For those who go to track days alone

I just ask myself: What would Ulysses do?
Just a more interesting day.

 

I know several coaches, so one should be able to drive truck home when I go alone if I had an issue.
This is a great improvement from when I rode my bike to the track and back home.

 

I've been going out alone for almost 2 years and have been lucky enough to not have any problems. There are so many good people at track days that are willing to help out fellow riders so I figure if anything happened, someone would at least help me load my gear and I could find somewhere to go until I could get my wife to come get me home. It's one of those things I try not to think about...

 

I've rarely ever gone with others. 90% of the time I'm on my own. Granted my tracks are pretty close to me, and one of them is actually in the town where my family lives, but aside from that I figured someone would help out. It pays off to make friends at the track. I know probably about 30-40 of the regulars, so between them, surely someone would be nice enough to help out. I haven't had to test that out yet thankfully, but I've seen others who had been in that situation and there were other people that helped out.

Now you got me worried though as I'm leaving tomorrow to go to HPR which is almost 7 hours away....all by myself!

 

Yea, I almost always go alone too. A couple things that I find helpful...

1. When you introduce yourself to your neighbor, give them the passcode to your phone, tell them where you are leaving it, label your emergency contact ICE, and ask them to call your ICE and arrange transport if you get incapacitated. That way you at least can guarantee one person will be at the track that will coordinate pickup. STT will take emergency contact names too, but I think a person parked 20 feet from your rig, that has your personal phone in their hand is pretty powerful tool for coordinating a potentially complicated situation.

2. If you are going for one day, make it saturday. That way if you end up incapacitated you can leave your crap sitting at the track for a day while you arrange transport and noone will care. It'll just be another bike and truck in the lot. If you crash at on a sunday you don't have that luxury, since the track throws everybody out sunday night.

 

I have a list of contacts on my dry erase board in my trailer instead of using a phone. Usually theres someone at the track who would be able to help you get things home or at least load everything up. Most track managers do understand if someone went to the ER and someone will come get the stuff the next day (Monday).

 

I bring my Phone Charger and Laptop for work just in case I wind up in the hospital.. However I always let someone know near me where my keys and wallet are also... I have rummaged through many pits over the years looking for these for other people who were being routed off in the flashy box...

 

A. Make friends at the track. Introduce yourself to your neighbors.

B. I have an "In event of an emergency" sheet that I place on my dash or in my drivers seat. On it is all my contact and insurance info in case of an accident. I lock my wallet in my truck, but I tell my neighbors/friends "in the event I'm hurt, there is an information sheet on my dash, and my keys are here".

C. Don't crash.

 

some very good ideas here ,
I drive to the track alone most of the time

I recently had a high side and woke up in the ER ( not a STT event), The guys that I pit with loaded my stuff up for me ,

The track called my Emergency Contact Number and got someone to come get me ,

It all worked out , but it has left me thinking about what I will do in the future

 

I agree, some really good advice given on this thread and I plan to make some better plans myself. Thank you soad for starting this thread. While we are all willing to help out our fellow riders, it certainly makes it easier if we share our emergency contact information with our neighbors and let them know where to find our car keys and insurance cards!

 

even though our community will give the shirts off our backs to help one another, i might be in the minority here but... I think it is a bit selfish to place the burden of making sure you, your bike your gear ect... gets home, if you opt to come by yourself... on your pit neighbors, without knowing them, in effect, giving them the responsibility to YOUR well being, after an injury, event.

can you imagine if you were seriously injured, or heaven forbid worse and a pit neighbor, had to pack up, get your stuff home, AND TELL YOUR LOVED ONES THE BAD NEWS. that is asking a lot of anyone, let alone someone you don't know.

if you cant have a significant other, friend, family member ect... with you for the drive home, maybe you should re-think going to the track by yourself. this isn't badmitten, and things CAN, AND DO HAPPEN!

yes, we will do everything to help each other but, don't assume someone else will take care of you and your stuff, if you come by yourself. I know this is a "first world problems" thing but, come on people, take some personal responsibility for your own well being, and transportation, to and from the track. Ski

 

In 07 I went to Putnam by myself, as I had been doing for a couple years at that point. Knew no one there, except for a few familiar faces. High side crash in turn 6, launched pretty high from what I was told and landed on my head. Knocked out cold, bruised hip, concussion. Obviously taken to local hospital in my gear, no wallet, no money, no keys, nothing. Contact info was given to track organization and they reached out to family member who spoke with me on the phone at the ER. Kept me overnight and my brother and sister drove from Chicago the following morning. They came to th hospital first then went to the track to get my stuff prior to my release. All my stuff was organized and in my SUV, bike was totaled but my fellow riders and coaches that day had it all strapped down to the trailer and ready to go. Keys were left at the entrance with track worker.
Cannot thank all those people enough for their help and the care taken with my belongings. We have such a great community

 

Drive home in pain! I have been fortunate over the years and knock on wood it has been a few years since is have kissed the pavement. I do have a person usually a friend who is set up to lend a hand in case of a bad spill. Having a bunch of friends at the Track helps too.

 

In an ideal world I would agree but by the responses that appears not to be the case.
I can't speak for the others and I realize my situation is different because the border crossing complicates things but I'd never make the track if I didn't go by myself.
I'd bend over backwards to help someone at the track. In the end I hope they would do the same for me.

Steve

 

That being said make it easy for people to help you. Have emergency contact stuff etc. listed somewhere.

 

Steve, I am talking about those that don't know anyone at the track, and don't have any contingency plan.

you have a unique situation, you have a plan, and you are very well known in the pits, stt, race orgs ect... and you know, lynne and I would be first in line to drive you, and or your stuff, back to canuckistan. Ski

 

Maybe it's just me, but I'd gladly help someone out. No reason to add another reason to discourage someone from trying track days just because none of their friends are interested in sitting in the hot sun at a race track all day. I bet after a few track days they would start to know people around the pits.