The Moment: Why Bell Raced
Tuesday, February 19, 2013 | 11:10 AM
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Lots of controversy (and opinions) over the decision to allow Zach Bell to race the LCQ and main event after a huge crash in his Dallas heat race. Due to patient-doctor confidentiality laws, no one on the Asterisk Medical Team is allowed to comment specifically on the Bell situation. However, we are able to talk about the staff’s concussion testing procedures in general, and you can then see how a rider in Bell’s situation would be treated. We spoke with Eddie Casillas, a long time member of that medic crew, about this.
Racer X: Hi, Eddie. First, let’s start by explaining your background.
Eddie Casillas: My educational background is, I have a degree in sports injury management, and in my profession, I am a certified, licensed athletic trainer. Athletic trainers are not personal trainers, they’re healthcare professionals—they’re well educated in on-site trauma management. We’re also educated in rehab, conditioning and anything that involves sports and the human body. And for me, I spent three years as an army medic. So, I consider myself to have a pretty well rounded background, so I can handle whatever we see at the track.
And in the sport specifically, you’ve been around a long time in this gig, as well as working with riders away from the track.
Yeah, since we started this Asterisk program 10 years ago, I’ve only missed three races, supercross or motocross, and of all of those races, I can tell you I’m the first person to get to a downed rider in a pretty large percentage of the cases.
So, you’ve come upon a lot of riders who are unconscious when you get to them—and you’ve also seen a lot of riders get back up from some huge crashes. I know legally you can’t discuss the Zach Bell situation specifically, but just in general, give us an idea of what you do when you get to a rider who has hit the ground hard.
Well, hopefully you can see the crash develop. Sometimes we know what parts of the track are hot spots, sometimes you just hear the radio say “rider down” and you get over there as quickly as you can. Right away, you’re already creating something in your head to put a plan of action in place.
Casillas is a certified, licensed athletic trainer.
Simon Cudby photo
And the rule is that if a rider is knocked unconscious, he’s not allowed to race that night?
Yes, that is the rule. If a rider is knocked out, they’re unconscious, snoring, eyes are closed, however you want to say it, they are out of the event.
But that is determined when you get to them?
Yes, and I’ll give you some scenarios. We’ve gotten to riders, and their eyes are open, they’re awake, they respond to stimulation, they know exactly what happened. We’ve had guys who are lying on the ground, their eyes are closed, but as soon as you get to them, they open their eyes and start moving around. We’ve gotten to some riders and we’re yelling at them, we’re telling them to wake up, and they’re not responding. We deal with a variety of situations.
I’ve heard people say that some riders, through all the crashes they’ve had as an amateur and at local races, can rehearse answers and tell you what you need to hear.
I’ve had riders tell me they practice what they’re going to say when they see a medical person—not just our team, but from their amateur days. They say they’re going to say their name, their birthdate, whatever it is. And you can tell when a person is doing that. You can tell if they’re coherent—you start asking different questions, you start probing for more.
But, you’re not going to be there the moment they hit the ground, there will always be a small delay.
[Laughs] Unless they land on me physically! Really, unless they had a camera inside their helmet monitoring their face so you could see their eyes the whole time, realistically, no. The fastest you could possibly be to someone is five or six seconds.
And you don’t mean a TV camera—you mean a camera aimed directly at their face?
Right. We don’t have that. For the most part, I’m just seeing what they’re seeing.
Okay, so you’re not going to truly see them for at least five or six seconds. What’s the procedure from that point?
There’s a step that we follow. You have to determine if there are injuries like cervical spine injuries, a fracture, a hip injury, airway management, or anything that would require other care. Assuming that’s clear, and all we’re worried about is the rider’s cognitive state, we have a procedure we follow. If we think a rider might have a concussion—and we’re not saying that they do, we just say, “We think this rider might have a concussion.” Because we have a protocol we have to follow that’s going to help us make a better decision on whether they have a concussion or not. If I get to a rider and he’s out, he’s not responding, then he’s out, he can’t race. If I get to a rider and his eyes are open, and he’s not unconscious, then we have to go through the procedure to determine if he can race or not.
Casillas helps Ken Roczen off the track in Phoenix in 2011.
GuyB photo
And what is that test?
We have a baseline test that every rider has to take. In the event that we find the rider did have a concussion at the race, then we require them to take the ImPACT test and pass that before they can return to the races. If we’re trying to determine if the rider had a concussion at the event in the first place, we use what is called the SCAT 2 test. They are taken into our rig—by themselves, parents are not allowed to come with them—and we test memory, short and long term, balance, coordination. We have a minimum score they have to reach in order for us to have confidence that they can race or not.
And you have confidence that this test is hard to pass?
What it does is, if they reach the score we have as a cutoff, it’s giving us more assurance that they’re not going to put themselves at risk going back out there. But it doesn’t stop. The doctors don’t look at a test score and say, “He passed it, he doesn’t have a concussion. Go ahead and ride.” We converse with the athlete, we converse with the team, the parents, and we tell them we have a positive feeling. But look, in supercross, you’re operating at 90 percent of maximum heart rate, so if that situation results in a problem, and we see something wrong, we say, “Look, we’ll black flag you.” We try to put it on the athlete to say, “If you don’t feel right, pull off.” But we know the riders. They’re not going to do that. So if we determine they’re not riding as a coherent person should be riding, we’ll pull them off.
And every crash and rider is treated the same?
If we believe a rider may have a concussion, they must take the test. And remember, it’s not like they take the test and we just let them go. We’ve had riders pass the test, and we still don’t let them ride—we just had a gut feeling. We’ve had guys who were borderline with the test. Remember, there’s a balance and coordination part of the test, and let’s say they have an ankle injury or knee injury, we have to factor that in, too. So if he scores really well in the other portions of the test, we may choose to let him ride.
On the other side of it, why not just say, “We saw the crash, we saw how hard you hit, just from looking at it, we know you shouldn’t ride.” Why not just make a call like that?
Because that’s not the right thing to do. We like to use what’s available to us to make a better decision to determine if that rider has a concussion. These tests help us do that—they’re tools. You could see a crash and say, “That was bad, you probably broke your leg.” But you won’t know until you take an X-ray.
So, this is like taking an X-ray to determine if you have a broken bone.
Yes. It allows us to make a decision. And these tests are always evolving; they’re always analyzing the data from other sports, any sport that uses the ImPACT test, for example, to determine if things need to change.
Now, the ImPACT test, that’s what you would use later to determine if a rider who had a concussion could come back to racing the next week. That’s used in other sports. The SCAT 2 test which you use at the track is, as well?
Yes. Some people only use the SCAT 2, and some people only use the ImPACT test. But when the Asterisk Medical Crew decided to do that in this sport, I was personally left responsible for looking through the data and coming up with a program, then the doctors looked at that and signed off on it. When I looked at all of the programs, I tried to take the best pieces from each one, and put it together for our program. I think it’s the best program possible to make the best decisions.
And this would measure up in other athletic competitions.
Yes. Some professional sports just use the ImPACT test, some college programs might only use SCAT 2, some don’t use anything. I look at what you need to be competitive in this sport—I know where you heart rate is when you’re on a bike, I know what you have to do, physically, to stay on a bike. This sport is tough, so I wanted to make this program tougher than others.
The ImPACT test is totally different?
That’s the computerized software program that looks into short and long term memory, reaction time, things like that.
Casillas has been with Asterisk since the start of the program 10 years ago.
