As the dad of a mini racer who had a collision with a full size bike during practice at a Maine track a few years ago, this makes me realize how lucky we were.

Track owners, do not let big bikes on the track with mini's. Parents, do not let your kids go on the track during the wrong practice session. It is not worth the risk.

Like his father, boy loved dirt bikes
Death of 5-year-old puts attention on sport where kids ride fast
APRIL BETHEA AND KYTJA WEIR
abethea@charlotteobserver.com
Cody FidlerCody Fidler loved dirt bikes.

His first ride came at six weeks old when dad Wade held him in an arm. At three, Cody got his own motorized minibike. A month ago, he started competing at Motocross tracks.

On Saturday, the 5-year-old preschooler was on his third practice round at the Parker Valley Motorsports Park in Cleveland County when he fell. As he tried to get up, his father said, a 12-year-old biker crashed onto him.

Cody, who was wearing a helmet, died of trauma to his neck.

The Fidler family, who live in Kannapolis, said Sunday they don't blame the older biker for the accident, but said the bigger bikes shouldn't have been on the track at the same time as Cody.

"This may have been an accident," said Cody's mother, Michelle. "But it could have been prevented."

Cody was part of a popular and sometimes controversial sport, where racers can start on motorized bikes before they start school and work up to bigger machines, even business sponsorships, in grade school.

There were four divisions of riders at Saturday's practice event sponsored by JMX Racing. Each division got its own turn on the track.

Cody was in the youngest division with kids on the smallest bikes. Cody rode a bike with a 50cc engine, capable of a maximum of about 30 mph.

But during Cody's run about 20 kids on bigger 85cc bikes -- two divisions higher than Cody's -- were also on the track, said Tammie Kolasinski, whose son was also on the track.

Parents noticed the older kids, but organizers didn't take them off the track.

Kolasinski said 85cc bikes typically are ridden by 12- or 13-year-olds, or advanced younger kids. The bike seats are about 3 feet off the ground.

By comparison, the seat on Cody's KTM Mini Adventurer is about a foot lower.

Kolasinski said the other biker had just gone down a hill and over another hump when he hit Cody. She said he may have been going up to 50 miles per hour and couldn't have stopped in time.

"Once a child is in the air, you pretty much have no control," she said.

Joe Williams, who runs JMX Racing, did not return calls Sunday. A statement on the organization's Web site offered "sincere sympathy, condolences, and prayers" for Cody.

Crystal Hutchins, whose 9-year-old son also practiced on the track that day, said Williams was "beside himself" after the wreck.

"I have never seen him put any child in harm's way," she said.

Popular, controversial

Motocross racing is a popular and controversial sport.The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents not allow children to ride off-road motorcycles or all-terrain vehicles until age 16.

After a 15-year-old boy was killed at a Motocross track while riding a four-wheel ATV, Connecticut officials in 2001 threatened tracks with felony charges if they let anyone under 16 ride. Connecticut officials warned children shouldn't be riding on such tracks.

North Carolina enacted tougher laws on all-terrain vehicles in 2005, restricting those under 16 from riding larger-model ATVs.

But that doesn't cover motorbikes. State law says riders of such bikes must be at least 16 years old if they are riding on public roadways. Tracks, however, aren't included.

On Sunday, parents said they realize the risks involved.

"You've always got a fear behind you, but you don't expect this," Kolasinski said. "They're out there to have fun and enjoy what they're doing."

Hutchins said safety is a top concern for parents, who teach kids to move out of the way when they fall.

"This is just a freak accident," Hutchins said of Cody's death. "It doesn't happen, probably one in a million. He had all the proper attire."

First time at track

Saturday was Cody's first time at Parker Valley, about 50 miles west of Charlotte. He tried racing for the first time nearly a month ago in Society Hill, S.C., but he didn't know how to ride in the deep sand. Cody got a bigger, $1,700 bike March 1.

Wade Fidler heard about JMX Racing's events and said the family liked that there was a division for beginners. Both Wade and Michelle Fidler have bikes.

Like many parents, Wade Fidler was on the track Saturday to help pick up kids if they fell, which Cody did a few times as he tried to get used to the hilly terrain.

"He was grinning ear to ear riding around the track," Kolasinski said.

The Fidlers didn't see the last fall. But they rushed to their son when they heard screams.

Wade Fidler and an emergency medical worker tried to perform CPR while another parent called for an ambulance. Cody was pronounced dead at Cleveland Regional Medical Center.

A viewing is set for 6 to 8 p.m. tonight at Raymer Funeral Home, 16901 Old Statesville Road in Huntersville. A funeral is planned for 2 p.m. Tuesday.

The preschooler's bike will be next to his casket during the services, and his racing pants and gloves will be buried with him.

Motocross

A single race, or "moto,'' may field between 15 and 35 competitors. A course spans three-fourths of a mile to a mile, and one race usually covers four laps. Some bikes can reach 60 mph, and it takes around two minutes to cover the winding and hilly course

 

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