Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

From an e-mail:

Regarding Aaron Yates laying on the track at VIR:

If Yates had confirmed there was no traffic, ran on onto the track waving an invisible flag, and then gotten OFF the track well before the riders came by, then I would give him some leeway and say that he was looking out for the best interest of the riders.

As the video shows, however, Yates put at least 3 riders in danger (not counting himself) by his presence on the track.

There is NO EXCUSE for his actions and the penalty must be SEVERE enough to deter any imitation of this stunt. I also believe he should be stripped of his finish and prize money in that race.

On a side note, I bet (TV commentators) Sadowski and Drebber would have torn the guy a new one if that was a NON-Factory rider. Instead, there were few, if any, negative comments made.

And by the way, Yates is actually one of my favorite riders even though I think he needs to get through backmarker traffic cleaner… or at least apologize when he takes someone out (like Pikes Peak, I believe).

Below is a link to the video courtesy of GRAHAM PATTISON, a Loudon Road Racer.

http://www.stargraham.org/loudon/yates.ram


Tony Iannarelli
Springfield, MA



And now a reply from former racer and current TV announcer David Sadowski:

Here we go again, a loud mouth “Know it All” thinks Aaron Yates should be “Stripped” of his efforts at the final AMA Superbike Race of 2002. Mr. Tony Iannarelli of Springfield, Massachusetts you are an idiot. Just log back on to Roadracingworld.com and read the comments about Cornerworking, Track Safety and Recent Events (Read: Aaron Yates/ Mid-Ohio)

Your comments reveal to me that you speak well before you think. Yates is one of just a few riders this year that has tried to inform and contribute to the overall well-being of riders in regards to safety and pointing out what changes are necessary. The AMA listens to Yates’s advice, but more often than not we run into very “High Cost” solutions to fix what he and others see in need of improvement. Your audacity to criticize Yates’s riding technique through traffic put me over the top! Guys are racing in the premier road race category in the USA on basically Supersport Bikes. They (AMA) don’t use the blue flag in America. So you don’t think a guy on a Supersport bike should make sure he doesn’t hinder the path of a front running prepared Superbike…Think about it, if you can. That’s why they have Superstock (Formerly know as 750 Supersport.) Run with Jimmie Moore and then move up!

Aaron Yates Should Not Be Penalized, He Should Be Commended. Besides, Race Control Had Already Called for the Red Flag and I’m the only “Loud Mouth Know it All” that has all the facts!!!

“Strike One Tony”

David Sadowski