When to stop racing?

+1!

 

Dude I'm so glad you are ok. This was turn 6 on Saturday at Road America right? From what I heard they had to cut your chain to get your head out from the chain / wheel and the helmet was still lodged in there. When we saw the helicopter we knew it was not good. During the riders meeting Sunday Rick Bruer said you were going to be ok and the entire paddock gave you a hand of applause. Heal up. Collect your thoughts and do what you think is the right thing to do. It's not anybody else's decision but your own. If you truely love racing enough you will be back. If you decide to hang it up I wouldn't blame you one bit. Everyone has their time to go. Saturday was not your time so must have some important shit to take care of still.

I talked to another guy Saturday night but forgot his name. He got hit in the back by a motorcycle in the tangle up and went through the grass and was tangled up with several bikes. When he looked down while still up on 2 wheels he thought his fairing came off and was around his waste. It wasn't his fairing from his bike. Around his waste was someone else's fairing. Maybe yours?

 

You named your kid Ruckus?

 

Simply give it time man, heal up first totally and then re evaluate the importance of it to yourself then. For some of US it is simply what we do and what we are driven by.

 

Glad to hear you'll be ok in the long run, but having to cut the chain and the helmet was still stuck, on top of what you remember WOW :wow:

 

was that English you just Said?

 

It's funny because at the Isle of Man this year only half the people could understand my American / Midwestern English. My friend from Manchester said to me "You Americans FUCKED UP the English Language". LMAO!

 

My ENGLISH ENGLISH is total CRAP- to many pies and sex at school instead of study I guess, but I laugh to myself some times on here with my really bad spelling, I think fuk it, those fuk tards that basterdised the English language will know NO better

 

Real simple trick man, you need to look them in the eyes when talking, and slow your speech down a wee bit, they will then understand every single word you say.




But they are only POMS, so fek them anyway

 

Yea Ok. Tell Guy Martin to slow down because I can't understand a word that crazy bastard says. I had to rewind the documentary about him about 100 times through the video. WTF did he just say?

We just bastardized this guys thread. Sorry dude.

 

Actually, when I met Guy at Pike's Peak, I could understand everything very clearly. I think it was just because he was over here and not across the ponds with a bunch of other slack jawed brits

 

Nope, 'merikan!

 

Americans and British, two peoples divided by a common language...

 

And Kiwi and Aussies, British history yes, but NOT brits

 

Great advice. Pain go's away, bones and scars heal, regret is forever.

 

I've walked away from roadracing 4 times. Finally achieved all my goals and wondered what I was spending all the money for and walked away again 1 1/2 years ago. Got into supermoto, motocross and rc airplanes. I'm happy. If I change my mind again, I'll put a bike together and head back out to the track.

 

Is it still fun?

 

Your helmet popped off and your head got wedged WHERE? Jesus H. Fuck. You are lucky to still be here. That's a freak accident if I've ever heard of one.

Listen to Shaun. Give it up completely until you're healed. Do something else for a while to get back into doing something physically, and when and if you're ready, then head back out for a trackday, and then out for a race once you feel comfortable.

If you don't have passion for it anymore, say fuck it and find something else fun to do. If you still have the passion and fire that got you out there to begin with, then have at it.

 

When it's not fun anymore.

 

I gave it up after 8 years because the other things I am interested in doing/seeing/experiencing now require the time and money that roadracing took. I also tend to go all in on stuff(complete immersion), and I think I ran the course as far as my forward progression regarding talent.

Don't get me wrong, I've made amazing friends and awesome memories racing motorcycles, teaching at schools and participating in the local track org's(MARRC) trackdays. I'll still volunteer weekends putting up airfence, working a flag station or driving a crash truck when I can.

I love racing and competing. I'll always race. Maybe a mountainbike, maybe an extreme trek, maybe other stuff. Maybe one day I'll get back to roadracing motorcycles, who knows.

One thing is for sure tho, get out while you are still in control of your life and you are having fun. I've seen a lot of really good people try to force control of a lot of tough situations and end up being forced out of racing because they end up broken physically or financially or both.