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Would you race again?

Discussion in 'General' started by mmfoor, Feb 18, 2013.

  1. mmfoor

    mmfoor Team Stupid!

    Some of you surely have faced this dilemma in your racing experience.
    After a bad off, causing a big scare to family, friends - not to mention personal stuff - would you race again?

    I don't play cards, golf, fish or hunt. Outside of time with family and having to work, racing is it for me.

    I am about to begin the new phase of working tech and being a CR for X-Act. I am thrilled at all of this as I will be with my dearest friends and around the activity I love.

    Problem is, I've been a racer since 1970 with 3 retirements of sorts. Can't get it out of the blood. I tentatively plan a very small scale return before this season is done, Thanks to a best friend getting me his 250 and letting me pay as I can. Hopefully down the line I could race ESS without interfering with the tech gig.

    My wonderful wife won't stop me from doing what I love, but she is very apprehensive having been glued to me in ICU for 3 weeks.

    WHAT WOULD YOU DO (or have you done)?
     
  2. Dave K

    Dave K DaveK über alles!

    Got kids?
     
  3. Mongo

    Mongo Administrator

    What do the docs say about another hit to the head? If there is cumulative damage then no. Otherwise I'd have to say yeah, do it. You could have had that same crash at any time ever so it's not really a factor, it'll either happen again or it won't.

    I do bet you'll cover the clutch more tho :D
     
  4. Dits

    Dits Will shit in your fort.


    :stupid: Yeah, get back in the saddle if you can.
     
  5. james walker

    james walker beat down, broken & busted

    :stupid: :)


    BTW, ...if you don't mind me asking...what were the specifics of your crash, Morris? i know you were beat up pretty good but i don't remember hearing of how the crash happened.
     
  6. Scuba Steve

    Scuba Steve Wheelchair Pimp

    I'm with Mongo.

    I would've returned had I made a recovery to walk again or if I was a low level para
     
  7. caferace

    caferace No.

    I'd say until you finish searching the Disney Channel for WSBK, hold off. :D

    But I'm with Mongo. Do what the doctors say first, and your soul second.

    -jim
     
  8. Mongo

    Mongo Administrator

    One other thing - will you lose your wife over it?
     
  9. MGarrett50

    MGarrett50 Ready. Set. Go.

    Your call. I bet one lap around Road Atlanta with traffic will answer all your questions.
     
  10. Dave K

    Dave K DaveK über alles!

    ^ what the lord Humungus said^ If the chick is going to dump you if you race, time to take some time off and eventually ease her back into it. If'n the doctor said you're okay to of course.

    She stayed by you when you were a slab of Kosher Morris meat. And shit.
     
  11. Karl_L

    Karl_L Well-Known Member

    I'm running into a little of the same thing. My GF & my sisters all have some reservations about me getting back on the track. Especially my sister who spent over a month away from her home, her job, and her husband in VT to watch out for me in the hospital and at home after. None of them has asked me to quit permanently though, I'm glad I don't have to face that. I know my GF would prefer I quit for good. I told her I respected her position and I'm listening to what she has to say but I not going to quit.

    My concession now is to hold off a while longer. I feel like I'm ready to ride at Tally but I agreed to wait until a later round to make my comeback.
     
  12. used2Bfast

    used2Bfast Still healing

    Also raced since the early 70s. Have thought about it. But the money involved.. My age(54).. My wife hates motos.. etc. And then I had a bad crash this last Oct on the 750. Broke my neck in 2 places. 4 vertebra broken. Broke eye socket. Knocked out my 4 front teeth. Half my ribs broken. Lacerated liver and kidney. Punctured both lungs. Broken thumb. Torn right rotator cuff. I've got some issues now, that seem like its just gonna be that way forever. In the hospital for 4 months till last month. My goal now is getting back into mtb racing. I dunno if my bods gonna go for it tho:(.
     
  13. Shyster d'Oil

    Shyster d'Oil Gerard Frommage

    Mr. Foor:

    The first step is recognizing that you are a thrill addict (motorcycle division).

    The second step is recognizing that there are viable treatment options: Trackdays are like methadone for your racing/heroin habit.

    Not that you can't get killed or broken at a trackday, but there is pure enjoyment to be had at a trackday. I loved racing, but trackdays certainly gap for an old guy like me, well past my prime.
     
  14. mmfoor

    mmfoor Team Stupid!

    My kids are 25 and 28 so not an issue. None of the docs, including the brain surgeon I had assigned at Atl Med gave me no warnings about the risk of further bumps to the head. I will go to my doc at Ft Benning just to make sure.

