SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- A drying agent reportedly burned riders and caused severe damage to bikes at the San Diego Supercross event in Petco Park.
According to Motocross Action Magazine, crews used lime to try to dry out the track as rain drenched San Diego.
The magazine reports that there was too much water on the track, causing the bikes and riders to become covered in mud.
As a result, the lime in the mud reportedly burned riders and caused serious damage to bikes.
The company behind the event, Field Entertainment, further explained that the amount of rain Saturday prevented the lime from mixing with the soil, resulting in “splashing of the riders and their bikes, which may have caused skin irritation to some riders and damage to their bikes.”
The entertainment company says lime has been used safely for decades at Supercross to dry dirt and reduce the risk of accidents for riders. Lime is also used in construction, according to lime.org. "Because quicklime can cause burns, and hydrated lime can irritate skin and eyes, precautions should be taken when handling these products," the website goes on to say.
The company says that it’s “reviewing our existing processes to deal with excessive water on the track to prevent a recurrence.”
Read the full statement below:
On Saturday, February 2nd at Petco Park in San Diego, Ca., Supercross riders were affected by a drying agent applied to the dirt track, which may have caused skin irritation and damage to their bikes. The wellbeing of our riders, their teams and our crew is always a top priority for us at all Supercross events. Given last week’s forecast of rain for Saturday’s event in San Diego, the track crew took normal precautions to ensure a safe and raceable track. Prior to the qualifying rounds and main events, they removed the protective tarp and applied a drying agent, a lime and sand mixture, to treat two areas on the track to try and remove moisture from the dirt. This process has been used safely for decades at Supercross to dry dirt and thereby reduce the risk of accidents for the riders. It appears that the unprecedented amount of rain on Saturday prevented the lime from mixing with the soil as usual. This resulted in splashing of the riders and their bikes, which may have caused skin irritation to some riders and damage to their bikes. We are currently reaching out to each rider who participated in Saturday’s race to assess the extent of the impact, ensure their welfare and get them back on their bikes racing. We are also reviewing our existing processes to deal with excessive water on the track to prevent a recurrence.
