Riverside, CA (August 17, 2011) - The Brett Downey Safety Foundation would like to thank Tim Cotter for inviting us to the 2011 Loretta Lynns. A huge thank you to all the staff and track crew for all their hard work and dedication even in the hot weather and to Mark, who was in charge of the flaggers. Mark did an outstanding job with his crew. The flaggers were awesome and battled tirelessly with the weather all week.  They were dedicated to their job and made this race happen. If it were not for the flaggers, the race would be unsafe.  I know we say this often, but if a parent, spectator, or riders have an issue with a flagger, please try and locate a track official or myself, not the flaggers. MX Sports did an amazing job making sure the flaggers had cold water and lunch throughout during the week. They also were able to provide the flaggers with vests to keep them cool. This was important to help the flaggers battle with the heat.

The track crew was a big part in making the week go smooth. They kept up the maintenance on the track by watering and grooming in between motos which helps ensure riders safety. This is a large part as far as the safety aspect, because riders were able to have a smooth track for each race. Also I would like to point out that before each moto they were given a site lap that also helps the riders see the track and if there is any line changes. This should be a must at all major race events in order to give riders the safety they deserve.

In extreme heat, it’s important take in consideration the riders and their health.  If it becomes too hot, there needs to be a measure in deciding whether or not to postpone races until it becomes cooler either in the morning or before dark. We also need to show riders, fans, and parents that it is important to educate everyone about heat exhaustion and take the necessary precautions in order to prevent heat- related illness. It would be a goal to set a heat index that would not allow races to happen pass that heat index. This would help prevent heat-related illness.

It will take effort from every one to educate themselves so the sport of motocross as a whole can become safer. We need to take the time to set a standard at these national races for safety. With making safety a top priority at larger races, we can begin to set expectations of what should be and needs to be at the local level. Our goal of the Brett Downey Safety Foundation is to supplement the motocross community by increasing safety awareness of riders, parents, track owners and promoters to make the sport of motocross as safe as possible, minimizing injuries and helping to preserve all motocross tracks. We can only reach this goal if we all work together, from the riders to track owners and promoters.

 

All in all, we can’t thank Tim, MX Sports and the entire Loretta Lynns crew enough for an awesome race! We were so glad to be a part of this amazing group of people and look forward to next year!!

 

This is Ricky Rickords with the Brett Downey Safety Foundation helping build safety awareness!!!

Riverside, CA (January 15, 2012) – The Brett Downey Safety Foundation has been an integral part of the amateur motocross community since 2004. During this time, the Foundation has spent a significant amount of time and effort ensuring the safety of riders, spectators and the sport itself. It is in this spirit, that the Brett Downey Safety Foundation is pleased to welcome Buddy Antunez to the team.

Buddy has been a part of motocross the majority of his life. His motocross career began at 3 years old and like most kids, dreamt of becoming a champion. His hard work and perseverance took him from becoming a minibike superstar to 125 Supercross and Rookie of the Year in 1990 to national motocross title contender to five-time Arenacross champion from 1997 to 2001 to team manager at Suzuki to now a motocross trainer from 2008 to current all within a span of 30+ years. He currently works with a group of amateur riders as a trainer helping them work towards achieving success. It’s only natural for a champion to create champions and a few of Buddy’s students include the likes of Nick Paluzzi, Eli Tomac, Dillon Schmoke, Brandon Sharer and Travis Baker.

Buddy will now be working with the Foundation on a local level in addition to his passion as a trainer. It’s a natural fit for the Foundation with his experience, expertise, reputation and genuine understanding of all things motocross to have him represent the basic safety principles the Brett Downey Safety Foundation believes in and promotes. Buddy is a regular at the amateur practice tracks around California and he has agreed to help the Foundation keep the tracks more accountable to a higher safety standard. An important goal for Buddy is to set a standard for local tracks to agree to hire a minimum number of flaggers and to help find a happy medium that works for both the track and the Foundation but still be sensitive to the business of running races.

And as we get ready for the kick-off of the 2012 riding season, Buddy will now help be the voice of the Brett Downey Safety Foundation out at the local amateur level. We are excited for him to be a part of our team in 2012. Feel free to let Buddy know how much you appreciate all his hard work spreading the word about safety.

2011 Mammoth Motocross Safety Report Wrap Up

Riverside, CA (June 29, 2011) - We at the Brett Downey safety Foundation would like to thank Mike Colbert and his crew for inviting us to be a part of the Mammoth Motocross 2011. A huge thank you goes out to the staff and track crew for all their hard work and dedication. Without these people there, this race would not be such a stellar event.

