EtOH/drug and the racetrack*LONG*advice needed

I was having a conversation with a friend who seems to think that there are riders /racers out there that may have a couple shots of booze or beer to "loosen up". Or smoke some marijuana etc. I told him he's nuts.

I remember reading about how the older racers (barry sheen, kenny roberts, etc) used to party it up like crazy the night b4 a race. i think it was RRW.

has anyone ever known someone to do this? I just can't picture it.

I just got him to start coming to the track and he was painfully slow, so i think that he thinks that if he drinks a shot or 2, he will be faster....

He's a bit of a boozer and though I'm not with him all the time, I seriously doubt he has many sober days in the last year or 5, with the exception of that 1st track day which he was very grumpy.

Now if I suspect or catch him sneaking a shot or something next time we go to the track, what should I do? I don't want him to crash, or worse yet, take someone else out. I'm going to tell him that if I catch him, I'm going to tell the CR's. Oh and I also told him that if he gets caught drinking, everyone would dispense a beat down for endangering them.

Don't hold back on any comments please. I'm totally trying to get this thought out of his head all together and better yet, get him to drop the booze entirely. I'm looking for some straight up knowledge and wisdom from track riders and racers, because he will respect your guys/gals comments.

Please, no smart assed or condesending comments, they will just turn off the listening switch. "man to man, mutual respect" type conversation. thanks guys. I want to show him this thread so he can get his head right.

 

there is NO reason to have a shot or 2 at all. if ya need them to try to go fast (notice try, bcause everyone knows driking certainly wont make you faster just more dangerous) than you have no business on the track. i can say personally that i would DEFINATLEY NOT appreciate ANYONE drinking before goin on the track with me <-- and that is putting it about as mildly as i can (i know my actual feelings in the actual situation would be much angrier).
racing requires pin point accuaracy at very high speeds, there is no room for error and if ya dont have the guts to do it without booze, ya dont have the guts period.

 

having been a drunk street squid on numerous occasions in the long ago, i can say i was damn lucky...and not because i didn't go to jail. i had blackout frickin' drunks. i could tell ya stories. there's no way in hell i could've managed a track situation.
i recall a race many years later whereby the night before, i was pretty full of the bar's offerings 'til closing time...the next day, i kicked ass on the track. never did it again...the heavy drinkin' the night before, that is.
i do not/will not touch the stuff at the track 'til all the riding is over. then, pretty much just a social beer kinda drinkin' that i don't have to hide.
i expect that if i were to drink during the day and be found out, my ass in the saddle time would be over, at the least. if your buddy's drinkin' is too much for him...leave him home or he will end up on his ass.
now, i don't know if anyone does drink at the track while riding but, i guarantee, if they let it out and the right people hear about it, they're done.

as far as smokin'? well, i've heard a few guys at a ccs event joke about having to go back to their pit and 'get right' but, i didn't actually witness anything. the 'joke', tho', was more of a statement that that was, in fact, what they were gonna go do.
i've never caught a whiff of it at any event i've been to except when i moto-ed thru a corner worker's station at a recent night race. it wasn't exactly a primo smell so, it coulda been a small kindling fire, for all i know.
personally, i can't see how anyone could ride on the edge 'smoked up', unless it's an habitual thing/routine. in which case, i'm sure we'd know who they were...i don't know anybody like that.

edit: wait for mongo's response to your ??

 

I know 2 guys in CA that years ago wold smoke pot every afternon, then go out for very fast rides. They were the 2 fastest street riders in the group, and in the SFBA that's saying something. One of them went on to race after I moved away and was immediately competetive...and I seriously doubt he gave up the weed.

I have no idea how they could possibly maintain the reflexes etc. necessary to do this, but I do know that drinking would definitely not work the same way, even for these guys. I worried for them (and those around them) constantly, but amazingly, neither of them were ever hurt doing it.

 

it might be true that once you get really fast that if you drink a small amount that it can lower your blood pressure and relax you. But your friend is very slow and needs to concentrate on learning how to race first, he mostly like doesnt know an apex from his asshole. If he somehow does make it to top AMA level and decides he wants some relaxation or whatever i guess he would know enough about what to do that it could help. But for now he needs stop being gay and go learn how to ride.

 

I'd hate to imagine what would happen if a racer under the influence caused an incident with another racer on the track. I'd suspect that the scene afterwards in the pits might get ugly.

 

Thank You sir!

 

Just curious - what would they charge him with?

 

Well don't think they could charge him until he came out of the coma from having being beaten by a bunch of other racers.

 

I'm not condoning drinking and riding but your friend sounds like a real drunk. That being the case he probably doesn't function normally without some alcohol in his system. A drunk on two drinks is not the same same as a normal person.

What he really needs to do is stop drinking for a month before his next track day to let his body normalize. Then as long as he made it that long without a drink he might as well give it up all together.

 

In Australia MA (Motorcycling Australia) used to do regular drug and alcohol testing, there have been a couple of Australia's top racers suspended for the year

For some reason the harley racer's used to get tested more than anyone else

 

Did you guys see the film "One Man's Island"? It is a documentary about Mark Gardinier (sp) and his quest to race the IOM-TT.

In one segment they show the bikes and riders going through tech inspection. Each rider just before gridding up has to blow a breathalyzer and have a clean reading. That basically eliminates the previous issue with guys getting hammered all night then racing in the AM still influenced.

 

Public Drunk would be a pretty simple answer to that question. One could also argue an aggrivated assault charge, since he knowingly and willfully endangered others with a deadly weapon (his bike) by racing under the influence of alcohol.

 

I would be seriously pissed off, if, I found out another guy/gal was drinking/smokin before a race/practice. I love a cold beer as much as anyone, WHEN THE RACING IS DONE!

Imagine you were flying the helicopter he was maintaining......ect.

 

great stuff!!!

keep them coming fellas.

 

I guess if someone takes me out on the track I will shake hands and call it an accident.

if someone takes me out drunk or even after a teespoon of beer, that puts things in a completely different light.

Save drinking and driving for your highschool prom (jk) not motorcycle racing.

 

STT maintains a ZERO tolerance policy.

Drugs and motorcycles do not mix. We don't allow any open containers prior to the end of the day's on-track activity. Drinking after the track goes cold is fine but controlled and/or banned substances are prohibited period.

We had an former associate who we didn't realize at the time was a major pothead. He was jonesing and needed a bag of dope so bad he drove into the ghetto on a Saturday night to look for some instead of having dinner as planned with the staff. Needless to say, we parted ways......

I am aware of an org where drug use is rather pervasive. To each thier own I guess.

 

In Va and WVa the only two things you can be charged for on private property are Reckless Driving and DUI. I will ga'ron'tee that you do that at VIR or Summit you will be charged, period,end of question, do not stop, do not pass go, straight to jail..........
Buford