Simon Cudby photo
Everyone is different. Is it possible that a concussion could affect some riders differently than others, and some riders with a concussion might respond better to these tests? Can some people maybe just pull this off even with a concussion?
No. And that’s why we do the baseline testing. And that test even has instruments in it to determine if someone is trying to tank their score. We also redo the test every two years.
I know you guys are stuck in a tough situation. Sometimes, people will say you should just always air far on the side of caution. But you have a need to backup what you say.
Yes, and on both ends of the spectrum. There is a side of this to where there is a lot of money at stake. Some of these guys might be competing for a championship, or some of them might be doing this race to make a living. We understand that it’s an athletic competition, and we don’t want to stop the athlete from competing if he can. But we also don’t want you, ten years from now, lashing out at your wife because you have a traumatic brain injury. With what’s going on in other sports, we really wanted to use that as a means to get this going as soon as possible. What people have to understand is, everyone on the Asterisk Medical Crew, we have jobs during the week. And if we make a bad decision at the races, we could lose our license. So if we don’t have anything in place, if we don’t have a test, we could be just pulling riders out of the races and costing them money or a championship when they actually might have been okay to race. And on the other side, if we let a rider race, and we don’t have a good program in place to have made that decision, then they could take us to court, or we could lose our license. So that’s why we push for this.
Anything I missed?
When you look at moto being such a small sport, I think our baseline program is the first in any motorsport. I mean, NASCAR, they don’t even have a mandatory concussion program, they have a voluntary one. We’re ahead of the curve. In the NFL, they’re still having a hard time with athletes and coaches and medical staff, there’s a struggle in there with regards to that. In moto, the rules now dictate that the medical officer has the complete authority to determine if a rider can ride or not.
There is no overriding these rules by parents or teams?
Absolutely not. Not by other race officials, AMA, promoters, anyone.
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That kid was CLEARLY knocked out... Anyone could see that. hen the worst case happened... He crashed on his head again.
So was there an excuse for letting the kid race with a brain injury in this article? "Cause I didn't see one.
HE WAS KNOCKED OUT COLD. EVERYONE WATCHING SAW IT! THE MEDICAL OFFICIALS ARE A JOKE.
Obviously it was dangerous for him and everyone else to let him continue.
This article is the sorest excuse for a cover-up since JFK.
Spin it all you want media, he's a young kid. Even if "he passed", Honda, his parent's should have been the smarter ones here and said NO. Like I said before the doctors cleared RGIII and we know what happened there. We just watched a situation at the X Games where a rider walked away and the outcome was heartbreaking. This article will not convince me that the best decision was made in Dallas for this young rider.
I can't tell you the number of times I've laid on the ground doing inventory. Left leg.... check. Right leg..... check. Privates..... check.
Then there's the , "I hope nobody saw that (kinda tough live on Speed)". Or the all too disturbing, "not again.....".
So I don't see a few moments motionless on the track as being evidence that he "was OUT COLD......"
Of course, that's what this comment section is for. To allow the mental giants that prowl the earth a forum for their razor-sharp observations....
Sheesh.
I've seen mx/sx rookies who need to have their AMA Pro License pulled but, this kid is the absolute epitome of an example of the irresponsible governing body who we once relied upon. It's my guess that more sooner then later Zach will succeed in taking someone else out with his squirrel-like style of riding. (And yes. I also felt the same way about Danny "Magoo" Chandler...may he rest-in-peace)
It's time to wise up or head back to the amateur ranks junior. There is simply NO WAY you have the maturity to be in the mix of REAL pros. Another year...or three...or four...in the hunt for a Loretta's podium is without a doubt where Lil' Bell DESPERATELY needs to be!
At the very least...will SOMEONE of responsibility from Westerville, OH sit down and have a heart-to-heart with this newest breed of pin-heads?
...and yeah...sure. You're gonna' lay there in the middle of the track with the entire field bearing down on you whilst you "mentally take inventory."
Seriously?
The child was out cold BEFORE the second bounce of his pin-head.
mxdgnr8 : DUDE, are you seriously saying he was NOT K.O.'d?
His head was bent the wrong way when he was laying on the dirt, and he was limp like a dead fish.
We were taking bets whether he was dead, never mind riding again that night.
You and the medical crew are the only ones who think he wasnt K.O.d
You bench racers are all idiots, if you are so smart, and know more than the people who are paid professionals at the actual race, maybe you should get off your couch and go apply to work at Astrisk. Oh, you have no skills? You actually have no real clue what happened cause you watched it on TV? The technology at your house is so good that without any medical education what so ever, you can diagnose people through your HD TV? IDIOTS.
You bench racers are all idiots, if you are so smart, and know more than the people who are paid professionals at the actual race, maybe you should get off your couch and go apply to work at Astrisk. Oh, you have no skills? You actually have no real clue what happened cause you watched it on TV? The technology at your house is so good that without any medical education what so ever, you can diagnose people through your HD TV? IDIOTS.
You bench racers are all idiots, if you are so smart, and know more than the people who are paid professionals at the actual race, maybe you should get off your couch and go apply to work at Astrisk. Oh, you have no skills? You actually have no real clue what happened cause you watched it on TV? The technology at your house is so good that without any medical education what so ever, you can diagnose people through your HD TV? IDIOTS.
I didn't even waste my time reading this article. As the father of a racer that has been knocked out I am appauled that Bell was allowed to line up for the LCQ and subsiquent Main. This was a foolish descision that put Bells life and the lives of others at risk. Plain and simple. If Feld is going to let this kind of stupidity go on we may as well kiss our sport goodbye. It's poorly made descisions like this that will put MX under the microscope of some Govt. or worse yet MOTHERS group and cause it all to go away.
STUPID CALL MAEDICAL CREW AND FELD YOU SHOULD ALL BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES!
Have to agree with most of the smart people on this one. Not very bright
on the part of Casillas and their wonderful counterpart Bodner.
How can you send this little kid back out after him not moving for quite a while?
Can't believe the Geico Guys didn't have enough smarts to keep him out.
Hopefully the crash in the main doesn't screw him up for the next race.
After his outdoors last year and his start this year, you may want to rethink....
It sounds like unless the rider is out when they get there, staggers around like he is on a 2 day bender or his pupils are as big as a hippie at a Phish concert, they can only suggest to the rider what to do. Say what you will, if the red flag comes out because you can't get out of the track, you are done. The next big pile up just lay there and wait for a re-start. I can hear it now, "Are you ok?", "yeah, just waiting for the red flag". Only if Chad would have thought of that.
Why dont you post your rude comment 5 MORE times RETARD.
ya my HD TV showed me a kid land on his noggin from 20 feet up. Why did it not happen like that
Asterisk is a joke, and so are you ChuckGoldy958.
The KID got a concussion, then (big surprise) crashed AGAIN, Luckily he didnt take out any other riders.
All of you are very quick to judge that he was knocked out. Now, we may never know. But I will inform everyone of this. Being that most of you don't ride so probably don't know this, I come up with this from everyone's naive posts on the matter.
RIDERS ARE TAUGHT NOT TO MOVE THEIR BODY'S AFTER A HARD IMPACT. And riders who have good people around them learn this from an early age. WHY? You ask? Because the rider has so much adrenaline rushing through their body, they don't know what's hurt. They can't feel it. I know about this first hand being that I have been injured while riding and taking a big impact. Say you aren't knocked out. That doesn't mean you know if you have spinal or neck injuries. And if you do move on your own power and obtained one of these injuries you could make yourself paralyzed. So when a rider is motionless and looks dead its for four reasons and they are as follows: 1) they are taught not to move for their own well being. 2) they are in serious pain. 3) they are knocked out. 4) they got the wind knocked out of them and are trying to regain their breathing.
