[Joe]

10/23/2002
Opie Caylor Hits Deer At Road Atlanta


Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

EMGO USA’s AMA Superstock rider Chris “Opie” Caylor survived a high-speed impact with a deer and resulting crash while instructing in a Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School Tuesday at Road Atlanta.

“I had just passed a student on the outside of turn three, the left-hander, and was going down into turn four, the right-hand turn where Rich Oliver crashed his Superbike a few years back. I was in fourth gear and had just flicked back to the right when I saw a deer’s head pop up. I didn’t know if he was just sitting there or what, but as I came around the bend, he sprinted right into my path,” Caylor told Roadracingworld.com.

“I T-boned it, the deer, cut it in half. The hind quarters were laying on the track, the front half was over in the grass by me. I went into the haybales and the wall on rider’s left covered in blood. I’m okay, but I pretty much destroyed the bike.”

Caylor was riding a Suzuki GSX-R750 belonging to the Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School. Caylor’s bike was equipped with an on-board video camera used to record students riding, and Caylor said the video footage shows the impact clearly.