What About Helmets?

Opinion:

It's been remarkable and encouraging to see how fast a new saftey device like the Leatt Brace has spread and gained acceptance. Fans love the Leatt Brace. They love to read about it. They want to see riders wearing one. It's a great story and no one really loses.

Having said that, Weekend Window remembers a week ago asking the team managers about this and how many had comments about other things, mainly chest protectors. The number of pro riders missing events or riding with injured chests this year is pretty high. People are getting bruised/collapsed lungs, broken/bruised ribs, and riding in pain for sometimes weeks.

Another item: Helmets!

One note from San Diego press day - Broc Hepler is still on medical hold due to a long concussion from before San Fran. He might miss Atlanta. Yamaha's Keith McCarty said they would know mid week. They are taking his concussion seriously and McCarty is talking up leaving it in the drs hands, don't push it, etc.

It's been 2 weeks and drs won't let go. That's quite a concussion and we wish him well.

Helmet design needs to be part of the Leatt/safety debate. It's way past time actually. To absorb impact (the purpose of the helmet - besides a billboard), we use a crushable foam setup designed in the 50s or 60s. There is little doubt that a little money and effort in the right direction would result in better concussion protection. No one sees that one it seems. Of course liability is high and risk is real when you tamper with long established designs - even bad ones. The lawyers scare away the innovators.

OK, it's hard to say if a "little" money will find a better answer, but there is one.

San Diego Press Day - Round 7

At last, a warm and sunny supercross! While everyone argues global warming, supercross has been a cold sport in 2007. Every round has been jacket weather so far, but at last San Diego offers sunshine. It was warm and nice at press!

Team Yamaha's Josh Hill was on the hot seat this afternoon. He spoke with TV, rode, spoke with TV, did interviews, etc.

Hill was asked what he thought about the pass J-Law made on Villopoto in last week's main, and he wasn't to freaked out over it, "As long as it doesn't happen in the air," he said, "If I open the door and get slammed, that's racing. That's what I think."

Hepler took a really hard hit 2 weeks ago, and is seeing doctors about a concussion. Yamaha's Keith McCarty said "I think he's doing ok and still talking to his drs, still hopefull. Will know for sure (about Atlanta in the )middle of the week."

Also present for press was Motoworld Racing, with Michael LaPaglia riding and Justin Brayton there too. Brayton has been riding well is going to be strong in the east region.

Atlanta is in a week, and marks the return of RC. Sounds like a sellout..

The past week and a half has seen some intense Leatt Brace mania, with calls for the sport to adopt the brace for safety coming from everywhere - most notably from David Bailey. A lot of people tested them this week, and there should be plenty visible here in San Diego this weekend.

How the Leatt Brace Worked in Supercross - Brandon Butler

The Leatt Brace and Anna Nicole are bout tied for the hottest topics on the internet right now, and tabloid that we are, Weekend Window brings you an exclusive report from the first pro to race with one (a brace, not Anna) in the night show at Amp'd Mobile Supercross - Brandon Butler of Florida-based Butler Brothers MX. By San Deigo, they plan on being the first team to race all outfitted with Leatt neck braces.

Brandon said he "wanted to make a difference" and get his teammates Jason Thomas, Bryan Johnson, Doug DeHaan and Shaun Skinner to do the same. They are getting them this week and hope to start this weekend.

Brandon also knows what it is like wearing neck protection. He has actually worn foam style neck brace for 4 years now and has said that the Leatt is almost not noticeable. "The foam ones you know are there when you first use them," he said, "but you get used to it and use it cause you want to. This one you really don't know it is there."

Also, a snip from an email from Brandon's brother Forrest, manager of BBMX:
"Also very important to Brandon and the team, is as you know, our good friend Ron Boyas broke his neck on Sat afternoon practicing and passed away on the track. Brandon is crushed as while he was wearing this brand new device at the SX, one of his good friends passed away from what the brace is supposed to try and prevent. Obviously this brace will not guarantee anything at all, but just like good knee braces, it will help. Boyas was a dear, dear friend of the Butler Brothers...from this day on we want to make a stand as strong as we can along side what David Bailey has started. We want Ron's, along with all the other injured riders before him's accidents, to be used to possibly save other riders from paralysis or even death. Please don't let our friends accident fall on deaf ears...