Learn about the sport a little more before all you naive baboons ruin our sport like the girls of two hand touch... AKA. The NFL
Not arguing just stating a point. If a rider meets all the criteria and passes all the test it becomes a legal battle if they refuse to let him race. Therefore It becomes the riders and or the teams responsibility to make the call. If it was my kid he would have been parked for the night. In saying that I know that I have raced after being knocked out during practice.
As a fellow ATC, I think this is a great program to keep our riders safer. This program is new and I'm sure more changes will be made to make it better. As Eddid said, no other sport has a mandatory baseline concussion testing. Concussions have taken a front row seat over the last two years and has been all the talk, especially in football. So this situation will only help justify the reasoning behind the protocol.
Eddie has done a great job in doing his research on this. As a health care professional, we are always questioned on our decisions when it comes to the health of an athlete. In the end, we (athletic trainer's) treat each athlete as if they were our own child. This situation is no different no matter what negative comments may be said here.
Jason, thanks for addressing this situation with this interview. I also greatly appreciate you using the term 'certified athletic trainer.' We live in a society that uses the term 'trainer' too much and it does not identify specifically what we do as health care professionals.
I don't care what the concussion test said, he shouldn't have been back out there after that without a serious once over at a hospital with all the proper equipment for more than just his head. Bell's crash was the kind of thing that people drop dead from a couple hours later from complications. Look at Caleb Moore at X Games who walked off the course and later died. Bell's situation has nothing to do with "don't be a p*ssy" or any of that. Everything worked out in this case but eventually something like this is going to lead to a death on the track, we'll see how cool it is then. This reminds me of when the medics had to place Stewart on his bike at Daytona when he couldn't do it himself. Worked out ok, but ultra dangerous. I've hit my head more than a couple times and thought I was fine too, then puking 24 hours later and seeing shades of green. I hit my head twice over two days a few years ago at a race, should have never been allowed back out to begin with. My head was spun for 2 months after that one. If one of these situations ends in a death, watch how fast special interest groups can crap all over motocross and supercross. It's no wonder outsiders think we're irresponsible when stuff like this is allowed to happen. ChuckGoldy958 and bradley272 sound like the squid C class heros most people picture when they think about motocross racers.
Last time I checked Asterisk was a volunteer service, Feld nor the AMA pay them to be there, correct me if I am wrong. So they are doing the best they can for the love of the sport. Bottom line people, the sport is getting so top heavy that these kids are forced to make stupid decisions to keep "their ride" ! Bell is known for always crashing, it was his first supercross race so he fooled everyone and even himself to think he was ok.. The result was he crashed out anyways !
The one that scared me was Stewart at Daytona a year or two ago, when he crashed hard seat bouncing out of the corner and went off the track. He didn't look right, thought he had a concussion, but he jumped back on the bike really fast (I think he dropped it once or twice) and took off before anybody checked him out fully. I was watching that thinking man, how do you stop a guy from pulling back on and hoping he didn''t really get hurt on another crash. The track was really gnarly.
You minimum wage jackasses think you know everything. We all know you are just a bunch of idiots. I suggest you listen to archive of the PulpMX show from last night and listen to Bell and Doc B.
I think the Asterisk crew are doing the best they can and no system is going to be 100% perfect, this coming from a guy who works in healthcare and spends most of his time doing quality assurance and trying to make sure things ARE perfect.
To play devil's advocate here, let's assume Bodnar was correct in clearing Zach Bell last Saturday. He passed the tests, he seemed OK. At what point would any of the Geico team considered stepping in and telling Bell he was taking the rest of the night off? So much fuss is being made about the medical staff and their actions, but at the same time I feel quite strongly that the team staff are also equally as responsible to care for the rider. Bell rode Southwick and crashed. Rode Unadilla, crashed and broke vertebrae. I believe from reading some of the PR on the 6D helmet, he also had a test track crash of significance in the off-season. He then comes to his first ever SX and has a huge getoff in his first race. I mean, regardless of what the medical staff judged, if I was LaRocco I would have considered keeping him out. At that point I would be sitting down with the kid and telling him to back it off and finish some races. And explain to him that at his current pace his career was going to be very short. Yeah, bad luck and all but his pro crashes have all been of his own over-riding, not like he has been taken out by another rider or something flukey.
And what about his parents, where are they in this decision making?
Bottom line, I don't think he should have raced again after the heat race crash but it is too simple and naive to just blame the medical staff.
Zach's crash in the main had ZERO to do with his crash in the heat race. He got up and walked away on his own. They did a full evaulation and he was deemed good to go. He had a perfect LCQ. He was racing perfectly fine in the main until he SLIGHTLY mis-timed a tricky ass rhythm section. For Dallas being someones first Supercross, that track was straight up brutal and left no margin of error. Any other track, espeically with the compound of dirt would've garnered different results and been way more forgiving.
If anything, the track itself was more dangerous to the riders than Zach being out there. That was one of the most dangerous tracks I've seen in years. When you're dealing with that compound of dirt, change up the sections a bit to be safer for pete's sake. The only thing that track was missing was a shark tank and alligator pit.
I think we can all agree that the medical staff did what they were suppose to do. He passed, we get it. But it was his first race, he has a history of serious crashes, time for Honda and or his parent's to step in and call it a night.
Kid should of been sent back to change his britches and watched from the confinds of the Monster chicks lap !!
323MX: So what your saying is lets do away with the current protocol and just do CT Scans for all hits to the head?
With a name like RETARDCROS and a straight goon picture to boot... You have no right to call anyone a squid.
It's supercross. It's a business first. This is how these riders pays their bills. If they are cleared to go. Their is nothing you can tell that rider. They are going to race. He is 18. It's a discussion only bell or any other rider can make. Not his team. Not his parents. You can tell your rider even though you were cleared your sitting the sidelines for this one. And when everyone is not looking the bike is off the stand and they are on the gate. These guys got to eat. And who are any of you to say he needs his pro card taken away? Who the hell are you allmighty's who think your the gods of motorsports? How about you go get a job with the AMA and change what you don't like. Or contact the AMA and tell them how you feel. Being a message board hero gets you no positive exposure.
Urbani: To say Asterisk is joke and offer no alternative plan to our current one demonstrates your ignorance.
By your professional judgement when would you allow a rider to return and what form of testing would you recommend to determine this individuals safe return?
Not sure what your day job is but stick to it.
Geeeezzzz. I am just happy to know he is OK. I was worried when they went to a commercal break right after the crash and felt great when it came back and he was walking again. I agree he might have just stayed in one position until he know he was OK. I have done this myself.
Hope we see you next weekend Zack Bell. Just take it a little easy this time. You don't need to win your first race. It will come.
Bell seems too physically small to be riding a 250.
Thanks Asterisk for doing what you do.
Ya RC is a goon alright Bradley...
@ pizzacorner
100% Agree with you
the kid was WINNING the heat race. if he would of been in 13th the decision would of been different. he is a winner, winners race. losers walk. if you do not like it. watch soccer
Retardcross: The rider at X games was evaluated on site and based on symptoms sent off to the hospital.
By your logic every time a rider falls they should go to the hospital?
