Rider Down: Racer Raul RIP
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,313
Likes: 0
RIP raul
I didnt know him but I read all his write ups, seemed like a cool guy,
I Just got back from the mountains 2 weeks ago ...... really makes you think
I didnt know him but I read all his write ups, seemed like a cool guy,
I Just got back from the mountains 2 weeks ago ...... really makes you think
__________________
AP1 S2K
MEGANSTOPTECHMISHIMOTO
AP1 S2K
MEGANSTOPTECHMISHIMOTO
Goodtimes!
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 5,831
Likes: 0
There has been a paypal account set up for any donations. I know that Rauls wife doesnt work and with the three kids times are going to be tough. Please if you have a few bucks send it her way.
racerraul@gmail.com <---- pay pal addy.
Donations for RacerRaul's Family - EastTNriders.com
racerraul@gmail.com <---- pay pal addy.
Donations for RacerRaul's Family - EastTNriders.com
__________________
Capt."Howling Mad"Murdock
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 16,339
Likes: 0
searching around the links. sounds like no one was really sure what happened and i won't guess.
R.I.P
This is a little bit from http://www.riderforums.com/showthrea...t=53736&page=2
[QUOTE nf_ekt]
This is one of the worst days of my life. I was expecting to come home and tell everyone what a great time I had, but that is not the case.
I met up with Raul on 68, at the end of the Cherahola Skyway, had a quick breakfast and caught up a bit. I had my friend Andy with me and another rider we met at the gap. Everything was shaping up to be an amazing day, and in the beggining it was. Raul took us down some great roads and kept a spirited, but safe riding pace. I had ridden with him back when he lived in Florida and knew what to expect. He was the sort of guy that would only pass cars when it was safe and pretty much cruised on the straights. He knew we were unfamiliar with the roads and kept the pace sensible.
It wasn't untill we reached one particular section that he started to "turn it up" a bit. He rides so smooth that sometimes it can be deceptive as to how quick he really is. He left us a bit in some fast, sweeping corners, and it wasn't untill I went around the downhill right-hander at the end of one large S-curve that I knew something was wrong. I saw dust in the air and immediatly slowed to a stop.... we all ran to the spot where he came off the road, thinking he would be laying close by. What we found instead was the bike, and Raul, at the bottom of the slope (about 30 ft down) laying in the water. He was face down. We made our way down as fast as possible, pulling him out- he wasn't showing any movement at all. We (Andy and myself) performed CPR and were able to revive him about 4-5 times. Somewhere in the middle of all the chaos the EMT's arrived on the scene and took over from there. He had regained a pulse and some breathing/movement and I was feeling at least some sense of hope for him. It's hard to decribe how I felt when it all happened, and even more difficult to tell everyone how I'm feeling right now. I'm in absolute shock.
How this happened I just don't know, I didn't see anything until after he had wrecked. A local that said he heard it happen described it basically like this: Two fast downshifts, followed by the sound of the rear tire hopping badly. He also said he thought he heard the chain skipping of the sprockets. The tire marks leading up to the scrapes matched his decription... 2-3 long, segmented tire marks followed by orange paint and scratches on the pavement from the pegs/bars, ect. I can only guess that it wasn't that he came in too hot, but that the bike itself locked up and he was tossed off of it. It was so unexpected and happened so quick. The guy was so good that I just can't see the reason being due to rider error.
Dave (BuckwheatJ) called me today as I was heading back to Florida and told me the news. Being out of cell-phone range while at the gap it difficult to follow up on everything... the news just crushed me. He was such a good guy, so cool to talk to and a great rider. I don't know what else to say. We had started to plan future rides before we had even left the restaurant that morning. He was just one of those positive, vibrant types of people that you couldn't help but to have a good time around. This is a hard loss.
R.I.P Friend...
[/quote]
R.I.P
This is a little bit from http://www.riderforums.com/showthrea...t=53736&page=2
[QUOTE nf_ekt]
This is one of the worst days of my life. I was expecting to come home and tell everyone what a great time I had, but that is not the case.
I met up with Raul on 68, at the end of the Cherahola Skyway, had a quick breakfast and caught up a bit. I had my friend Andy with me and another rider we met at the gap. Everything was shaping up to be an amazing day, and in the beggining it was. Raul took us down some great roads and kept a spirited, but safe riding pace. I had ridden with him back when he lived in Florida and knew what to expect. He was the sort of guy that would only pass cars when it was safe and pretty much cruised on the straights. He knew we were unfamiliar with the roads and kept the pace sensible.
It wasn't untill we reached one particular section that he started to "turn it up" a bit. He rides so smooth that sometimes it can be deceptive as to how quick he really is. He left us a bit in some fast, sweeping corners, and it wasn't untill I went around the downhill right-hander at the end of one large S-curve that I knew something was wrong. I saw dust in the air and immediatly slowed to a stop.... we all ran to the spot where he came off the road, thinking he would be laying close by. What we found instead was the bike, and Raul, at the bottom of the slope (about 30 ft down) laying in the water. He was face down. We made our way down as fast as possible, pulling him out- he wasn't showing any movement at all. We (Andy and myself) performed CPR and were able to revive him about 4-5 times. Somewhere in the middle of all the chaos the EMT's arrived on the scene and took over from there. He had regained a pulse and some breathing/movement and I was feeling at least some sense of hope for him. It's hard to decribe how I felt when it all happened, and even more difficult to tell everyone how I'm feeling right now. I'm in absolute shock.
How this happened I just don't know, I didn't see anything until after he had wrecked. A local that said he heard it happen described it basically like this: Two fast downshifts, followed by the sound of the rear tire hopping badly. He also said he thought he heard the chain skipping of the sprockets. The tire marks leading up to the scrapes matched his decription... 2-3 long, segmented tire marks followed by orange paint and scratches on the pavement from the pegs/bars, ect. I can only guess that it wasn't that he came in too hot, but that the bike itself locked up and he was tossed off of it. It was so unexpected and happened so quick. The guy was so good that I just can't see the reason being due to rider error.
Dave (BuckwheatJ) called me today as I was heading back to Florida and told me the news. Being out of cell-phone range while at the gap it difficult to follow up on everything... the news just crushed me. He was such a good guy, so cool to talk to and a great rider. I don't know what else to say. We had started to plan future rides before we had even left the restaurant that morning. He was just one of those positive, vibrant types of people that you couldn't help but to have a good time around. This is a hard loss.
R.I.P Friend...
[/quote]
__________________
Never Surrender
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,564
Likes: 0
man that SUCKS! well like everyone said he will be missed and at least it happened while he was doing something he loved..
Ride with Angels
Ride with Angels
