Flagger Report

The Race: Wild West Nationals rnd. 7 # of Racers 476

Due to my hip injury I thought I would go out and help out at the track. I figured I'd be the best flagger on the track just because I am a racer too and I know what a flagger shoud do in the first place.

I'll start by saying that if you are not into MX then I can see where it would be boring to some. I thought it was all in all, very interesting cause I enjoy MX, it sucked just watching but it was the best I could do this weekend.

Saturday day one: It started off at 6:45 in the morning, I was flagging on the exact same corner that I crashed on, being that I knew that corner so well and all. :o That morining it was pretty chilly, enough to see your breath, good thing I took my jacket. (some didn't) It was very overcast that day and shortly the clouds rolled away and it got hot real quick. Then the clouds rolled back in and it started to rain, then hail, then rain again. Here I am standing around in it like a goon waiving a yellow flag every once in a while. :) At the point it started to hail, my class (O/30 int) was on the track and I was actually glad I was sitting still for once. Everyone was soaked and cold from the rain. The weather only lasted for about an hour but it was enough to get the track muddy and it started rutting up real bad. The rest of the day if you were wet, the wind made it real chilly.

Day two: All I can say is there was only one cloud in the sky (which lightning from it started a mountain on fire) and it wasn't near us. I cooked all day.

You really pay attention to the riders more when you are flagging. I saw things that I never paid much attention to before, like the way some of the riders are wearing their pants half way down their butts with their underwear hangin out. Of course most of these guys were at the back of the pack but hey, what gives?. I saw one guy wearing SMP gear with a black belt on with silver square concho's all over it, kind of a Goth look going on and I just rolled my eyes. Other things I noticed is just how fearless some of the kids are these days, there was a ton of tailswapping going on and they still kept it wide open enough to get my heart going a couple of times.

All in all it wasn't that bad, I think every racer should flag for a day just once.

Funniest thing I saw: The ambulance getting stuck in the infield.

Scarriest thing I saw: After the start of a race, a track crew member starts across the track in his pickup not knowing the 80beg. class was comming up to the table top he was behind. I nearly had a heart attack :scream: everyone was safe.

Worst wreck: On the starting sweeper. a guy is pushed way wide, goes up the embankement and hits the horse track railing that surrounds the MX track. Broken collar bone and broken shoulder.

Saddest thing I saw: Someones pet dog ran out on the track and chased after a bike that was going down the wide open straight, the dog kind of circled around back towards where it came from and saw another bike comming and was going to intercept it. well thats just what happend. I'm sorry to say that I don't think the dog made it. The rider did not crash, and after a brief show of his head hanging down in grief, continued his race. This all happend so fast that when the rider came around the sweeper there is no way he knew the dog was on the track untill it ran out at him.

Fastest rider of the weekend: US nationals pro Ted Campbell. He smoked everyone.

Honerable mentions: :confused: our own Jake Weimer who ran the 125 pro class (on his factory sponsored CR80) and took a 4th over all on day two.

From sitting and watching everyone, I cant wait to try some new lines I learned.

btw, out of 476 racers, running two moto's per day, only one guy crashed in the exact same place I did. I told you it was a simple corner. :silly:

Clutchcover, it is in Rupert. Coming from Poky, take the Declo exit, turn right, cross the river, go 4 miles north to the stop sign, hang a left. The fair grounds are down about a mile and a half on the left. The last round of the Wild West series will be held here Aug. 31, Sept. 1st. It is not on the schedule but the schedule has been changed, the race will be here. Also the next practice for the track is August 14 from 6-9, or till dark, 10$ per bike. Everyone that comes here really likes the track, it is pretty safe and fast.

Dog update :( Turns out that the dogs owner is the one who hit the dog. It got loose from his kid at the start gate when the owner took off. On the next lap around it saw its owner coming and ran out in front of him. I saw it and there was nothing he could have done in time. As for him keeping going... I honestly can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing. I've thought about it since I found out that the owner is the one who hit him and I would have, 1st-, been pissed off that my dog was on the track, and I hit him, and would have probably kept going too. 2nd-, once the anger wore off, I would have cried my eyes out for my dog. I learned just today that the dog didn't make it.

This is hypothetical of course, cause I have not been put in this position and I would never take a dog to the track in the first place.

PS I'm going to race, even if it is in the sportsmans class where I can't double anything. :) that class looked like a hoot.