Hey gang, checking in. Thanks so much for all your kind words and well-wishes. A very special thanks to Chris (R1baby) and Dan (dbarufaldi) who took me to the hospital and stayed with me until well after Tam could arrive. Special thanks to my guardian angel Chris who was keeping a watchful eye over me. I got up and walked to the ambulance, got checked out, and came back to the pits. But I guess after sitting a bit in the pits the adrenaline wore off, and pain and shock set in. Chris thought I didn't look right so he took me to the ER. Good thing, as I blacked out upon arrival, then again an hour or so later. Got all sweaty, shocky. Blood pressure dropped to 60/30. Hemoglobin dropped from 12.5 to 9.5. They typed and crossed me in case I needed a transfusion but it stabilized. No open bleeding, but so much bleeding (hematoma) into my leg and forearm. I am super sore but amazingly nothing is broken. They must've x-rayed most of my body and did a CAT scan on my cervical spine/neck. Leg and arm look the worst, shoulder hurts, hand bruised.
Thanks also to Chris for packing up all my stuff. I think he cleaned my trailer while he was at it!
I'm lucky. It could've been much, much worse.
I was taken out in turn 4, the high-speed right hand kink, by a rider with very bad judgement. I was having an awesome couple of days up until then - really enjoying the bike and feeling great. Dan, Chris, and I were riding together, Dan in the lead, then me, then Chris behind me. This guy had to have passed a few other people over wheelie hill, then just managed to pass Chris, then slammed into me. I was already at full lean in the turn. The impact sent me off the track. I was still upright and feathered the rear brake, but I was just going too fast for the bumpy grass. Plus I didn't want to re-enter the track after turn 5 and hit anyone or be hit again. I guess I hit a bump in the grass, the wheel locked, and sent me highsiding over the bars. I landed hard on my elbow, shoulder and knee.
This has always been one of my greatest fears. In the 17 years I've been doing trackdays, I've always bought the best gear I can, I kept my bike meticulously maintained, and taken many schools over the years to improve my riding and be safe. Only other two crashes were relatively minor lowsides due to not accurately reading bumpy tracks! One thing I, nor anyone can do, however, is always stay out of the way of someone who is not following the rules.
My season, both track and street, is over. It will be a couple of months at least before I'm 100%, and my bike is a mess.
But, I consider myself very lucky. It could have ended up a lot worse. I don't believe I have any injuries that will be permanent, and the bike can most likely be fixed.
Be well, my friends, and be safe out there. I will miss you!