Submitted by David Emmett on
Hector Barbera is the latest victim of training injuries to be forced to miss a race. The Spaniard broke both bones in his lower left leg while training, and will not be fit in time for next weekend's Red Bull US GP at Laguna Seca. The Spaniard is to be treated at the Dexeus Clinic in Barcelona by Dr Mir, the famous Spanish surgeon responsible for fixing up most of the MotoGP paddock. Dr Mir will perform surgery to fix the bones in Barbera's left leg, after which he, Barbera and the team will assess Barbera's recovery period.
The press release issued by the team stated that they will await the outcome of surgery before making any further announcements. Recovery period - or rather, motorcycle racer recovery period - for breaking both bones in the leg is around 6 weeks, meaning Barbera could also miss Indianapolis and possibly Brno. The team will not have to field a replacement at Laguna Seca - the MotoGP grid will be increased anyway thanks to the Attack Performance Kawasaki CRT entry to be ridden by Steve Rapp - but if Barbera is forced to skip Indy and Brno, then Pramac will have to find someone to take Barbera's place. At the moment, American rider Kenny Noyes is Barbera's official replacement, but no formal announcement has been made.
Below is the press release from Pramac on Barbera's injury:
PRAMAC RACING TEAM RIDER HECTOR BARBERA' INJURED IN TRAINING INCIDENT
The 2012 Pramac Racing’s sole rider Hèctor Barberà yesterday suffered injuries, during a training mishap near his home, in Spain.
Hèctor has broken his left fibula and shinbone while he was training for the next MotoGP round which takes place in the U.S. in a week.
Tomorrow morning Hèctor will undergo surgery at the Insitituto Universitario DEXEUS in Barcelona. Dr. Xavier Mir, chief of the plastic surgery's unit, and his crew will perform the surgery.
Doctor Mir had previously treated Hèctor for the injures he sustained in 2010.
Tomorrow afternoon Dr.Mir will re-examine Barberà to determine the estimated recovery time needed in order to see the Spaniard back on his Ducati.
The Pramac Racing Team will wait for the surgery’s result to decide the plans for the foreseeable future.
Comments
Kenny Noyes
I'd like to see what kind of numbers Kenny Noyes might be able to put up on the GP12 compared to the rest of the field.
You are joking right?
Why there is so much fantasy that there is unknown rider ( some kind of dark knight) out there that will drive GP12 like some kind of good of Thunder?
Even there is someone like Casey (and I am not sure that at this moment, with so much tire problems, with so much advancement from Yami and Honda ... even he would be capable to do something on top level with Duce), he will not put something worth mentioning in few race days.
To make Duce go fast is one thing. To make Duce go fast through whole race is something totally different. We have all learn that. Duce is fast. Just not for the whole race. You need to be gentle with tires this days. And Duce is not gentle type.
Give me a brake!
One Word
Guintoli.
Two words:
Danny Eslick. Come on, the boy's fast, fearless, and he's gonna be there anyway. ;) For cryin out loud we're gonna have Rapp running a wild card ride, a guy who hasn't been on the podium in I can't remember how long.............
Let's face it, the kid's got some large huevos and he can handle a bike: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUWT7x66TZs
Eslick?
Has he ever rode anything with 250BHP and carbon brakes?
Well, aside from coming up
Well, aside from coming up through dirt track and being a 2 time AMA DSB champ, the bike he is currently racing has no TC and makes 175hp in street trim. I don't think he'd make a fool of himself. :) I dare say he'd do better than Bostrom did on the Honda last year too. What a waste of a chance that was.
I agree somewhat...
Eslick is darn fast and I'd love to see him in Moto2 or WSS. Don't know if he's ready for an ubber crotchrocket though, his lines and braking markers would be so different I'm wondering what's a better deal...to have a rider that knows the Ducati GPxx on an unfamiliar track or someone who knows the track on an unfamiliar bike??? Anyway it'll be interesting, I remember Roger Hayden put the Kawasaki in 10th place(was it?) in Laguna a few years back, much better than BB or Duhamel when they got the nod, the only risk I see in putting Eslick in the Ducati is that one expensive bike might end up as a wall ornament somewhere around the track.
About Rapp, I'd love to watch him collect some CRT scalps, I'm pretty sure he won't be dead last, provided he shows up with a decent bike. Everytime some old fart is sent harm's way, I cheer up, myself being a 40 something racer-wanabee.Hope he's in shape for what's coming!
Bayliss
Put Bayliss on it - Ducati relationship, great rider, previous wildcard winner, not afraid of anything. He's the one I'd want
Thought I read recently that
Thought I read recently that troy and dani petrucci both tested the panigale. Dani was quicker and troy announced his retirement soon after.
Pramac is apparantly having
Pramac is apparantly having budget problems. So they probably do not mind skipping this one.
But arent the bike and equipment shipped already? Cancelling hotel and airline tickets this late?
Moto2 Riders wildcarding
There should be some way to allow guys like Redding to do a ride as a substitute without wrecking their Moto2 season. Maybe allowing the Moto2 guys to drop their three worst races and only count their best points? That way the next generation guys would be really well placed to get a wildcard ride if a MotoGP guy is out injured. It doesn't matter for guys like Marques, Luthi and Iannone who will clearly all end up in MotoGP within a couple of seasons, but I bet there are guys a couple of rows back in Moto2 who might never do as well in that formula as they might in the big league. Some of the guys put in to fulfil the teams' contractual obligations to field an entry have been a total joke. Or what about Dorna having a wildcard competition. The person who races in no more than three races out of the season and scores the highest points finish wins a funded CRT ride for next year?
Give it to Josh Hayes. At
Give it to Josh Hayes. At least he has some GP experience and did pretty darn good on it.
Somehow I don't think Yamaha
Somehow I don't think Yamaha would approve.....
Moto2 guys
Asking a moto2 rider like Scott Redding to hop on a MotoGP bike fo rthe first time, at a race weekend (rather than a test) at a tack he's never seen, is a bad idea IMHO. HE could hurt himself or someone else, especially at a track like Laguna.
Either someone with GP and\or Laguna expierence, or a solid test mule like Iron Frank
But if.....
...there was a chance of a ride in the event of illness / accident damage etc, then maybe moto2 guys would be invited along to test MotoGP bikes in the off season? It would allow teams to get an idea of who might adapt the best to the big bikes. And really, how much fun would a bunch of 'Iron Frank' grid fillers be, compared to some of the known Moto2 men? Also, promoting these guys in a temporary capacity could allow their shoes to be filled by Moto3 or Super Sport racers.....
Just seems a shame that there isn't an option for guys to wildcard in the next formula up. In the good ol days, riders used to race in multiple formulae. Not suggesting doing one race after another is good developmentally, but I'd like to see people getting a go in different formula.
A cracking example. Bradders. Would he be more successful on a competitive MotoGP bike, or has he reached the limit of his talent?
Elias?
It looks like Elias will ride the Pramac bike at Laguna Seca. Kinda disappointing IMO.