« April 2010 | Main | June 2010 »
As the first outdoor national of the year, the 2010 Hangtown MX was no picnic for rank-and-file Pros. Just getting onto the entry list was difficult (entries were limited to 80 riders per class,) which meant that northern Nevada had only one entrant in each class: Sparks' Bobby Garrison in the 250 class and Carson City's Aron Harvey in the 450s.
In a strange twist of fate, both Garrison and Harvey landed in the exact same qualifying spot--47th--in their respective classes. Garrison turned in a fastest lap of 2:22.67 on his Husqvarna 250, and Aron recorded a 2:21.285 on his YZ450F, which unfortunately meant that both riders were less than two seconds away from making the 40-man cut for the main events. Both fields were extremely tight.
As a rider who has raced both Aron and Bobby many times, let me tell you that it is mind-boggling that there are 92 riders anywhere who can turn a faster lap time than either of these two. It is a testament to the competitiveness of the U.S. national series that we have such deeply talented fields. But nonetheless, I have little doubt that both riders will improve upon their respectable results in the near future. Those two really do haul the mail.
In the meantime, check out MX Sport's web site for full Hangtown results and more information on this year's nationals.
I'm worried I've hit my head too many times.
I don't worry because I have lots of trouble remembering where I left my car keys (I don't) or when my wife's birthday is (in all likelihood, she wouldn't let me forget that one anyway.) I worry because it seems like I can't open a magazine these days without finding a new article on the dangers of concussions.
Ever since scientists began a few years ago to notice a pattern of ex-NFL players developing mental-health problems in middle-age--many of whom have exhibited signs of early-onset dementia as early as their 40s--there have been increased worries that repeated blows to the head can affect one's brain long after the initial damage is done.
These worries have been furthered fueled by the state of the deceased players' brains upon autopsy: nearly all of them have exhibited unique signs of damage that don't appear in the brains of people who haven't suffered repeated head injuries. It is considered likely that years of head trauma is to blame for the signs of damage, as well as the players' subsequent mental breakdowns and deaths.
As motocrossers, many of us have confronted the ills of the concussion. Modern helmets are very good at absorbing large amounts of energy, but that characteristic tends to make them very stiff--so stiff that they are not always effective at dispersing smaller amounts of energy. And when too much energy reaches the brain, causing it to impact the inside of the skull, what results is a concussion. If you've suffered any loss of consciousness, amnesia, nausea, confusion or even a stout headache following a crash, the odds are good that you've had a concussion.
I have had roughly eight concussions in my life. I had my first when I was 10, my last at 26. Not all of them have resulted in a loss of consciousness, but most have erased the memory of the crash that caused them. As far as I can tell, I haven't suffered any long-term affects from them. My memory is still fine, and I have yet to see any other signs of mental deterioration (unless you count my willingness to moderate our message board as a sign of some sort of masochistic disorder.)
But still I worry each time I read a piece on the new-found dangers of concussions. Early-onset dementia is a frightening disease, and while I'm not convinced I will get it, I am concerned that riders who suffer concussions without knowing the dangers--especially those who return to racing too soon after a concussion, which is known to increase the likelihood and severity of secondary concussions--are exposing themselves to a risk that none of us fully understands.
Last I read, Travis Pastrana has suffered about 26 concussions in his life. Worse yet, many of them have occurred within a short frame of time, such as the six he incurred during the 2001 125cc Nationals. These types of concussion "clusters" have shown to be much more dangerous than the one-off variety (though that doesn't mean that the one-offs can't be dangerous too.)
Travis is an extraordinary example of exposure to concussions, but a lot of racers I know have had their fair share of head injuries as well. While most of us will never suffer as many as a lot of football players and boxers--some estimate that these athletes may suffer dozens if not hundreds of concussions over the course of a long career--it doesn't mean that we shouldn't be mindful of the affects of concussions. The truth is that doctors do not yet know what number of concussions pose a threat to one's long-term health (it likely varies with the person) and that itself is a scary fact.
