It's not just professional road racers who need inflatable air barriers on the racetrack. The stuff works pretty well for club racers, too. In August 2007, racer Bob Robbins had a big get-off at Loudon and wound up with a major ankle fracture, a rotator cuff tear, a tibia plateau fracture, and a torn knee. Robbins says he was lucky.

"I don't know what the outcome without the Airfence would have been, but I can guess," says Robbins, owner of S-Works, a performance shop in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and a longtime racer. "I lost the front brakes completely on my TL going into the bowl at Loudon and hit the wall at speed. I did impact the soft barrier which likely saved my life."

Robbins hit the inflatable air barriers that lined the walls, cushioning the impact and slowing his speed. But it was not the end of Robbins' crash. He flew over the bike, over the wall and stopped only when he got caught under a section of chain-link fence about 50 feet from the track. "The fence acted as a net," Robbins says.

His main fracture occurred when he was launched off the bike and snapped the handlebar off with his ankle. Aside from some residual nerve damage, which is continuing to improve, Robbins is back on his feet and ready to run an AMA Formula Xtreme and Superstock team for Young Gun Shane Narbonne.

"Pick a track anywhere in the country and set the scenario of no brakes with no warning going into a turn. I can assure you, the outcome is going to suck," Robbins says.

"I'm not sure who initiated the Airfence program at Loudon, but I suspect whether directly or indirectly, Roadracing World had a hand in it. For that, I am thankful to all involved in initiating and carrying on with this important safety measure."

Join the hundredsof competitors, mechanics, businessmen, companies, fans and loved ones involved in motorcycle road racing who came together for a worthy cause—to reduce the risk of serious injury faced by our racers. Call today to pledge your tax-deductible donation.

Roadracing World Action Fund, Inc.
A Non-Profit Organization Promoting Motorcycle Racing Safety www.roadracingworld.com