Fwiw, my only dnf last year came about when xavier lowsided at turn 10 at beaver, and his bike crashed into mine. I was pitted across from xavier and his family. When xavier got back to the pits, his dad seemed very calm and collected, and even walked up to me to shake my hand and ask how i was. Granted, it was just a wera club race and not a moriwaki race at the indy gp, but stil...
I was there in the USGPRU paddock all weekend helping with the event. Most of the kids were under a lot of pressure. Some of their own making, most from the "little league" parents. This was the biggest event of most of their lives. Riding Indi in front of the world. Very few were smiling. I had the unfortunate task of informing the parents, one by one of Peter's passing. Trying to get the parents prepared for their childrens reaction. My advise to each and everyone, was to be strong for the kids as they were going to be devastated. It was a very sad site to see so many young people (and their parents) standing, sitting, walking with tears in their eyes. The riders gathered in one of the Honda semi trailers, and held their own impromptu memorial. I've been in this game for over 47 years, and it was one of the hardest days of my life. And Each of us reacts differently to tragedy. Bruce Lind Owner / Operator of The Bruce Lind Racing Traveling Circus
Bruce, as hard of a day as this had to be for you, I am glad a racer that has had his share of racing tragedy and pain was there to provide some degree of comfort and strength to those young racers. Hope to share a brew with you again soon, my friend!
I ran into a guy who ran the track day where Xavier's sister crashed, because the front brake caliper had fallen off. He said he witnessed the whole scene in the pits. He told me that the girl had rung her bell and could hardly walk, and the dad wacked her on the back of the head and then dragged her (remember that another poster has said she had a broken back and wrist) to the car, yelling all the time that his kids kept crashing his equipment and costing him money. The witness said he then called security and had the guy escorted off the property. This is too crazy to ignore or look the other way. This type of behavior threatens our entire sport. Anyone who has seen this guy in action please send me an e-mail describing what you saw, including where and when, including your real name and contact info. Send it to [email protected] . When you type in the email address put 2010 in between edit and @ .
I was told from a fellow racer that the kid was not allowed to be on track due to a recent crash he got his bell rung and lost a digit with some other issues. He was pushed to do the redbull race and had no choice.
That crash where he got his bell rung and lost a digit was a long time ago, check Xaviers FB. I can't help but feel like some people here are really pushing hard to try and find dirt on this guy and I really don't think he deserves it.
you know how rumors go man, just saying what was said to me. If its true or not I don't know. I feel bad for his situation
I saw it with my own eyes and heard it with my own ears, at Indy when he was screaming at his own devastated kid, and where I talked to him. Then I read about deal with the girl, here on this thread. Then I talked to the guy who ran the track day the girl got hurt at, and he told me his eyewitness account of the guy dragging the injured girl to the car and hitting her en route. You know, the girl who could barely walk and turned out to have a broken back and wrist. I'm doing research to see what other verifiable incidents there have been. Maybe the guy hasn't done any other crazy stuff that can be verified by eyewitnesses. But I guess my question is, why are you defending a guy who hits his racer daughter as he drags her to the car after she crashed because he left the front caliper loose and it fell off, when she has a broken back and a broken wrist? Why do you want this ignored and swept under the rug? Why do you think that is appropriate behavior in public, let alone whatever is happening in private? Do you have any kids? Would you (or do you) treat them like that in public? What is your level of tolerance here? OK until one of the kids is beaten to death? OK until the guy makes the front page of the NY Times for being representative of parents who take their kids racing? What?
John, I totally agree with your statements!! The dude needs anger management and another sport for the kiddies. Maybe he should enter the Ole Farts Race and show the kids how its done.
That is F****D UP if that is true. This sounds like the familiar stories of parents training (torturing) their children in hopes of them being famous athletes. I can't imagine racing a motorcycle under that kind of pressure. Awful.
Dig as deep as you can John, this story is truly a very sad screwed up part of how some people are, that do not deserve the pleasure of life.
I have seen some parents treat the kids like poop, cursing and name calling on the minis. Pretty sad, I have never witnessed Xaviers dad but have heard countless stories and non of them good. Like I said, I hope they are wrong for the kids sake.
I don't disagree, but, the manner in which that frustration was handled can not be considered acceptable behavior Sure - emotions get the best of us all and you can handle it how you see fit. However, you need to be held accountable for your actions and just because you feel you are doing the right thing doesn't mean you are doing the right thing. I admire parents that are willing to sacrifice anything and everything that they have to help out their kids. There are many many similar situations in this sport and happens more than any of us will ever know. However, I despise parents feel they have the right to treat KIDS in such a hideous manner just because of the sacrifices that the parent(s) CHOSE to make.
Before we break out the pitch forks and prepare for a lynching... let's also remember that there are 3 sides to every story.
John, I don't really want to argue with you, but I really think you're taking this a step too far. You saw a father do something slightly wrong, but more then understandable, and it now seems like you want him put in jail. Saying things like "hitting and dragging his daughter" when you have only 1 account of what happened and we've already established that he didn't know how hurt she was, so its not like he's hitting a cripple here. And I really don't appreciate you attacking me because I'm defending a father based on my personal pleasant experience with the whole family on many occasions.
You really need to look no further than the parents to see the true motivation that drives these kids. Its the same in any sport, just that ours is perceived to be much more dangerous than other sports. I personally believe that competitive racing should be an enjoyable experience for kids, not a means to achieve financial success in the future for the kids or the kids' families.
WTF!?!?!?!? I'm hoping you somehow mis-stated this. When is it ever appropriate to strike anyone, but especially an underage female?