....god speed Ron Boyas ----the true definition of a privateer and good friend"

Note: Boyas suffered a fatal crash while practicing in North Carolina. Best wishes.

Bass Pass? No.

Photos of J-Law's aggressive pass on RV in the main at Houston are making the rounds. People are not exactly calling for J-Law's head, but these can always be a little controversial. This one doesn't need to be.

Here's a shot a moment before they made contact that clearly shows J-Law got there in time.

Just racing, and good racing too.

This has been a Weekend Window exclusive....

Modern Fans!

Sobe/Samsung/No Fear's manager JC Waterhouse is chatting with media at Houston with his back to the canopy's fan fence, and these two walk up and go "Hey Homeslice, give us something!" Waterhouse turns and looks and goes "WHAT?"

It becomes Halloween a few minutes before the pits close.

Plano Honda Reunion

Kenny Watson, Travis Elliott, Gio Tedesco, and Ivan Tedesco.

Watson is still on the road with the series, Elliott and Gio T have JOBS, and you know what Ivan does.

Stewart and Villopoto Continue Painting 2007 Green

How many times in one season can a brand win both classes? After six rounds, the only main Kawasaki didn't win was RC's at San Francisco. That's 11 out of 12 mains.

Jason Lawrence came the closest to upsetting the greenies with a great ride in the main, and one pretty aggressive pass, but Villopoto not only recovered from that - he fell into Kyle Partridge in a turn, got back up, and took the lead again. He's fast. His bike rips, and nothing seems to rattle him. He's just wide open all the time. The team folks and his dad say he keeps it fun and works really hard during the week. Seems to work!

Stewart started the main about 5th and rode with a lot of patience to win. Preston fell in front of him and he narrowly missed running into him. He found a line through the "outside whoops" where his could exit with an inside pass, and used this to get around Reed and Ferry, who was having an awesome night again.

Reed was a bit sick and ralphed, but still took the second spot on the podium to keep his title chances. KW rode like he was back most of the time but arm pump got him. Vuillemin tumbled into a Tuff Blox right off the gate on the inside, before they even got to the holeshot line. His teammate Nick Wey hurt his thumb and is going to have an MRI.

These last two weeks, Ferry has spent more time mixing it up at the leader's pace than he has in a very long time. He gave his engine guy Rick Asch a lot of credit when he picked up his Progressive holeshot check.

Tedesco was having his best ride of 2007 with a steady 5th, then he fell in the whoops. Preston was looking good in 4th when he fell in front of Stewart, but got back up and still rode really good.

Millsaps should be back at Atlanta.

Villopoto narrowly edged out Troy Adams for the Lites holeshot. Instead of him checking out, Lawrence didn't think so and put in his best SX main to date. He made an aggressive pass and Villopoto took it back, then fell when Kyle Partridge tipped over in front of him, then he took the lead back from Lawrence, who started thinking about working on his endurance by the time the main was over. Great race!

Chris Gosselaar and Josh Hansen got pushed to the outside in the first turn and had to catch up.

The SX LCQ was a great race between Eric Vallejo, Nathan Ramsey, and Manuel Rivas. Rivas didn't want to lose and passed Vallejo, and Ramsey passed both of them.



The best race was a Lites heat where Villopoto had a great battle with Josh Grant. He passed Grant coming out of a turn, but in less than a lap made a mistake and Grant and Gosselaar got by, he came back to pass Grant in the very last turn and won by a fender!

Red Bull had a base jumper jump from the ceiling, and they had Geoff Aaron doing a killer trial demo outside.

In case you missed it, it was great racing!













Stewart on people that tell him how to ride: "I know what I'm doing!"