INJURED Australian Superbike rider Josh Hook from Taree is confident he's on target to be fit for the second round of the championship to be held in South Australia in May.
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Hook missed the opening round held at Wakefield Park last weekend. He is recovering from a broken collarbone and wrist along with a fractured vertebra sustained after crashing in the second Australian Superbike support race during the World Superbike weekend at Phillip Island last month. This wasn't the opening round of the Australian Superbikes, as previously reported.
Hook spent a week and a half in hospital in Melbourne where he underwent surgery on the wrist and collarbone. His neck is still in a brace however he said the injuries are healing well.
In fact he dabbled with the possibility of racing this weekend but he was over-ruled by Team Honda.
"I just wanted to get some points in the championship,'' he explained.
"But the team said it would be better if I sat it out to make sure I was right for the next round.''
Hook realises that injuries are part of parcel of the sport he's involved in. He had a mixed time in Phillip Island, gaining pole position for the opening race and eventually winning the event before the crash in the second.
He knew he was in trouble straight away.
"I was still running on adrenalin,'' he said.
"But I knew it was pretty serious. They took me straight to the medical area and did x-rays and gave me some morphine for the pain.''
He underwent surgery on his collarbone and wrist the next day while he's still undergoing rehab for his neck. However, he has no doubt he'll be ready for May.
But the injury is a significant setback to Hook's chances of winning the championship. He was sixth in his debut year in 2013.
"I was aiming to win it,'' he replied when asked his aspirations for this year.
"But this is going to make it harder. Still anything is possible.''
Three races and 75 points were up for grabs last weekend. But Hook believes if he can maintain consistency and stay injury free for the rest of the year he can make up the leeway.
Hook, 21, has been racing one various classes since he was a young schoolboy.
He said this is the first time he has been badly hurt while competing.
However, he says the setback won't have any impact on his confidence as he prepares to get his championship campaign back on track.
o The opening round of the 2014 Swann Insurance Australasian Superbike Championship was run and won with Team Honda Racing rider Jamie Stauffer taking out overall honours on the day.
Stauffer managed a third place, race win, and second place from his three races, to claim a narrow two point lead atop of the overall leaderboard from nearest rival Glenn Allerton.
The next round will be on May 16-18 at Mallala in South Australia.