Motocross ARE SUPERCROSS / MOTOCROSS TRACKS BECOMING TO DANGEROUS

[locomxer]

The injury report's say it all more riders this past supercross season are injured badly in it's histroy. The bikes are faster than ever, and so the tracks become more and more technical to always stay ahead of the bikes. But is there ever a point where the tracks become unsafe ? Most younger riders dont like the thought of this. Maybe they feel the idea is a sign of weakness. Either way the reports dont lie and the past season wasnt the same at all because of it. Just a fluke season ? or is it time for the AMA to take action.

Ryan Dungey - Broken Collarbone

Comment: Dungey underwent surgery last week to repair the damage sustained in a crash prior to St. Louis. Dungey is expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks, and at this time it is unknown whether or not he will race the last few races of the supercross season.

Kyle Partridge - Cut Foot, Broken Toe and Broken C3 and C4 Vertebrae

Comment: Partridge had a run-in with the over/under bridge during practice in St. Louis, which resulted in several injuries. Partridge, who has full movement of his limbs, underwent surgery to stabilize his neck last week. Currently, there is no timetable for his return.

Ben LaMay - Concussion and Fractured Right Hand

Comment: LaMay crashed hard in his heat race in St. Louis, prompting a red flag. Currently, there is no timetable on his return.

Dungey is expected to miss four to six weeks with a broken collarbone.

Photo: Andrew Fredrickson

Josh Hansen - Hurt Ankle

Comment: It was originally thought that Hansen’s ankle was twisted, but Hansen tweeted late this week that his ankle is indeed fractured. Despite the injury, Hansen says he is racing this weekend in Indianapolis.

Jimmy Decotis - Torn ACL

Comment: Just when it seemed that Jimmy D would be able to return to racing after suffering multiple fractures in his feet, he crashed while practicing and tore his ACL. The injury effectively takes Decotis out of action for the rest of the season.

Chad Reed - Broken Tibia and Fibula, Broken Ribs, Broken T6 Vertebrae and a Torn ACL

Comment: The injuries that Reed sustained in Dallas have forced him to withdraw from the remainder of the 2012 Monster Energy AMA Supercross series.

Austin Stroupe - Cracked Collarbone

Comment: Stroupe had a big crash in Dallas, and was forced to undergo surgery for an injured collarbone. Stroupe is recovering in Northern California, and is hoping to return to racing in Houston.

Gannon Audette - Broken Wrist

Comment: Audette broke his wrist during practice in Dallas, and will be out for the rest of the season. Audette plans on being ready for the Nationals.

Nico Izzi - Sprained Wrist

Comment: Izzi is still feeling the effects of his crash in Phoenix, and underwent surgery to fix some problems in his wrist. Barring complication, recovery time is expected to be quick, and Izzi should be ready to race when the Western Regional Supercross Lites season resumes in Seattle.

Tyler Sjoberg - Two Broken Ribs

Comment: Sjoberg suffered some broken ribs during practice in Dallas. There is currently no timetable on his return.

Eli Tomac - Fractured Elbow

Comment: Tomac suffered a minor fracture in his elbow in San Diego. No surgery is required, and Tomac will be ready when the Western Regional Supercross Lites series resumes in Seattle.

Austin Stroupe hopes to make his return to racing at Houston.

Photo: Simon Cudby

Andrew Short - First Degree Separation of AC Joint

Comment: Short was injured after going down and getting run over on the start of the San Diego supercross. Short participated in practice in Dallas, but the pain was too great to race. After undergoing therapy, Short started riding again earlier this week. His shoulder is still sore, and we will not see him line up this weekend in Indianapolis.

Scott Agostini - Fractured Talus, Lateral Ankle Ligament Tear, and Bone Marrow Edema of Distal Tibia

Comment: Agostini plans on returning to racing in Salt Lake City or Las Vegas.

Heath Harrison - Dislocated Hip and Torn Spleen

Comment: There is currently no timetable on Harrison’s return.

Sean Lipanovich - Broken Collarbone

Comment: Eastern Regional Supercross Lites rider Lipanovich underwent surgery for his injury just before Dallas and had a plate and eleven screws installed to repair the damage. Lipanovich plans on racing his first race of the season this weekend in Indianapolis.

Alex Ray - Collarbone

Comment: Ray suffered a broken collarbone in San Diego. No timetable has been set on his return.

Dillon Huddleston - Broken Arm

Comment: After breaking his radius at A1, Huddleston resumed riding last week and hopes to return to racing in Houston.

Ryan Sipes - Broken Hand and Separated Shoulder

Comment: Sipes underwent surgery on February 9, and is expected to be out for six weeks. Sipes is planning on being ready to race when the Western Regional SX Lites series resumes in Seattle, and may even race a 450 at a few rounds prior.

Tommy Hahn is also looking to make his return at Seattle.

Photo: Simon Cudby

Tyla Rattray - Concussion and Fractured Vertebrae

Comment: Rattray suffered a concussion and a fractured C-7 vertebrae in his heat race in Oakland. Rattray will spend some time recovering, at which time his injuries will be reevaluated.

