Racing Horror Stories

Gary_Semics

Gary_Semics

PR Member
What was your worst racing experience? The one that comes to mind for me was the Evil Kneival Snake River MX Race in Idaho back in 1973. That's when Evil tried to jump that rocket over the Grand Canyon. Well this race had a hugh crowd and getting out was slower than molasses in January. I did a big 4th gear endo on the last lap of the last moto of the day. My neck, back and shoulder was really hurting. I managed to ride back to the pits and it was major chaos with everyone trying to leave. There was no ambulance to be found so one of the Husky crew loaded me up in his jeep and headed for the hospital. Some hours later we finally arrived. I was treated and released with a prescription for the pain killer codeine. I woke up a few hours after going to bed with itching welts the size of golf balls all over my back. It itched so bad I couldn't go back to sleep. I had a flight back to Ohio the next morning and I was itching the entire time with red welts all over my body. All together it took a month for it to go completely away. The itching turned out to be much worst than the sprained neck and shoulder. I have never taken codeine since.

I have more racing horror stories, some painful and some funny. What's some of yours? :D

Gary Semics
www.gsmxs.com

Cover Photos 2 Day, DVD 2, CD 1000.jpg
 
My worst riding experience was crashing at Spring Valley on the uphill section and getting life flighted from Salem to Pittsburgh
with a good smack to the head.
Was sent home the next day but didnt remember who was who for a couple more days.
Took about a year to completely get over that one.
Still have no idea what went wrong,I had jumped that uphill hundreds of times but something went wrong that time.
Only mark on the bike was some deep scratches on the top side of the front fender so I figure I landed on the front wheel and flipped over frontwards.
It still is scary just for the fact I dont know what really went wrong
 
Gary,

one that sticks out to me was a holeshot crash at honda hills, 40 or more on the gate, (125c) got cut off somewhere in the top half dozen or so around the first left (about 3/4 the way to the first turn) I had to grab so much front brake from being cut off that my back wheel kicked up, and then I got abolutley drop kicked over the bars, from the rider behind me end over end over end all of the pack ether ran over me (thank god the bike was on top of me) or crashed in the mayhem it seemed like

race was red flagged quite a few of us didnt get up right away I remember my dad fixing a cheap knee brace of mine with a hammer on our trailer, and fixing my bars with a piece of exhaust pipe and while he was doing that I was giving him the business wanting more power. Some good did come out of it, I had a 1-1 finish at muskingum valley the next week with the aid of a 38mm carb that was added after the honda hills crash

I thank god to this day that no one really got hurt in that one, it was high speed and savage!!!
 
VETRIDER801 said:
Gary,

one that sticks out to me was a holeshot crash at honda hills, 40 or more on the gate, (125c) got cut off somewhere in the top half dozen or so around the first left (about 3/4 the way to the first turn) I had to grab so much front brake from being cut off that my back wheel kicked up, and then I got abolutley drop kicked over the bars, from the rider behind me end over end over end all of the pack ether ran over me (thank god the bike was on top of me) or crashed in the mayhem it seemed like

race was red flagged quite a few of us didnt get up right away I remember my dad fixing a cheap knee brace of mine with a hammer on our trailer, and fixing my bars with a piece of exhaust pipe and while he was doing that I was giving him the business wanting more power. Some good did come out of it, I had a 1-1 finish at muskingum valley the next week with the aid of a 38mm carb that was added after the honda hills crash

I thank god to this day that no one really got hurt in that one, it was high speed and savage!!!
Click to expand...

I too have a gnarly HH story. Climbed tires with a guy got spit off mid way up the hill. Got up real dizzy. rode back to the pits loaded up. Went home, ate dinner, took a nap. I was still at college in Alliance, so I decided I need to get back up there for class on monday. I didnt feel horrible, just sore and tired from the crash and the day. I start to drive. I get 30 minutes away, and I feel a lump in my lower back. Its uncomfortable for me to drive, but i do so anyway. One hour away i get on I-77 north, Now i feel a softball size swollen area in my back. Im leaning over the steering wheel, because my back hurts so bad. I get to Dover and get off at the old rest area that is now gone. I can barely walk up the sidewalk, Im leaning on the hand rails heavily. I feel like Im about to pass out several times. I call my buddy that lives at my house in Alliance. He comes to get me and takes me to Aliiance Hospital. After the catscan, they said i had internal bleeding. My swelling didnt totally go down for a month. I got lucky.

