Wednesday, December 2, 2009
McLean sidelined for Shannonville
By John Hopkins
Rising Parts Canada Superbike star Royce McLean will be forced to miss the final round of the season at Shannonville Motorsport Park Sept. 4-6 after breaking his leg on Sunday at Atlantic Motorsport Park.
The 14-year-old from Coaldale, AB was running ninth in Sunday's Yoshimura Pro Sport Bike race and was trying to go around the outside of Dave Estok entering turn 1 on lap 4 when he hit a bump and lost the front end of his Team Toyota Yamaha / OTSFF Yamaha YZF-R6. As he slid on the grass McLean's bike hit his right leg and the tibia was broken six inches above the ankle.
McLean was transported to the IWK Health Centre in Halifax. According to Royce's Dad Todd, the break was clean and didn't require any surgery. A cast was put on Tuesday morning and the McLeans began the drive home to Alberta.
The injury will reportedly take at least six weeks to heal, sidelining McLean for ! the Shannonville finale. He entered the AMP event leading the HJC Pro Rookie of the Year point standings, but his DNF combined with a seventh place finish in the Sport Bike race for Jodi Christie moved the Honda rider to the top of the standings with 134 points to McLean's 124.
Todd McLean was full of praise for the track marshals and EMT personnel at AMP, as well as the staff at IWK, which is considered one of Canada's top children's hospitals.
