"re-enter at the safest point"

ck1racerx

PR Addict
This rule needs to be changed. Jumping off the track, riding next to it and joining back in the same "position" you were in before the mistake is BS. If you mess up and cut the track (any part) then there needs to be some sort of a penalty. If you don't want joining back where they went off because of "safety" then make it a stop and go penalty. There are 712 officials around the track with headsets. Radio back to the flag stand and give the rider a black flag. If it is the last lap then give them a 20 second penalty.
jumping or riding off the track is no different than a crash, you don't get to join back to the position you lost after a fall. Laying on the track is much more dangerous then blowing through some banners.
C-N-C-Rollo would have never caught Cooper even with the fall if he would have re-entered back where he went off.
 

Vet261

PR Addict
If I was racing pro and having trouble clearing a certain obstacle cleanly, I would just "make a mistake" every lap and go off the track, then rejoin after the obstacle I was having trouble with.

The big thing I didn't like about that situation with AC was that if he simply had bounced to the left and not off the track, he would have ended up rolling all those jumps up that hill because of the loss of momentum and lost a ton of time. But because he went off the track it's like no big deal to get right back in tow.
 

John250

PR Founding Father
I went back and watched the highlights. That's a total BS move that the AMA should have given AC a penalty for. He sped up the hill past all those rollers. No way if he goes back in that section that he is right behind cooper. Copper then falls and still finishes on ACs tail.

The AMA missed that call for sure. But then again even at Daytona in the C class, a kid racing my sons class in his heat and main went off the track in the same spot, sped next to the track passing like 5 kids and the Race monitor with a headset right next to the section said he didnt gain any spots.....several of us were like he did it three times! Twice in his heat and once in the main. So I guess the AMA is consistently not making a penalty for racing at speed next to the track.
 

hindsy

PR Addict
How about we just remove the banners then it would be a clear infraction. With the banners in the way it gave AC an out. I don't think Cooper would've held AC off, but he wouldn't have lost the position as soon if AC didn't get right back on the track and scare Cooper... (his words sort of...)
 

Toddco327

PR Addict
I agree with this. Re-enter where you went off, plain and simple. If not then a penalty.

So do you condone a rider going the opposite way of traffic to get get back to the point of where he got off? What if there is no way for him to go back? Does this apply for supercross? Remember when the fans helped Fernandis get his bike off the fence last year. That’s not fair. I bet he didn’t lose a position or 2 because of that.

AC did the right thing. He was going Mach speed got crazy and went off the track. He rode toward the top of the turn noticed he couldn’t get past the ring of banners blocking the track. Finally decided on going to the safest place he could. Without getting stuck in banners. Got on the track waited the 3-4 seconds he was back and kept going.

Oh I would also like to say I’m partially responsible for the repeater banners. #bannertheif
 

john lilly

PR Addict
So do you condone a rider going the opposite way of traffic to get get back to the point of where he got off? What if there is no way for him to go back?
Obviously, my quote was a bit short but common sense goes a long way with any situation. With out writing a dissertation on something that needs to be looked into further, I just want to talk about this particular situation. Where AC left the track he should have had to stop his momentum, make a u turn where he was off the track, go back to where he went off, or if banners were in the way, go even further back until he finds a place where he can re-enter the track. Why, because he fuc#ed up and should get absolutely no competitive advantage, which he did. He only slowed down once he re-entered the track because he was right back on Coopers ass and he shouldn't have been. When is it in life that you screw up and you end up right back where you started, normally there is some kind of set back. If he would of had to enter where he came off he probably would have lost a couple spots and thats exactly what should of happened. HIs screw up basically had no negative result in his position and it should have.
 

