New Details Emerge in Ben Smith's 186MPH Road America Crash

Warhorse HSBK Ducati rider Benjamin Smith is "lucky to be alive" after a violent 186 mph crash during MotoAmerica Superbike qualifying at Road America on Saturday, May 30, according to a detailed report published this week by Roadracing World.

As first reported by Michael Gougis of Roadracing World, the crash on the run down into Turn Five was triggered not by rider error or a failure on Smith's Ducati Panigale V4 R, but by a loose piece of ballast that came off another competitor's motorcycle.

Per the Roadracing World article, "A 12-inch piece of solid metal used as a weight had flown out of the hollow rear axle on Jayson Uribe's OrangeCat Racing BMW M 1000 RR. Uribe was just ahead of Smith when the piece came out of the axle, bounced, and lodged in Smith's front wheel, locking the wheel instantly before coming loose and flying off the racetrack."

Smith described the moment to Roadracing World: "The data said my front wheel went from 186 mph to zero in less than a second. I saw it come out, bounce once, and it went straight into my front wheel."

The impact left Smith with his second concussion in as many races, and his Warhorse HSBK Ducati was destroyed as it tumbled, eventually connecting with Smith on two different occassions as the duo slid down the track.

The MotoAmerica rulebook — mirroring language used by the Superbike World Championship and Germany's IDM Superbike series — requires ballast to be "firmly and securely connected either through an adapter or directly to the main frame or engine with a minimum of two (2) steel bolts (minimum 8mm diameter, 8.8 grade or over)," with any alternative requiring approval from the Technical Director. According to MotoAmerica, the weight in question was "secured" inside the axle by epoxy.

MotoAmerica Chief Operating Officer Chuck Aksland told Roadracing World that OrangeCat had submitted its ballast strategy to the series at the start of the season and that the team has already approached MotoAmerica with a different solution in the wake of the incident.

For the complete account — including additional photos, technical detail and team quotes— read the original story by Michael Gougis at Roadracing World.