When I decided to rein in my own racing efforts a couple of years ago, my own worries over concussions played a role. I still remember the drive home from a Fallon night race in 2007, the last race where I endured a concussion. I had told myself up to that point that if I hit my head in a race again, that would be it. The finality of the decision filled me with a strange sadness as I drove home in the dark, but I knew I needed to start toning things down. Racing had long been a huge part of my life up to then, but I knew it wasn't worth the risk anymore. (Because old addictions die hard, however, I have raced since then, and I have suffered one more concussion, though that one was at a practice--my own mx775 Ride Day, in fact.)
But now I am trying very hard to keep my concussion risks down. It is a difficult thing, because I still love to ride, and the urge to race still pops up regularly. But I try to manage by riding well within my limits, and by trying to avoid situations that may lead me to run my head into the ground (it is still absurd how often and how strongly those situations appeal to me.)
And many days I test my memory at random to ensure that I am still fine. Does remembering how many AMA championships Jeff Stanton won in his career mean my memory is still sharp?
I hope so. He won six, by the way.
This week Jim Huebner's photo comes from Fernley's first turn. Can you feel the sand hitting your nose?
Check out more of Jim's photos on the message board or on his Flickr page.
Here's another fine photo from Jim Huebner. This one is Jeff Simas on his YZ250, laying waste to a pillowy Exit 28 berm.
Check out much more of Jim's work on the message board or at Jim's Flickr page.
Check out all the locals participating in this year's Crossover race at Hangtown.
From the press release:
GoPro Hangtown Crossover revs up for 9th year:
For the past few years some of the top athletes, past and present, in their respective sports of BMX, MTB, Skateboarding, Snowboarding, Skiing, Surfing, Wakeboarding, Snowmobile, XC Running and more have all joined together at the Dirt Diggers North, Lucas Oil AMA Motocross National.
On May 21st 2010, this mixed group of top performers drops into Sacramento, CA for the opportunity to ride motocross on the same track as the pros. It’s a truly unique opportunity that has no equal in any other event. Many top athletes use motocross as a cross training activity but when the gate drops and these riders hit the track they all learn a firsthand lesson in respect for how fast the pros really are.
Athlete List: (Locals in bold)
Aaron Cooke BMX
Jimmy Garcia BMX
Aaron Vincent Snowboarding
JJ Tomlinson Snowboarding
Alex Schlopy Slopestyle Skier
Joey Washburn Snowboarding
Allan Cooke BMX
John Dadak Ski
Brian Patch Skateboarding
Keith Hutchins Snowmobile
Bryan Noe Snowboarding
Kevin Barda Runner
Cameron Zink Mountain Bike
Mark Silva Mountain Bike
Casey Kelly Skateboarding
Michael Rosengren Snowboarding
Chris Roach Snowboarding
Monty Roach Snowboarding
Darren Rahlves Ski
Phil Tinsman Mountain Bike
Dave Donatoni Surf
Salman Agah Skateboarding
Deidra Geddis
Sam Shallow Skier X
Delene Dippel Snowmoile
Sco Novotny Skiing
Don Szabo Snowboarding
Shawn Sterken Snowboarding
Dwayne Taylor BMX
Tony Campos BMX
Errol Kerr Skier
Tony Sabatella Snowboarding
Igor Reou Wakeboarding
Trace Shroeder Telemark Skier
Gunnar Newquist Free Skier
Trevor Riccoli Skier X
Ian Price Snowboarding
Tyler Emond Snowboarding
Jay Grube Snow Park Builder
Wade Speyer Skateboarding
Jim Moran Skier
Zach Early BMX
Shaun Palmer Snowboarding
FMX Class:
Brian Foster
Dustin Miller
Mike Metzger
Ronnie Renner
Tim Obrien
Drake McElroy
Feel like something orange is missing in your life? Check out the sale on KTMs that Carson Motorsports is having.
Find out more about CMS on their web site.
Ty Erquiaga, the man behind many of our beloved moto events, is again organizing a staggering amount of horsepower-related attractions for the 2010 Octane Fest in Fallon, Nevada this June.
Check out the TV spot for this year's event (and note how many of our retired motocross heroes are coming to race trucks this year):
Check out more at the Octane Fest web site.
