Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Kneedraggers.com Yamaha’s Matt Wait hopes to ride in the Formula USA event at Virginia International Raceway June 27-29 despite fracturing his right shoulder last weekend, during qualifying for a F-USA event at New Hampshire International Speedway.

Wait tangled with a slower rider and crashed during Saturday Sportbike qualifying for the 80th Loudon Classic. During the tumble the slower rider’s bike landed on Wait, breaking his right scapula. But, after being examined by Dr. Arthur Ting on Wednesday, June 18, Wait said his fracture is not as bad as he first believed.

“It’s broken,” said Wait Thursday. “There’s two breaks. It’s broken in a ‘Y’ shape. No bones have separated from each other. There’s no tear, and the only way they do surgery is if there’s a tear in the tissue or muscle.

“Why it felt so bad is because it’s so swollen from all the blood in my back where I got hit. All the pressure and everything makes it feel way worse than it is.”

For treatment, Wait is utilizing a device popular with racers recovering from broken bones, called Game Ready.

“You plug it in, put ice and water in it and it shoots the ice and water through these hoses,” described Wait. “I have like a vest that I wear, and it shoots the ice and water through the vest on my shoulder.

“It’s adjustable. It has a thermostat where you can adjust the temperature, and you can adjust the pressure it presses on you. You know those things that take your blood pressure? That’s how it is on my shoulder.

“I’m going to use that this week and go back to him (Dr. Ting) for another evaluation Tuesday (June 24). I’ll probably be able to ride at Virginia, but I’m just going into this wanting to get some points.”