Heaven forbid that we let a rider go back on the track after cutting his finger because he may get an infection and die.
Not sure what Daytona race you saw in which "the medics had to place Stewart on his bike at Daytona when he couldn't do it himself". If that were true he would have been blacked flagged for outside assistance. Might want to watch that one again and look for me waving everyone off.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpBftv_X7CM
How is 3:10 not outside assistance?
Looked out to me but.........................
He passed Asteriks test, his team gave him the go ahead, his parents gave him the go ahead ..... and look what happened.
Zzzzzz has taken ambulance rides his first two pro races....on Pulp last nite he admitted to two concussions last year alone.
Finish a race Zach.
JimM
Pala374
For the record I have a lot of respect for your crew and what you guys do, but this and the Stewart crash are failures in judgement in my opinion. I raced at a decently high amateur level and have been scraped off the ground and sent back out, it happens. But eventually something like his will end very badly.
At no place in the article does he actually say they did all this with Bell. They say they can't discuss the specific case, and they say things like "this is what we would do". Not "did". That's the catch. I wonder how much of this testing was done. If any. The boy had no business being back out on the track.
Eddie, Don't let any of these guys get you all fired up... Asterisk is the best thing that has happened to MX/SX. I can remember the Ambulance sitting on the floor with the $8.00 an hour crew, who really only knew the basics. I know that the riders appreciate the Asterisk unit being there. Your educated judgement is far more important than a bunch of keyboard jockeys. My son raced mx for 10 years and had many incidents that required medical attention. I would've been pretty happy to have had an Asterisk unit at any/ every one of those times.
Bottom line is, you did your part, in the Zach Bell crash. If anyone was to make a different choice, it should've been his parents or team. Enough blaming Asterisk for "letting Zach ride".
Eddie, I believe you and the rest of the team performed competently and ethically. However, Zack's crash was far more than a "fall". To not acknowledge that and also compare what happened on Saturday to "cutting a finger" is stretching things badly to make your point.
I think you guys are fighting an uphill battle against opinions based on what a hell of a lot of people saw with their own eyes and they didn't have to be doctors or paramedics to know that crash was a very, very bad deal. Sometimes through the fault of no one, you can find yourself in a battle you can't win.
What I mean by that is, I've read and heard an awful lot of parents who have kids racing and have said, "I would not have let my kid back out on that track, and I don't care WHAT the tests said." And you have to respect their position. On the other hand, I really haven't read or heard too many parent say, "Oh yeah, no problem. I would have let him race again, sure."
Coming on this forum or any other insisting that the right protocols were followed may make a few protocol people happy, but it isn't going to convince many (me included) that Zack should not have raced again. And as you know, there are quite a few top riders in the sport who trust and like you guys who are saying the same thing. They were there too, saw it with their own eye, and have a hell of a lot of experience as riders and fans themselves.
You and the doc and everyone have done nothing wrong. But you are trained to help injured riders, not battle the emotion of "holy shit that kid looked like he just about DIED and now they are letting him RACE...WTF?!"
Humans make mistakes. I will never understand monday morning quarterbacking where everyone is so smart in hindsight. We aren't computers, we strive to make good decisions and deal with the outcome. Maybe Zach shouldn't have been allowed to race, but Casillas and the Asterisk Crew are great additions to the sport and shouldn't be raked over the coals. What is done is done and people need to stop demanding perfection. I'm thankful for Asterisks' contributions to the sport.
Amateur racing is so important...
I think the only reason this came up was Bell crying after the lcq and the second crash. Hindsight is always 20/20. To question the integrity of the medical staff is way off base. Not that it could've or should've changed their mind, was the replay watched to help with the assessment? I would have bet the farm he was out cold(and still would). Winning is nice and so is riding the next day.
Have you guys ever watched "WORLD'S SCARIEST CAR CHASES"? There are times when a car can be turned into a pretzel and the "bad guy" walks away with maybe only a bruise and a scratch. There are also cases where a person can get killed in a "seemingly non-violent" 25 MPH car crash. Point is YOU JUST NEVER NOW the extent of the injury by how bad the crash "looked". There's that one famous street bike crash where at over 200MPH the bike pretty much disintegrated (sp). The rider "should of died", but suffered "only broken bones"....Back to MX, and pardon the pun, but no doubt, he had his "BELL RUNG", but came to. A bet helmet sales go up on the helmet model!!!!! Race on....Wanna see Bell get a win and shut all you whiney folks up...Nice job Asterik. I appreciate your presence and the racers do too!
@bradley272.....I must have missed you when I was training at GPF and riding at the Bell's house up the road from there a few years ago, your name and number don't sound familiar. F*ck off newb.
the kid said he wasn't knocked out, get over it...the medics did their test he passed....hes a grown ass man and a pro...he made a decision, the team went with it, so be it....
always looking for something to cry about, get over it!!
I give him props for being tough as nails!! most of you clowns would've taken the ambulance to the ER
Thanks 323mx! I have a stepson named Zack so i'm guilty on that one.
Big Thumbs UP for Asterik
Maybe an examination of the helmet and the riders injury history should
be included.
ZzzzBell met Asteriks criteria, which is some of the most stringent in sports.The call to race is the teams, and the Bell family.
JimM
Pala374
I feel like anyone just brushing off head injuries and saying man up probably hasn't dealt with any serious hits to the head themselves. I've had 5 of which 2 were knockouts and can feel the effects already at 24 years old. And none of them would be considered a "really bad" head injury in the medical world, just your standard concussions. The effects of this crap are very real but easy to dismiss for those who haven't had a good one and dealt with some prolonged side effects.
hey 323, ur an idiot! keep drinking ur bath water
Its people like u who comment on every post because your a tool!!
@Retardcross Cool story bro you were an amateur that never made it so stop crying because of it and move on!!
If the Asterisk medical crew sucked so badly they wouldn't be around still. Bell had a horrible crash and it looked like he was knocked out, but we will never know unless you saw him personally. If anybody fell from that height in a race you too would lay there like that trying to tell yourself that you're alive and wouldn't just go sprinting off the track. It would be safer for him to stay there so the other riders know where to not go with the flags out rather than him scrambling off the side and someone running into him. Maybe the team or his parents shouldn't have let him race, but he was the one involved with the crash he passed the test and clearly was able to ride since he made the main. I'm not saying it was smart on anyone's part but you can't make any crazy accusations that everyone sucks and is horrible at their jobs, or bad parents, Bell walked away, passed the test and if he wanted to race that was his own decision.
It seems the general lack of medical knowledge shows why these boards are irrelevant to the sport. A person can get knocked unconscious and not suffer a concussion.
Have you met Doc Bodner? Why question his integrity? The man is Awesome.. He would never send a kid out he didn't feel comfortable with, further more its zach bells choice.
It's funny how everyone on the other thread is dogging James Stewart for having "daddy" on the line with him and calling him a grown man.. Yet pertaining to Bell you are using examples that if it were YOUR child he would be permitted to race.
Lay off Asterik. Best thing MX has going for it period, and highly competent. I know.. I have been hauled off and diagnosed but Bodner... He diagnosed my ACL as torn ON THE SPOT and MRI a week later showed him correct. Geez you guys, I understand being worried but its the riders choice.
You think Bell wants to lose his title chances?? You think he isn't smart enough to not risk his life if he doesn't feel mentally solid enough to ride? If he was really messed up I guarantee he would not have rode.
Now, that being said, that kid needs to slow down and keep it up before he ends up a cripple.
