So what was the problem?
By TMX Archives on 9th Oct 08
JD attempts to clear up the confusion regarding the outside assistance' given to James Stewart...
WE had in the office last week, not surprisingly, quite a few letters, e-mails and phone calls regarding the MX des Nations: more specifically, the ‘outside assistance' given to James Stewart following his crash in the final leg while in the lead. In a nutshell, a marshal was seen (both at the trackside and on TV) to hold steady Stewart's stalled bike while James attempted to kick-start it.
The views of our correspondents ranged from the rabid: "Why wasn't that damned American excluded!” to simple queries as to the rules regarding outside assistance and, some asked, had a precedent been set?
First, I'll give you the FIM rule from their website:
031/MX.11 OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE/ COURSE CUTTING
Riders may not use any starting aid devices (starting blocks, other elevating devices, etc.) at the start.
Any outside assistance on the course is forbidden during the qualifying and /or timed practice(s) and the race(s)/ heat(s) unless it is carried out by a marshal appointed by the organiser carrying out his duty in the interests of safety. The penalty for violation of this regulation is disqualification.
From this you can deduce that yes, there is indeed an FIM rule that can lead to a rider being excluded for receiving outside assistance. BUT, it is qualified by the caveat that a marshal can assist in the interests of safety. Clearly, having a stalled machine and rider on the track is a safety issue (ask any Health and Safety bod!) so the disqualification issue is a non-starter in this specific case.
Incidentally, if anyone wishes to check any FIM rules, just log on to www.fim.ch
I also took the trouble to investigate this specific case still further and contacted ACU MX committee chairman, Brian Higgins, for an official view. Brian told us categorically that before racing, Race Director Dave Nicoll had a meeting with the eight designated Assistant Clerks of the Course and his final instructions regarding incidents on track was to treat everybody the same. It was actually one of the designated Assistant CoCs that eventually stepped in to clear the track by assisting Stewart to start his bike.
Therefore, people should NOT jump to the conclusion that it is OK to jump the barriers and help riders willy nilly!
So that's the straightforward official view.
Personally, I didn't have a problem with the incident. Most of you who contacted us just wanted an official take and I hope that the above clears it up. Others, for reasons that I don't understand, simply wanted to see an American excluded. All I would say to that is, be careful what you wish for. You might dash around and cheer if that happened – but you also reap what you sow – and next time it might be one of our lads getting the benefit... Also, having paid up to get in, I want my money's worth and that means the stars on the track, not watching from the sidelines.
The other thing that screams out to me is – why are the bikes not fitted with electric starters these days. I've said this before I know but surely the days of kick-starting should be decades behind us? Come on – when did you last see someone start a car with a cranking handle. They went out in the 1950s – which is 60-years gone. Yet here we are in the 21st century, 40-years after we put a man on the moon, at the biggest MX event in the world, watching one of the best riders in the world, kicking his insides out on a mechanical starting device. Fast forward the odd lap and repeat the scene with Billy Mac. That must be laughable to Joe Public watching on TV, the man that Youthstream is desperately trying to woo over to watching MX. It reminds him of George Formby in the classic motorcycle comedy ‘No Limits'! Actually, thinking about it, I'd love to see Lewis Hamilton stall his car mid-race and have to run round to the back, insert a starting handle and heave-to cranking... Mercedes would love that publicity!
Also, take a look at MotoGP or World and British Superbike. The accent there is clearly to keep the stars and their bikes out on track. If a bike goes down it is in everyone's interest that it gets back in the race. Bikes have been made much more crash-proof than in the past and officials clearly help get them upright and re-started. As long as safety, both from the marshals and the rider's viewpoint, is paramount this, to me, is a good thing. More and more of the race bikes also retain electric start as they know that should a rider just slide-off he is able to fire it up and get back in the race. Hooray!