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Everybody can have there opinion of who is at fault, we all no this was a accident, I wish them the best of luck getting through these hard times what I really would like to see is Patricia to do a live press release on the situation. It could help her a bit emotionally and legally.
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Originally Posted by dezertzoro
I was thinking the same thing.
No flame here. I havent been on board with her program for several years now, old posts here on RDC will back that up. I have lots to say about this accident but will never say it on a public forum since its nothing good to say and thats probably a first for me.
I was there. It happened right in front of me, literally. Had a dorve my prerunner forward I would have hit the truck on its side and ran over bodies. Doesnt get much more in front of you than that.
I hope the driver is getting a lot of support. He is the one who needs it most.
Kris
www.shockseals.com
This was in the vegas paper today , this guy is a jerk
JEFF WOLF: Off-road tragedy exception, not rule
Motor Sports
There is no excuse for the criminal way in which the Mojave Desert Racing organization staged the California 200 off-road race Saturday in the Lucerne Valley.
Eight spectators were killed, including a young woman from Las Vegas, when a race truck crashed into them when they were allowed to form a human gantlet on the course using federal land managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
They were allowed to be within arm's reach of high-speed racers who had to maneuver jumps and rocky terrain. No one was there to prevent fans from showing bravado as human guardwalls.
Fans were at fault, as was the driver who didn't lift off the throttle when approaching the fanatics. Those eight fans paid the ultimate price, and another 10 were seriously injured. Their families and friends will continue to pay.
The BLM announced Thursday it has suspended future events by the promoter, MDR, based in South El Monte, Calif. That's a start.
But the head of the racing organization should end up in prison, and the ongoing BLM investigation into how the race was run is a worthy endeavor.
Racing can be dangerous for spectators. Risk is not limited to off-road racing. Spectators have been killed at sanctioned IndyCar, stock car and drag racing events in this country. Most recently, it was a woman in the pit area of an NHRA national event at Firebird International Raceway near Phoenix who died after being hit by a flying tire.
And those deaths were at permanent racing facilities with guardwalls, fencing and smoothly paved racing surfaces.
The massacre in the Southern California desert Saturday unfortunately has painted off-road racing with a broad, bloody brush. The sport has never received so much attention, but for all the wrong reasons.
The haphazard manner in which the Mojave race was run and apparent oversight by rules enforcement by the BLM office in California should not sully the reputations of Best in the Desert, SCORE and the Southern Nevada Off-Road Enthusiasts organizations that host several races each year in Nevada.
No spectators have been killed at any races in this state, according to Casey Folks of BITD and Sal Fish of SCORE.
Not to diminish the loss of those lives, but retribution should not be taken against all off-road races -- especially the racing organizations that run in Nevada -- because of what happened 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles.
Sadly, environmental groups have latched onto the California fiasco to attack the sport. Some of them are using last weekend's tragedy to champion their causes and believe the desert is solely theirs.
Off-road racers have as much respect for the desert as anyone else and more than most. Most vehicle abuse of federal land is done by wannabe racers and weekend warriors who lack self control.
Off-road racing enthusiasts contend with protecting the endangered desert tortoise in Southern Nevada, the Amargosa toad up north and, in general, the terrain. Studies and inspections before and after races by the BLM cost Nevada races tens of thousands of dollars each year. Land designated for racing is returned to pre-race conditions as much as possible. If they want to race, they pay.
And they do. The Nevada groups pay to have BLM rangers help patrol the course.
The desert should be as much for restricted racing as it is for hiking when rules are followed.
To quote Woody Guthrie, "This land is your land, this land is my land. ... This land was made for you and me."
That applies to desert tortoise lovers, cactus huggers and off-road racers alike.
Jeff Wolf's motor sports column is published Friday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He can be reached at [email protected] or 702-383-0247. Visit Wolf's motor sports blog at lvrj.com/blogs/heavypedal/ throughout the week.
9rocky this has been the MO of racers from more since day one to bash MDR to make MORE look better. Notice I said racer of More not More operation. All the people are tiered of it , sort like a Pres blaming Bush for everything. I f you have good things to say about more go ahead and say them.
Kris
why did you not tell people to stand back if you were there. I know for a fact there was cation tape and the normal sign posted that stated to stay back 125 ft a race is in progress. I saw it while prerunning and there is even one video showing one on the ground after the accident. Everyone there that stood by the track should be looking inward saying what could I have done to stop what happen. I know I am . While I was not standing there I was the 4th car through there I could have got on the radio and told the pit to call MDR and tell them what was happening up there but I did not. I worried about racing instead. Now I think way did I not take the time to even call on the radio.
Also I saw a guy from the MORE organization on TV say in "when we race we pound stake in the ground with signs to notified people that a race is going on and to stay back" the way he worded it was like MDR did not do the same. But they did. I do not think he did it on purpose but that is how it came across. People need to think before they speak this will effect all racing not just MDR.
This commentary sounds a little fishy to me like someone might have mentioned something to this reporter about MDR. I hope I am wrong and just experiencing some kind of paranoid consperiency theory. I heard rumors that a well known company has offered to pay all of MDRs legal fees. Our prayers go out to Patricia and the rest of the MDR family hope to see you back in the desert soon.
Ron Plunkett
Plunkett Racing.
Just sent Mr. Wolf my thoughts and comments.... Hope he enjoys the reading...
Former Race Volunteer... Now Semi-Retired.
So did I !!!!!!! Nice tag team wingman !!!!!!
" ChazGrazRacing "
it is for anyone in a motorised vehicle, that is the point of spectators needing to stay back off the race course. it is a CVC rule. there is no exception to it saying, " if an offroad racing event is in progress, then racers can go faster than this in those areas"!
LOORRS ROOKIE of the YEAR-- Unlimited UTV 2009
HRT Motorsports, Rigid Industries
Not to hijack this thread, but this is actually where things get weird, because a careful reading of the CVC indicates that vehicles in a race are not technically considered OHVs, which means they aren't subject to the 15mph/50foot rule. I'm not saying that it makes sense, but that's how it's written in the CVC. Here's a pointer to the RDC thread that shows the laws in question:
http://www.race-dezert.com/forum/sho...HV-15-mph-rule
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