It's easy to call medical shots thru a TV set isn't it? Of course, that's why you never went to medical school. It wasn't EASY enough
Just curious rick. When Chad Reed, Jason Thomas, Kyle Chisolm, Dean Wilson, and other top riders comment that they didn't think he should have been back out on the track, are they irrelevant to the sport also?
LISTEN UP IDIOTS!!!!!!!!!!
Until Bell states that he was unconscious on the track.....you're opinions are IRRELEVANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've race local Harescrambles and GNCC's for 23+ years. I've hit trees with my handlebar, shoulder, and head, simultaneously in fourth gear down a two track. Was cleaned off the bike, ricocheted across the two track and layed on a log. ( none of the above was by choice )
I had tunnel vision and my shoulder hurt so bad I didn't know if it was broken or not. WHEN I regained my breath... I decided to try to move my shoulder, for inventory. It hurt like hell, but had 90 % range of motion.
TESTS SHOWED NO CONCUSSION, NO FRACTURED BONES!!!!
SOME OF US ARE JUST BUILT TOUGHER than others.
So like I said.......UNTIL BELL STATES HE WAS UNCONSCIOUS. BITE ME ,with your medical declarations!!
If Bell was good to go after that crash, I am buying a 6D helmet tomorrow – even if it is $725.
Asterisk did their job and a great job they did like always. If any of you have a problem with Zach racing it should be directed at the proper people which are Zach Bell and the Geico team manager. We are talking about a profeshional athlete and his manager making a decision to race and all of you are going off on Asterisk crew?????
At least Zach was wearing one of the 6D helments.If he had been wearing some other helment he would probably be injured quite a bit more.
@ 2003RACER...
Not to pick a fight, just some food for thought. When I was puking and seeing everything in a shade of green my scans didn't show any signs of a concussion or brain trauma either. In fact I think it's pretty common for concussions not to appear in tests/scans and for symptoms to show up days or even weeks later. It just doesn't make sense to me how someone can hit their head that hard, slide down the track motionless on their face and then continue to lay there motionless face down and then say their head is fine. I get that Asterisk can only administer their tests on site, find results and then it's out of their hands. Regardless he dodged a bullet on that one.
Hey Retard, do you think he would have rode if he was puking like you were, even if he passed a concussion test? Do you not think Emergency personnel are trained in observing the patient together with tests? Like I said, listen to Doc B on the PulpMX show from last night. The guy has seen more people immediately after head injuries than any doctor on the planet. The guy knows how people react after being knocked out and concussions. You are looking at the world through an idiots eyes and not the eyes of a highly trained professional doctor.
I tried reading the comments in this thread but I got frustrated and gave up. Part of the problem with this world in general is people are not willing to change their mind based on facts and people who may be smarter than them. They make up their mind and by-God they are not going to change it. Just like politics....some people are so hard headed they refuse to look at a situation and change their mind from what they initially thought. Heck, one person above even admitted to not reading the article "I didn't even waste my time reading this article...."
When I first watched the video I said to myself, "I don't care what any one says, Zak Bell should not have raced. He was obviously knocked out cold." Then I talked to Eddie for an hour, listed to both Zak and Dr. Bodnar in an interview, and read the article above. How can I, a person who was watching on TV even begin to think I know more than the attending medical staff. After I talked to Eddie and read the article above I still (deep down) thought to myself, " I know what I saw and Zak was out." If you still feel this way, listen to Doc Bodnar's explanation on the Pulp MX show. If you still think you know better then the Docs on site, well......
I've put together a little summary of info over on the Virtual Trainer to make it easy for every one to find.
http://www.racerxvt.com/article/concussion-testing-the-zak-bell-case
retardpussiecross/..........a decently high amateur level..........haha WTF is that , novice at chicken licks raceway? look this kid is fine, it should be up to him and/or his parents to make the decision to race. my god are country is going down the tubes faster and faster. individual responsibility anyone? and when he passes the more than adiquate two concussion test, count them......one.......... two........... its still not enough for you decently high level ams ........... shit its Bell's life. let him live it(or kill it) any way he wants..........why is it any of your business ?
Hey pilot dude, is chad reed a doctor? Is it his decision?
Remember Reeds first turn pileup? I think he caught a foot peg in the helmet. If Asteriks pulled him aside and said your not racing tonight in the offset 10% chance you suffered trauma, I bet Reed would have changed his mind immediately.
I really don't care what Chad Reed thinks.
If we are to police the sport like that, Chad Reed could claim Villopoto crashed hard in practice last week and should t be allowed to ride (because they are in a points battle).
@ pizzacorner.....None of that started happening until a couple days later, I was "fine" immediately after waking up and for a couple days.
@motoguzzi....Yep, never even made it outta the local C class ;)
rick, you said that you can see why people who post opinions online are irrelevant to the sport. Chad Reed, Jason Thomas, Kyle Chisolm, etc. all posted opinions that differ about Bell going back out on the track.
So are they irrelevant to the sport? I'm guessing your answer is yes, since you said you really don't care what Chad Reed thinks.
Good to know.
Oh and rick guess what:
1. Never said Chad Reed was a doctor, nor does he have to be to render his opinion on the topic, nor did he try to represent himself as a doctor.
2. Never said it was his decision, or even implied it.
It is quite interesting that you blow his opinion off as meaningless however.
The Asterisk crew is doing it right. My hat is off to them.
As for you JACKASSES who have never hit the GROUND HARD, you obviously have no idea what it FEELS LIKE. You are so quick to judge the rider and the medical team who cleared him to ride, but you obviously know NOTHING about what happens when you hit the ground like that. To your uneducated eye, it looks like he was knocked out. Your emotions are inflamed like your left-winger hemorrhoids after a date with Bruce, but I'll just tell you a little sump'm sump'm.
When you hit the ground that hard, it knocks your breath out, big time. You're just devastated. You can't breathe, you're unable to move at all, even if you're out of position and it looks uncomfortable to a bunch of bleeding heart spectators. That doesn't mean you have a brain injury, that you are bleeding on the brain, or that you are unconscious. Your breath is knocked out! I've hit the ground so hard, so many times, that I know what a rider goes through. It hurts like hell, no doubt! That does NOT mean that you deny him a chance to race. Sometimes a rider can ride after a crash that leaves you shaking your head, and you have to respect somebody who is willing to get back on that horse. Motocrossers learn early on to never quit, and sometimes they might get back on when they shouldn't, but most of the time, they crash and NOBODY can tell them they can't ride. At least Asterisk is on the front lines to help with a protocol to clear a rider. People with brain injuries have symptoms, so if the rider doesn't have those symptoms, and if he doesn't have compound fractures etc., LET HIM RIDE!!! You bunch of simpering, whimpering COWARDS who have NEVER hit the ground. Don't you have some community organizing to do, or a parade to organize? You make me sick.
Three years ago I was knocked unconscious for over a minute. They did not move me because they did not know if I injured my spine. I did not know I was out until they told me. So in my opinion Zach may not have realized he was out. I perfectly remembered everything except being unconscious. Afterward I went to the hospital and they did a CT scan and said I did not have a concussion. My thoughts were never cloudy to my wife or children or the hospital, so I guess you can be knocked out without a concussion. I wouldn't recommend racing the same day anyhow. It's a tough and scary call, but hindsight is always 20/20. Those are the decision between Zach and Asterisk and who am I to 2nd guess................?
