Hopkins Breaks Hand in Testing Crash – Yes, THAT Hand

Dennis Chung
by Dennis Chung

Crescent Fixi Suzuki racer John Hopkins has broken a bone in his right hand during the first day of testing at Australia’s Phillip Island circuit. The injury was to the same hand Hopkins injured last season that eventually led to the amputation of the tip of his ring finger.

Hopkins high-sided entering a corner riding a 2011-spec Suzuki GSX-R1000 (the 2012 superbike was not yet ready). Track conditions were slightly damp but Hopkins attributes the crash to worn tires.

“I was on a used tire and probably on the last lap before pulling in,” says Hopkins. “I exited turn one and might have been just a little bit too hot for the condition of the tire going into turn two, when suddenly the rear came round even before I got on the brakes. I was spat off and unfortunately came down on my right hand – the same one that is missing a bit of finger. The X-rays show that I have fractured a bone in the base of the hand near what’s left of my fourth finger.”

Hopkins will return to the U.S. to visit his surgeon, Dr. David Chao. There is a small chance Hopkins may be cleared to race in the season opener Feb. 26 at Phillip Island but it’s more likely he will miss the first round and return for round two, April 1 at Italy’s Imola circuit.

Related Reading
John Hopkins Loses Fingertip [Warning: Graphic Image May be a Shocker

Dennis Chung
Dennis Chung

Dennis has been a part of the Motorcycle.com team since 2008, and through his tenure, has developed a firm grasp of industry trends, and a solid sense of what's to come. A bloodhound when it comes to tracking information on new motorcycles, if there's a new model on the horizon, you'll probably hear about it from him first.

More by Dennis Chung

Comments
Join the conversation
Next