Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION:

Via e-mail

Here’s a few more thoughts on the walls at Atlanta:

I raced in the very first AMA National at Atlanta in 1971 and thought it to be one of the best racetracks and facilities on the circuit at the time. But speeds have increased and changes have been made to keep up with progress. That I understand. What I am unclear about is how a track change is approved for use in AMA Nationals?

Gordon Lunde made some very good points in his letter and I’d like to take those even a step farther. He is so right that a motorcycle needs to be used to spot danger points, but you have to do more than send someone out on a Gold Wing or a Buell to see where the problems are. On a streetbike those walls look like they are mile away. And the “pilot” needs to be someone with the experience of seeing that stuff at speed. Names like Mladin, Duhamel, Roberts, Yates, and a couple of Bostroms come to mind.

I don’t know if these guys were in the loop on the changes at Atlanta or not? Maybe they were. I was very impressed by the way that California Speedway worked with these guys and AMA Pro Racing to make the changes there this past year and that seemed to work pretty well.

I would hope that some policy could be put in place that establishes some group of riders that would be consulted on any change to any previously approved race track. The FIM has just this week announced a Rider Safety Committee for MotoGP and I would encourage AMA Pro Racing to follow their lead.

Another point to note is that danger points on a dry track can differ from a wet track. Ask Miguel Duhamel how much farther a rider can slide on wet pavement. When tracks are reviewed, the danger points need to looked at with the assumption that it can rain. At a minimum, an additional supply of haybales and/or Airfence needs to be on hand if it does rain. I know that takes time to set up, so really a track needs to be outfitted assuming it will rain.

As I read the letters coming in about Woody’s crash at Atlanta, one message is clear, the AMA’s supply of Airfence as well as that provided by the Roadracing World Action Fund program is still insufficient to keep riders out of the fences. So we need to keep the campaign going until riders no longer are making direct contact with walls and fences. I lost too many friends in my racing days to fences and here we are today talking about the same problems.

Gordon, we all agonized with you when your son was killed and also wish the best for Woody Deatherage.

Put me down for another $500 on the Roadracing World Action Fund campaign and I challenge others who read this to join me.

Don Emde