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Preliminary Research Finds That Motocross Racers Are Prone to Injury, Despite Safety Equipment
Physical health is extremely important. While there are a number of articles and studies that report the health benefits of running, weightlifting, yoga, and the like, many people prefer more unconventional exercise methods.
Pole dancing can burn up to 485 calories an hour, and motocross can burn between 180 and 250 calories per hour, depending on a person’s size.
But with all forms of exercise, there are risks involved. Despite the health benefits and rush of adrenaline that motocross riders experience on their bikes, the sport is extremely dangerous.
In a recent investigation, doctors and health professionals found that despite helmet use, 85% of the riders that they tracked over 10 years experienced injuries — namely concussions — and one died from his injuries.
The doctors who commissioned the study looked at 35 boys ages eight to 17, who all raced on tracks sanctioned by the American Motorcycle Association. The study was conducted between 2004 and 2014.
Dr. Christopher Arena, the study’s lead author and resident with the Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation at Penn State Health, Hershey Medical Center, said that these findings will hopefully help identify additional safety measures that should be implemented by the sport’s governing body.
“I think the sport is absolutely growing in popularity,” he said.
A former motocross racer himself, Dr. Arena believes that corporate sponsorships and television broadcasting has incited more interest in the sport.
A Florida doctor, however, is not as enthused by the sport’s growing popularity.
Dr. Barbara Pena, research director at the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital emergency department in Miami said that children under 18 shouldn’t do motocross at all.
“A child’s brain is still developing,” said Dr. Pena, “and we don’t really know how much injury a developing brain can take before it causes long-term damage.”
Of the 35 boys surveyed, 49% of them experienced concussions, despite wearing all of the mandated race equipment, including helmets, shatterproof goggles, protective boots and pants, and long-sleeve jerseys.
Additionally, 32 fractures were reported. Broken legs were the most common, but broken arms, collarbones, and ankles were also reported.
Among those who experienced lower extremity fractures, 80% had to undergo surgery.
“If it was my child I probably wouldn’t allow [them to do motocross],” said Dr. Pena.
However, Dr. Arena believes that “the sport can be made safer.” Improved helmet design and rule changes to the sport that emphasize the risk of head injury are just two things he suggests to make the sport safer.
The findings were presented on Sunday, Oct. 23, at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics, in San Francisco. However, these results have yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal. In the meantime, the results should be considered preliminary.
Ingles Performance riders cap stellar season on the podium in Malone
Leo Patenaude
MALONE, N.Y. (Mar. 25, 2014) – In one of the most dominant overall team performances witnessed in nearly a decade, the snowmobile snocross athletes of Ingles Performance/Ski-doo landed on the podium again last weekend at the 2014 East Coast Snocross (ECS) season finale.
The event was held on Friday night and Saturday at the beautiful Titus Mountain Family Ski Center. This was the tenth round of what has been a grueling, yet very rewarding winter for everyone involved with the veteran snocross squad based in Phoenix, New York.
On Friday night, Ingles-sponsored rider Leo Patenaude, of Hartland, VT, competed in Pro Open after winning Pro Lite and finished an impressive second behind Lincoln Lemieux. Ingles rider Kevin Wallenstein, of Cadillac, MI, was also on hand after his successful campaign in ISOC and filled out the podium in third.
Quebec native Danny Poirier capped one of the best seasons in his lengthy career with second place in Saturday’s final. That locked up
Danny Poirier
Poirier’s fourth Pro title (2004, 2009, 2012, and now 2014) and gives Ingles/Ski-doo reason to brag. Poirier, 34, is like a fine wine – he keeps getting better with age. Ingles rider Mathieu Morin capped a strong 2014 season (five wins) with a third-place run on Saturday.
In Pro Lite action Friday evening, Patenaude led his younger brother Hunter across the stripe with longtime veteran Jason Boron a solid third. On Saturday, Leo was leading the final but cased a jump and came off his sled. Boron snuck past to claim the victory, with Hunter and Leo second and third. Hunter had a simply incredible rookie season, earning the championship against all odds.
All in all, it was one of the most successful seasons in recent memory for the Ingles squad. In a winter where clean sweeps were almost the norm, these results are both gratifying and satisfying. For team co-owner Robin Ingles, the effort and energy put forth has yielded an almost unimaginable return.
Hunter PatenaudeW
“To go out and claim both the Pro Open and Pro Lite championships in the same season is absolutely amazing,” Ingles said. “Mike and I are so proud of the whole team. It was an amazing year where everything just clicked. We all worked hard, but we also had a lot of fun. We couldn’t have asked for a better effort from the entire team.”
Adding to the strong finishes the team enjoyed all season was a solid third place finish by Chris Ingles in the Sport class. Chris matured a great deal on track this season, no doubt learning from his veteran teammates at every opportunity.
Ingles Performance would like to thank our great sponsors for their continued support; Ski-doo, Woody’s, C&A Pro Skis, ROX Speed FX, DP Brakes, VP Racing Fuels, Fly Racing, 139designs.com, Moto Tassinari, NGK Spark Plugs, SPI (Speed Punk Images), the Ale-n-Angus Pub, and RFH’s Restaurant and Motel.
For more information, please go to www.inglesperformance.com.
Bunke Racing Wraps Up Best Racing Season To Date
Moorhead, Minn. (April 17th, 2014) – The 2013-2014 season not only marked the third straight win for Bunke Racing in the grueling Soo I-500, it also was the 5th time Gabe Bunke has won the race making him one of only two riders to win it five or more times. For most race teams this feat alone would make for a successful season, but for Bunke Racing it was merely the high water mark in what was perhaps the best and most accomplished season to date for the Polaris-backed cross-country and enduro team.
Without doubt, the Soo I-500 is one of Bunke Racing’s biggest targets each season. The 2014 race was the second year in a row Bunke Racing’s AutoLite-sponsored snowmobiles took the Top 2 spots at the race with the No. 537 sled ridden by Ryan and Travis Faust and Spencer Kadlec backing up the winning No. 74 sled ridden by Gabe Bunke and Aaron Christensen. This second straight 1-2 finish combined with the third straight win makes Bunke Racing the modern kings of this prestigious race.