As far as the flaggers go, they were awesome along with the system they had.  They had a team that was fully staffed even including roamers.  Each flagger was given a 30 min. lunch break every day something that we have not seen at other tracks. This was amazing because it helped the flaggers stay aware and on top of their job. After every race they would rotate spots, which kept them alert and had a chance to walk and stretch their legs.  They were organized which helped things with the race go smooth.  The roamers were also taking water or breaking flaggers throughout the day and without them the flaggers would not be up to par. I would like to make a point to remind parents to please don’t harass the flaggers. They are there for their job, and know what their job is.  When having a parent yell at a flagger to flag on the different part of the track, it leaves that portion of the track unsupervised.  The flaggers are one of the most important jobs on the track to help keep the riders safe. We understand not all of them are perfect, but they were on top of it at Mammoth.  The medical team that was there was also very responsive to downed riders and were quick to act. Also with the help of the roamers, the track was watered as much as needed which helped the safety of the riders. They also would take the time to walk the track and take rocks off track.  I think the operations on the inside of the track at Mammoth should be a blue print for all tracks across the board.

The race schedule is also another great aspect to the race.  The race is organized to small bikes one day, to vets the next.  This is outstanding because the track gets beat up after a day of racing and sometimes is harder on the small bikes after the bigger bikes take the track. The organization of the race makes it practical for the riders. The track conditions by then end of the day were beat up, but with the track crew and their late nights and hard work, the riders were able ride a track that was quoted to me on numerous occasions, “a perfect track”.  The only negative thing to point out is not all riders yielded or slowed down for the yellow or red/white cross flags. This was disappointing because the last thing we want is another rider to be injured for not obeying the flags.  The flags are in place to protect the riders and if riders do not obey them it could further injure a down rider or themselves.

It will take effort from every one to educate themselves so the sport of motocross as a whole can become safer. We need to take the time to set a standard at these national races for safety. With making safety a top priority at larger races, we can begin to set expectations of what should be and needs to be at the local level. If track owners or promoters don’t take the time to ensure each and every rider is safe, then why should racers take their money and time to that event. Once again our goal of the Brett Downey Safety Foundation is to supplement the motocross community by increasing safety awareness of riders, parents, track owners and promoters to make the sport of motocross as safe as possible, minimizing injuries and helping to preserve all motocross tracks. We can only reach this goal if we all work together, from the riders to track owners and promoters.

 All in all, we can’t thank Mike and the Mammoth crew enough for an awesome race! We were so glad to be a part of this amazing group of people and cannot wait to go back next year!!

This is Ricky Rickords with the Brett Downey Safety Foundation helping build safety awareness!!!

Riverside, CA (March 23, 2011) – The top of the agenda is to thank the Oldenburg’s along with Richard and Donna White. With help from Robert and Lisa, we had a very success race in the aspect of flaggers performance when and during accidents occurred. It’s pretty much unheard of for a race week to go down and not a single person say a negative thing about a flagger. The flaggers had their head on swivels and there constant attention to detail all week insured the safety of downed riders.  With the only thing against us all week was minimal wind. We had great weather all race week, making track conditions superb.  We hope and pray for a fast recovery for Brad Frace family.

I must say a huge thank you to ALL the flaggers who participated all week, their great attitudes and high moral was, in my opinion, a huge reason for our success over the week. Each day I selected 3 flaggers for flaggers of the day and I believe that this gave the flaggers some extra incentive to make sure they were doing the right thing. It also showed them that we are there to take care of them to an extent.  When everyone else looks over the flaggers, we are there to motivate and also reward them for their important work. As I have stated before, flagging is commonly over looked, and I ask everyone reading this to do their part and educate themselves so we can continue to have great, safe race weeks.

Something very positive happened that I think we all could learn from. A young racer by the name of Nate Dishman, expressed exceptional sportsman ship. He, mid moto mind you, got off his bike to help a downed rider who was stuck under his bike. This young man put his race on hold to help a fellow rider. This is something we need to promote and make examples to show the younger riders and help them understand the importance of racing hard but also looking out for your fellow riders! We are proud to say Nate was the Rider of the Week at Oak Hill!

I look forward to working at Oak Hill again. It’s like a second home for us. Hats off to Jeff Oldenburg for taking some extra precautions on his track to ensure track and rider safety at all times. With everyone’s participation, bringing safety to the front page can really help the sport evolve!

This is Ricky Rickords with the Brett Downey Safety Foundation helping build safety awareness!

For more information on supporting the Brett Downey Safety Foundation programs, please feel free to visit our website, www.mxsafety38.org, or give us a call at 951-824-9494. You can also find us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/brettdowneysafetyfoundation.

About the Brett Downey Safety Foundation:

Established in 2004, The Brett Downey Safety Foundation is a non-profit organization lead by a volunteer staff. Its mission is to supplement the motocross community by increasing safety awareness of riders, parents, track owners and promoters to help make the sport of motocross as safe as possible by minimizing injuries and helping to preserve all motocross tracks.