Tue 21 Aug 2007

As much as I dislike a lot of the motorbike riders on the roads, I’ve always liked watching them race on the track.Because of the aerodynamic issues concerning F1 cars these days, the racing isn’t as close as it could be and there is less overtaking as there was in the past. This isn’t the case with bikes as they have obviously got less spoilers etc to disrupt the airflow hitting following bikes.

Crashes in these races can be quite spectacular, as the bikes twitch about and throw their rider off at sometimes quite incredible speeds. It’s amazing to see them so often get back up and try to get their bike started to return to the race.

The rider in this clip from last weekend’s 250cc warm-up race at the MotoGP meeting wasn’t so lucky - this is probably one of the most spectacular crashes I’ve seen, and certainly one of the scariest and most painful.

The rider, Taro Sekiguchi, is apparently stable in hospital having regained consciousness which is very good news.

 

5 Responses to “If the first crash ain’t too bad, have another bigger one…”

1. Ollie Says:
   August 22nd, 2007 at 12:32 am

   I was saying in my mind, “Big deal, he is able to pick himself up” when I interrupted myself with “Oh f*** me! Holy s***!” Obviously watching the clip for the first time I wasn’t expecting what I saw.

   Thank whoever that the rider is stable and conscious.

   I also enjoy MotoGP for the close action. Often I’ll see a bike twitch and am amazed that the rider is able to control it. Bike racing is certainly more enjoyable in this regard than F1. F1 does have its moments, but because they are so few and far between, they often don’t get seen. I remember DC at Monza in 1997 had an impressive moment going through one of the Lesmos corners, a moment that will remain with me, and undoubtedly with Coulthard. It’s a shame that aerodynamics have halted the approach from one car to another and driver aids with the ‘moments’. Maybe when TC is banned we’ll see some more twitching in F1, but I fear it is going to be a long time before we see close MotoGP-style racing on four-wheels. Arguably (as the video above indicates) for the better…?

2. Ollie Says:
   August 22nd, 2007 at 12:35 am

   Forgot to mention, thank whoever again that the bike didn’t come down on top of him. Taro is one lucky guy.

3. Craig Says:
   August 22nd, 2007 at 12:45 am

   I had much the same response when watching for the first time - the clip seems to be all about the first crash but then that other guy appears going hell for leather out of the dustcloud and BLAM!!! Even through his visor, you can almost see his eyes expand to the size of dinner plates when he sees what is about to happen - what a fright he must have got.

   I wouldn’t have wanted to be the poor guy who had to cut his underwear off that’s for sure!

   The first guy is lucky not to get run over by his own bike as he slides down the track, then the second guy is lucky, as you say, for his bike not to land on top of him.

   Close racing doesn’t always result in this kind of accident - in fact these guys were a good distance apart, which was the main reason the second guy didn’t know the first one was there. But I can’t see F1 being as close as bike racing for several years to come - if ever.

   No TC is going to be fun though in the meantime

4. Clive Says:
   August 25th, 2007 at 7:53 pm

   Ouch, a nasty one. What is most amazing about bike racing, however, is the way they crash, slide around for a bit, then get up and rejoin the race. I’ve always said you need to be very crazy to go bike racing.

5. Craig Says:
   August 27th, 2007 at 9:27 pm

   I know Clive, the first thing they do by instinct is to pick the bike up and try to get it restarted - unlike Button, DC etc in F1 who simply take the steering wheel off, jump out and run away!

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