Where to start?
Who in the world is dumb enough to water the track while riders are riding on it? Your crew did that at practice before the race on Sunday. This is the 8th year that my son has been racing. I HAVE NEVER SEEN THAT! I've heard of it, but never seen it. We race in the CRA, OMA, PAMX, MAMA, Switchback and AMA races in Ohio. Pennsylvania, Maryland and New York. I have also been a member at Western Reserve Motorcycle Club for the past 6 years, and I have learned what to do to a track and specifically what NOT to do to a track. Watering the faces and landings of jumps when people are on the track is one of them. As soon as you do something that stupid at any track, parents immediately start complaining. Every time someone places water on the track they either hit it with some sort of machine, or announce that the faces have been watered and to be careful. 1) You didn't touch the track after you watered it (How could you? Riders were on the track - that would be dangerous). 2) There was no announcement. 3) Even if there WAS and announcement, none of the riders ON the track would be able to hear it.
You created a new jump along the right side of the track that is a step-up to a table top. I was told that people complained about it on Saturday that it was kicking people's rear ends into the air. As far as I know, you DID NOTHING to fix it. When I arrived at the track Sunday morning I was told by more than one person to watch that jump because it was kicking people. I immediately told my son to watch it. Which he did during all of his laps in both practices. People who know my son know that he is very cautious on the track , rarely jumping anything that he doesn't need to, especially in the first few laps. He learned that at Budds Creek, MD where ALL RIDERS (even A Riders) have to roll every jump on their first lap.
What were you thinking? When you water the faces and landings of jumps on hard-packed surfaces, they turn to greasy snotty death traps. We have flat track races at WRMC on a hard-packed surface that needs watered. We ask the quads to volunteer to go out first after we water to slowly "run-in" the water before any bike gets on the track. It's just common sense and proper track preparation.
1st lap of the 2nd big bike practice you watered the face and landing of the new step-up to a table top jump on the right side of the track. The one that was kicking everybody. My son came around at a speed that would allow him to safely hit the jump to land in the middle of the table top landing. It was a total greasy mess and when he landed, his front wheel immediately shot to the right slamming him to the ground, breaking both bones in his left forearm (2 plates and 13 screws) and his left collarbone. He sits around all day counting the minutes till he can have another pain pill. The left side of his bike and his helmet are covered from mud that was on the landing of your table top because of your crew's actions.
I know you're going to say it was rider error and you did everything right and he's a c-class rider, etc., etc. My son is not a Pro, neither is he an inexperienced C-Class rider. Until we came to your track on Sunday, he was in first place in the OMA in Open C, 250C and 2-stroke bike winning 8 of 12 races at the Summit indoors, and he is a multiple CRA class champion. So that's not going to cut-it with me.
And saying that "You know it's a dangerous sport and if you don't want to get hurt then don't do it" doesn't work either. And it doesn't cover stupidity or negligence. Having a campfire is dangerous. Throwing gasoline on it is flat out stupid.
You had an unsafe track in the past, now you have unsafe ACTIONS to go with it. Not to mention that you did not have NEARLY enough flaggers on the track. Either get it right - or get out. Put your efforts into your TRACK and SAFETY and trash the PARTY you're tying to create.
Or, just keep doing it the same way and bury your head in the sand. Ignorance is Bliss!
I know you feel bad when someone gets hurt at your track. I know you are a good-hearted person. I know you're sorry that my son lost out on an entire season or two of racing. I know your sorry he's in pain. I know you think it's part of racing. I know you are trying to do different things at your track to save your business. I know it's wrong to water jumps while people are on the track. I know it's about a $65,000 hospital bill. I know it will cost me about $17,000 in deductibles and bills. I know my son cries at night. I know you are sorry.
I was kind and gentle the last time you asked what to do to fix your track, I'm sorry I had to be straight forward this time. I should have been straight forward last time.
Regards,
Ed Lisowski
