Some Road Atlanta facts

But aren't you?

 

First off I am not posting to criticize, the last red flag is in the rules and 100% get it, that rider should be dealt with and I would love him to pay the $67.50 he stole from every team with his antics, but will rely on Wera to discipline. Regarding the stop, during the first red flag, I think the decision is allowing a sighting lap and restart or start changing tires and bike work on green was the better option. Many teams came prepared for mixed conditions and had strategies ready. A blanket decision to protect riders from themselves doesn't seem right since we are competing at over 180mph. The scenario laid out here let's each team assess the risk and reward and respond with what they seem is appropriate. We saw the rain coming on radar and we're ready to go full wets before the red was thrown. We had decided that we would burn up rains if it started to dry unless we saw a material difference between our times and top. In the future maybe we can get a team rep from each team to a meeting to make decisions

 

I wasn't there this weekend, but fwiw:

I get where you're coming from, but that seems like a good reason for a red to me. This is club racing in the end. Can have guys who just started racing this weekend with the pressure of a team and essentially no communication with their team on track.

At Pitt it started lightly raining in the middle of a race in an an otherwise beautiful, dry day. I backed off a fair bit, but still watched about 4 people crash in front of me in about two laps. I can't say 100% each was because of the rain, but I'll bet it played a role. Not sure we can trust ourselves for those calls.

 

Risk reward, we are all adults and can make our own decisions, if you think it’s too dangerous pit in change tires, you made the right call by backing off others didn’t, you had a choice in the situation, we didn’t even though we planned for that scenario.

 

My 3 cents worth (inflation): disagree on this one...a big part of racecraft especially in endurance is learning to ride in mixed conditions on whatever tires and equipment you have. Yes, RA is exceptionally challenging in the wet due to all the places you tend to be on paint, regardless of what tires you're on. As far as rains on a drying track- they don't just explode immediately...they go off quite predictably and gradually. Since the race was stopped at this point an announcement of "we have reports of parts of the track being wet and part dry" along with the warmup lap should be sufficient.

Then again I think we should race at mid Ohio wet or dry....the fact that we don't is why I skip it.

 

That's all fair and well in theory until something happens and everyone asks why wera didn't stop the race etc etc.

 

No one is forced to grid up, they can choose to not grid up in bad conditions, give the racers a choice we all know the risks, on fact we sign a waiver acknowledging it.

 

Dude, just stop.

A waiver doesn't absolve WERA from the responsibility of running a safe event and protecting racers from themselves.

 

There wasn't a bulldozer parked in the track, it's rain, we race in rain.

 

Fair enough but I think this is one of those dammed if you do damned if you don't situations.

Either way you're gonna piss somebody off.

 

Mother nature was a raging bitch all weekend.

I trust the judgement of the WERA staff, and am not going to second guess them. They have no motive to rob us of track time and competition other than helping everyone show up to work on Monday.

That said - the track napper should be called out and ridiculed for the rest of his days. What a dumb ass move that fucked the rest of the racers.

 

I don't disagree, but allowing the teams to choose to go forward should be the default. We talked about changing our order up to put the best rain rider and or bike owner on and asked ourselves before the race weekend do we race in the rain. Practices Friday in the rain to be sure.

 

There are situations where every professional racing series on 2 or 4 wheels either hold off on a restart or delay a race start because of conditions. It sucks but it's common and it's normally the correct call.

 

he should have his license pulled for that.

is it true that they still got on the podium??

 

Yes, in his speech he said dehydration and exhaustion

 

Shouldn't he have been at medical getting an IV?

Side note: Josh Hayes is pure class

 

He always is.

 

Yea, I'm calling BS on that. He was halfway down the hill from T9. That's coasting area. I personally saw him on track slow rolling between the first bridge and T9 far left waving an arm. Next lap he and his bike were lying on the grass/track roughly halfway down the hill from T9. Then I heard he jumped up and helped pick his bike up and load it when the crash truck came.

 

Interesting. I can understand the physical exhaustion and it doesn't look like he was near a gap in the wall to get off. That said, I can't imagine ever laying down next to the track like that unless I was seriously hurt.

 

yes... ive been there and youre not functioning without it.