The motocross community remembers Aidan Jingin at the national championships
Aidan Jingi, a 16-year-old rising star, died in a race collision in June. The motocross community remembers the impact on riders and his sport.
Hurricane Mills, Tennessee – 42 teenagers in helmets and colorful uniforms pushed their dirt bikes to the starting line.
They are about 1,000 riders and must be at least four years old for the race. The site is a ranch in Loretta Lynne, about 70 miles west of Nashville, and is home to the Monster Energy Ama Amateur National Motocross Championship, the most famous event in amateur motocross.
This was the first day of the race at the 44-year-old’s annual event held from July 28th to August. In the two events, teens revolved the engines of a 250cc motorcycle built to soar the jump and tear a 1.1 mile dirt truck. Since 2008, it has been considered among the safer tracks of amateur motocross, despite the death of three riders from injuries during the race.
The field has been filled up again this year, organizers said like 42 gates that riders burn in the sun before the first 250 B race of the week.
Organizers resisted the call to empty one gate in tribute to 16-year-old rising star Aidan Jingin, who passed away on June 28th in a crash during a race at Lake Mammoth, California. Zingg won the Supermini 2 National Championship last year and graduated to 250B this year.
“No, that’s not how it works here,” says Tim Cotter, director of MX Sports. “The next guy, he’s going to the gate.”
Zingg’s official homage was a hype video made by Kawasaki, sponsoring Zingg, who performed at the opening ceremony the night before practice began.
Zingg’s Life Celebration took place on Monday, August 18th near his family’s home in Hemet, California. The event at Loretta Lynn’s ranch was a chance to understand the impact of his death.
Chris Wood, the father of a 15-year-old genius, said he felt compelled to talk to his son, Carson after Zing’s fatal crash.
“I told him, you have the option to stop, this is your decision,” Chris Wood told USA Today Sports. “He puts his life at risk every time he rides that dirt bike, so there must be a point that must be his choice, not mum or dad.”
The waiting time for 250 Class B has ended.
The gate has fallen. The bike has been released. The rider jumped out of the line.
Carson Wood was among them.
There’s no time to lose
There are 39 riders wearing decals that include Zingg’s initials and his riding number.
“It definitely hits your mind, man, do you really want to do this? Is it worth it?” Carson Wood told USA Today Sports. “But once you’ve ever been into sports, it’s really hard to just go back and stop that easily.”
Zingg won his first AMA National Championship last year, helping to secure a two-year sponsorship deal with Kawasaki. Such a deal can live your dreams for a child who might otherwise be priced from the race. Race bikes can easily cost over $10,000, gear costs around $1,000, and high octane race fuel costs over $20 per gallon. Not to mention the transportation costs to reach the race.
“It’s a very expensive sport,” Zingg’s father Bob told USA Today Sports.
Carson Wood’s parents Chris and Jaclyn said funding their son’s motocross career has led to electricity and phones being shut down, one of the cars being seized and other bills being left unpaid.
“Yeah,” said Chris Wood. “scared.”
When Carson Wood was old enough to collect bonuses by winning the race, his parents began saying, “I can’t afford to lose.”
“Every time I win, food is the way I get on the table, and that’s how I pay rent and that’s what it is,” Carson Wood said. “So if I didn’t win, it really hurt us a lot, so I had no choice but to win.”
At Loretta Lynnes, Carson Wood scored one of his six races, smashing the middle finger and making the same decision as ever to help his family pay their bills. He was able to run professionals next year as well.
“Yeah, this sport is definitely dangerous,” he said. “Your life is on the line every time you put your foot on that bike. There’s not much you can do other than just train and stay smart.”
There’s too much power
Zingg’s death was not due to the fast speed. The crash took place on a turn. But nonetheless, it has spurred discussions on safety concerns, including the development of airbag vests, and injuries prevention measures.
Zingg’s mother, Shari, said he had died of a tamponade in the heart. This can be caused by blunt trauma. Zingg’s autopsy report is not complete. According to the Mono County Sheriff’s Office, which serves MammothLakes and handles autopsies.
The safety debate in motorcross focuses on the increasingly competitiveness of larger and faster bikes by younger riders.
The Zingg was on a 250. The fastest dirt bike is 450, and can reach over 80 mph.
