RACEGUY Remarks

So Much to Say … So Little Time

It was with all the best intentions that I pulled the laptop in close in order to regale it with stories of the weekend to come and the mysteries and magic that lie ahead. I know. It’s been said before. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Since being sidetracked is a natural thing for me, in this case, I’ll allow a couple of lines for the items that have derailed my Pleasant Valley bound train of thought. While this column was to be completed and published last weekend, and was to be a very cursory glance at the weekend to come, Pleasant Valley will have to take a back seat for just a moment until we’ve dealt with a couple of items.

I will post this as 3 separate elements. I will add that content to this page as each segment is completed.

Farewell Josh

Last weekend’s Red Bud AMA National will now be forever etched in motocross history as the race that cost us one of the truly good guys in the sport. Michigan’s Josh Lichtle would have turned 24 next month. His amateur career was legendary and he remained a force in the Pro ranks even though he had never landed an A-team ride. Josh raced in Ontario on numerous occasions and was even considered for one of the Gopher Dunes Suzuki rides for the 2011 Canadian Pro series.

While the loss of a vibrant, healthy young man is always tragic, Josh’s status as an elite athlete and the circumstances surrounding his death can only compound our sense of loss and disbelief.

Even in death, though, Lichtle continues to give back to the sport he had made his life. Although autopsy results have not and may never be released, editorial comments are already questioning the AMA’s role in the death if, indeed, it was a result of heat-stroke.

If we can shorten motos or even scratch the second moto due to rain and mud, why is there no allowance in the rule-book for racing on days when heat indexed temperatures hover around 100 Fahrenheit with humidity at 80% and above? Why does the current rule-book outlaw intravenous fluids during race events? What can be done to put more control of situations like head impacts and heat-related issues in the hands of AMA trackside officials? The questions are just beginning. We’ll all be waiting for answers.

So what does this mean to YOU? Consider this a cautionary tale and listen carefully to its warnings. Having gone through critical dehydration personally (which put me in a hospital instead of the tower at last year’s Riverglade National) I am now fully aware of how quickly heat and dehydration can become something life-threatening. I now know how easily this becomes a runaway train that stops its run when you stop breathing.

There have been hundreds of excellent articles posted on line relating specifically to riding in the heat and dealing with hydration. Google it. The basics are the basics, though. Start your fluids (WATER) Wednesday or Thursday for a Sunday race. Consider your regular water intake and ADD 4 litres per day leading up to the race, or ensure you drink one 8oz glass of water for every hour you are awake. There is no substitute for water, and drink it cold. Water is much more easily absorbed by the body when it is cool or cold.

When training or riding during your hydration cycle, replace lost fluids as quickly as possible. You will lose electrolytes, so this is where you replace them with electrolyte drinks such as Gatorade, Powerade, or even Pedialyte. Again, there is no replacement for water, so mix your sports drink 50/50 with water.

Do not allow yourself to get thirsty on raceday. Once you are thirsty, it’s too late to get the absorption you need for your fluids to do any good. Stay completely away from carbonated beverages, energy drinks, and coffee on racedays. These products will all hurt the way your body absorbs and uses water.

Finally, if you begin to feel the effects of heat and fluid loss, including dizziness, double vision, lack of concentration, general unwell feeling, nausea, rapid heart rate, abdominal cramps, flushing (very pink skintone), and especially if you stop sweating, it’s time to park it. You cannot recover from heat-exhaustion and dehydration between motos, PERIOD. Riding in this condition would be equivalent to riding with a severe concussion and would pose a real risk of heart and kidney complications, and yes, even death.

There is a good possibility that the exertion that put Josh Lichtle over the edge was actually kicking in vain to try and restart his bike after a second crash in the moto. He kicked until exhausted, then tried rolling over the hill to bump start the bike. He collapsed. The seizures began, and the runaway train ended its journey when Josh’s organs could take no more.

Godspeed, Josh Lichtle. You have left an empty gate. Let’s hope the lesson you left behind is not lost.

Here are a couple of excellent links:

http://www.racerxvt.com/virtual_trainer/wild_water_layfield.html

http://www.racerxvt.com/article/what-to-drink-on-race-day

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/heat_exhaustion_and_heat_stroke/article_em.htm

Tracks Grow On Trees??

Adding insult to injury – what does that really mean, and how exactly do you add one to the other?