ck1racerx

PR Addict
Stop with the "going the opposite way of traffic" crap, he was off the track. The only traffic would have been a flagman and 200 officials looking the other way... You should re-enter where you went off. If a bunch of traffic is coming, then tuff crap. Wait until they pass or run the risk of getting t-boned. This is no different then falling. You get up and take off. Rarely do you get hit by another PRO racer. If you do, well then that is racing. Deal with it.
And the last I checked he is on a motocross bike which will pretty much go anywhere. "no way for him to go back"??? What, does he lose all that motorcycle riding talent 3 feet from the edge of the marked course?
Funny you bring up SX. Ask Plessinger about cutting 10 feet and a corner after FALLING in the whoops. Yeap docked 3 positions. AND he was on the ground.
The rule was put in place so guys did not have to re-enter on the third jump of a triple. You were suppose to enter on the next safest spot. That was 20 feet down the track, not 100 yards then ride over the same banners you were terrified of 100 yards back.
I like AC. Good in front of the camera, talent for days, great for the sport. Has nothing to do with the person. Our rule book has way too much gray area. and depending on who you are, determines the outcome.
 

Vet261

PR Addict
That was 20 feet down the track, not 100 yards then ride over the same banners you were terrified of 100 yards back.

That's funny and also very true. He couldn't seem to wheelie over the banners in the same section he went off, but was able to on the other side of the track.
 

Toddco327

PR Addict
You guys are trying to make to many rules. There was no advantage gained by what he did. Given what your saying a rider must re enter the track where he went off, say a rider loops out. The bike goes 50 ft down the track. He runs to his bike and there an opening to get back on 20 ft further down the track. Which way does he go? What if he gets pushed outside in a turn and rides down the track 15yrds then hops back on is that illegal? Technically there was no opening for AC to “safely” get on the track unless he would have went back another 100ft prior to the point he went off. That’s not fair. I don’t think hopping banners is safe. I’m I wrong? He did the best he could given the situation. Nothing was gained by AC.
 

John250

PR Founding Father
There was no advantage gained by AC....but he lost ZERO by riding off the track and not going through the whole uphill roller section. Guess they should probably just change the rule, to if you go off track and miss any obstacles then you have a 10 second penalty assessed at the end of the moto to determine your position there. Because he clearly rode off track, skipping a whole section, and got right back in where he was, with ZERO negative results of making a mistake.

I am gonna ride around a big double at a race here in the future, and not gain a spot and see if the local ref lets me get away with it.
 

Toddco327

PR Addict
What happens if somebody cased a double and there’s another rider that landed on the rider that cased it. Which in turn caused another rider to go off the track and around the obstacle? And the caution flag wasn’t out yet? What should the rule be?

The problem is we try to make a whole rule based off one little incident. 10 second penalty. Go back to the spot you went out. Dock a position. Wait till everyone passes then restart. There aren’t time outs in our sport. No replay. No red flags to review a play. There has to be grey area so we can go back, look at the incident and see if there was an infraction. If you watch the video it was about 3 seconds from him going off to re entry. Not much time to worry about one of your stupid don’t pass go don’t collect 200 go to jail rules.
 

Double D

PR Founding Father
I agree with this. Re-enter where you went off, plain and simple. If not then a penalty.
In all cases? Blind jump? Rythem section. You have to make a rule that always works. I do not want to name names but there are certain reckless jackasses who have pulled out in front of other potential championships and knock them down by being sloppy and reckless.
 

john lilly

PR Addict
Again, I am not trying to make rules for all future infractions, I'm only referring to this event. I just watched the video and he clearly should have looped around and re-entered where he left the track. However, since he didn't do that lets talk about what he did do. In watching the video, he could have jumped the banner as soon as he got the bike under control, because he ended up not even rounding the banner at its peak, instead he cut across the u-shape turn prematurely to the other side and then jumped the banner basically right behind Justin, so he lost nothing for going off the track and cutting out distance and obstacles. Who's to say that if he re-entered where he should have that he might of crashed, which as rough as the track was, that was a possibility. But when you completely go around that whole section, you virtually eliminate the risk and that is cheating to me.
 

Double D

PR Founding Father
I get it. But writing rules is hard to do. Remember Terry Bradshaw used to fake getting hurt after he ran out of timeouts to stop the clock. And then all of a sudden he was fine for the next play. They made a rule for him. Chetan Pittsburgh Steelers. Ha ha
 
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