At our local kart club my 9yr old sons belt got Voight in the clutch causing him to spin in turn 1 of a heat race. I was helping my daughter get out of her kart and rushing to help him in his. So I had someone else helping and they didn't tuck the excess strap in his belts like I always do. I know I'm at fault for this. But when it got caught it squeezed the belts so tight he could hardly breath. He came to rest with the nose of his kart on the inside of turn 1. the flagmen for that corner slowly walked over and pulled him just barely under the inside line of the track. All while he is frantically waving his arms. They continued the heat 5 more laps til it was over then brought out emt. My wife and I went out on the track and talked to them trying to make sure he was OK. My wife asked the race director why they waited until the heat was over before any one helped him. He replied we couldn't hear him. After the mains were over my wife and I went and talked to the president of the club about it trying to get something done about it so it wouldn't happen again. He said he would get with the race director about it. A week goes by and we get a letter in the mail saying we are all suspended for 2 weeks. It said that my wife was cursing on the track and that only 1 parent is allowed on the track. We will not be racing there any more. Should I take further action against the track? This is only the start of our 2nd year racing. Is this common practice for a track to do? Only thing I could think that because rain was scheduled for the night that they were trying to get the race in before.
should something be done?
- Thread starter kblaze
- Start date
racing promotor
Moderator
It's not common practice around here, with the kids your always more cautious, you make sure there ok for sure ( First and foremost ) as far as not giving a caution that needs to be consistent either ya throw one or ya don't but consistent across the board, I don't like to be caution happy but the younger they are the quicker one flies, In your case it warranted a caution to check your driver, not much you can do going forward except let other knows how they handle things, Sounds to me like they just got Rain Stupid.
Good Luck !!
Good Luck !!
Absolutely sounds like time to find somewhere else to race.. If the kid has no injuries you can't really take any legal action against the track but you can spread the word around locally and if the track does things like this on a regular basis it won't be around long anyway. A suspension for voicing your concern about your child in a bad situation being ignored? Ridiculous, since the EMT was called over you were obviously in the right, I'd mail back the letter and tell them don't bother we won't be back!
-Rowdy Wayne
-Rowdy Wayne
Krakkergreg
New member
1st and Foremost is cut the excess off the belt.
if its the tail of the strap where the belts connect to the chassis, zip tie it up into a bundle and then to the belt clip or chassis. if the tails of the straps are that long after you cinch him down, secure any excess not needed to loosen the belts (if you dont wanna cut the belts). I dont know exactly what you got going on but you might wanna take an extra step other than tucking it in to prevent a repeat.
Jamie Webb
New member
There are always 3 sides to every story.... I suspect if a suspension was given, there's more to the story.
Have you tried to sensibly talk with the track president/race director? (no raised voices, accusations, or cussing?)
Have you tried to sensibly talk with the track president/race director? (no raised voices, accusations, or cussing?)
Let's see. A nine year old is waving his arms after spinning out and can barely breathe. The race goes on. We need not go into any more of the story than that. Anyone with kids would be a little more than upset. Clearly the race track doesn't care about you, your wife, OR YOUR KIDS. Like Hunter82 says, time to find someplace else to race. What is the track?
Not sure where to start. First I second the "Wow."
I have been around racing, all kinds for nearly 40 years.
The FIRST thing you do when there is an incident, no matter what the event, no matter how small the incident was, is check to make sure the drivers involved are OK.
I can't believe they didn't check on him, especially when he was waving his arms...and a kid to boot.
As for cursing on the track, they are lucky it wasn't my kid.
I called and talked to the president. He said that race director is the 1 that told him that my wife was cursing and that he also told her to leave the infield. I was there and don't remember any of that. Not saying that my wife didn't curse because I was only worried about the safety of my kid and talking to the emt. I do know that they told her to get our kart stand to put the kart on which she did. I also brought up why didn't they say something about her actions then if it was such a big deal and make us leave then not after he went out there and won the main. He said that the board voted on it and the letter stands. Only then did I curse at him and tell him where to stick the letter.
Tri state speedway Amarillo tx
Did you ask your wife about her language? I really don't expect the track officials would make up something like that. A two-week suspension for an outrage sounds fair to me.
Some steps can be taken to prevent a similar incident by better preparation of the kart and better training for the track officials. A violent outburst on the scene is usually not a good long-term solution.
Some steps can be taken to prevent a similar incident by better preparation of the kart and better training for the track officials. A violent outburst on the scene is usually not a good long-term solution.
JPMKarting
Site Supporter
Just a side note....
I'm a race director at our local dirt track. I have instituted a rule that ANYONE stepping foot on the race track surface without prior authorization will be automatically disqualified for the night. Should it happen during a feature event, they will be parked for 1 week.
Just something to think about if your track had this rule in place. I sincerely doubt that your story is all there is to it, JMO.
I'm a race director at our local dirt track. I have instituted a rule that ANYONE stepping foot on the race track surface without prior authorization will be automatically disqualified for the night. Should it happen during a feature event, they will be parked for 1 week.
Just something to think about if your track had this rule in place. I sincerely doubt that your story is all there is to it, JMO.
jack burroughs
member
Get in touch with their insurance carrier and tell what happened and maybe get a lawyer.
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What action do you want to take against the track? What would you want a lawyer to do? There were no real damages.
I have worked as a corner worker the past 2 seasons, and I would have reacted the same way. If a kart spins with no contact and rolls partially to the infield. I would have pushed the kart in farther to avoid a caution, and continued to monitor the race.
Why did your 9 yr old remain in the kart? If he had enough room and energy to be "frantically waving" his arms, then he should have been able to get out of the belts himself. If he cannot get in and out of the belts himself, maybe he shouldn't be on the track in the first place.
I have worked as a corner worker the past 2 seasons, and I would have reacted the same way. If a kart spins with no contact and rolls partially to the infield. I would have pushed the kart in farther to avoid a caution, and continued to monitor the race.
Why did your 9 yr old remain in the kart? If he had enough room and energy to be "frantically waving" his arms, then he should have been able to get out of the belts himself. If he cannot get in and out of the belts himself, maybe he shouldn't be on the track in the first place.
Doesnt sound like theres anything to do but I know I wouldnt let my kids race at a place that didnt put their safety 100% first. Kids sometimes do goofy stuff and overreact - its the people who are running the show that need to put in extra effort and account for that. If the kid was possibly hurt or panicking the race should have been stopped. Just my two cents.
DynoDon
Moderator
Without a visit to the doctor to immediately identify any pain and suffering you have no case. The only action you can really take that has any grounds for teeth whatsoever is to identify the situation in a letter to the track explaining everything to all and requesting they reconsider their safety evaluation when other incidents of that nature take place . Keep a copy for yourself and send it registered mail to where they have to sign for it . That will put them on notice that they need to review their safety situations
Really?? Seriously??
SMH
I would hope that anyone who was working as a corner worker for any length of time would at least ask the person "frantically waving" his arms why he was "frantically waving" his arms. Usually when someone is "frantically waving" his arms, it means they are trying to get someone’s attention, right?
Maybe his 9 year old remained in his kart because he couldn't get out? Some race tracks have a rule that drivers are to remain in their cars if there in an incident. Not sure about kart rules at different tracks, but the races I’ve seen, when there is a problem, the drivers did not get out until they were either pushed into the middle or off the track.
As for damages, while there were no real damages or it appears as though there were none, the worker in question needs to be educated that a 9 year old"frantically waving" his arms might be trying to get someone’s attention.