Ryan Morais - Broken Jaw, Several Fractured Vertebrae, Collapsed Lung, Concussion and Broken Ribs

Comment: Star Valli Motorsports is hoping Morais will be back on the bike in time for the 2012 outdoor season. Those wishing to donate to Morais’ recovery fund can click here: Donations can also be made through Road 2 Recovery.

Trey Canard - Injured Back

Comment: After a terrible crash in Los Angeles, Canard was released from the hospital on January 29 and was able to return home. Canard is not expected to ride for six months.

Chris Blose - Injured Shoulder

Comment: Blose suffered an avulsion fracture, severe bone contusion and a slight labral tear in L.A.. Blose started rehab this week, and expects to be 100 percent in a month’s time.

Chris Johnson - Broken Scaphoid and Dislocated Wrist

Comment: Johnson hopes to be riding by the end of April, and is planning on being ready for the outdoor season.

Ivan Tedesco - Broken Finger

Comment: After getting landed on in L.A., Tedesco hopes to return to racing in Houston.

Josh Grant will be back this weekend in Indy.

Photo: Andrew Fredrickson

Josh Grant - Hurt Shoulder

Comment: Grant sustained a deep muscle contusion in L.A, and plans to make his return this weekend in Indianapolis.

Travis Bright - Broken Scaphoid

Comment: Bright underwent ligament repairs and had a screw put in his wrist. He’s back on the bike and will be ready to race by Seattle.

Don Parsons - Broken Leg

Comment: Parsons is planning on being ready for the start of the outdoor season.

Antonio Balbi - Broken Wrist

Comment: It is unlikely that Balbi will return to racing before the supercross season ends.

Chris Plouffe - Separated Shoulder and Torn MCL

Comment: Plouffe is planning on being back for the final three rounds of the 2012 Western Regional SX Lites series.

Tommy Hahn - Broken Fibula

Comment: Hahn is back on the bike and hopes to return to racing in Seattle.

Josh Hill - Broken Tibia

Comment: Hill suffered a broken tibia (lower leg) in his first turn crash at A1. The injury is not related to Hill’s previous leg injury that kept him away from the races last year. Hill is not expected to line up in Indianapolis.

After missing time due to a broken finger, IT hopes to return at Houston.

Photo: Simon Cudby

Wil Hahn - Fractured Right Hip

Comment: Hahn suffered a fractured right hip at the Honda test track on Wednesday, Jan. 11. Hahn has resumed riding and should be good to go when the Western Regional Supercross Lites series resumes in Seattle.

Michael Byrne - Broken nose and C-6 in Neck

Comment: After spending several weeks in a neck brace, Byrne’s recovery is going well. On Feb. 26, Byrne tweeted that he’ll know more about when he can return to racing after he has an X-ray in two weeks.

Christian Craig - Wrist Problems

Comment: Craig will be sitting out most of the remaining Western Regional SX Lites rounds. Due to a broken wrist suffered at Southwick, Craig has not been at 100 percent, and underwent surgery to fix the problem.

Taylor Futrell - Badly Broken Collarbone

Comment: Futrell underwent surgery for the injury, and has resumed riding. He will be racing this weekend in Indianapolis.

[Rich_Bing]

Yeah I was thinking about that. I have never seen so many riders out injured.

[MTO]

You might be right about that...or could be just that the talent is running so deep now, everyone's riding over their head..or a little of both. I could get hurt on the kiddie track WFO all the time.

[Just_a_trail_rider]

its bad for the sport to not have the best riders out there all the time. The NFL had to do something to protect their quarterbacks. The AMA should at least consider doing something to protect their riders.

[Nathanael]

[Ih8Hondas]

Tracks aren't the problem IMO. I think the bikes are too fast. Notice most of the injured riders are on 450's. You don't need that much power, especially indoors. The AMA needs to do to the 450 class what the FIM did (unfortunately) with Group B rally: realize they are too fast and get people hurt and ban it in professional competition.

Replace the 450 class with a 250 two stroke class. Win/win. Hehe.

Edited May 17, 2012 by Ih8Hondas

[LongMooie]

i dont think its the tracks as much as it is the riders pushing them selfs to the limits

this is motocross its just part of the sport.

i dont think its the bikes either cos at some races the 250s where putting faster lap times than the 450s

[humpness]

It was just a bad year

Competition is fierce more pressure on guys to get a top ten. happens.

[rob the snail]

i dont know if there is an easy answer to this...after following the sport for nearly 40 yrs i agree it was a bad year for injuries but i suppose some years are pretty low injury wise so who knows!!!

[Rotaholic]

I just watched "winners take all" from 1987 if you know the movie then well, you probably grew up with it and it was awesome. Looking at the track it looked pretty close to a supercross track today, the only difference is the way it was ridden. Same as if you watch RAD with bmx or thrasher with skateboarding, the sports have evolved, sure the gear has changed but not alot. Its the perception and people like Travis Pastrana allways pushing the boundrys. Pfffft a double backflip, why cant they do something extreme..............kids these days

[HAV]

If you NOTICE most of the injuries are in what class- the 450 class!! hmmnn...the Lites class is pretty much INTACT and ready to GOOOO for the outdoors..

