exactly sure what that means. Should I follow up with Mike Martire as the rider rep or NHMS? LRRS? I called my personal physician but he said everything needed to go through my orthopedic surgeon as he is the one who did the work. I have a follow up scheduled for Friday with him.
Thanks for a great year folks. I learned a lot and hope to be back out there in 2010.
Fitz
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