Pittrace Bad Crash 4/23/2022

Jas05r1

Some assembly required
I'm curious if any one has any video of the 2016 blue/silver R1 that went into the tire wall at turn 7 around 3 pm sat? I was airlifted out and unfortunately they had to amputate my right leg above the knee. Left leg broken in multiple spots as well so will be a couple weeks before i'm able to start hopping around. I know when i was laying against the wall there were a few bikes still going through. Hoping a couple were able to get it on video. Get in touch if you were in A group on sat and happened to see me. Thanks!
James
 

Jas05r1

Some assembly required
Front brake failure. Haven't been able to dig into it yet. Did about 2 laps before it happened. Brakes worked fine going into 6. Absolutely nothing going into 7. Pulled the lever a couple times and right to the bar. Locked the rear almost all the way to the wall before i tried to bail.
 

bmart

Control Rider
That sounds terrible. Where are you located? Do you need anything?

I had front brakes only once all of these years, due to headshake at VIR Patriot pushing the pads out.
 

Jas05r1

Some assembly required
Up in buffalo. They kicked me out of the hospital on sat....got sick of dad jokes and pirate talk. Lol I kid. The hospital staff, pitt safety crew and emts were absolutely incredible. Had it been anywhere else, im pretty sure I wouldn't be here writing this.
 

Jas05r1

Some assembly required
Me too!!! Much better than the alternative outcome. Hoping to be hopping around the paddock soon enough. I do have to say I was super impressed with the 2016 r1, it excelled at everything.....except braking!! Electronics were incredibly smooth. Ran a best ever time of 1:46.20 earlier in the day. Mostly stock setup. Hadn't even adjusted suspension yet. Super impressed, and that was my first thought as i was laying against the tire wall before i did a self assessment and determined i needed to get medics rolling ASAP. I actually remember most of what happened. I was in and out once in the ambulance. Thankfully I wore my new helmet instead of saving it for racing (which was my original plan) Chest/back protector did their jobs incredibly well and surgeon said had i not had them on i wouldn't have made it from the force of the impact. Ill be kicking ass soon enough!
 

TimTheAsian

Fresh off the Boat
Staff member
Control Rider
Good to see you posting. You gave our entire staff quite a scare. I'm happy to see your positive attitude. We do know of a group that helps people with injuries like yours get back on track with bikes with some modifications. They were actually there that weekend as well. Too soon? If and when your ready let us know and we can put you in contact with them.
 

Otto Man

John
Control Rider
Front brake failure. Haven't been able to dig into it yet. Did about 2 laps before it happened. Brakes worked fine going into 6. Absolutely nothing going into 7. Pulled the lever a couple times and right to the bar. Locked the rear almost all the way to the wall before i tried to bail.

First and foremost, so glad you are here with us given your situation.

Your specific loss of brakes into T7 isn't unheard of. Several people have experienced the same thing. Of course all we can do is spectulate for each case, but I personally have had a few head shake moments and had a time once or twice that caused an inital loss of brakes going into T7. General consense seems to be the head shaking pushes the brake pistons back a little, causing no brakes.

Of course anything is possible, like having a brake failure just so happen to occur between T6 and T7, but just felt like saying you are not an isolated case with brake issues (on assuming what is otherwise a newer and sound track bike that is in mechanically sound shape) going into T7 specifically.
 

tdelegram

Control Rider
My next place to look would be low fluid lots of elevation and changes on the track as well as forces in the bike to impact the resivior and master that may have created a bubble at the master
 

Jas05r1

Some assembly required
Yea, I'm going to have a couple track family pull the bike out of the trailer and put in the garage so i can wheelie around it. Can't do too much until my left leg heals but maybe something obvious will present itself. Tim, yes, i will ride again. I might have the weight to be competitive on the 300.....nah still too heavy lol. If you could send me the contact info i would appreciate it. Thanks! Keep it on 2!
 

tdelegram

Control Rider
Yea, I'm going to have a couple track family pull the bike out of the trailer and put in the garage so i can wheelie around it. Can't do too much until my left leg heals but maybe something obvious will present itself. Tim, yes, i will ride again. I might have the weight to be competitive on the 300.....nah still too heavy lol. If you could send me the contact info i would appreciate it. Thanks! Keep it on 2!
I'll try to get some people to reach out
 

rschiela

New Member
Wow, James. I have to say your attitude is inspiring. I read the first message on this thread and thought "wow, do I want to continue doing this?" By the end of this thread, I thought "wow, I want to meet this man."
I had the same thing happen to me a couple of years ago, but in a car (so very different risk profile). I had severe brake fade coming into turn 7. But, I was lucky enough to pump and get enough to turn before the wall. But then, at about half speed on my way to the pits, I completely lost brakes to the floor at turn 12. Went up the earthen embankment and into the trees to the right of that flag station. Luckily, only totalled the car. Tore apart the brakes, and couldn't find any cause at all, so must have just been boiled fluid, even though I did a flush about a month earlier. But no closure. Sometimes these things never show us the cause.

And as it turned out, I paddocked next to a couple of the guys with modified bikes that weekend. Seemed like really nice guys.

Any way, just felt that I wanted to share your messages really impacted me. And I truly wish you a fast recovery and future health and happiness.
 
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