Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.



First Person/Opinion

By John Ulrich

Anthony Gobert was definitely helped by Alpina Air Modules when he crashed in turn three at Road Atlanta on Friday.

That’s the conclusion I reached after seeing videotape of the crash replayed frame-by-frame by Race Promotions Management’s Dan Murphy in the AMA trailer at Road Atlanta.

Although two sections of Air Modules pulled apart at the bottom after Gobert’s hit, and even though the sections then flew upwards, the Modules could be seen absorbing energy and deforming as Gobert contacted them.

It’s impossible to know, however, if Gobert would have fared even better if the Modules were properly secured at the bottom, as specified by the manufacturer, Alpina Safety Systems. Tying the Modules off at the bottom as well as at the top could have theoretically kept the Modules on the ground and together longer during the impact sequence.

The Alpina Modules feature tie-off points on both the top and bottom of the back side, at each end. The crew assigned to tie off the Modules after they had been inflated and positioned were not told the Modules had tie-off points on the bottom, and, as result, only tied the Modules off at the top.

The Modules in question are part of 36 Alpina Air Module and Air Fence sections owned by AMA Pro Racing. The AMA Pro Racing sections were deployed on Thursday night.

An additional 20 Alpina Modules deployed at Road Atlanta were rented from Dan Lance, whose Flag Services company now owns and operates Alpina’s U.S. rental service, and came with a deployment and maintenance crew. Those Modules were deployed Monday night, prior to the start of several days of track operations by the Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School, and were secured both top and bottom at each end. In areas where the Alpina Modules were deployed in front of concrete walls, the Alpina crew drilled holes into the concrete and installed expanding nuts and eyebolts to secure the Modules.

The rental fee for the 20 Alpina Modules was split between the race promoter (Race Promotion Management), Road Atlanta and American Suzuki. The Roadracingworld.com Action Fund also offered to help fund the program and guaranteed that Alpina’s rental fee would be paid despite the absence of a signed contract at the time of deployment.

A relative of a racer also offered a donation after spreading a false rumor among racers and media representatives that there would be no Air Fence or Air Modules in use at Road Atlanta, and that the race promoters would be using haybales only. While the race promoters bought 2200 haybales to supplement the soft barriers, the AMA’s soft barriers were always going to be used.

Dan Lance of Flag Services/Alpina Safety Systems said that he received a check for the full amount of the rental fee from Mike Swaine of Road Atlanta on Tuesday prior to the race weekend, after completing installation of the Modules as per the agreement.

I’ve suggested that a simple installation instructions sheet, complete with diagrams showing the tie-off points and how to route ropes securing the sections, be produced and issued to everyone involved in installing soft barriers owned by AMA Pro Racing in the future.

Ultimately, the embankment outside turn three at Road Atlanta needs to be moved back far enough make room for adequate run-off room and a gravel trap, allowing them to slow down or stop before contacting any soft barriers.