Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Yamaha/Graves Yamaha’s Damon Buckmaster and Corona Extra Suzuki’s Marty Craggill, both out for several weeks due to injury, will return to action this weekend during the AMA/World Superbike event at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Buckmaster, who suffered a broken scaphoid bone in his left wrist/hand in a crash during practice at Barber Motorsports Park in May, will ride even though his fracture isn’t completely healed.

“I just saw (Dr. Arthur) Ting (Thursday morning). He said it hasn’t healed, but it’s healing. So it depends on how you look at it. He said, it’s up to you if you ride or not. I thought I’d give it a go, at least turn a wheel and see how bad it is, especially for Yamaha and Graves. (Ting) is going to bring a brace out, strap it on and see how we go,” said Buckmaster, adding that he will try to ride both his Supersport and Superstock Yamahas.

Out since the California Speedway round of the series in early-April, when he crashed and fractured a vertebra in his neck, Craggill is hoping for a top-10 finish in his return to the Superbike class in spite of being less than 100 percent.

“I have the flu,” said Craggill. “And from the flight, I’m jet lagged, because it was a last-minute thing. I thought I would come back at Mid-Ohio, then the doctor said it was OK to come here. I would’ve liked to have been better prepared physically. There’s nothing like riding the bike anyway.”

Craggill said his long recovery period (three months) was full of delays but was mostly because he wanted to make sure he was completely healed before coming back.