Hayden has withdrawn from the GP events of this upcoming weekend because of an injury in the weight bearing part of his foot. The real punch in the nuts, is that he sustained the injury while racing in the supermoto event at the X Games in L.A. last week. I’m not really sure what possessed Hayden to jump into that race. Even if he would have won the race, it wouldn’t have been worth the risk of being injured and missing out on all of the cash that comes with even a single GP race. I guess maybe it was Hayden’s desire to get in touch with his dirt racing roots again that made him compete in the X Games. Although, supermoto is a hybrid race with paved and dirt sections. He qualified dead last in the supermoto event. I think at that point, he should have realized that it wasn’t worth the effort. Whatever.
At least Hopkins will be back this weekend.
Hopkins one of the few non-Hayden American GP riders, has sat out for three races now, and for a total of seven weeks. Unlike Hayden, Hopkins was injured in an actual GP Race. He said that he is feeling pretty good and is excited to get back on the Kawasaki this weekend. It has been a fairly disappointing season for Hopkins, especially since there was so much hype about his transition from the Rizla Suzuki team to Kawasaki this year. Hopefully he will be able to scrap together a strong finish to the season.
Lorenzo will also be returning from his injury to race this weekend. The GP rookie was having a fantastic first season, until he sustained a series of injuries, including fractured ankles and a concussion. If he can get back up to his full gusto, we should see him in the mix for a podium finish.
Yes, I am pretty freaking excited about watching some racing this weekend. Let me know if you would like to join me, this Sunday afternoon.