Tragedy at Cadwell

[Alex Hodgkinson]

This is indeed very sad news.

I was testing at Cadwell on Friday and tried to make an effort to lay some flowers behind the barrier alongside the start line only to be stopped from going to that side of the track by some marshalls.

I have many friends who raced alongside Chris and naturally they're very upset by his death, but are also angered that he was allowed to start the race. What hasn't come out in the media is that he actually broke some bones in a crash earlier on that weekend. Meaning he lost virtually all of his feel for the clutch, resulting in a startline stall at the front of the grid.


Very sad and very avoidable.

[Dave Brand]

Alex, I find the opinions expressed in your post totally unacceptable.

We have lost the most promising rider this country has seen for a very long time; a very sad loss. Your comments are offensive both to the memory of a great rider & to everyone connected with motorcycle sport. Please do not turn this thread into a pathetic attempt to find a scapegoat.

[Alex Hodgkinson]

Dave , I dont see any reason for your post.

[Dave Brand]

Originally Posted by Alex Hodgkinson

Dave , I dont see any reason for your post.

Your original post was insensitive & inappropriate for a public forum.

but are also angered that he was allowed to start the race.

Such thoughts should, I feel, be kept private. In making that comment you are passing judgement on the actions of a number of honourable people; what right have you to act as judge & jury?

[Alex Hodgkinson]

I see your point now Dave. I'm sure you understand that I meant to cause no offence to anyone.

However I was voicing his racing peers thoughts and not my own.

[acotrel]

Originally Posted by Dave Brand

Alex, I find the opinions expressed in your post totally unacceptable.

We have lost the most promising rider this country has seen for a very long time; a very sad loss. Your comments are offensive both to the memory of a great rider & to everyone connected with motorcycle sport. Please do not turn this thread into a pathetic attempt to find a scapegoat.

Dave, I raced for several years between mid 60s to mid 70s, and I knew about 5 riders who were killed around that period. It's not a matter of looking for scapegoats. It's a matter of learning. If a simple risk assessment after a visit to the doctor can prevent a recurrence of similar incidents, then the loss of that kid can be perceived to not be so miserable.
I suggest the suggestion that the incident was avoidable, should be taken seriously, and if possible any mechanism which might improve the situation should be investigated.
I am extremely sorry that this young person has lost his life.
Best Regards,
Alan Cotterell

[Dave Brand]

Originally Posted by Alex Hodgkinson

I see your point now Dave. I'm sure you understand that I meant to cause no offence to anyone.

That's OK - I think sometimes we forget that this forum is a public place & that what we think & feel in private may sometimes be better not expressed in public.

[acotrel]

One of my friends said a while back, that every time we fall off a motorcycle, we could be killed. I raced for years, and never looked at it like that. However I believe there is some truth in what he says, so how do you rationalise it? I'm certainly not going to stop riding. It comes to all of us sometime.
The new Australian 'Guide to Managing Risk in Motor Sport' has been released for public comment. It can be obtained through www.standards.com.au If you want to help your sport, feel free to participate in devcelopment of this important document, even if you live outside Australia!

[Hazza]

I have now moved the tributes and memories of young Chris Jones to the tribute forum. All the other discussion which is pertinent to bike racing as a whole has been kept in the bike forum.

Thank you.

[JustinDawkins]

Guys can you check out the thread http://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=73610

Try and give to the memorial fund if you can - its a good cause.

[robert77]

Originally Posted by Alex Hodgkinson

This is indeed very sad news.

I was testing at Cadwell on Friday and tried to make an effort to lay some flowers behind the barrier alongside the start line only to be stopped from going to that side of the track by some marshalls.

I have many friends who raced alongside Chris and naturally they're very upset by his death, but are also angered that he was allowed to start the race. What hasn't come out in the media is that he actually broke some bones in a crash earlier on that weekend. Meaning he lost virtually all of his feel for the clutch, resulting in a startline stall at the front of the grid.


Very sad and very avoidable.

As someone who has marshaled whilst Chris was racing (although not at that particular meeting), I'm sorry Alex, I have to agree with Dave. Your comment was a little insensitive.

At the end of the day, a doctor can only advise a rider not to race, but cannot force him/her not to. It was up to Chris weather he took the doc's advise or felt that his hand would be okay to ride with.
Although this a tragic accident, weather it was avoidable or not is not the question. Chris was a very... very talented rider and he obviously felt his hand would be okay, but weather that had any bearing on the incident we can never know.
I, for one will miss him greatly. A truely nice young man.

[acotrel]

Who was running the meeting? Who's 'DUTY OF CARE' was it to evaluate the Doctor's report and say who may race and who may not? Who arranged the insurance? What did the insurance company say about the incident? I'm not being insensitive, however if you cannot answer the questions, there may be something wrong with the way your promoter is managing the risks associated with your race meetibngs.
I'm not playing devil's advocate, however in Australia the competent authority for road racing in each state is, or is becoming, the Workcover Authority responsible for workplace safety. Current OHS law defines an employers 'Duty of Care' in terms of identifying and minimising risks.
A death at a race meeting is considered very serious, and can lead to manslaughter charges where there is gross negligence.

[acotrel]

I apologise if I was a little blunt in my last post. I'm involved with a motor race circuit near my home. Two weeks ago another promoter ran a Superbike meeting with our help. 40 riders crashed and were treated and assessed in our casualty rooms. The person doing the assessment was NOT a doctor, he was a trained paramedic. He is considered to be better than a doctor for the purpose of looking at broken bones and helping the patient get to hospital where he/she could possibly be operated on. Our paramedic has occasionally called on the air ambulance (helicopter) to get badly injured riders to a city hospital where they can get the best treatment.
A doctor cannot usually operate safely on an injured person at a motor race circuit, and can spend his day there, bored stupid, and almost totally ineffective.
A comment was made to me that 'many motorcycle racers don't know what game they're in', and I believe that's true.
When 'On Any Sunday' (movie) came out several years ago, a rider in it, soaked off a cast from his back, and went racing - TOTALLY THE WRONG MESSAGE. At a motocross meeting I was attending years ago, a rider walked around the pit for hours with a bone in his leg broken. When his father got him to a hospital near his home 250 km away,late that night, they amputated the leg.
It's about culture, risk assessments and behavioural safety. The thing is to never repeat our shortcomings.

[Alex K]

Was it a club racing event :