Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

AMA Pro Racing Director of Competition Merrill Vanderslive was furious over comments about safety conditions at Sears Point Raceway, made by riders Aaron Yates, Anthony Gobert and Mat Mladin during a press conference following Friday Superbike qualifying.

Yates started the commentary on track safety conditions in response to a direct question from a reporter, and Gobert and Mladin then also commented.

Vanderslice stormed over to the garage area afterwards and confronted Yamaha’s Keith McCarty and Tom Halverson, as well as Yoshimura Blimpie Suzuki’s Don Sakakura.

“I’ve never seen him so mad,” said one eyewitness to Valderslice’s tirade, describing Vanderslice as visibly furious and red-faced over the criticism of track safety conditions. The way Vanderslice explained it, the eyewitness said, a press conference was not the place to discuss track conditions, even though he (Vanderslice) agreed with some of the criticism the riders offered.

Riders have complained about earthmoving equipment working in the infield, raising clouds of dust which riders on track have mistaken for signs of a crash. At one point the dust was so bad that one rider had to come in and wash his irritated eyes out. Besides raising dust, earthmoving equipment moving alongside the track is a distraction, riders said. And riders and crew members staying in RVs at the track have been disturbed when the equipment operators start work at first light–before 6:00 a.m. both Friday and Saturday morning.

Riders also have complained about reconfigured turn one, which is faster than it was before and directs riders at a bridge abutment at the exit.

Track officials have countered that they have done everything they can to make the track safer within restrictions placed on them by local government and the permitting process, that the track is far safer than it was five years ago, and that run-off has been greatly improved in many corners.

For details of the press conference, see the post from Friday, May 3, headlined, “Sears Point Still Not Safe Enough, Top Superbike Riders Say”.