FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: I knew Gene Bazyl well and like Roger Heemsbergen at Arroyo Seco watched and helped Gene go from a curious newbie to a fast expert. He died because another rider didn’t know how to exit the racetrack and was crossing the direction of travel when Gene came around a high-speed corner. This post is for anyone who wants to survive and become a better rider. There are three MAIN reasons riders crash: #1 Lack of knowledge or experience #2 Poor judgment or decision making #3 Too much EGO There are many people out there (I can hear them now) who will pick this apart and MISS the whole POINT. For you people I will put my disclaimer at the head of this post because YOU are the ones who need to “GET” this the most. THE POINT IS… YOU as a RIDER have more to do with staying safe than ANY other factor, PERIOD! I am writing this post for YOUR benefit and everyone who rides on the track with YOU! Anyone who has ridden long enough on the track knows they have done something incredibly stupid on the track and were lucky they did not crash, injure themselves seriously, or hurt a fellow rider due to one of the three reasons above! (myself included) IN OTHER WORDS…If you think you know it all…You don’t want to learn from this tragic situation so it does not happen to you or one of your friends (Godspeed Gene) or don’t think it applies to you. Do us all a favor…STFU, Grow Up, Stay OFF of the Racetrack because YOU are the Problem. For the rest of us, here is a short summary of some things I have learned in my riding career. By no means is this information meant to be inclusive or the only facts you should be aware of in the quest for improvement, enjoyment, and safety. #1 Lack of knowledge or experience One can say that #2 and #3 are due to #1. There is much truth to this line of reasoning, however for the purpose of learning I will expound on these individually. Most would agree they didn’t realize how much there is to know about this sport until they get into it for a while. What you don’t know will hurt you. This statement has significant relevance to our sport. Take a school, read a book, keep a riding journal, LISTEN at the riders meeting, learn from your mistakes. Some examples of why people crash or get hurt from violating #1: * Didn’t know where the track goes or how to enter or exit the track * Didn’t know how slippery cold tires can be. * Didn’t know that every bike needs a steering damper when ridden on the track. (No matter how good a rider you are) * Thought you could get one more session out of your tires. * Thought speed was more important than consistency * Believing if you had a better bike or bigger bike you would be faster * Thinking you need to win by alot ( It took me years to learn this) This list is endless! Balls Without Brains=PAIN! What percentage of your riding budget are you spending on your education? If it’s less than 10% you will probably meet the EMTs sooner than later. #2 Poor judgment or decision making This can happen for many reasons…most often it is due to #1. Some other notable examples are: * Fatigue – this manifests in many forms on the track (brain fade, tight on the bars, poor timing, etc.) * Riding with your emotions not your intellect or experience (commonly called riding over your head) * Lack of concentration (not having a plan, poor physical condition, fooling around, drinking the night before you ride, etc.) * Fear or Anger (these effect perception of reality which in turn effects decisions) These can be harder to detect because if you don’t have knowledge or experience you won’t understand what is really happening. (the correct cause of your errors). If you don’t analyze your riding off the track (major key to improvement) your learning curve will be much slower and you will make many more mistakes. Do you have a process for learning and improvement? Do you learn primarily by asking fellow riders questions instead of thinking through yourself? #3 Too much EGO Unfortunately this is the hardest to identify (in yourself) and therefore the hardest to fix. People in category #3 constantly violate #1 and #2 and hence are the MOST DANGEROUS because they think the know it all and feel like they’re doing the right things. This manifests as not listening to people more experienced than you and not realizing that continuous improvement is the Champion’s credo in all disciplines. Do you think just because you are going faster you are learning? Do you think you don’t need to learn anymore because you are fast already? Do you think it can’t happen to you? Will you not care if you hurt or kill some one else because “riding is dangerous”? If you seriously think the answer to any of these questions is yes do us a favor and find a different sport, SERIOUSLY. Yes it takes balls (willingness to take risks) to be fast. All the fast guys have balls but it’s always the smartest guys who are Champions because road racing is an intelligent man’s sport. If you still have doubts study the careers of Valentino Rossi, Mat Mladin or Miguel Duhamel. These guys are champions because they understand the dynamics at play and they seldom repeat their mistakes. There is a saying, “A smart man learns from his mistakes, but a wise man learns from the mistakes of others.” It is my intention that all of us riders go within and find one thing they will do from now on or will not do again to help prevent themselves or others from being seriously hurt on the track. This will ensure these two young men did not die in vein. Ride smart, be safe, and have fun because life can be shorter than you think. Sincerely, Kane Lasky Tempe, Arizona