We've seem enough indications that Bell shouldn't be racing at this level. He's putting his life and those of fellow competitors at risk. Honda needs to step- up, as it seems others (parents included) have their priorities in the wrong place (money?).
@ride4ever you are a caring human, so you have the right to 2nd guess. The truth is if you are KOed then by definition you have a concussion.
What I don't understand is why Asterisk is acting so confident... research has shown that concussions are hard to diagnose and the scat test is only a vague indicator, not to mention the lack of research behind the impact test (which isn't even a trackside test, though Eddie and asterisk mislead us into thinkin it is).
http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/8297794/neuropsychological-testing-concussions-not-panacea
"Through amazing marketing, the ImPACT guys have made their name synonymous with testing," says William Barr, an associate professor of neurology and psychiatry at New York University and former team neuropsychologist for the New York Jets. "But there's a growing awareness that ImPACT doesn't have the science behind it to do what it claims it does."
Yet a study -- really a study of studies -- published last year in Current Sports Medicine Reports reviewed the entire span of research on ImPACT and concluded: "[T]he false positive rate appears to be 30 percent to 40 percent of subjects of ImPACT … the false negative rate may be comparable. … The use of baseline neuropsychological testing … is not likely to diminish risk, and to the extent that there is a risk associated with 'premature' return-to-play … may even increase that risk."
Jesus, I guess you're right........"concussion" and "MTBI" are used interchangeably. Frequently defined as a head injury with a temporary loss of brain function, concussion causes a variety of physical, cognitive, and emotional symptoms, which may not be recognized if subtle. I definately had a temporary loss of brain function, I guess you can be misdiagnosed by a neurologist too, but he definately said I did not have a concussion. By definition it appears that I did . He was an Asian Doctor at a small town hospital so I hope his credentials were good. But, I'm still just as dumb as ever.....Lol
Hey Speed - The name calling is not needed. All that does is convince me that you know even less about what it is you are saying than you claim to. Although, come to think of it bouts of irrationallity and vulgarity are indicative of repeated head injury. So who knows... Maybe you are the stud you claim to be and have bounced off the ground as hard and as many times as you state that you have.
F- All the doctor talk. Bell should have been pulled for no other reason than the slightest of possibilities that after a hit like that he could be a danger to both of my buddies sons that were on that track with him on Saturday.
This kind of thing can put way too much scrutiny on our sport. Nevermind the loss of income to a rider. If Bell had complications later like the guy at X games SX and MX in general stands the chance of a very large and negative national media scrutiny which would eventually lead to event insurance being driven so high that no promoter could afford it and thus - end of organized MX as we know it.
Eddie - relax dude. Your job at the track is too important to let us get you so worked up. In my opinion you guys made the wrong call. Right or wrong, It's MY opinon - nothing more - based on my life's and racing experiance I won't change my mind and you won't change it for me. But that's OK. You know well enough that us keyboard jockies are nothing more than faceless opinions on a computer screen. Don't let our opinions get you so worked up that if, God forbid, there is another huge get-off this week you hesitate and make a bad call out of frustration from this or anyother situation. Kick the dog and punch Doc. in the arm for no reason then have a laugh. Don't let us disrupt or distort your confidence in your own learned understanding of what it is that you do.
mxobservant, it's Zach's life and I'm sure he's pursuing his dreams. Obviously he has a ton of talent and does belong at the level he is at. Everyone at this level of racing has had a bunch of nasty wipe-outs. He may be pushing a little to hard to soon though. Either way he will figure it out....Maybe you shouldn't be so quick to judge............I'm sure if the other riders felt threatned by him he would know it....
excuse me, I meant too hard too soon. It bothers me when people misuse to and too, and then I go and do it myself.
@RX Virtual Trainer, Asterisk meds are awesome and very needed, they should not take the brunt of Bells mistakes... it's the general lack of science behind concussion diagnosis and reliable concussion testing. To be skeptical is no diss on Asterisk... they are following certain procedures, but that doesn't mean those procedures are 100% or even 50% (as per research) accurate.
You accuse everyone of hard-headedness, have you considered you could be over-confident in you knowledge? Neuroscience doesn't even have much of a grasp on head trauma, yet you're so sure of your self?
Healthy skepticism my brother, that is all science asks of you :)
Absolutely, Chad Reeds medical opinion is meaningless just like mine. You asked the question..
I can't believe people are psychotic over this. A person can also suffer a concussion without being unconsious, so do we take every rider off the track that crashes hard now and hold them off for the night?? WTF do you think the doctor is on the floor for?
I can't believe this. SX is a dangerous sport and your kids on the track must realize they are in danger of other riders every single time they ride. I'm starting to see the liberal wacko non-responsible side of this thinking. I just can't believe it.. Zach bell said he lost his breath and he was fine, he was scared to move. Are you calling him a liar??
Maybe we should not allow jumps above 6 feet anymore to protect everyone
Probably had the wind knock out of himself and were seeing Monster chick..I would lay there and finnish watching the flick also ! Wouldnt you !
As Pizza Corner said, you bench racers are ridiculous.
He very well may have been KO'd but if doctors (whom specialize in sport injury) have the confidence after their tests that he is safe to ride, he is safe to ride! As the man said, they have "day jobs" and they are not going to let a man race if they don't see them fit to endure the punishment of racing moto.
THESE GUYS ARE PROFESSIONALS WITH YEARS OF EXPERIENCE!!
Yup, science has never been wrong right @Wheelzz?
Nor have doctors with years of experience amputated the wrong leg.
C'mon man
No one is taught to lay in the landing area of a triple. You can't "make yourself paralyzed" until the next bike lands on you. Yes others are taught not to move a downed rider with a possible spinal cord injury (those who are unconscious or have lost feeling), but no one should lay in the middle of the track if they can move.
Trust me I am one of the most hard headed people in the world. Like I said, I formed an arm chair QB opinion, THEN talked to the people involved, and THEN formed another opinion. How is that hard headed? I have absolutely nothing to gain from this stance. I would ask each of you if you have indeed listened to Dr. Bodnar's interview and even Zach's (is that better 323MX)? If not, do yourself a favor and take 15 minutes and listen. Read that again.....listen. listen....listen....
We gotta get this 323 guy on the pulp show for an interview!!
ASAP
Come on matthes
@jesus
I am not saying that science has not been wrong but I trust the judgement of a team of trained professionals more than some of the keyboard warriors (not you) who think they know everything.
I think what went on in this case was that Zach Bell was showing no signs of problems that would severely affect his safety and health. The decision was most likely in the hands of team officials, family and, bell himself.
To the people saying bell is a disgrace for this, give your head a shake!
These professionals also worked face to face with Bell and have a much better understanding of his post crash condition than people watching from TV or sidelines.
Boy there are alot of medical personnel who comment on these boards.. and they can make a great medical exam from just watching TV.. WOW!!!! Maybe we can get some of these great medical minds on curing Cancer.. And curing dumb post on this site..I will take the Doctors opinion thank you..
Should Ashley have been allowed to race the rest of the WMX after she got her 7th concussion?
Note: I'm just asking the question and not giving a opinion. I wanted to hear what people on here think. I have heard people say no, but because of unconfirmed reasons.
@RX Virtual Trainer, the pulp interviews are exactly why I think we need to be skeptical of the science behind current concussion diagnosis (and/or lack thereof). Zach and many riders have indicated that if the Doc doesn't hold them back, they will be racing... which in many people's mind's translates into "The doctor told me I'm ok"... do you see the difference?