If you crash, get checked out.
 
I'm looking forward to some funny reading in this thread.... haha!

Believe it or not-- I actually rode real bikes at one time! I got to a point in the later '90's where I had some decent 125C finishes, as opposed to the mid pack fixture I usually was.

So-- I thought it would be a terrific idea to race at Meadowlarks one Sunday after being out all night with my GF the night before, thus getting zero sleep. Well-- back then, I think the powers that were at the club got off on doing things that were stupid, then watching the ensuing carnage!

This particular day, the order was to turn left at the end of the start straight directly into the 10 pack of whoops that had mud puddles in the bottom of each one!! It was insane! Ever see a herd of wilderbeasts crossing a river?

So I had a sweet start where I ended up in the front going three wide through the whoops with a couple other guys. Two of us cartwheeled when my front brake lever pushed against somebody's elbow mid whoops! That was bad enough, but getting hit and my head run over by the rest of the 125C riders made me re-think my decision to race that day.

I got knocked out for about a minute, and didn't know who/where I was for about an hour.... mild concussion. I was never as aggressive in the starts after that mess! --L*64
 
Man, I typed up a long one last night using my cell phone and it wouldnt let me post!

Jeremy, I live 10 minutes from Mount right on State St.. haha

On topic,

Mini O's 99.. Completed a TT practice and my heat race on the first race day. I won my heat but my main wouldnt be till the next morning first thing. So there was this section right after the 90 degree left hand first turn.. Right out of the corner was a single that you would roll, then you would click 3rd and hit the next single.. Now the A riders were skimming this by wheeling over it.. I wanted to do that and I knew if I did I would pull a big gap if I got a good start.. We got a hot lap and on that hot lap, click 3rd right after the first single, perfect, I nailed it.. Get on the line, off the start we go, first corner im even with a couple guys, we were like 3 wide hitting the straight.. I click 3rd and in goon mode the front end came a bit high.. Front wheel didnt tap and once my rear hit that single, it sent me into orbit like from a sling shot.. Landed on my head and rolled and got nailed like 5 times since I was wadded right after the single.. Got up, pulled off what was left of my chest protector and stood there for a minute.. I ended up walkin back to the motor home (which was out by the road) and got all my road rash cleaned out.. TT was over and the Miller's were about to go out for SX practice and I wanted to watch so I walked up and sat on the bleachers.. About 30 minutes later, they had ridden practice and I was getting ready to head back to gear up.. Well when I stood up, I felt a knife like feeling in my knee.. I took my boot off right there and literally WATCHED my knee swell up to the size of a legit soccer ball.. Spent the rest of the day in Gainsville hospital.. Once I got back to the track I remember laying outside of my motorhome on a sleeping bag just so I could socialize (thanks to multiple Vic's lol).. Made for a long ride home from FL I can tell you that!

A few times that didnt hurt ME, but impacted me a little.. Watching Jason Rogers, Pat Whiteman, and Jay Hershey all compound fracture their legs right in front of my eyes seemed to have stuck in my head as bad days at the track (getting all KW14 here)..

Breaking ribs at my house because a rut on the face of a jump in a corner blew out. High sided and my peg ripped my side wide open.

Fracturing vertebra by compression from coming up short on a big ski jump (more like a supercross triple face off the top of a hill with a 6 ft tall landing at the bottom).. Stuck like a brick in mud, didnt crash, rode to the house and hobble in to the couch and laid down..
 