    Cause of crash? I was leading championships in 4 regional classes and all I had to do was finish those races on Oct 7 at Rd Atl. My EX500 was having cooling issues so I decided a week prior to put in a spare motor I had about. Started OK in the garage but it appeared to have been thru the ringer. Only did one practice and it was not on song but I thought I would cruise thru my 4 races and get those championships. As I have absolutely 0 memory of race day, I was told the motor let go before 10a, I looked down saw smoke and went into 10 b. Then evidently said oil found my rear tire and I did an Olympic high-side. Speed wasn't all that great, but evidently I slammed down real hard on the back, bounced way up and slammed down real hard on my chest. Life flight, wife told to get next of kin as I might be done, 4 days unconscious and 3 weeks in neuro ICU. Concussion, 8 ribs broken, punctured lung, back turned purple! Heart took a bump too. I'll have my Bell Star life saver at all the races I attend.
    Totally off pain meds now and back in the gym this am (starting out real light).
    And the funny thing is, the signs were all there that day: forgot my cell, and for the first time ever as I went out for race 1 I told Kathy I didn't feel good about going out. somehow I knew.
    Still won 3 championships, which I would've won from home.:(
     
    Last edited: Feb 18, 2013
  15. Bruce Lind

    Bruce Lind Well-Known Member

    Morris,

    You may or may not remember my situation from 2001, and of all people, I'm not the one you should take advice from. But here goes anyway.

    AMA at Laguna, July 2001. Saturday heat race for the 250 GP class.
    High sided to the moon in turn three. I came down face first and the bike came down on top of me at speed.

    13 days in a coma in ICU. To many injuries to list. At one point I flat lined. Wife with me the whole time.

    She asked me if 30 + years of racing was enough. In a weak moment I said yes and retired from riding.

    Tuned, mentored, leased my bikes for 18 months.

    Finally could not take it anymore. The AMA helped.
    In july 2003, they announced that they were cancelling the 250GP class in 2004. I rode the first one with that name and I was going to ride the last one at the new Barber track. They also were returning to VIR after 20 years.

    Rode both. Included the 250 50 at Willow at the end of the season.
    Fully expected to go back into retirement.

    Early 2004, I realized I still had "the-need-for-speed" and was not interested in doing track days with street guys. Talked it over with my wife and we agreed that I would do my track days, while there is a race going on around me. The agreement was that as long as I was just going to have "fun" and not compete, it would be ok.

    Been injured several times since then. Nothing as severe.

    I now ride around at my own pace and (REALLY) I don't care if people pass me or are faster. But 49 seasons on the track will do that to you.

    You said you wife was ok with you riding. Just make it easier on her. However you can do that.

    Life is short. And as far as anyone can prove, we only go around once.

    Enjoy what you can. Might want to increase your insurance coverage so she would be better taken care of if anything happened again.


    Bruce Lind
    Bruce Lind Racing LLC
    2013, My 50th on pavement.
     
    Laz likes this.
  16. rk97

    rk97 Well-Known Member

    Would minis scratch your riding itch?

    There is plenty of close racing at much lower speeds. Anecdotally, I would assume the risk of severe head injuries is lower at 50 mph than it is on a "big" bike (or even an E bike). That said, crashing a mini seems to result in getting run over a lot more often.

    But I can do my job from a wheelchair. I can't do it with brain damage.

    I'm sure I will always want to race a "big" bike on a full sized track a few times a year, but reducing the number of events lowers the risks. I can live with 2 rounds a year. Not everyone will be satisfied with that.
     
  17. mmfoor

    mmfoor Team Stupid!

    Don't plan to ever race that place again. I' go there as a techie only! The track is great, just my head won't let me.

    :rock:

    He'll Karl we might be back at the same time in the same class! How damn cool would that be???:beer:

    I appreciate the thought and I love trackdays, but racing is a whole different level. If I can run at a trackday, I can race.

    Hi Bruce. So good to hear from you! Seems like just yesterday that I was a small part of the Sorbo/Lind pit party at Rd Atlanta!
    I knew of your bad crash, but I didn't know the details. I always look out for news of you.
    Please let me know if you plan to come out my way. Love to hook up again!
     
  18. Karl_L

    Karl_L Well-Known Member

    That's gonna be awesome! I'm thinking I'll get in on one of those Xact track days to feel it out before the big event. I'll be sure to get you to drag me around & teach me all of your tricks :clap:
     
  19. mmfoor

    mmfoor Team Stupid!

    Man that crash makes mine look like a scratch! Hope you start to feel back to normal. I have stuff that will never be right again, but I'm not gonna stop living the good life!

    Kathy is very supportive of me. The best thing I have ever done was marry that beautiful woman last Aug 4.
    I know she would prefer I stick to my '02 Toyota Corolla, but she loves me (can't quite figure that one out), and she absolutely has adopted my WERA family. She loves hangin' with our people at the races. She simply insists that I not hide pain or discomfort, and if she's not there, I'm not allowed to 'mount' a race bike!
     
  20. Suburbanrancher

    Suburbanrancher Chillzilla

    Kudos to your lady for being so supportive :up:


    I dunno what the best answer here is. Racing's definitely something that gets in the blood...we've all had our share of off's and climbed back in the saddle, some worse then others for sure.

    If the doctor says you're good, and your lady says give it a go - why not? Just ease back in and see how it sits.

    I don't know what else even comes close to the entertainment racing brings, quite honestly.
     
    Last edited: Feb 18, 2013

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