Makoto Tamada - TT Assen 2009
Makoto Tamada, the Kawasaki Superbike Racing Team rider, was back on the grid at the Brno round of the World Superbike Championship after recovering from hand and finger injuries received at Monza.
Tamada was involved in the carnage that took place in race one at the first corner of the Monza circuit, bringing out the red flag. The Kawasaki rider ran into the back of the Guandanlini Ducati of Brendan Roberts, sending him sliding across the track and into the path of Max Neukirchner on the Suzuki Alstare, who suffered a badly broken leg.
The Japanese rider was thought to have suffered a broken wrist in the accident, but on further investigation it was found that he had also fractured two fingers. The fingers had wire inserted into them to stabilise the fractures, and giving them a chance to heal, putting Tamada out of action for two months.
Brno, saw the return of the Paul Bird Team rider, who put on an impressive performance seeing him finish in tenth place in race one after starting from eleventh on the grid. During the race he had ridden has high as sixth, battling with Leon Haslam, Noriyuki Haga and Jakub Smrz for position but after suffering tyre grip problems, he dropped back down to tenth as the chequered flag was waved.
In the second race, Tamada had a coming-together with the Ducati of DFX Corse rider Lorenzo Lanzi, sustaining a broken middle finger, a repeat of the injury from Monza.
Tamada will now have a race against fitness as he signed-up as a wild-card rider alongside his team-mate Broc Parkes at the next round of the British Superbike Championship in two-weeks time at Brands Hatch.
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