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WSB 09 Hopkins Down/Out
Hopkins Down And Out At Assen, Heading Home For Possible Surgery
By Michael Hannas
April 24th, 2009
John Hopkins had a horrible start to his second WSB weekend with a huge high-side on the fourth lap of the first practice session at Assen, which left the Californian with a dislocated hip and possible fractured femur. Hopkins received medical attention immediately to set the hip back into place, but according to Hopkins, he was forced to wait three hours without moving his leg until it could be set back into the socket, which he told 2Wheeltimes.com was the most painful experience he has ever been through, which for Hopkins is saying a lot. Once the hip was set, he was taken for x-rays which confirmed a fracture in the top of the femur, the same femur that Hopkins has broken in the past, which will most likely require surgery. Hopkins will travel to Dr. Ting in Northern California for evaluation and possible surgery on Monday morning. He is now waiting at the Assen circuit for his wife to arrive in order to help him fly back to the US on Sunday.
Hopkins said the crash was "probably the biggest high-side of my career" and was most likely due to a dirty track surface. "The boys looked at the data and everything was same as the lap before, I may have been a little off-line and on the dirty part of the track," said Hopkins. With the new WSB practice schedule, the World Superbike class is the first one to hit the track and it is quite possible that the track surface was still a little dirty, especially off the main line. "It sucks man, the bike was working, and I was really feeling good and ready for a good result this weekend," Hopper told 2WheelTimes.com as he was sitting in his motorhome in the Assen paddock recalling the incident. Stay tuned to 2WheelTimes.com for more updates on Hopper's condition as they become available.
