Two die in accident at Barber friday

Fencer

New Member
this was at the Ed Bargy race school

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2009/05/cyclist_track_worker_killed_in.html


A motorcycle rider and an employee of Barber Motorsports were killed this morning when the employee was struck while cleaning debris from the track during a test run for the motorcyclist, according to Capt. C.W. Mardis, spokesman for the Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service.

The 33-year-old woman on the motorcycle and the track worker, age unavailable, had massive head and body injuries after the 10:15 a.m. wreck, Mardis said. They were pronounced dead at the track.

Identification of the motorcycle rider and track employee were not immediately available.
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - A motorcycle rider and an on-track worker were killed Friday morning in a crash at the Barber Motorsports park.

According to Birmingham Police, several riders were running a test for a motorcycle race when one of the riders hit an employee on the track.

The on-track worker had reportedly went onto the track to remove a dead bird when he was hit.

The identities of the two victims have not yet been released
she is local to Trussville here.

Her and her husband both ride WERA.

I got a call about it this morning.


My understanding is the CW went to clear the dead bird under a standing yellow flag (not waving) on top of the blind hill at turn 4 at Barber.
She crested the rise with no place to go. It is ask no speculation be thrown around either.
http://www.alsportbike.com/sutton.php
this was taken last year at a barber day several of us got together to do

She is the one on the back row between red and blue shirts with the rag on
CIMG0065Large.jpg

I'm the shmuck on the ground
---------------------
New info out this morning


http://www.jaxsb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3350
It's 4am,

Just got in. Yea it happened right in front of me and another rider. 110 mph, to remove a knee puck that had been there for over an entire lap. Bike disintegrated and track employee got destroyed.

No flags whatsoever were given before he ran onto a hot track with us hauling at him. It was fukd, way fukd.

There are more details, but barber should be sued for deca millions. That was a total and could have very easily been me.

The girl was a fast, competent rider and when I mean fast, she knew how to ride.

RIP
from the same guy

Yea,

I couldn't get to sleep just now until I get this off of my chest. Whoever conjured up the bird story is full of total shit. Barber doesn't want to to release that they had a puck on the track for over an entire lap, where racers were passing it at 110 mph (yea real fun hitting that with six other racers around you).

Barber wants to keep this quiet and tell the press (including Fox News that interviewed me) the bs bird story, so that they can sweep this under the rug and settle out of court for the two dead bodies that they're responsible for.

I didn't see the track worker attempt to pick up and "remove" a bird. He removed nothing. He did pick something up (the puck) and then got wasted as he realised he was too far to get back across the track so when he went to sprint in the other direction he lost footing (slipped) and by losing traction kept him on the track about an extra two seconds. Those two seconds cost two people their life.

Ok, if there was a phantom dead bird where did it come from? It must have struck a rider yes? What rider? Why no flag if it had struck a rider and what was his status? Injured, bike damage? Or did this phantom bird just drop dead from the sky onto the track as most birds are known for doing when dying while flying around?

Barber, you can take your corporate, cover up bs and shove it up your ass.

I hope Fox News televises my interview.

Oh yea, almost forgot. The corner worker who got killed from what I was told was NOT a Barber employee, apparently he was bought in by someone else, whose name I won't mention because he's a good dude and doesn't deserve to have his name associated with this retardedness.

It looked like the corner worker who ran out had no idea what he was doing and he was just thrown on the track and told to corner for the day. It was probably his first day ever corner working.

All praise the track kings at Jennings GP. People wonder why he gets in people's asses about stuff like safety. We need more track managers like him. /bow
 

strgt

New Member
Fencer;57161 wrote: this was at the Ed Bargy race school


she is local to Trussville here.

Her and her husband both ride WERA.

I got a call about it this morning.


My understanding is the CW went to clear the dead bird under a standing yellow flag (not waving) on top of the blind hill at turn 4 at Barber.
She crested the rise with no place to go. It is ask no speculation be thrown around either.
http://www.alsportbike.com/sutton.php
this was taken last year at a barber day several of us got together to do

She is the one on the back row between red and blue shirts with the rag on
CIMG0065Large.jpg

I'm the shmuck on the ground
---------------------
New info out this morning


http://www.jaxsb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3350


from the same guy
Thats terrible news, RIP. Cant imagine what her husband is feeling :( Also, I think the last two quotes are written in poor taste. I understand what hes feeling but its not the time or place for that crap.
 

Garrison

New Member
strgt;57164 wrote: Thats terrible news, RIP. Cant imagine what her husband is feeling :( Also, I think the last two quotes are written in poor taste. I understand what hes feeling but its not the time or place for that crap.
People have a right to know what's going on. Yes, it's sad that a good rider died... it always is. But I personally was wondering about the dead bird story too. If they don't fess up, I'm canceling my plans to hit barber this year. Any track that can't take responsibility is a track I don't wanna be on.
 