The issue surfaced at Loretta Lynn’s ranch when the event organizers met representatives from nine motorcycle manufacturers: Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki, Cobra, KRM, Gas Gas, Husqvana, victory. They discuss a lot of issues and there doesn’t seem to be anything to unite groups like the 450 debate.
“I hate that bike,” someone said in the crowded room. “I think it’s too much power.”
When the meeting ended, the group appeared to agree. Riders under the age of 18 should not be allowed to race at the 450.
Mike Burkun, deputy racing director for the American Motorcycle Association (AMA), which sanctions Loretta Lynn’s events, later said the sentiment at the meeting doesn’t necessarily lead to change. At least not before a long process.
This idea should be submitted to a committee of 30 people making the proposal. This requires you to make suggestions, post online for public comments, then discuss and vote.
Part of the process evaluates how changes to rules will affect manufacturers financially.
“I think it’s always going to be a part of it,” Burkun said.
The first broken bone
Zingg began riding dirt bikes with his father when he was five years old.
The youngest riders at Loretta Lynn’s are 4-6.
Breton Gonzalez, 8, of Northern California, looked like a comparison veteran. He wore mullets and held a hand-painted red, white and blue helmet that Ever Niebel proudly wore.
“It’s just fun,” Gonzalez said when asked why he was riding.
Don’t worry about him breaking his right arm this year in a motocross accident.
“The first bone broke,” said Gonzalez’s father, Brandon. “He’s always been on a bike with a cast.”
Meredith Lloyd of Bethesda, Maryland, was standing near Cody May Lloyd, her six-year-old daughter, who began racing at the age of four, according to her mother.
“In the RV before we head out, we’ll cover her with prayers,” Meredith Lloyd said, adding that her husband raced the ATV and she came from the racing family. “As soon as she could walk, she started a small bike, but she had no fear.”
Trip Roberts, 6, and Cody Roberts, 8, of Dallas, were with Suzanne, a nurse whose husband had been riding motocross. She saw Trip preparing for the race.
“I work in healthcare so I might be the best moto mom or the worst mom,” Suzanne Roberts said with a smile. “My kids always laugh and don’t go to mom unless it’s broken because I don’t have much sympathy for them.
“We want to instill perseverance in them, and that’s the number one thing in the moto community.”
She said Cody broke his femur two years ago.
“I didn’t know if he wanted to ride again,” Suzanne Roberts said. “He asked me to ride my bike and said, ‘I’m starting to do that.’ It was great to see him overcome that fear. ”
“Unfortunately, it’s part of the sport.”
Chris Canning, a 31-year-old rider from Connecticut, took part in the trailer, which serves as headquarters for Loretta Lynn’s, with braces on both his wrists and unstable walking.
He joined the event’s top staff. He chased him after watching online video of canned food slamming with a jump and plunging into the ground. The organizers said they wanted to understand what happened and decided to adjust the track to avoid the risk of another accident in the jump.
According to Canning, his injuries included a fractured rib bone, a fractured scapula, a cont bone in the right lung and blood in the lungs.
“This isn’t going to stop me,” Canning told USA Today Sports.
He didn’t keep track or sports the ones responsible for the latest crash. He and the officials agreed that bumps would develop on the track during the day of the race and lead to a wreck. The truck is adjusted and the canned food is once again soothed.
“Last year, I blew this wrist away, so I was off all year round,” he said. “Unfortunately, it’s part of the sport.”
Despite his broken wrist, Canned said he drove to a nearby hospital because he was worried about a chest injury. Medical services are also available on-site.
During the 15-minute period at Loretta Lynnes, three riders who fell during the same race were brought into the tent center. He complained about wearing an oxygen mask and having trouble swallowing it. Another person broke his leg. The third one sat in the ice bath and looked vaguely. All three riders were treated correctly, paramedic Carol Dempsey said he was helping to run the operations.
She also said she treated 40 fractures during the six-day event. That included Carson Wood breaking his middle finger, but still winning his final race.
“We had a relatively safe week at the ranch,” said Cotter of MX Sports. “By the weekend, we had only taken two athletes to the hospital. And as of Monday morning, no one was in the hospital. Once we’ve had over 30,000 laps, I think it’s a successful event.”
And as Cotter said before the event began, “Motorsport is inherently dangerous. We can’t make it safe. If it’s safe, it’s like a shuffleboard.”
(This story has been updated to change the video.)
