All the gear, all the time

5 weeks ago, I was riding my Honda CBR 250R home from Brooklyn when, about 1/3mi. from my house, a car pull out from the curb directly into a U-turn in front of me.  I tried turning left, hoping they'd see me and stop and I could sneak around the front of them.  No such luck and I T-boned the car behind the left front wheel/driver's door area.  I'm a little fuzzy about my trajectory, but I ended up on the road with my neck and left thigh hurting.  An ambulance was there shortly and, after my helmet was removed and my one piece Aerostich Roadcrafter was cut off me, a neck collar was put on and I was put on a back board and taken to the emergency room of the local hospital.  A CAT scan showed a 'non-displaced fracture' of C-4 vertebrae.  I take this to mean a crack, as I had no neurological symptoms whatsoever.  The contusion and hematoma on my thigh was the main problem and, while that's much better, my knee continues to bother me.  It always could be worse and I'm glad I was wearing all the gear that I was, including boots, gloves and back protector.  I spent a day in the hospital and was fitted with a more comfortable neck brace/collar which, hopefully, I'll get rid of next Tues. when I see the neurosurgeon again.  He convinced me that it wouldn't be prudent to ride again for 6 weeks.
So, I went to the AHRMA race at New Jersey M/S Park on 12-13 July, but didn't race.  What I did do is covered in this posting on Larry Lawernce's website, The Rider Files.  Larry is a long time Motojournalist and writes the 'Archives' column in Cycle News along with much of their race coverage.  Larry had done a few pieces on abandoned race tracks, so I sent him my report on Vineland, which he posted recently:
http://www.riderfiles.com/david-roper-explores-the-remnants-of-the-old-vineland-speedway/#comments
Check out Larry's other abandon track articles:
 http://www.riderfiles.com/iowas-ghost-track/
 http://www.riderfiles.com/memories-of-meadowdale/
 http://www.riderfiles.com/the-last-days-of-mid-america-raceway/
 http://www.riderfiles.com/mid-america-raceway-the-worlds-longest-paved-motocross-track/
 http://www.riderfiles.com/parry-at-mid-america-1984/
 http://www.riderfiles.com/the-woods-of-wentzville/