I really don't understand why the Asterisk guys don't go into more detail in these interviews about what is known about concussions. In creating awareness they would also be explaining that the jury is still out on concussion science, and it's very much a judgement call...
I imagine you missed my above post, but it's a good read:
http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/8297794/neuropsychological-testing-concussions-not-panacea
"Through amazing marketing, the ImPACT guys have made their name synonymous with testing," says William Barr, an associate professor of neurology and psychiatry at New York University and former team neuropsychologist for the New York Jets. "But there's a growing awareness that ImPACT doesn't have the science behind it to do what it claims it does."
Yet a study -- really a study of studies -- published last year in Current Sports Medicine Reports reviewed the entire span of research on ImPACT and concluded: "[T]he false positive rate appears to be 30 percent to 40 percent of subjects of ImPACT … the false negative rate may be comparable. … The use of baseline neuropsychological testing … is not likely to diminish risk, and to the extent that there is a risk associated with 'premature' return-to-play … may even increase that risk."
Thank you SpeedShifter!! Obviously your the only person in here to throw a leg over a bike and hit the GROUND HARD. I'm sure nobody in here knows what that FEELS LIKE but you. Apparently the JACKASS in here is you.
Just because Bell crashed again doesn't mean his riding was impaired because of a concussion. He was cleared to ride using industry-standard protocols. He crashed again.
Plus, red flagging a race has more to do with the position on the track and the safety of the injured rider, the crew, and other riders than it does the severity of the injury. In addition, checking out someone for possible spinal injuries after a major crash takes time and no competent medic is just going to let the rider get up and walk away even if it turns out later that nothing's wrong.
I think Feld and Asterisk both made the right call even if Bell did go out and crash again. Subsequent tests may, however, that he did sustain a concussion, but there's no way to tell in the field. He did pass the field tests available to the medics and should have been allowed to race.
My first reaction when hitting the deck on a track: GET THE FAWK OFF THE TRACK!
He laid in the dirt in an awkward position for a long time without even moving a millimeter. He didn't even wiggle a single finger on his hands. NO WAY he was awake thinking, "I'll just lay here for a minute and take inventory here on the landing of this triple jump".
I thought he was either out cold or paralyzed from the neck down.
I couldn't believe he was allowed to ride.
I'm really glad he was allowed to ride. The Asterisk crew did the right thing.
The great thing the Asterisk crew does at every event is to not allow a bunch of bleeding heart sissies to ride at all. The Asterisk crew restricts them to remedial keyboard riding on message boards, when they're not protesting on Wall Street or falsifying votes.
@Jesus, I agree that the ImPACT test (as does Bodnar, Casillas, and every other medical professional on the planet) is not the be-all end-all de facto test on concussions. That is why they (the medical staff) do other things like talk the rider, use other tests (SCAT 2), rely on the history of the rider (Asterisk medics know these riders better than they know themselves), and finally their knowledge and intelligence as a doctor. Again, Dr. Bodnar clearly states this in his interview.
To quote your article, "Concussion is increasingly recognized as a very complicated and complex injury that is best dealt with using multiple modalities. ImPACT is not designed to be used 'in and of itself,' but rather as part of an overall strategy that includes a clinical evaluation by an expert, a vestibular evaluation (including visual processing and balance) and neurocognitive assessment (ImPACT)." THIS IS EXACTLY HOW ASTERISK USES THE TEST.
"The bottom line is this: Neuropsychological testing in general, and ImPACT in particular, can be part of an overall exam. Any athlete suspected of having a concussion needs to see a healthcare professional trained extensively to deal with brain injury and not just trained to administer a test. Those professionals should examine athletes' symptoms, balance and medical history along with his or her cognitive function and should have the final say in return-to-play decisions in the interests of athletes' long-term health. "The confluence of symptom assessment, balance assessment, physical assessment, neurocognitive assessment and clinical interview is the 'best practice' approach," says Philip Schatz, professor of psychology at St. Joseph's University." THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT ASTERISK MEDICS DO.
Do any of you brain surgeons on this board know anything about skin cancer? I have this funny looking mole that I need a second opinion on....
This summer I was in staging and a kid next to me was teling his friend that he crashed so hard in his last moto he doesn't remember anything from the day prior to the crash. I Made polite conversation with him and he seemed okay. I told him (in a nice way) he should be real carefull because if he crahes again it could be a lot worse, because he is more susceptible to brain injury now. I don't know where these guys get these attitudes towards injury from....
"2), rely on the history of the rider (Asterisk medics know these riders better than they know themselves"
And the history of this kid is; major crashes, broken back, etc.....
So it's his first race in SX and they already know him better than he knows himself?????
Sorry it didn't sound right when I read that
@RX Virtual Trainer, I'm not hatin on anyone so no need to yell, and I'm glad we can agree on what Asterisk does.
My main point is the way riders interpret the Asterisk crew. Like a pitbull, a real racer wants to race, but Bodnar's decision is whether or not he's going to stop the racer from racing.
Yet, typically in the racer's mind if he is not stopped, that is equivalent to being OK.
Eg:
Zach's friends are running around on twitter saying "the doctor said he was fine, so he's fine".
But Doc's job is not like a parents in that he's looking out for all around well-being, he's just using the science to determine if he's going to say "NO, you are unsafe to ride". This is far different from saying you are 100% good to go.
This is a fine nuance I am describing, with potentially huge implications.
I'm sure you understand what I'm trying to say, really we're on the same page... I just think the public needs more concussion awareness in order to properly understand the paradigm from which the a doctor's advice comes from.
And speaking of listening, JT$ made some excellent points on the BTO podcast yesterday.
All around great podcast too!
In the last fight between Joe Frazier and Cassius Clay Joe's trainer Eddie Futch threw in the towel after the 14th round, even though Joe was leading in points and begged him no to, because, he said he didn't want to see Joe get hurt bad.
He said in a interview that Joe never said anything about it after the fight though.
The worse part is Clay had told his corner to cut his gloves off because he was quiting, but Futch threw the towel in before they knew Clay was quiting.
Perhaps the greatest contribution of the Asterisk team is to teach hundreds of thousands of people that the word is ASTERISK, not ASTRICK or ASS TRICK. Hard to believe how many people can't say ASTERISK.
I can hear the Asterisk crew telling a rider, "When you're out there on that track, jump anything you want, it's YOUR ASS TO RISK...but I can't let you ride now because you have a head injury, and if I did let you ride it would by MY ASS TO RISK." Hence the name, ASS TO RISK, a.k.a. ASTERISK. It's not that hard to say Asterisk, people!
In spite of some attacks and name calling, this has been in interesting thread. In the end, if the medical crews conduct appropriate tests and if there is a pass, it then falls to the team manager and parents to make a call (not the rider who scrambled their brains).
Bell went out for the season at his first MX race. He almost died in his first SX race. Though he made it in the LCQ, he again crashed and hit his head in the Main. Bell is 3 for 4 in getting seriously hurt in his pro career. Someone with unscrambled brains needs to look out for the interests of this kid before he turns himself into an ink-spot on the track.
Mike Alessi got medical clearance to race Colorado 14 days after surgical repair of his patella. Though cleared medically, I believe the consensus was that was crazy and he had no business on the track. Caleb Moore at X-Games was medically cleared and then collapsed and later died. How about Josh Lichtle, where was decision making there? There is a bigger picture here and that is failure of people surrounding an athlete to make sound decisions based on rational (not medical) thought.
