Has anyone heard how smokey125 (AKA Doug Snow) is after his off at Alpine at the Manx this year? I understand he broke his ankle. Anyone heard anything?

I think that the injury was confined to his foot, apart from a lot of general bruising of course! Hopefully he won't mind me posting this from him which was put onto another site yesterday.
"Healing pretty well, hopefully I should be off the sticks in 5-7 weeks if everything goes well."
From a rider's view he was very unlucky but from a spectator's view he was very lucky!

Hi guys and thanks for the concern.

Unfortunately I have been having a few computer problems and haven't been able to get online again until yesterday. Still not sure how long it will keep working.

I crushed my heal bone, as best as I could tell from the x-ray it was in at least 4 bits. I was in a cast for the 2 weeks I was in the island once home the local hospital took that off and left it off. Check up 3 weeks later no x-ray and I was effectively discharged. So much for the NHS!
I have been going to a private physio who has been a great help. I am now light weight bearing and he hopes I will be down to 1 stick in the next week or two and off them completely in another 4-6 weeks after that. Then all I have to do is build everything back up again.
As maggie said I was pretty bruised and battered and it still hurts if I cough or sneeze which is great seeing as I've just got over a cold.

With any luck I should be back to something like full fitness early in the new year which should give me plenty of time to get my course licence sorted ready for next years Manx.

Good man smokey glad to read that your crash has not put you off.

I passed through your incident on steady yellows and I have to say I feared the worst.................Alpine is not a good place to crash.......your bike looked like it had hit the bales on the left and ended up right back accross the road on the other side............I could see the marks on the road surface................very very nasty looking...............glad your on the mend.

I think I might have bumped into you on the Friday of race week cargo. You were tearing round trying to get more marshals you saw me and passed comment that I couldn't marshal in my state!

The last thing I can remember is peeling into the right hander and feeling the back end start to come round I had just about enough time to think "oh poo" next thing I remember is being worked on by medics but I couldn't tell you if that was track side, in the helicopter or in the hospital.
The bike went into the kerb backwards and I went in feet first hence the broken left heal. I was lucky it wasn't both heals as the right one was nearly as bruised and swollen as the left for the first few days. Judging by the damage to my helmet my head hit the kerb as well, knocking me out. The bike and I both went into the bales and across the road, according to the marshals I ended up in the gutter on the right side of the road, when they first looked for me they couldn't see me! On the plus side at least I crashed right next to where the helicopter was parked that day.
You're not the first person to say that cargo and more than one asked for 6 numbers from me as well so I think all in all I got of very lightly.

Good luck Doug, hope you have a complete and speedy recovery! Sounds like you`re a very lucky man, Alpine isn`t the best of places to have a fall. Good to see you`ve not been put off! Dare I ask, how`s the bike? Keep your chin up, not long until MGP 2009!

Amazingly enough the bike got off just as lightly as I did.
We had a peel style fairing on it that kept everything off the floor. The back wheel went over the curb and the exhaust took the brunt of the damage that has been totally destroyed none of it will be repairable. Both wheels are straight, the forks, frame and swing arm are all ok. One of the rear units took some light damage but that is repairable. The fairing, seat and front mudguard are broken beyond repair but you expect that. The right foot peg and gear leaver as messed up again expected. It didn't even damage the clipon's or leavers!

Just a quick update as to how I’m doing.

I can now walk without the aid of the sticks but not too far yet as my leg isn’t strong enough and I still have a bit of a limp due to lack of flexibility but both of these are coming along nicely.

Hopefully I should be able to start cycling soon so I can really start getting my fitness back up.

smokey125 Wrote:Just a quick update as to how I’m doing.

I can now walk without the aid of the sticks but not too far yet as my leg isn’t strong enough and I still have a bit of a limp due to lack of flexibility but both of these are coming along nicely.

Hopefully I should be able to start cycling soon so I can really start getting my fitness back up.

Just thought I would put a quick update on my progress.
I'm almost walking without a limp now need to get a little bit more strength back and I'll be there. It's difficult at times as it's hard to exercise the small muscles that control the foot for balance etc but we will get there.
If all goes to plan I will be out at Mallory late March and will hopefully be back on the Isle for the Southern TT on the 125. If not I will be back for the Manx on both 125 and Ducati.

Ok last update on this one! I completed my first weekends racing since the crash.
Generally a very good weekend, only problem I had riding was lack of feel. I still can’t really feel a lot of my foot properly yet so down changing has to be over the top to be sure of going in cleanly! Having said that I’m working hard on improving my strength and I’m getting more feeling back all the time. By the end of the weekend I’d lapped 0.5s quicker than I’ve ever lapped Brands before so not too bad.
On the basis of how well I rode entry has been sent in for Ultralightweight TT just got to wait and see if I’m accepted.
I will be back for the Manx.

smokey125 Wrote:Ok last update on this one! I completed my first weekends racing since the crash.
Generally a very good weekend, only problem I had riding was lack of feel. I still can’t really feel a lot of my foot properly yet so down changing has to be over the top to be sure of going in cleanly! Having said that I’m working hard on improving my strength and I’m getting more feeling back all the time. By the end of the weekend I’d lapped 0.5s quicker than I’ve ever lapped Brands before so not too bad.
On the basis of how well I rode entry has been sent in for Ultralightweight TT just got to wait and see if I’m accepted.
I will be back for the Manx.

I hope you are successful with your entry for the Ultra Lightweight TT, and have a 'good' years racing.

Good luck, Doug. Good to hear you`re almost mended!
I can`t see how they cannot accept you for the Manx!
Just need to do a few meetings for the (silly) circuit licence now!

smokey125 Wrote:Ok last update on this one! I completed my first weekends racing since the crash.
Generally a very good weekend, only problem I had riding was lack of feel. I still can’t really feel a lot of my foot properly yet so down changing has to be over the top to be sure of going in cleanly! Having said that I’m working hard on improving my strength and I’m getting more feeling back all the time. By the end of the weekend I’d lapped 0.5s quicker than I’ve ever lapped Brands before so not too bad.
On the basis of how well I rode entry has been sent in for Ultralightweight TT just got to wait and see if I’m accepted.
I will be back for the Manx.

Thanks guys.
I think I should be ok for the Manx I’ve got 4 signatures already with at least 4 more meetings before the cut off date.
It’s more if I get accepted for the TT on the Billown course. I’ve got no previous experience there and if the main races are as oversubscribed as they seem to be the Billown races could be the same.