Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Coors Light Blackfoot Suzuki’s Craig Connell suffered a broken lower right leg when he crashed in turn one during a 600cc Sportbike practice session at Circuit Mont-Tremblant in Quebec, Canada Friday afternoon, sliding underneath a section of inflated Alpina brand soft barrier and into a concrete wall.

The concrete wall in the corner, which is taken in the top of fourth gear, is about 35 feet off the edge of the track.

Connell, who was fastest in the session prior to his crash, was transported by ambulance to a local hospital.

Frank Trombino crashed in the same corner last year, hitting tires placed in front of the wall and suffering broken ribs, a punctured lung and a lacerated liver, among other injuries.

This year, series organizers have installed 14 30-foot sections of Alpina brand inflatable soft barriers in the corner, but most of the sections are sitting on pavement and their front edges cannot be staked down into the ground. Connell hit a section that was not staked down, although Connell’s GSX-R600 mechanic, Doug Clavier, said sandbags were placed on the front skirt of each Alpina air barrier.

Additional information will be posted as it becomes available.