Now my 2 bits, I have crashed pretty darn hard at times, Sometimes I could not move because I could not even breath, so I did not move, I knew not to move also and as someone said above even when you cant breath cause the wind was knoked out of you it does not mean you had a concussion? I know I have had enough of them and even then I could move myself of of the track.
Yes there are a lot of keyboard racers here on this site. Also a lot of people that have been there and done that.
I dont think any of us have the right to second guess the Medical crew. They dont care who you are or how fast you are supposed to be!
I don't think the medical crew failed, I think Honda and his parent's failed. Yes, he is eighteen but someone needs to give him sound advice.
I came on here last year when Bell was starting his pro career and ppl were pumping him up. I'll say the same thing again. Been watching him since his 60's days. He needs 20lbs to be a factor. Fast as hell but out of control racer. When he got that honda ride i said he'll holeshot alot because he's 120lbs and will put down great laps then human lawn dart. Doesn't have the muscle to back up his will. He is unreal fast and talented. But I don't think he's finished a year uninjured in forever. No dis on him just the facts. One flaw of the amateur ranks. Small kids on support rides have an advantage. Aka Mike Alessi. AC has benifited from this too. I hope he grows cus he is uber talented too. But if you stay small there is too much hp in those hills and too many pple who can handle it.
NEXT JS7 post !
let,s face the fact of the matter. he was out cold. when i saw it happening i was thinkin he might be dead right there. hitting his head sooo hard and snapping his neck to the right looked almost like a career ending or life ending blow. made me sick in my stomach to see that. how he passed the concussion test is a big mystery. cause you ain,t all there and don,t remember squat. the professionals that are there every week know how to do their jobs. the riders rely on their expertise week in and week out. this time however leaves a bid ? mark on the concussion test. the young rider most likely should of been sidelined for the remainder of the evening. proof in the pudding. just as bad the second time. a person can make u believe that their ok cause they want to be out in the fight sooo badly that they lie to themselves to make it happen. hope he is doing well and has a gr8 carreer. just don,t make it a short one....
Unbelievable negativity here. Fact 1. Zach Bell crashed spectacularly in the heat race while leading, and we all wondered if he was still alive.
Fact 2. He was cleared to ride in the LCQ - and succeeded getting into the the main.
Fact 3. Anybody's who's ever ridden an MX track knows that making the main in SX is not a fluke - it's an absolutely amazing amount of mental/physical skill executed excellently.
Fact 4. Zach Bell was running race pace in the main, made an error on a very technical track, over-jumping onto a table and proceeded to crash.
Fact 5. Several people think he shouldn't have raced because of possible consequences of the heat race crash, BUT HE ACTUALLY DID QUITE WELL.
Fact 6. Zach Bell is living the dream despite some peoples complaints - and will be going for it again in Atlanta!
@StanGale, I do think the comments are not negative toward Bell. I think the consensus is that people are expressing genuine concern for the kid given what has happened to him in the last 9 months of his pro career.
As to his performance, I played football in college during the 80’s. I cannot tell you how many times guys got knocked out cold, returned to the game, played stellar, and then when the game was over asked where they were. They had no idea where they were, what school they played for, the names of family members, or anything else – but they played great post concussion. I think we can agree, the science of head injuries is continuing to evolve and the long term consequences of concussions is really bad.
I was at the race, in the VIP seats, so I was very close to the crash. Bell was L I M P. I was VERY fearful for him. When he came back out in the LCQ and then the main I was extremely surprised. In the end, I would say that the rider needs to make the final call whether they can race or not. They know their bodies better than anyone.
JonR thats why I stressed this isn't a dis. Everyone is so sensitive about who they like they disreguard the facts.Bell is super fast and living the dream. But too small for the hpower and his will to go fast.He keeps it up at this pace it will be only a dream. When laps lead and dnf's are even on a factory team and you have no mechanical dnf's you have to take a hard look. Don't think he's raced a full season in years. I feel the way its going in 5 yars ppl will be saying you remember that fast kid? The answer will be Ohh yeah I think so. Didn't he lead half a national as a rookie. Wonder if he still rides?
Eddie, you and the crew are doing a great job. The fact that SX is on the leading edge in validation of head trauma for professional athletes is a magnificent accomplishment.
I wish the mainstream press would focus a bit more on what you guys have done for the racers and how you are at the leading edge of the systematic analysis of head injuries.
My thanks go out to you and Dr. Bodner and Dr. Christopher and all the other medical personal that help make the races better and the racers safer.
Thank you Eddie.
The next round is on me.
cheers
No one in the right mind who's ever raced would believe that he consciously laid there on the track, awake, thinking about not moving. I mean, that's just so untrue it's funny. I've seen guys do just about anything to get off the track... roll, crawl with one hand, shout for help. But I've never seen anyone lay on a race track on purpose, knowing there were other bikes coming. No. He might THINK that's what happened - because in truth, he has no clear memory of it. He was out, and we're all thankful it wasn't worse. Because it looked worse.
IF he was tested, and allowed to ride - I would say that is 100% proof that the system does not work.
I would like to know what the Asterisk Med Crew's explanation of what Zach Bell was doing then as he laid there not moving at all for the length of time he did. Was he just relaxing? I don't think so. He was unconscious. What racer lays on the track in a spot like that knowing he could get landed on by another bike. You say "Bell himself said he wasn't knocked out" Guess what folks... he lied so he could get out there and race again! It was a very bad call by the Asterisk crew to let him race again that night. I suggest in the future they look at race footage too in assessing the condition of a downed rider. All in all I think the Asterisk crew does an excellent job, but everyone makes mistakes. Zach was wearing the brand new 6D Helmet which is supposed to be heads and tails better at protecting your head from concussions. I hope this wasn't some kind of cover up to prevent any bad press in regards to the 6D helmet.
This is absolutely pathetic what most of the commenters are saying. StanGale said it perfectly. He crashed really, really hard in his heat race. Everybody saw how bad the crash was. They probably played it like a thousand times on the big screen in the stadium so you guys seriously think that the Asterisk guys (are are mostly medical doctors) just put him through a standardized test and so "great he is all good."
NOO. He probably remembered everything from during the crash, before the crash and after the crash. He probably showed NO signs of having had a concussion. Otherwise they would have said no.
And as said before, it's not like they said "ok you are good to go" and he went out in the LCQ and boner aired it off the first jump because he forgot what he was doing. He finished an entire LCQ PERFECTLY FINE. Even more confirming he did not have a concussion.
There is absolutely no way to confirm that his crash in the main was due to having hit his head earlier. That was a very normal crash and it is his first sx race. He is going to make mistakes. Correlation does not equal causation!! Just because two things happened it doesn't mean one caused the other.
He could have very easily had that exact same crash in the main had he not crashed in his heat race.
And PLEASE stop talking so badly about the Asterisk guys. That is an amazing group of extremely smart people. They aren't your average Joe EMT that is at your local practice track. Most of them are doctors who, like he said, have jobs at home as doctors and they give their time to come out and make sure our sport is as safe as possible. To say things like "they are a joke" is pathetic. You need to take a serious look in the mirror. Who other than a group of ER physicians, ortho surgeons and experienced athletic trainers could do a better job out there? Ask any of the actual pro riders. They love the Asterisk guys because they KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING. But oh wait, actually that guy leaving comments on Racer X's website learned something in his high school biology class about bleeding brains or something and he therefore knows more than physicians who specialize in this field...