Chris' Stuff: Karro out for 6 weeks after SPanish GP crash

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Karro out for 6 weeks after SPanish GP crash

17 May 2009

KARRO OUT FOR 6 WEEKS AFTER SPANISH GP CRASH

Life can be cruel and tough sometimes, of that there can be no doubt. For a sportsman, the greatest punishment is to be forced to sit on the sidelines whilst his fellow competitors ply their trade. Alas, for 17 year old Matiss Karro, this is exactly the lot that befell him after a crash during the Spanish GP left him with a broken bone in his hand which will leave him twiddling his thumbs for the next few weeks - well maybe not exactly, since there is a broken bone in there, remember - but you get the idea.

The first portent of evil came already on Saturday afternoon. Matiss experienced a few problems during the qualifying practice, and only posted the 27th fastest time. He stormed into 15th position at the start of the qualifying race, but an early crash relegated him to a position near the tail of the 40 strong field. He tried to recover as best he can, but in the relatively short race only found enough time to get back up to 24th position, not his best qualifying result by a long shot.

Immediately after the fall of the gate in race one, it was clear that Matiss' fairy of good starts had deserted him for the weekend, possibly for a day at at a nearby beach. Be that as it may, there was none of his usual good starts in evidence, and as he got ensnared in the pack, he was in the lower half of the field going into the first corner. He put up a brave fight, but somehow the extra spark had fizzled out - understandably, since he was still carrying his ankle injury from the week before. He nevertheless put his best foot forward, ankle and all, and managed to fight his way up to 18th position at race end for a few valuable GP points.

Quite of of character, Matiss had another bad start in race 2. He was just starting his march forward, when a innocuous-looking crash left him clutching his thumb. It was immediately clear that there was something rather serious amiss, and this final spill spelt the end of a forgettable weekend for the Latvian.

After a hurried flight back to England, Matiss immediately went for a full examination. MVR-D team boss Mark Chamberlain confirmed the worst fears - a small bone under the thumb had succumbed to the laws of physics which state that hard downward force + unyielding spanish soil = broken bone. The doctor predicted a six week layoff, but in the time-honored spirit of racers all over the world, Matiss is trying his best to get the healing done as quickly as possible and back onto the track. A planned trip to Latvia has been put on ice, and some time in a hyperbaric chamber has been booked instead to aid the healing of the bone.

At this stage it is unclear exactly at which race Matiss will be back in action, but we will keep monitoring the situation and provide an update as soon as possible.