Basically take the DRAMA out of the track design- and it will be SAFER for all and maybe we can see those guys for the Nationals too. Like supercross is screwing the outdoor national promotors because they pretty much annihilated the whole damn field.

Take out those kickers before each turn, those on and off tabletops are ridiculous.

On a triple jump if i decide to double and you decide to triple what's going to happen?? We're going to crash on the last triple jump..the same thing happened to Canard who missed a jump, the next guy couldn't see that far ahead, took the jump and Canard was right there, whack!!

Everyone else is "evolving", equipment, going green, noise reductions, emissions, whatever.

Track designs shouldn't produce more injuries but less!! So therefore there is a problem!!

[Tony477g]

Tracks aren't the problem IMO. I think the bikes are too fast. Notice most of the injured riders are on 450's. You don't need that much power, especially indoors. The AMA needs to do to the 450 class what the FIM did (unfortunately) with Group B rally: realize they are too fast and get people hurt and ban it in professional competition.

Replace the 450 class with a 250 two stroke class. Win/win. Hehe.

i'd say a 250/350 class. Honda wouldnt be to happy selling a 2 stroke again

[shmuck409]

If you NOTICE most of the injuries are in what class- the 450 class!! hmmnn...the Lites class is pretty much INTACT and ready to GOOOO for the outdoors..

Basically take the DRAMA out of the track design- and it will be SAFER for all and maybe we can see those guys for the Nationals too. Like supercross is screwing the outdoor national promotors because they pretty much annihilated the whole damn field.

Take out those kickers before each turn, those on and off tabletops are ridiculous.

On a triple jump if i decide to double and you decide to triple what's going to happen?? We're going to crash on the last triple jump..the same thing happened to Canard who missed a jump, the next guy couldn't see that far ahead, took the jump and Canard was right there, whack!!

Everyone else is "evolving", equipment, going green, noise reductions, emissions, whatever.

Track designs shouldn't produce more injuries but less!! So therefore there is a problem!!

I think taking the "drama" out of the tracks would increase the speed and increase the unjuries every year because something as basic as a tip over could have a higher chance of injury at higher speeds. On off tabletops are not that bad, they were doing them back in the 80's and I've seen kids on 85's and 125's doing them at the local supercross tracks. Now I will agree with the 450 part, they should be limited because of what they do to the machines to produce power that rivals some of our every day cars. I agree with Ih8hondas that they should have the lites class and a 250 2-stroke class, win win. But track designs being at fault, no, no in my eyes. The competition is getting so deep every year that they are riding on rails every lap. Look at Poto and Reed back in Arlington, Poto was making a lot of tiny mistakes pushing that hard then Reed just made a mistake. And to the original post, Dungey was hurt practicing at Charmichael's house, not at a race. Injuries are a part of our sport and they're here to stay, so we will have seasons like this from time to time. And motocross takes out just as many riders as supercross does. That's just my two cents on it.

[tackman]

Seems to me that 25 years ago, David Bailey was battling with Ricky Johnson, Jeff Ward, Broc Glover, Ron Lechein, etc. That's a pretty deep field of riders. Bailey wound up hurt for life...I think it has always been there.

But I would support limiting the power to 350's. You would see 250 2-strokes become competitive again if you had a 250 2-stroke/350 4-stroke all in 1 class.

[longtimelurker]

Shit happens. It's SX/MX. If it was easy it would be called your mom.

[quarternac sr]

wow, interesting facts, and they were all this year?

in comparing to nascar, it looks like bristol. you have all that horse power and no where to use it so alot of crashing and bashing is going on. on the sx tracks i could see the 450 casusing this same issue. the big difference is at bristol they have roll cages and car parts to take up the hits.

[mictheaussie]

You want safe, grab a golf club and chase a white ball.

A lot of the crashes this year were freak things that can happen at slow speeds too. Short got banged up heading into turn 1, Reed, while going fast, changed a line due to a yellow flag, Partridge hit the overpass, Villopoto went down in an easy turn, Canard doubled when others trippled, and so on. There really were not too many crashes that happened because the track was too crazy.

[clutchless]

Incentive contracts vs salary.

Gotta win to get paid. people are pushing the envelope.

Also team spots are very hard to come by.

[longtimelurker]

I think it's called competition.

[HAV]

That show 'inside the moto', RV stated when they were at Pala that the long whoop sections' bumps were SQUARED off and prior to the second moto Kawasaki recommended that those bumps be rolled or fixed.

Like RV said, 5th gear pinned and you hit those things it literally at full speed like BAM!!

But I know THAT'S racing!! The point is YES the track could be MADE SAFER!! I'm not saying easier or like a TT track but they could be safer.

Safety doesn't mean your less than a man. Safety is COOL!!

THERE ARE WAAYYY TOO MANY INJURIES!!

There is a problem out there..And many believe inluding Carmichael, Reed, Villopoto and many more believe the tracks could be MADE safer..