Now as the Isilon MSS Discovery Kawasaki is improving all the time, Easton is now rueing his bad luck as Cadwell Park, Donington and Brands were tracks where he could have shone.
Question:
So how did the crash happen?
Stuart Easton:
Well, I was testing the Kawasaki France Endurance ZX-10R at Magny-Cours, it was a warm-up for me doing the Bol d'Or. It was good for me in a number of ways as it also meant a bit more time on a Superbike, really. The first day was wet and I just had a pretty straight-forward high side in the wet conditions. It's weird as I rarely high side, but it just caught me out, I guess. I landed on my feet, which is better than landing on my head, but I broke my heel which is pretty bad.
Q:
So a heel break is harder to mend than a straight-forward break on any other bone?
SE:
It seems to be. I think it's because the heel is such a dense, thick bone. People have said heel breaks are like a chocolate Aero bar being crushed, which doesn't sound very nice! When I broke my wrist it healed in four weeks and I was racing again, but I've been told this will take three times longer to repair.
Q:
How long will you be out for now then?
SE:
The three months makes it until the end of November, but after that I have to get fit again, so this one injury will carry through to next year. It's come at the worst possible time for me.
Croft was one of the best races of the year for us and the bike was improving all the time, so I was looking forward to Cadwell and the last few rounds would have been where we could have properly challenged for podiums. But that's not to be for me now. It's awful for me as this is the time of year that you need to be in people's minds and the ‘shop window' so to speak.
Q:
But how is the recovery going?
SE:
I'm on my way to the hospital in about ten minutes to get the cast changed, so I'll know more then! But last time they looked at it the scar was healing real well, which is positive. I'm also going to be having another X-ray today.
Q:
Any idea on what's happening with you for 2008?
SE:
I'm not 100 per cent sure yet – but in BSB and Supersport that's normal for this time of year and I think it's the same for most riders. I'm going to be speaking to Nick from Isilon MSS Discovery Kawasaki this weekend at
Donington, as I'll be there to help give James Webb some support. It would be nice to stay and continue the work we've started this year, but we'll have to wait and see. In the meantime all I can do is get fit as quickly as I can.
