Paper on MDR 200

What's up guys?

I'm writing a paper on spectator safety in desert racing and would really appreciate your help.

Following the accident last August

Do you think there are more safety factors implemented by either the blm or the race organizer? Are they effective?

Do you think the people are more carefully choosing where to spectate?

Do you feel safer at the races?

Is the safety of the spectators the responsibility of the race organization or the individual or some combination of?

Any additional comments would be greatly appreciated as well.

My condolences go to those who were involved in the accident and to their families.

 

It should be the responsibility of the individual to use common sense. Watch at your own risk.

 

I'm sure their lawyers see it differently.

 

What's up guys?
- My blood pressure.

Do you think there are more safety factors implemented by either the blm or the race organizer? Are they effective?
- There are more safety provisions at the races now. Official rules now state that all spectators stand at least 150 feet from trackside, but they seem to push the crowd back a little more than that. I have tried several times to get good positions for photos and videos and have been forced out of certain turns and whoop sections by law enforcement for being too close. Effective? Hard to say until there is another big crash. In theory, the distance they now require seems far enough away and spectators who are passionate about the sport appear to be vigilant about keeping out of the way.

Do you think the people are more carefully choosing where to spectate?
- Most spectators who follow the sport and are aware of last year's tragedy are really good about thinking it all through. Those who were not otherwise aware last year, are pretty wise to it all now.

Do you feel safer at the races?
- Much safer. For the most part, even the prerunners slow down when they pass spectating areas, but you do still see those who are a bit brain challenged.

Is the safety of the spectators the responsibility of the race organization or the individual or some combination of?
- Definitely a combination of both. The organizations and BLM need to set basic rules, but as they cannot be at every point in the race course at once, spectators need to understand the nature of this sport. It's up to the individual to figure out where a truck is likely to land given the terrain. At last year's race, I remember the TW crew posting up alongside Rock Pile. As I drove up, I noticed they were setting up camp after the jump. I explained to the group that if a truck were to hit the jump wrong or land awkward, their camp was in the path of the truck's roll. Thank God the group moved up the 20 yards as their initial camp spot was exactly where that truck ended up on it's lid.


- My personal thoughts on last year's tragedy? An accident of that magnitude has never happened out there, and in general, we all (organizers and spectators), took it for granted. While we all knew that it was dangerous to be that close to the action, we just never thought we would see something like that happen. Unfortunately, it's when you take things for granted, that circumstances can throw you a brutal reality check.

 

Thanks a ton guys. This helps a lot.

That is exactly what I'm looking for and being that you're so involved in the industry your information is invaluable. Thank you very much! I hope your blood pressure isn't really up.

 

no prob...

yah, my blood pressure, my blood sugar, and my kidney B.U.N. are all up...

FML...

haha

 

Sorry to hear about that.

 

I am personally close friend with the driver of the truck Sloppy so this incident really hit home and I had a friend pass away at the crash and another friend, (creator of ESB Fab) get seriously hurt. Do i blame Brett Sloppy at all? absolutely not, he was racing just as everyone else was at the event, not driving any faster or any harder then the others. His steering column went out at the worst time and his truck went over.

It's a real shame what happened and could of been avoided. As stated there hasn't been a crash like this so most people thought it would not or could not happen, this smacked a huge reality check into the desert community's face and still effects us.

As far as blaming an individual person? That cannot be done and is immature thinking. The people who where at that corner by the crash knew the risks but obviously didnt think it would happen, no one especially Brett should be blamed for them choosing to camp out on the outer edge of a sharp corner on a off-road race track. However if i remember correctly the rules of MDR where to be 100ft back from the track and they had a permit for 300 people to be there?? Those probably arnt the exact numbers but regardless no one was enforcing the regulations as people where drunk trying to touch the bedsides of the truck as they flew by and over 3,000 people where there. So if the finger is to be pointed, its at the series/ BLM for not following there own guidelines.

FYI about after the crash: Did u know that Sloppy was on suicide watch for 3 months and for over a year went to a therapists, and that he is still deeply fighting lawsuits against him personally, a close friend of ours started a lawsuit 3 months ago all of a sudden... Also days after the actual crash paparazzi came to his house, broke in and messed with his house and ect. This man did not deserve any of that on any level...

On a positive note, at least people now truly respect these off road vehicle and now know what they can do. so spectators are more careful as are the drivers, so an occurrence of that happening again is incredibly unlikely. Not to mention they have tightened up the security/ regulations at races now.

 

I had no idea Sloppy was having issues that serious. I really feel for him. Other than the lawsuits how is he doing personally now?

It's great to hear that people didn't just push this under the rug and went back to how it was before.

Thanks very much for your reply, it's easier to see just how deep the subject is.

 

any traumatic incident will fuck with ya...

my uncle ran over a tagger on the freeway in the middle of the night... the kid was dressed all in black so at 65mph, my uncle didn't see him until he was right on him...

that was a few years ago and he hasn't driven a car since... he couldn't get himself to get back behind the wheel after that...

 

Holy cow! That has to be tough.

 

yah, it's nuts... 2 weeks ago, i hit a pedestrian at a crosswalk with my truck as i was inching out to make a right turn... i had just let my foot off the brake when he walked out in front of me... luckily i still had my foot on the brake so i was able to stop when i heard the thud so he wasn't hurt, but the rest of that day, i was pretty shaken up...

 

Good that you caught it right a way. My friend got grazed by a car on his skateboard the other day and the car sped off.

 

oh i hate hit and run fockers...

i lucked out... i asked this guy 3 times if he was ok, and he was more pissed at me than hurt i guess... he had a few choice words for me and he walked off...

i sat at the intersection for a few just to be sure, but he never came back...

 

That's what I am saying.

 

he's doing alot better, im sure it will always be in the back of his head. he's been helping me with my truck lately haha. He did race his buddy's buggy in a race recently, they made announcement that this was his first time racing sense.

Side note, both me and Sloppy are sponsored by 4130clothing http://www.4130clothing.com/www/racing-news/
anyway after the incident the owner of the company managed to get 10,000's to Brett to help him and even more to fast aid. also there have been multiple fund raisers to help him, the recent large one was, Fast Lap Indoor Kart Racing California.

 

Fast Lap


stickers scene everywhere on people who remember, i have 2 stickers on my truck:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15QQ_BEl82E&feature=relmfu

 

Sloppy got fucked on this deal big time

 

like Cole, im running the memorial stickers on my truck... got the big ones on my front doors...

i don't plan to take them off....

 

don't have a sticker on my new truck,if anyone knows where to find one let me know

but i did get my first tattoo in memorial


i don't plan to take that off...