Last fall, a normal afternoon at the cliff. me and a soft jump face had a disagreement........ I broke my T7,T8,T9,T10 and had a partially collapsed lung. the local hospital (not saying any names) made me wait in the E.R. In excruciating pain. they kindly gave me some pain meds and sent me home. no back brace,no idea how to take care of myself,no instructions. And they did not even pick up on my lung issues until i went to another hospital! Its funny how if you dont water a track enough on a ride day there is a ton of backlash,But a doctor having a bad day can cost you the the ability to walk ....no big deal BRO.
 
My worst would have to be what ended my racing career. 2009, DMC, last moto 2 turns from the finish, in 3rd place. Needless to say stuck throttle broke my T11 and T8 and collapsed lung. Still have swelling in my my lower back (landed on the lower back ended up breaking in the T's). Cannot sit for long periods of time or stand long periods of times. It was truly the worst wreck I have had EVER!!!
 
Jonny rocket said:
Last fall, a normal afternoon at the cliff. me and a soft jump face had a disagreement........ I broke my T7,T8,T9,T10 and had a partially collapsed lung. the local hospital (not saying any names) made me wait in the E.R. In excruciating pain. they kindly gave me some pain meds and sent me home. no back brace,no idea how to take care of myself,no instructions. And they did not even pick up on my lung issues until i went to another hospital! Its funny how if you dont water a track enough on a ride day there is a ton of backlash,But a doctor having a bad day can cost you the the ability to walk ....no big deal BRO.
Click to expand...

That place sucks! Don't EVVVVERRRR go to that crap hole. Ever. Nurse never touched my broken foot but charted I had pedal pulses. If I was sue happy oh let me tell you id be sitting nice right now!

Made me walk to the room. And the lady walked so fast Crute and I lost her down the hall!
 
I've got nothing that compares to any of these. Well maybe one, but first my version of a nightmare. My dad and I were set to participate in a riding school at a track in WNY called Hunt. Nice old school place. Met GS there and proceeded to start the the weekend off. I believe it was a Friday Saturday school with a race on Sunday. While drilling thru turns I managed to get my knees twisted when the rear end of my bike slid out. Basically was able to look at my the heel of my boot by turning my head slightly to the right. My weekend ended there. along with my dad's and my thoughts of learning were over. Luckily, tho still rather painful and unable to ride or walk corectly for a few weeks my leg healed and by July I was riding. This was my GS experience. Still had a little fun and a lasting memory so may not quite a nightmare.
My real one happened as I was racing at Pyma and took a spill on the stepdown right after the finish line and 180 turn. Bike landed on me. Footpeg to the head. Now Igot up finished the race felt like crap. Next moto came and I raced. Got done with 3 of 4 motos that day and felt like crap still. Loaded up early and went home. Headache chestpain soreness everywhere. 230AM GF came down and took my butt to the ER. I was in the process of a freaking HEART ATTACK!!!! Needless to say I was an idiot not seeking help and luckily am still alive! Turns out it was a mild MI (if that's possible) and I am fairly normal, but medicated. (Insert joke here) this one turns out well but seriously could have been no good!
 
Damn!! These are some serious HORROR stories! I like the mild ones with happy endings, II don't like broken backs and heart attacks! Makes me not want to ride!

Maybe Pit will tell us the old story about when he managed to loop his RM125 out in his driveway.... hahahaha! The neighbors were out watering the lawn, and didn't even look over! They thought he was crazy, and never talked to him again. You can believe they were talking about "them crazy dirt bikers next door" at the dinner table that night.

One of the WORST mechanical failures I ever saw happened at the landing from a 90 foot table. A guy running up front in the A/B class had his top shock bolt either break or come out. He slightly overjumped the table, landing on the flat. The top of the shock slammed up knocking the seat completely off, and punching the rider square in the ball bag!! It was so violent that the frame was broken in two places! I have no idea how bad the rider was hurt, but the race got red flagged, and the guy got taken to the ambulance in a stretcher and then to the hospital.

After that-- I red Loctited my top shock bolt, and safety wired it! --L*64
 
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