Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Four-time AMA 250cc Grand Prix Champion Rich Oliver blames his crash Friday morning at Daytona on poor flag station positioning.

Oliver said he crashed wide-open in fourth gear up on the banking well after exiting the chicane, when he hit a wet spot on the pavement.

Oliver had seen warning flags in the chicane but thought they applied to the chicane, and that once he was out of the chicane, the track was free of any problems.

In fact, the flags at the exit of the chicane apply all the way around the banking until the next flag station, at the start/finish line. Oliver said it’s crazy to have such a long run of track between flag stations, and that it’s even crazier that race officials have never explained that set-up to the riders.

“I learned something about Daytona that I didn’t know,” Oliver said.

“The flagging here is screwed up,” Oliver continued. “And my body and my finger don’t appreciate it.”

In the crash, one finger on Oliver’s left hand was ground off down to the first joint, and his pelvis was fractured.

Oliver said he thought about racing today but decided that, because he wants to have a normal life after racing, he should sit out the event.