Dumb shit you've accidentally done at the track.

Many years ago running a GPZ 550 in the AMA ccs endurance races that started at 6 and ran to midnight. We were at Summit Point, the bike was missing terribly. I tried to think what was the problem but I suck as a mechanic. So as I was tooling down the front straight I decided to yank the plug wire off #1 cylinder. Lit me up like a Christmas tree. Didn’t put the cap back on and surely didn’t yank any more caps off.

 

Not me personally, but I was pit crew for a buddy at Road Atlanta back 86ish (first 600 Hurricane). IIRC, it was AMA amateur, or maybe WERA (too long ago to remember). Anyway, we stayed with my cousin who lived off Roswell Sandy Springs Road. We got to the track set up the pit, unloaded the bike. About that time Mark realized he left the keys at the apartment. Not bad, but not insurmountable, so we hot wired the ignition. No problem. Got halfway through the second practice and Mark says he was getting a bit low on fuel...then we looked at the locking gas cap.


This was on top of the fact that his wife, who had forbidden him to race or drink, thinking he was on a trip to the NC mountains. Somewhere there is a pic floating around of him in the back of OD's pick-up truck with a Bartles and James in one hand as he is installing his number plates.

 

That is spectacular.

 

I made it two laps at chuckwalla wearing green DC's.

 

LMAO

 

I'll leave this person unnamed. But always remember to pump up your front mast cylinder after a wheel change. LOL

 

At that point, all you can do is bow for the applause.

 

I've never done any dumb shit ever.









Luckily none of you guys know any friends or my wife.

 

And looked mighty dapper doing so, I might add.

 

I crashed on the cool down lap once.

 

Beats the shit out of doing it in the warm up lap.

 

Roll up to pit out late after a tire change before a race and stomp the rear brake pedal only to realize the pin connecting the lever to the master fell out and the lever is now dangling useless. No time to fix it without missing the race, I reached down and held it up with my toes. Raced 10 laps of a 12 lap sprint running in 2nd place right on the tail of 1st holding that lever up with my toes before I lost my grip on it and it fell down. Nearly highsided me in the next right hander when it caught the ground, but since there was only 5 more right handers to go I just took it easy through them. We'd built a comfy gap to 3rd, so I just cruised the last 2 laps. I did unsuccessfully try and reach down with my foot to pick it back up again between corners though.

I actually found the pin when I got back to the pits too. Definitely not one of the smartest things I've ever done, but I really needed those points to win the championship.

 

A few years ago the (now) wife was all gung-ho about her pit crew duties... last call for practice- warmers off, front stand off, rear stand off....as I was still standing a few feet away putting my gloves on...

Personally, I've never accidentally done any dumb shit, it's always on purpose. My story...sticking to it.

 

You mean like Ted Rich did at an AMA race on national TV in the wet?

 

You sir are a gentleman and a scholar.

 

You mean we haven't all done it?

 

LOL, what champeenship was that ?

 

It was just a fashion statement. Had to show off how well they matched the bike.