Kmac

New Member
I understand people want to know, and I also understand the emotions from anybody who had to witness such an unfortunate incident, but there's reasons to not let it get the best of you and be posting comments about it. First of all, the fact there has been deaths means the local law enforcement will be investigating it. For the riders who witnessed this, did you give a statement to the LEO's? Did they even ask you? Do they know you were a witness? If so, then you should let that stand as your statement. If not, then you should be contacting them to come forward as a witness and make sure you give a statement. This will likely be a civil lawsuit; the last thing you want is for your own words (harvested off of websites by lawyers, etc.) to be twisted and used to conflict with your official statements to law enforcement and/or future depositions...it can only hurt the case of the people you are concerned about.

Again, I truly understand the emotions and the need to vent, but I would ask that anybody involved either don't comment about any facts of the incident and/or remove any they have already made. It's in the best interest of all involved parties that you do.
 

Slowzuki

New Member
my prayers to both families... this is very sad and surely affects us all. I always had this "sense of family" betwen us junkies and to hear such news........... it really hurts. RIP
 

JonnyZ!

New Member
Barber is covered with cameras. I'm sure the footage will be subpoenaed. There's no denying the camera.

RIP
pray.gif
 

lemondrop

Professional Asphalt Surfer
wow.....dont know the story...but crazy how the rider died...that must have been one hellish collision...


my condolences...
 

Fencer

New Member
The funeral was a beautiful celebration of her life and a packed house.

I can only hope so many will think so well of me.
 

Fencer

New Member
Posted on the STT forums Mon May 25, 2009 1:30 pm

maidenamerica wrote:

"My last ride with Femme Fatale : Sutton Chandler"

I was racing with Sutton at Friday's practice.

She and I had discussed some things earlier in the day, as she was trying to regain confidence in Turn 5 under wet conditions. Although, the track was damp, it rained just enough to piss you off..."do I need rain tires, or not...????"

Sutton and I ironically ran into each other earlier that morning pricing rain tires. We laughed as it was my first PROV NOV race since she helped me through the Ed Bargy Racing School at Nashville in Sept 08. This morning, we discussed our strategies for the rest of the day because the weather was so 'intermittent.'

She expressed concern for T5, and I flat out told her...'You can ride that bike, Fem. Ride the bike! Damn it!" She said, "I know...I know!" we both laughed, joked around, & then we hugged & she thanked me for being there...

she said, "Hey! Stop by after practice, we're at the Jolly Roger flag...BamaGirl should be here by then..."

(Bamagirl: another fast chic set to get her WERA license this weekend.)


Fem is a fierce competitor, and an athlete; so I knew she was ready to get back in the game. After the first session, I was so excited for her, and even myself, as it was going to be a great day/weekend for the "Ladies of Femmoto & WERA!!"

Fem and I had been rocking and rolling out there!!! So our second session was going to be even better....we were both excited on the GRID.

In Turn 17 on her final lap, I was able to pass her by taking a wider line to overcome slower traffic that she was fixin' to get behind. I had an opening to my right, and it was my only real "chance" to pass FEM. (and to those who know her...this wasn't an easy thing to do....)

she was sort of 'stuck' in traffic, while my line carried me past the clump of riders...

or so I thought...

just when I gave FEM my signature "Hang Loose" wave...

She tucked her head and she was not about to have it....(it was freggin' awesome)

We were in a 'race' to Turn 1.

Maiden America and Femme Fatale!!!!

I was so excited...
I was screaming under my helmet...

"Hell Yeah!!!!"

I narrowly narrowly beat her into Turn 1. My strategy into Turn 17 paid off!! But, trust me...I wasn't resting comfortably...for I have had many of times "tucked" and rolling hard on the throttle with Femme Fatale to know she was going to hand my butt to me coming out of Turn 5.

So, with this in mind...I took another aggressive line hitting the apex of T5 earlier to swing me out wider to catch as much speed on the exit.

...as I came out of Turn 5, I knew she was on my right tire....
I could 'feel' the chase...

My suspension was light as I came up over the hill.
I had the normal head shake, and continued to rip as fast as I could to get out in front of her Liter bike.

The previous lap I saw the corner worker standing in the shade (tree line) between Turn 5 and 6.
I saw the dead bird...and made a mental note of it for the next lap. It totally baffled me...as this is a blind corner from his vantage point.

" why is he there ??!?!!?!?!?!?!?! "

...as we exited Turn 5, i knew Fem was going to overtake me. She was a fierce competitor, and I loved-LOVED riding with her...

