Casualties

Spoken to some of our wounded this weekend to get up dates on their current status, starting with Vince Kinchin, who is still upbeat and after kicking up a fuss with the NHS has managed to get an appointment with a hand specialist in trauma on Monday 24th November which is a vast improvement on the February date he had been given, so hopefully he can start to get his rehab on the move again.
These things are never straightforward; on top of having to get heavy with the NHS he has had to chase the insurance company and having to keep a close eye on them as they are also making things as difficult as they can.

Gareth Winterburn is still stiff and sore after all the work he has had with skin grafts and work on nerves, he has been going to physio twice a week which he said has been helpful but expects this to carry on for a further 6 months, he is hoping to return to work in a couple of weeks on light duties but not 100% sure that he will be fit enough.
He is still enthusiastic and plans to start driving in local meetings in 2009, as well as riding as passenger with dad Rod in the big meetings, he said that he packed up riding solo’s to passenger dad but would also like to have another go when he can.

Carl Pugh is still suffering and his progress is slow, he has 3 broken vertebrae which has meant wearing a brace, however, this has caused further pain and suffering as the hospital had overlooked that Carl had also cracked some ribs, where he was pulling the brace tight it caused the ribs to break which is very painful and potentially dangerous, this really was caused by a lack of communication, typical of the NHS.
The back is not healing that well and Carl is going back to hospital this Friday for x-rays, they are considering injecting a substance which Carl explained was like cement to help support the back, however he is very dubious about the treatment and is unsure if he would be happy to go through with it.

Carl is unable to undergo physio therapy as he still has to wear the brace and until it is removed he can’t do too much, he has put on about a stone in weight which he thinks may not be a bad thing, he is getting round the house at the moment hanging on to everything like banisters and window seals, he doesn’t expect to be back to work until well after Christmas and this will have to be light duties as he works as a production welder and isn’t expected to be able to do this for about 12 months. The light duties will have to be on day shift, whereas he usually works shifts, so even when he gets back to work it will be on less money so it will be tough for a long time.
However, after all that he has gone through he is still keen to race again, as he said, he is frustrated and feels that he and Steve still have a Championship winning performance in them. The accident happened at the Gold cup at Kings Lynn on the 10th of August where they hit the fence which I can tell you is solid, Steve also tore Knee ligaments and popped his collarbone which also needs an operation.

Phil Stoneman, also on the injury list, is still in hospital after his accident at the Masters also back in August, which seemed to be a key month for injuries, Phil had a bad accident whilst passengering for Richard Thomas, he has had about two weeks out of hospital in all this time and has undergone 7 operations on his Ankle, which he dislocated and had an open fracture, he also smashed the ankle cup which has been rebuilt, they have also had to pin the tibia through the ball of his foot, which could mean that he will have permanent restriction in the movement in his Ankle, this is very basic info on his treatment, he has had grafts and all sorts which have left Phil in lots of pain and discomfort, he expects to be in hospital for at least another two weeks and will be back to work at the earliest by Easter. Phil is in The Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital and would appreciate the odd call from his mates and any concerned Grasstrack people, his number is 07790301710.

Phil’s wife, Mandy, is having a tough time looking after the two children, running the home making ends meet and supporting Phil in Hospital. They don’t seem to have had much support and considering they are part of a family with a long-standing pedigree in the sport, it surprises me. So come on everyone, spare a thought for these guy’s, Phil has been entertaining us for years now riding as passenger not only on a 1000 sidecar but also on a 500 with Tony Cook, his son Nathan also rides so he, Mandy and family are Grasstrack people through and through and can always be seen around the tracks supporting our great sport, unfortunately this may prove to be the end of Phil’s career as his surgeon has advised him not to race again but I’m sure we will all still see him, Mandy and the kid’s around the Grasstrack’s in 2009.

I still haven’t been able to get in contact with Nigel Shaw, George Penfold or the marshal that has been injured but I will try to get some info for next week.

After speaking to these guy’s and taking into account my own experiences, the main things that seem apparent is the lack of financial support that is available from employment and state benefits, the short comings of the NHS are also a real problem.

Nearly every one I speak to are not adequately insured which leaves the family to really struggle in the event of serious accident and with the lack of income and finances stretched it’s nearly impossible to pay for private medical treatment so the time off work is lengthened.

