When Jamie Hacking hit a bare section of steel barrier at VIR Saturday morning, it wasn’t the first time he crashed and hit the same barrier.

Back at the track Saturday afternoon after undergoing X-rays at a local hospital, Hacking said that he crashed in the same location and hit the same barrier during testing at VIR August 13-15.

After the first crash, Hacking said, he warned track officials that the section of steel barrier needed to be padded with Air Fence for the AMA National.

More than a month later, Hacking crashed again in the same location and again hit bare steel barrier, and again miraculously escaped without any broken bones, although his back is extremely sore and he cannot stand up.

“I hit the same Armco in testing, and told them they needed Air Fence there,” said Hacking, speaking while lying on a couch in his motorhome in the VIR paddock.

Asked who he told, Hacking said he spoke to track manager Jack Abbott.

Hacking’s comments contradict claims by AMA officials that no one had ever hit the steel barrier at that location before. AMA officials also said that they had consulted with riders, teams, track officials and WERA officials before deciding where to place Air Fence and before deciding to hold 12 sections of Air Fence in reserve instead of deploying it.