Stuart Easton is looking to step up his recovery as he eyes a return to racing in 2012. The Scotsman returned to the BSB paddock for last weekend's Cadwell Park meeting, spending time with his MSS Colchester Kawasaki crew, and the Scotsman was delighted to be back.
Despite suffering substantial injuries just three months ago, Easton is looking forward to the date he rides a bike again, a moment which will come a lot sooner than his doctors predicted.
“It's great to be here at Cadwell Park watching the BSB Championship, for a little while after the accident it was pretty touch and go so to be walking around after just three months is fantastic. I've even surprised myself with my progress, I'm already at the stage where I can start to get physio.”
“When I first had the accident the doctors said I was looking at between 18 months to two years recovery before I would be fully fit – I'm already walking, driving and I'm up and about and getting on with things. Another three months will take me to half a year and then I'm hoping to ride a motorcycle, which will be a full year sooner than the doctors said. I'm working hard, pushing myself and not just lying in bed feeling sorry for myself. I can't complain, I've been lucky and so far I haven't had any major setbacks – and I'm all in line!”
“I broke my thigh in two places and pelvis in five places but unbelievably after they pieced me back together my physio reckons I'm dead straight and my legs are the same length! I can't thank the surgeons in Belfast enough, they did a fantastic job. It's still a long road ahead, physio is painful and it is frustrating, but I'm getting there and as the months go by I'm getting stronger all the time.”
“As a bike racer you want to be back tomorrow, but looking back on the last three months my progress has been amazing. My next challenge is to get on a bicycle, I can bend my knee 90-degress, so I can sit comfortably, but I need about 100-degrees to cycle. If I can do that it will help my strength and fitness – although my son is nearly two years old and chasing him is keeping me fit!”
Team sponsor Mac Tools presented Easton with his very own limited edition tool chest to mark his return to the paddock. Featuring an image of Stuart in action on his Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R on the front, the chest is one of only 50 special editions to be made and contains all the tools that the 28 year old is used to seeing in the MSS garage during a BSB race weekend.
“I'm over the moon with the tool chest, it's fantastic. I have number 3 of 50, which is my race number, and as I often spend winter working as a car mechanic it will come in really useful. All of the MSS team got involved trying to work out where the picture was taken, we think it was Brands Hatch judging by the bike's cooling hoses, factory swingarm and the wear of my left knee slider. We possibly spent too much time studying the image…”