I have been looking at insurance plans that are available, the one that is mostly used is the one by CICA, I have this one myself and found it to be really helpful and it does pay out. Recently, Gary Radley put a posting on the forum about a plan that he has and said, after having the CICA policy, found this to be a better plan, he put some information on the forum but I thought I would research it properly myself.

What I found is that they both offer good cover but the benefits are different and suit different circumstances. The CICA offers better hospitalisation benefits and payments for fractures and invasive surgery as well as income benefits available throughout the term of the plan, although the level of income is restricted to a lower level than the alternative insurer.

The other insurer is a company called insurety which is underwritten by Hamilton, the income benefits are restricted at a much higher level and the hospitalisation benefits are linked to the level of income protection you choose, but offers no fracture or invasive surgery cover, it is also restricted on the term of cover as the payment of benefits is only available for 12 or 24 months.

To get the much higher benefits of the insurety policy, you would have to pay considerably more than the CICA plan but they have a clause that if you hold a plan for at least 12 years without claiming, they will fully refund your premiums.

I spoke to a rep from Insurety asking him for information because I wanted to be sure that it would pay for motor cycle racing which he confirmed it would, however, when I said what I was doing and comparing it with the CICA he was quite aggressive with his sales pitch and said that the CICA policy was not very good and his policy was much better, must admit I found him a bit aggravating.

I have looked at both of these plans and found them both to be really good but each will suite some people and circumstances better than the other.
If you contact them and chat to a rep, I would say don’t listen to the negatives that they will inevitably tell you about the other plan, just listen to details of what they offer and compare them to your own circumstances and what benefits you feel more appropriate to your needs.

As an Independent Financial Adviser, I had a bit of an advantage because I deal with this sort of thing and people every day in my working life but some could be a bit misled by the salesman, if anyone is looking at setting up one of these insurances for next year, which I would strongly advise after seeing the consequences at close quarters this year, I would be happy to help and offer advice, I know both these plans inside out now, I would be confident to say that I have as much knowledge of them as the advisers selling them.

For the CICA phone 0800 1697733 if you speak to them they can put you in touch with the local Rep, for the Insurety plan call Gary on 07901853166 and he will point you in the right direction for the rep able to advise on their plan.

So remember when your planning next seasons racing and setting budgets, firstly make sure that if you have an accident both you and your family would be able to cope financially, before anything, check benefits from work, join Grasa and insure yourself, if your reading this and you’re a supporter, partner, sponsor parent or mechanic remember to talk to your rider and encourage them to do it, when they say “I can’t afford it “your answer is can you afford not to.

Even Buster has had to be insured, he has now been found to have another injury to his other leg, having torn ligaments and a dislocated Patella talk about copy cat he seems to be copying my injuries.

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Well that’s all from me for another week, I look forward to seeing every one at the Karting and can’t wait to hear your stories and receive your votes for rider of the year.
I hope you have found this both entertaining and informative.

Remember be careful out there.

Trevski.

Page 3 18th Nov.

The one stop shop is coming along nicely Simon Brown and James Rogers have been working hard to get the product lines in place and getting the one stop shop operational. They say that they should be ready to launch within the next few weeks.
They have stated that once fully operational they will provide the most comprehensive range of products and services available for track racing in the UK.

Products stocked so far include:

They are offering 10% discounts on Blixt and BZ Carbs ordered before Christmas as well as good deals on Zeal Detonator Goggles.

The guy’s really mean business and are determined to make this a success, as soon as it goes live they will inform every one of the web address, there are hundreds of other products being added daily.
Sounds a really good idea and will benefit everyone.

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Charity Karting

That time of year has come at last and Mitch once again has put together a fantastic line up for the event on Sunday; see his posting with a full list of names. I still can’t see past Mitch’s team the Donut Dodgers for the win with Mitch, Ian Curley, Dyno Sargeant and the infamous Johno, they not only possess flare and a high level of skill they have a steely toughness about them that is frightening.

Of course, even though I can’t drive myself, I have two entries competing with Team 77 and Trevski’s B team, Team 77 have been unlucky to date, last year it all seemed to be in the bag until disaster struck and we were taken out and needed a replacement Kart, this year although still a strong team we have lost our main man Dyno to the Donut Dodger’s Darren has been the fastest driver round Buckmore for the last 2 years he is awesome and I would bet he will make it a hat trick and finally get the win his driving has deserved.

