PAVEMENT PARALYSIS
The Crisis in Pavement LSR: 67% of deaths,
and a majority of serious injuries caused by
“Running Long” into shutdown area.
Although almost all types of cars and motorcycles have situations
where they “power on” past the last timing light, they usually
don't go very far, and rarely on pavement.
There are few instances of injury to anybody EXCEPT
sit-on motorcycle riders in this situation.
The cars that “run long” are usually dealing with brake failure
or parachute failure, and do NOT power all the way off
the end of the track, and into the runoff.
Sit on motorcycles seem to be the only competitors
that power past the finish line, past the end of the pavement,
and into the (typically) grassy areas at the end of the track.
Why are they doing this, and killing themselves at such an alarming rate ?............
How is it that the SCTA, with more than 75 years at Muroc,
El Mirage and Bonneville have NEVER had a fatality of this type,
and in only about 10 years, six brave men have lost their lives in pavement racing ?
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2018 started with two motorcycles “running long” in two different meets: one rider died, and the 2nd rider was medevac’d by helicopter, seriously injured and extensively hospitalized.
The riders, men aged 46 and 60, were in normal health at the start of their races, and seemed in full control of their bikes until the time for the bikes to be “shut down” at the end of the race. Both riders failed to decelerate at the normal time and place, and both continued off the ends of their tracks at full throttle, Partridge to his death.
At the Texas mile, during the Victoria Texas mile LSR meeting March 24-26, 2018, Phillip Steward 46, “ran long” in the one mile race, and kept the power on an additional 3920 feet (about ¾ mile), and powered into the grass run-off area. His turbo race bike tumbled to a stop in the run-off area after the end of the pavement.
Knowledgeable personal report that Steward’s Stage two RCC turbo Suzuki Hayabusa is well capable of 220-240 mph, and is a very serious race motorcycle.
HUSSAIN ALSOWAIGH An associate of Steward, and the Texas Mile Motorcycle track record holder at 262 mph reports:
”His Name is Philip Steward
This is the what happen:
Emergency personnel at the end of the track that witness the accident said he passed the mile marker but stayed on the throttle for a little further then he should have then couldn't get the bike to stop in time before going into the grass at the end of the runway and loosing it in the grass.
His speed at the mile marker was 197 mile by the time he went to the grass I think 220+ mile.
Datalogger shows that he stay on the throttle all the way to the 6 gears till the kill switch came off.
PHILIP IS 47 years old, he was riding stage 2 Rcc turbo Busa.
Emergency man said he almost make it to the fence at the end of grass, when I was talking to Philip two days ago he said he black out don’t remember anything.
Thanks
HUSSAIN ALSOWAIGH.”
At the Mojave Mile, the deceased rider, 60-year-old Timothy Scott Partridge of Draper, Utah crashed into a security fence during a racing event at the Mojave Airport. Eye witnesses report Partridge, who was riding a borrowed Kawasaki H2 supercharged motorcycle, maintained full throttle through the timing lights. Without letting off the throttle, Partridge continued past the end of the pavement, and hit – still at full throttle – the barb wire fence almost 1000 feet past the end of the pavement. The barb wire fence provided security for the airstrip. The impact with the fence caused the injuries resulting in Partridge’s death. The rider’s total travel start to finish was approximately 14,000 feet; nearly three (3) miles. Partridge was competing Saturday in the “Mojave Mile LSR event the weekend of April 14-15, 2018.
Partridge’s borrowed Kawasaki H2 motorcycle is considered by aficionados to be a “factory hot rod,” having a supercharger, four cylinders, 1000ccc’s displacement, a full fairing, and double overhead cams with four valves per cylinder and a top speed variously estimated at 206 to 222 mph in basically stock form. The modern H2 It is universally considered the fastest production street motorcycle in the world.
Partridge’s friend, Multiple 200 Club member SCOTT HORNER reports:
"Tim Partridge was on a borrowed H2
and ran out the back door never lifted.
Initial impact with a barb wire fence did him in."
Multiple 200-club member Erin Hunter Sills reports:
"...the event did a very good job of managing safety on Sunday.
They implemented a couple of new procedures that were smart.
For example, at the start line they had the rider hold the front brake
and try to roll the bike forward so that they
are sure that no one has spread to break pads.
They also had a very stern discussion with all
of the motorcyclists about situational awareness,
and ensuring no one was riding with their head
tucked down using white lines on the runway
as a guide rather than looking up.
They also have everyone run course, at 25 miles an hour,
so that they could very clearly see
what all the markers along the course work.
I would complement Mike and Marsha Borders on
the procedures that they implemented.
I’m sorry that they have to..."
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FATAL and POTENTIALLY FATAL
INCIDENTS in PAVEMENT LSR EVENTS.
2008-2018
SIT-ON TYPE MOTORCYCLES
1) Karl Gunter – - - - - shutdown – Texas Mile - survived
2) Billy Shoemaker – shutdown – Texas Mile - survived
3a) Bill Warner – - - - - shutdown – Texas Mile - survived
4) Jerry Wayne Lyons - track ------- Texas Mile - DIED
3b) Bill Warner –- shutdown – ECTA Maxton - survived
3c) Bill Warner – - shutdown – ECTA Maxton - survived
5) Guy Lombardi -shutdown – ECTA – Maxton - DIED
6) Dave Owen – -- -shutdown – ECTA – Maxton – DIED
7) T J Cannon----- - track - ECTA – Maxton – survived
VIII) Debbie Dross – shutdown - ECTA – Maxton - survived
9) Gerald Deneau –shutdown - ECTA – Wilmington - DIED
10) Donna Timney- shutdown – ECTA – Wilmington – survived
3d) Bill Warner - - -track and trackside – Loring - DIED
11) John Noonan – track – Mojave mile – survived
12) Tim Partridge - …shutdown – Mojave Mile – DIED
13) Philip Stewart…shutdown - Texas Mile- survived
Short summary:
Sixteen (16) incidents
Fourteen (14) individuals involved
Twelve (12) involved shutdown areas
Ten (10) year time span
Six (6) deaths
Contrast:
Several incidents at Bonneville
and El Mirage – zero (0) deaths
It is notable that the ONLY serious LSR organization NOT represented in this shutdown situation is the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA).
Whatever they are doing, it is working !