After controlling myself (somewhat) behind the keyboard following the Mt. Thom letdown, I find myself plunged back into the mire that surrounds keyboard complaining and the internet. I am not known to be a troll under normal circumstances, but in my mind, I’ve been driven to trollism by people with no ethics or moral values whatsoever.

After the slap of a 70 entry event at five-star facility, I did not expect that anyone could find another way to kick Jeremy Wallace when he was down. I am obviously a very poor judge of people.

The exhaust smoke had barely cleared the Mt. Thom air when I “got the memo” that the track was no longer available for practice. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though. First came the ridiculous rumours that Jeremy had jacked the daily practice fee to $40.00 (double the $20.00 he had been asking). Even after this myth was busted on line at Facebook by Curtis Doucet, people were still asking if the rumour was true. Soon, the story morphed into a fairy-tale that had Jeremy charging only quads $40.00 because only one showed up for the June race.

I’m sure there are still people out there who believe and are probably spreading some form of the $40.00 rumour, although, knowing the way rumours work, it’s probably now a $100.00 fee and applies only to 50s.

Then came the announcement that Mt. Thom was no longer available for practice. I instantly figured this was just another stupid story on steroids, but before I jumped to conclusions and started a rumour that the rumour was a rumour, I did what I usually do. I asked the question. What I learned by asking caused that sinking feeling in the pit of my gut. I have a stiff neck from shaking my head.

While I can’t agree with the practice, Jeremy allowed riders on the track based on the honour system. The gate was open. On arrival, you were to sign the waiver, leave your money, then ride that beautiful track to your heart’s content. Roll in, pay up, and sign off, with no additional human contact. That is not only incredibly trusting on young Mr. Wallace’s part, it appears as though some people also thought it was pretty stupid and decided to take advantage.

Certainly, Jeremy is not so naïve that he didn’t foresee a few people taking advantage of his “open concept”. Unfortunately, it was happening more and more and becoming more and more obvious.

In one instance, Jeremy arrived at the track to find an adult and young rider (father & son?) all alone taking advantage of the first class track. Jeremy approached them and asked if they had signed the waiver and paid their $20.00. He was told point-blank that they had, so he headed home.

The next morning, Wallace went back to the track to check the waiver and remove the money. Unfortunately, there were no signatures on the waiver and no money to be found. Just hours earlier, someone had stood face-to-face with him and told him an outright lie.

The spark hit the fireworks on a Saturday when the ever-trusting Jeremy Wallace arrived at the track to find 15 riders enjoying themselves immensely. Not so enjoyable was the fact that the cashbox contained a mere $60.00. I interpret that as meaning, out of 15 people, at least 3 were honest. That is a 20% honesty rate or an 80% lowlife rate. Only 1 in 5 that day acted in accordance with the Ten Commandments and the “golden rule”.

Thanks to some kind of missing ethics gene, there is now only one way to get access to Mt. Thom for practice and testing. Instead of rolling in on your own timetable and riding as you like, you will now have to contact Jeremy personally first and make the necessary arrangements. Don’t expect that a busy guy like JW will be able to drop everything just to accommodate one or two riders wanting to use the track.

I am baffled. I am mystified. Why would some people feel perfectly entitled to destroy a dream set-up for ALL the other users? How could you not feel like you’re stealing when you take something from someone, something that has a known value, and you do not pay? Knowing what a financial fiasco the first Mt. Thom race was, how could anybody take advantage of this track owner? My final question – where the hell do you think tracks like Mt. Thom come from? Do you think they just GROW out of the forest?

My message is simple. I am no longer disappointed. I believe a better word now would be disgusted.

To those who followed the rules all along, I’m sorry for your loss. I’m sure Jeremy will welcome your phone calls and, as always, go out of his way to look after you. Those who need a lot more fiber in their moral fiber can go back to riding along ditches and in rock pits for all many of us care. Of course, Jeremy Wallace is too nice and too trusting, so the offenders probably won’t have any pangs of conscience whatsoever when they call him looking for track time, and, unfortunately, he will probably help them out.

Those who messed it up for everyone else can take consolation in one thing; if they would ever like to teach a course in adding insult to injury, I will be more than happy to provide a letter of recommendation. You’ll find me down by the MX track tree waiting for the harvest.

Up Next…Pleasant Valley Preview