There are some real stars entered with regulars the Fun Bus Team that includes Glen Philips, Karden Racers regular competitors who always do well. The best 1000 Sidecar driver of all time ever (my opinion) Steve Dewison has entered.
We also have ex Arena captain Colin White along with Speedway legend Andy Galvin, up and coming speedway rider and Lakeside Mascot Rhys Naylor and snooker legend Steve Davis (obviously not the Steve Davis his just Ok at Snooker really) in the CW Race Products team.
Team Renegade also looks good packed with legends with Andrew Appleton, John Hiscock, Simon Beaney and Carl Bell.

There are too many to mention but just look at Mitch’s posting it really is a must see event and remember it is for a fantastic cause and will help all the guys that are having a rough time and with only 29 shopping days left till Christmas, it could be getting even worse for them, come along and support this event you will have a great time see all your favourite riders at play and help a good cause what could be better.

Your injured riders need you

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LTR Appreciation Society

After my story about my mate Kev and our LTR’s, I’ve had a few call’s and mails from people who remember these good looking machines saying how many fond memories they have of theirs, I have included an email I had from Giles Dismore of Red Spanner Racing who is sponsoring Ben Isley this year and has been involved in Grasstrack in one way or another from the early 70’s, he understood fully mine and Kev’s infatuation with our shiny steed’s and has included a couple of fantastic shots of his pride and joy a very good example of the Hagon LTR, enjoy.

Hagon LTR's

Hi Trevski,
Love the column, thanks for the “young guns” mention of Ben in the previous pursuit. I was moved to hit the keyboard after reading the LTR episode…nearly wet my self. I to was seduced by the ally framed beauty, I wanted one sooo bad it hurt, I eventually got one toward the end of my previous Grasstrack incarnation (1980). Best of all with a DOHC Weslake, together with my first Bewley box! That was when the shares in Solvol Autosol got into the top 100 and I guess you were helping to. I attach a couple of pic’s of the restored bike, as a self confessed LTR lover you may feel free to dribble!!!”
Best Regards,

 Giles Dismore

Thanks Giles, what a lovely example, if any one else would like to send pic’s or stories about a love affair you’ve had with a bike either past or present or if you have had a secret crush on a competitors or even worse your best mates machine just drop me a line and I would be happy to include it in the column.

I must admit I had a crush once on a bike in the 70’s; I used to have naughty dreams about riding it around tracks all over the country, places like Stisted, Bocking, Romney Marsh and even Rochester Airport. It was the Seiger ridden by the likes of my Hero’s, Chris Baybutt and Mick Adlington, even Vic Cross had one he wasn’t a bad rider but if he could have one why not me, it made me a very jealous person in those days and I could hardly hide my lustful feelings, I would just have to be sat in a pit box along side one and I would go all shy and feel my palms go sweaty and cheeks glowing red.

I never did actually get to ride one, I nearly brought one from Mick Adlington once but he wanted about £600 and for a young teenager on about £45 a week it was an impossible dream, I had to be satisfied with my fantasies.

This picture show’s how much I wanted Mick’s Seiger, here is my dad chasing him at Stisted trying to persuade him to let me have the bike on the cheap.

Les Steward chasing Mick Adlington on his Seiger

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Rider of the Year

Well this feature is proving to be a fantastic Idea, I am over whelmed by the response, votes are flooding in, I have had to employ help to sift through them and the competition is Fierce, so far we have one rider leading the way and quite a way in front. Er well he has two votes and he is the only rider to have received any so far, step Forward Peter Baker in the upright class, I have known Peter for many years and he is a great bloke and brilliant rider he fully deserves the title of Rider of the year in his class and is looking odds on to win it, unless you disagree and have any ideas yourselves. There are massive prizes up for grabs and so far Peter is on track to take the lot, make space in the Garage mate the lorry is being booked.
Any one wanting to vote for any one other than Pete or indeed vote to keep him in front email me your choice, this is not restricted to just the uprights but every class even including the Left hand sidecars, so come on lads. get those votes in my choice would be Dave Penfold, who would be yours. I look forward to your votes.

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