Bad News, I am out for the 2006 Season!

I met with the Neuro Surgeon this afternoon and it looks like I am out for the season. He told me that if I want to get the feeling back in my hand again I need to have surgery to remove the bone fragments from the spinal canal and to fuse the vertebra to stop the pointy end of the fracture from sticking into the spinal cord. He told me I could leave it but that the neck would forever be vulnerable to severing and I would not regain the feeling to my left hand.

They are going to fuse 2 vertebra together by removing the facet joint and disk between the 2 and then adding 2 titanium plates and adding 4 screws directly into the bone. I also get 4 screws drilled into my skull with 2 being directly into my forhead to give me nice scars to remember this by every time I look into the mirror.

I was told that this is my best chance to a full recovery. The fusion will not limit my range of motion because it is so low in the neck and I can return to racing (Yes, a NeuroSurgeon told me I could Return to Motorcycle Racing). He said there was no way he would clear me because even a mild roll onto my neck would kill me if I didn't get it fixed. He also said that the joint would be stonger post fusion.

With a 3-6 month window for recovery I have no choice but to bow out this season and try to prepare for the 2007 season. To make things worse I cant ride anything for months. I think not riding at all is going to be really hard to deal with since I live for the 2 wheeled beast and I just got a membership at MSR.

Everything that is going on just seems sureal, it hurt when it happened but I got up and walked away. I feel much better than the pictures show and the hand issue is an irritant but it doesnt stop me from being me. Actually, I havn't changed a thing and can't believe I am going to be out for so long. I suppose I can count my blessings and it could have been worse, but for gods sake, I just want to ride, and I feel like riding, but I am being told I can't. This all sucks.

The Surgery is going to be next Thursday, not this Thursday,or the Thursday After that. My surgeon said that we would do it on a Thursday so that I could return to work the next Monday while looking like Frankenstien with the bolts coming out of my head. I bet my patients are going to love that.

The biggest blow is that I was having such a good year, not to mention I got picked up on an endurance team and was having the time of my life with those guys. I love the race too much to walk away for the rest of the year so we will be at every race even though we are not racing. We love the people and the atmosphere of the racing crowd and have made many wonderful friends. We are going to go and hang out with friends, be pit *****es(at least me), and set up a first aid station for downed riders like me(those who know they are hurt but refused medical attention). Not to mention I really like the weekends away and road trips with my wife. Race weekends are some of the only times away from kids.

I have all ready started the rebuild on my new PW80 pit bike and other motorcycle projects. The GSXR 750 only had damage to the tank and subframe with a little bit of bodywork. I am going to finish the repairs and have it race-ready and it is up for sale. It has been rebuilt from the ground up and if anybody knows how I care for bikes they know it's only the best perfection for me. It will be race and showroom ready before it leaves my garage, new paint and all.

Advice.....
The Surgeon highly recommended the football like roll between the shoulders and helmet. He commented that nobody should race without it and it would have prevented my rolling injury, I have seen some people wearing these and I will make sure I am wearing one the next time I am at the track. Appearently they don't take long to get used too, so it is best to start with one when you begin racing.

After my highside at Hallet I was a little scared to get back on the track because I had no idea what happened, so I had no idea what to do differently to make sure it didnt happen again. This time I know exactly what I did and I am so pumped to get back out and do it right the next time and I know what to do to improve dramatically. I just can't because of my injury.

i dont know if i have met you but after reading your post it makes my dislocated shoulder from my wreck last weekend not so bad.that sucks you have to miss the rest of the year but you only have one body and you need to take care of it.i hope to get to meet you sometime my racing #312 prov nov.

Ben,
Sorry to hear about your involuntary sabbatical from racing this year... try to follow the doctor's advice and stay off two wheels though... I know it's tempting to jump on a bike (even a pit bike) to take a quick spin, but it's just not worth the risk.

Are you going to keep the MSR membership, or can you try and get your money back or something? I don't know how all that works...

About the EVS race collar, I bought one of those last year and tried it during an endurance at TWS, and I just could not get used to it. Every time I got in a full tuck, the back of it pushed my helmet forward and down over my eyes. I found myself constantly pushing my helmet back so I could see. Has anyone else had this issue? I hope there's a solution to this, b/c I'd really like to use it....

All,

I have been using the EVS race collar ever since Buck went down at Cresson (Oct 04 I believe). My son has one and some of my endurance team members wear them. According to Buck 90 something % of collar bone breaks on motorcycles happen when the helmet is crushed into the collar bone. When I heard that, that is all I needed.

As far as the fit and affect on my helmet. I have not noticed any issues. Sometimes it does tend to chafe my neck, but that rarely happens and I believe the trade off is a no brainer. We had to remove the collar from my son's leathers so he could wear his and now there is no issue with him either.

The problem with confirming the effectiveness of a piece of safety equipment like this is that if it works there is no resulting problem to confirm it's effectiveness.

I can only say that I crashed a few times last year and have the three damaged helmets to prove it. Even my crash at Oak Hill (where I flew over the handlebars when I hit the ravine comming out of turn 1) that ended with a concussion I did not have any neck or collar bone issues.

All things considered, I do not ride on the track without mine and for $30-35 or so, it is one of the least expensive pieces of safety gear out there!

Go get one and start using it today! Specifically the RC2.
Link to RC2

I also wear a collar and have had people aske me if it get's in the way... Answer is.... NOPE.

In full tuck it does take a bit more effort to keep my head up. The collar is about an inch and a half thick in the back... I'm a big boy... I can handle it...

I don't ride without it... even on my mini...

Ben,

sorry to hear that you have got to go through such an ordeal! In this case it seems the wiser choice to listen to the Doctor and get it fixed, even if it throws you back by a season!

Glad to hear you're in good spirit and hope to see you back on the track real soon and in the pits even sooner!

In my previous hobby or drag racing the neck style collar is a mandatory item. And if it's a mandatory item when your in a cage, I don't see why it's not in road racing. I will have my left over collar on at Hallett. Hope everyone else see's the light this sheds on such neck/collar issues and get's one also.

EVS RC1 (adult)
http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1...item=EVS_RC1-A

EVS RC1 (youth)
http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1...item=EVS_RC1-Y

EVS RC2 (adult)
http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1...EVS_RC2-A-BK_G

EVS RC2 (youth)
http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1...EVS_RC2-Y-BK_G

Just ordered one five minutes ago. I also ordered armoured shorts to protect my quads and knees going forward.

Ben, Get well soon. Tivo the AMA and MotoGP races and try not to bit into the quick of your fingers nails, you'll be on the track soon enough.

Nolden - Sounds like your helmet dosen't fit right rather than the collar causing probs.

I've been wearing the collar over a year now and the only time it's bothered me is when I'm sun burnt or racing at Oak Hill in 25 degree weather. Wrecked many times with it on including a nasty highside a Oak Hill in turn four which destroyed the bike and helemt - wearing the collar, no prob.
Can't say specifically that the collar saved me but the numbers indicate 9 out of 9 times (wrecks) no issues.

Ben, I'm sorry your out for the season. I truly feel your pain, because I have had to make the same decision. I will be back in full force next season, but with a broken back the docs advise hanging it up this season. I to will be at all the races this season, maybe we will get a chance to meet. I pit with Motorcycle's Unlimited so come by any time.