Do all those rules and regulations at race meetings ever annoy you?
Ever walked away from a briefing or had a Marshal ask you to do something and thought "Gee that's a bit over the top"?
Next time you have thoughts like that just stop for a second and think of Mike Murray. Mike, a rider from NSW was riding at the International Island Classic at Phillip Island over the Australia Day weekend when his bike went up in flames whilst he was attempting to start it outside his pit garage.
Caused by a simple mistake, a missing spark plug allowing fuel to spray out of the cylinder onto the electric starter, the flames could have spelt disaster for Mike. Luckily for him he was at the right place and it was only a "could have been" event. That was because this is where the rules and regulations, which are rigorously enforced by the Administration and the Marshals at Phillip Island, came into their own.
This is where that annoying safety equipment that sometimes gets whinged about as "being in the way" showed that it was in the right place after all. In the photo sequence attached to this article Mike's bike goes up in flames at 10.53.09. Three seconds later, that's right just three seconds later, the fire is out and Mike is safe.
If ever there was a testament to the rules, regulations and equipment and why Phillip Island and the Marshals insist on enforcing them, this is it. They deserve our support and our commendation. We are sure that Mike would agree.
