Ryuichi Kiyonari has promised he will do everything within his power to ensure he participates in tomorrow’s championship-deciding BSB races at Brands Hatch. The Japanese rider suffered a fractured collarbone after crashing in Saturday morning practice and was forced to miss qualifying, as well as race one, but hasn’t ruled out a return to the track tomorrow.
Kiyonari lost control in damp conditions at Graham Hill bend during FP3 and the highside left him with an undisplaced fracture of the left collarbone. The Buildbase BMW rider spent the rest of the day resting in his hotel following treatment and his condition will be assessed in morning warm-up on Sunday, when a decision will be made regarding his race participation.
“I still can’t believe what has happened. The crash happened so fast and I wasn’t pushing too hard, but the data said that I had more acceleration than the lap before”, Kiyonari explained. “I just think ‘why now’ and I am disappointed for today because we have worked hard to fight for the title, but I am not giving up yet because I can’t, I have to try. I watched live timing today and now I am going to go to bed early and get up early and then visit the medical centre in the morning and try in warm up.”
After initially seeing his hopes all-but dashed, Kiyonari was handed a shock reprieve when title rival Shane Byrne crashed out of a wet first race. Should Ryuichi make it onto the grid tomorrow, he will still trail the Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki rider by twelve points.