As my front suspension was settling from the hill on T5, and JUST AS I WAS ABOUT TO SET IT DOWN FIRMLY to the asphalt...I recalled the mental note from the lap before...
and that is when I saw a man dressed in all black take two steps onto the track from the right.

There had been about a 2 second gap between me and the rider in front of me. This is where the COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN must have occurred to allow the Corner worker to walk out on a hot track and grab a dead bird.

Unfortunately, what I saw next will haunt me forever...
but, there was never a chance for another outcome...

I saw him take his last two steps directly in front of me..
he stepped left foot first, and then his right...
I saw him bend at the waist....
I saw him pick up the bird with his right hand, while he extended his left arm as if he were warning riders he was there.
I saw him look up and back into T5...
I saw his wire rim glasses,
I saw the mole on the left side of his face,
I saw his steely-blue eyes get larger, and larger...
I saw his mouth drop open...

it was the sickest feeling in the world...

At the last possible second, I knew I had only ONE SHOT to get this right.... I knew it in my soul.

YOU GET ONE SHOT!!

I leaned forward and stepped hard on the left peg, while pushing my left clip on. I fought hard to flick it back to set up for T6 and now my rear end was violently searching for consistent pavement to hook up with, and i was partially hanging onto the bike via the gas tank. (pre-high side)

I had passed the worker, but had yet to make my turn. I was at my REV limiter & well past the No. 4 marker.

I still hadn't settled the bike, so I jammed the rear brake & slid down into the roller coaster, while waiting to get on the throttle to keep the momentum somewhat pushing forward long enough to settle the suspension.

...as I dropped in, I dropped two gears, and let the engine do what my brakes weren't able to do...It was a sick save, but I managed to scrubbed the speed, but barely made the museum turn...

I was shaken, but maintained course because I knew Fem was throwing on some heat, and was somewhere behind me.

After coming out of the Roller coaster, into the second set of "S" turns...the Red Flag was out. I had no idea what happened at the moment, until a WERA official raced up to my PIT area, he said..."Are you ok? There were two girls involved in that..."

I soon realized...there was only one.


I was devastated, and know it could be a huge turning point for me and this sport.

But, I managed to do the Middleweight Solo 20 on Saturday for my 1st 'real' PROV NOV race. I finished. But, I almost called it quits. So, I truly want to thank Paul, with the STT STAFF shirt, for giving me a few of his crucial seconds to encourage me to get back in the race...and finish.

it was evident, I was struggling...especially coming out of T5.

I began to question everything, and what I was doing racing...for a $20 trophy.

But, I told Fem she could ride her bike, and I knew I could ride mine. Regardless, of the senseless tragedy.

On Sunday, I lined up to race the Women's Series after dropping out out of Superstock C. My head wasn't in the game. But, the racing continues...

Although my tires (Power One Front/Power Race Rear) were not the best for infamous running water in many of the APEX at Barber, I knew one thing that day....I was going to WIN that RACE.

If I had to be on the cords with flames shooting off them...I was going to win this race to honor the women who helped me get started: Ms. Sutton Chandler.

and i did.

As I took my "victory lap," I was pointing to my PROV NOV shirt that I had PROUDLY displayed on the back... "This one's 4 FEM! God Speed"

The corner workers were standing up, leaning out of their control boxes, yelling, screaming, and clapping for me as I went by. They knew I was the "other girl," and it was almost too much emotion to handle.

I was so proud, but yet devastated.

...exiting T5 on my club level "Victory Lap"
I passed the area where she and I last rode together...it was difficult. extremely difficult...

it was my moment with Femme Fatale...

Under my helmet, I shared with her my thoughts...and put to rest any possible thoughts on the situation having a differant outcome to change the circumstance.

There was nothing she could have done, she was drafting my right tire.


I will miss You, Sutton.
I will so terribly miss you....
You will always be a part of my journey.

Godspeed.

Karen Coleman
NOV #814
 

Fencer

New Member
http://www.alsportbike.com/posting.php?mode=quote&f=2&p=56597
EHardy1971 wrote:

Yes it was. For those who couldn't make it,I have a few pics,and Sutton would have been proud!

The starting grid,with the empty pole position in her honor...
IMG_0700.jpg


IMG_0698.jpg


IMG_0699.jpg


IMG_0706.jpg


Although this has been a trying time for everyone that knew and loved Sutton,we have to remember that as long as we have her in our hearts,and memories,she's still here with us. Also,she would tell us to get back on with our lives,and live in the moment. That's just how she was. I'm honored to have had her as a cherished friend. Sutton,you know we'll take care of Roo!
 
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