Should Children Be Road Racing? What Do You Think?

Sandi T
Hard one to answer without upsetting peeps. All i know is they have all the gear and safety is paramount with the organisers. So i leave the choice to the young one they know what they want. And if not on track were there is safety would they be on the streets. I have two now that blast along the path at the rear of my home fly through the bollards and carry on. So quick i don't even get their reg plates. What do you think.
Joe

 

Thats a good piece. Food for thought and I can see both sides of the coin tbh.
Thanks for sharing.

 

Tricky…

Adolescents brains are undergoing a massive rewiring due to puberty and ‘maturing’ - resulting in poor coordination, poor judgment, spatial impairment, higher degree of risk taking, etc the list goes on.

The effects and consequences vary.

Sticking a clumsy, invulnerable chancer on a powerful bike and challenge them to a race would result in a squishy mess…

Others are rock solid and sensible at the same age.

No easy answer.

I’d not be happy for my lads to race (at that age).

 

Yes, absolutely, 100%. I'll wager that young lad was living his dream, certainly no one forced him into it. Doing it this way in a controlled enviroment with the focus on safety is the way to go. As it says in the piece, it was a racing accident, they happen and he was unlucky. How many have drowned so far this year in wild water swimming accidents? Should we ban open water swimming or maybe rock climbing or anything that"s remotely dangerous? You can"t leave kids at home wrapped in cotton wool until they're adults, they have drive and ambition. There's far too much of "he/she can't do this' or he/she shouldn't do that" in the World today IMO.

 

Well said! They'll get their kicks in a more dangerous environment if they weren't allowed to race.

 

It’s probably no more dangerous than allowing kids to ride their bmx bikes through city traffic.

 

It's always sad to hear of a death in racing ,more so when they are only a child, although Hugo Millan was only 14 when he died he had probably been racing bikes for several years and no doubt learnt to ride a bike not long after he could walk. the track is probably the safest place for them to ride their bikes fast but unfortunately freak accidents will happen that have nothing to do with the speed, i guess there is an argument to limit the power of the bikes until they are 16 especially if they don't have a lot of experience, but I'm not convinced that would help

 

Limiting power wouldn't make any difference on the track. Just look at the accident that befell the late great Joey Dunlop. Arguably the most naturally talented road racer ever who raced 1000cc Superbikes at the TT, NW200, Dundrod and numerous other closed road circuits that make a GP circuit look like a 3 lane motorway and he loses his life racing a 125. It's an accepted fact by competitors and fans alike that motorsport is dangerous and accidents can and do happen to anyone.

 

Here in the UK any person under the age of 18 is legally classed as a child, "Adult" means an individual who has attained the age of eighteen years, "child" means an individual who has not attained the age of eighteen years. The current system in place that allows for young people to race is in my view balanced, sensible and exceptionally well regulated, let's not forget that these young people have the backing of their parents/parent who are best judged regarding their welfare both emotional and physical. It is always tragic when any life is lost, especially that of a young person and thoughts go to all those affected. However one only has to look at other sports that have risks, rock climbing and white water kayaking to name 2, the youngest person to climb Mount Everest is 13 years and 10 months, a very serious undertaking, not the most technically difficult but potentially very dangerous. Young people in my humble opinion need to be allowed to follow their dreams. Ride safe all.

 

12 yr olds going 130+ MPH. What could POSSIBLY go wrong?

 

I think the responses that you get to this question will vary greatly depending on where you ask it. People who ride motorcycles, are by definition not very risk adverse. Let’s face it, we enjoy an activity that most people regard as unacceptably dangerous in all its forms.

 

Just out of curiosity,is there an age limit for road racing? i'm thinking it will be more than for racing on a track?

 

Good question, I dont know but you need a licence.

 

The point I was trying to make was there are more hazardous sports than motorcycle racing. I mentioned two examples (climbing and white water kayaking). I have always had a love for adventure and the outdoors, as an active winter mountaineer/climber and white water kayaker along with many other sports, at the age of 12 my son was white water kayaking on grade 4 rivers, aged 15 he was paddling grade 5 rivers aged 16 he accompanied me on some first descents on rivers in the Picos De Europa, at the same time he was an active climber/mountaineer, aged 16 he was climbing E7 grade routes (beyond me by then), setting no less that 30 new routes (in the guide books) in one summer alone, we were regularly kayaking/climbing in the Alps and further afield, winter routes in extreme conditions in Scotland (along with my wife) who loved winter climbing. I led groups of young people along with my wife (girls and boys aged 14 to 16), on some hard Scottish Rivers, the story behind their prior training and development would be to lengthy to detail, it was a huge responsibility. Some people had a view that allowing my son to undertake such dangerous activities at such a young age was irresponsible, he is now an active Cave Diver. My other son has remained active with another (some say risk activity) that only he and I undertake and continue to do so. I describe myself as an ageing rocker and adventurer with a love of motorcycles, my first motorcycle was an ex WW2 despatch riders bike when I was aged 13, and rode it around local farm lanes once I learned how, the guy I bought it off pointed out how to start it, the clutch, gear lever and throttle explained, and then I pushed it home and started on my adventures, everything else came later in my teens, both my sons have motorcycles and we have weekly ride outs together, sometimes 3 times a week, my oldest son then aged 17 and not having passed his motorcycle test bought and had delivered a brand new GSXR 600, was that sensible or irresponsible on my part, he now has a Panigale 1299s, and he also bought a bike to race on the roads, we have all undertaken and passed advanced training for car and motorcycle with regular re tests. I know that racing for young people is a very evocative subject, however I personally would not wish to place further restrictions on a sport they love. I have worked in the CJS for 3 decades (before very recently retiring), working with some of the areas most dangerous offenders including a 5 year secondment to a high risk Prison, the common theme whenever I have interviewed offenders was a lack of male role models at a young age, and a key factor behind the increase in knife crime and gang violence, some young people who do not have the "protective factor" of a father/mother figure, instead look up to drug dealers and gangs. Whilst I am not suggesting if young people did not race motorcycles they would get involved in crime, however where would their passion for motorcycles and racing be channelled. I could have gone either way (there for the grace of god go I) Ride safe all.

 

Hi Andy, you need to first join a club and apply for your ACU licence, then attend a training course, then race as a novice (orange bib) as you progress and get your licence stamped (dependant on results) from club racer to National Level and eventually International Licence, it sounds easy but believe me it is not, you might as well throw money out of the window, take say your Tandragee National Race, tyres alone would cost easily £1500 for the meeting. 2 weeks racing at the TT and the cost is mind blowing.

 

Both Millan and Dupasquier were killed by factors completely out their control. Neither even suspected it was coming.

You put your kid out on that track in that kind of environment, bottom line you're taking a concrete gamble. Be ready for the dice to roll back. It's really that simple.

 

Sandi T
Don't forget your Bicycle and remember how that turned out. In my opinion a very sensible and clever adultwit years of skill.
Joe.

 

where i race you have to have a legal drivers license.

my daughters started racing when they were 18 and 19. my son has just started at 19.

the machines they run top out at 108, but mine goes 135 and im old enough to think about passing it on to them