I know what time it is, what day it is and how many days it has been since last Saturday since I've got a stinkin' headache that won't go away as well as a bruise the size of a baseball on my forehead and temple. The Kraemer 690 on about lap 7 going through turn 2 when the shit hit the fan. Here's what I remember about the turn: not a lot. I remember finding myself running out of track. I remember thinking that the ride outside the pavement was getting rough. I remember waking up in the ambulance. That turn is fairly high speed so I had a big get off. I was knocked cold for quite a while; the EMT staff told me I was combative when I came to. I was transported to the local hospital and got a CAT scan - and I had no internal brain bleed nor bleeding in the rest of my body. I don't remember the actual accident. I got a call from Roper at the hospital asking me what happened and asking how the bike got a big black tire mark on the back of the seat. I couldn't answer that. I'm beat up with a lot of big bruises but fortunately I didn't further damage my hip pointer or my knee with the stage 4 MCL injury. I have about a 3" bruise on my right forehead and temple. The Arai helmet was totaled. No one came forward to say they ran into me but it's apparent that my bike got hit and sent me off the track. The damage isn't crazy bad. The seat/subframe is fine. The right side is banged up - bent clip on and rear brake lever. The frame slider is bent. The fairing is scuffed and ripped up on the right side. I'm bummed about the big tire mark and the fact that no one came by to talk about it. This is my 2nd big crash of the year. The first was a high side with me sliding out and then getting run over by another bike - that rider's first comment was 'I tried not to target fixate on you' which is an admission of guilt in my book. This last crash was another case of another rider causing me grief. I can race but not at the expense of other rider's mistakes. They can and do happen and I have caused much grief with an engine oil line blowing. But I'm very beat up and am thinking of either quitting the game so I can continue to use my limbs. Or - ditching the big bikes and running my fleet of 250 GP & 350 GP bikes. I know you can get hurt or killed on small bikes too (I've lost racer friends on small bikes). But I'm not confident that I can trust the assholes on the big bikes as much. Having a major concussion is a fucking drag. I'm lucky that I'm feeling somewhat cognizant of my surroundings now. I did get freaked out when I went on a day hike on Monday and was having a hard time figuring out whether to turn right or left on the trail. I'm better now and have been doing crosswords to try to get it right. I was reading some reports about concussions and headaches that said that they can last as long as 100 days. I tried some opiate pills last night and that was worthless and made me groggy all morning. Tonight I'm trying a couple of glasses of wine. I just want a good night's sleep. I'm open to suggestions other than suicide.
What day is it? Joec - you're sense of humor is overpowering. If my arm was cut off, you'd probably accuse me of not fighting fair by bleeding all over you. For the record, the wine didn't help me sleep any better - my headache is pervasive, 24 hour/day event. The opiates didn't work. I could try the Mighty Sipping Rums of Venezuela this evening (not that I ever need an excuse for that exquisite line of alcohol). I may work on some formula of THC/CBD from my licensed laboratory in Michigan; I can at least enjoy that blend even if my headache stays. KawH1R may be onto something when he said 'Let's get the Bultacos tuned up!' I've got 2 Bultaco TSS models. And a Seeley 7R. The 7R engine has a brand new rebuilt crank sitting in a shipping box in my shop. A little work - assuming I can concentrate and that I don't have a rum hangover - and I'll be all set to go. My biggest concern is whether or not I can suffer another concussion. They are accumulative. If I'm not careful, I'll be in a wheelchair with a nice stainless steel droll cup under my chin. I'm not sure I want to risk that.
Damn dude. Definitely don't want to see you out of the game.. Youre one of my favorite people to see at the track! I actually sat in your pit waiting for you so I could say hi last week. The guy's pitted next to you later Saturday said you had packed your shit up and went looking for a hotel and you were cleared from the hospital but banged up. Damned dude. Take it easy and rest up. Only time helps that shit. If you need anything, you've got my number now and don't hesitate to use it. Take it easy dude and feel better.
Sorry for your injuries. I've had some major head injuries myself, so I kinda know what you're going thru. From what I've read, your earlier crash wasn't caused by some one taking you down, you were down and they couldn't avoid you and ran over you? Anyways, I'm glad it wasn't too serious, sorry for your injuries, and I wish you a speedy recovery.
