Opinion/Commentary
by Pete Hitzeman
for R6Live.com
Michelle Trueman Gajoch, President of TrueSports Inc., which owns and operates Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, was quoted recently, joking about the condition of the track surface at the venue. Apparently, Ms. Trueman Gajoch thinks that racers simply have nothing else to do but whine about external factors making them slower. While rider and driver safety may be a laughing matter to her, she would do well to pay attention to the criticism of those using her facility.
The track received a full re-pave in 2005, after suffering through a long period of mediocrity, with concrete patches and harsh bumps dominating the track. Initial reviews for the new, smooth surface were exuberant. The concrete patches in the corners were gone, some of the runoff was improved, the asphalt was pool-table smooth, and with one exception in the carousel, was free of bumps or dips. Finally, riders and drivers at the Lexington, Ohio circuit would be free to enjoy the universally-praised layout.
Then came the last weekend of September, 2006. Mid-Ohio was to be the scene of the AMA Superbike season finale. During the week prior to the event, news broke that Mat Mladin and Ben Spies, the series leaders by a wide margin, had agreed not to race in the rain there, due to safety concerns. When the weekend arrived, the riders' fears were realized, as it rained all day on Saturday. The decision was made to try and race anyway, and the Superstock race was started. Damon Buckmaster crashed hard, and broke his arm. On Sunday, track and series management tried to force the entire weekend's schedule into a single day, sans-practice, to the vociferous objections of all the riders and teams. The races were held anyway. By 2007, the AMA had removed the second Mid-Ohio date from the calendar.
by Pete Hitzeman
for R6Live.com
Michelle Trueman Gajoch, President of TrueSports Inc., which owns and operates Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, was quoted recently, joking about the condition of the track surface at the venue. Apparently, Ms. Trueman Gajoch thinks that racers simply have nothing else to do but whine about external factors making them slower. While rider and driver safety may be a laughing matter to her, she would do well to pay attention to the criticism of those using her facility.
The track received a full re-pave in 2005, after suffering through a long period of mediocrity, with concrete patches and harsh bumps dominating the track. Initial reviews for the new, smooth surface were exuberant. The concrete patches in the corners were gone, some of the runoff was improved, the asphalt was pool-table smooth, and with one exception in the carousel, was free of bumps or dips. Finally, riders and drivers at the Lexington, Ohio circuit would be free to enjoy the universally-praised layout.
Then came the last weekend of September, 2006. Mid-Ohio was to be the scene of the AMA Superbike season finale. During the week prior to the event, news broke that Mat Mladin and Ben Spies, the series leaders by a wide margin, had agreed not to race in the rain there, due to safety concerns. When the weekend arrived, the riders' fears were realized, as it rained all day on Saturday. The decision was made to try and race anyway, and the Superstock race was started. Damon Buckmaster crashed hard, and broke his arm. On Sunday, track and series management tried to force the entire weekend's schedule into a single day, sans-practice, to the vociferous objections of all the riders and teams. The races were held anyway. By 2007, the AMA had removed the second Mid-Ohio date from the calendar.
