Laverty certain of full racing return at ‘opposite’ Laguna Seca

Eugene Laverty has played down any fears his early Donington Park withdrawal will reduce the chances of him making a full return to World Superbike Championship action at Laguna Seca this weekend.

The Irishman returned to track at Donington Park for the first time since May’s Imola round when he suffered fractures to both wrists in a heavy fall.

However, he’d be forced to call time on his weekend after Friday’s second free practice session having concluded he hadn’t quite reached enough fitness to risk racing the Go Eleven Ducati.

With the US round of WorldSBK taking place only a week later, there was a suggestion he’d be forced to pull out of Laguna Seca but the man himself insists this won’t be the case due to the entirely different nature the circuit.

Labelling Donington Park the most physical venue on the calendar for the right arm – where he suffered his most serious fracture – he says Laguna Seca by contrast only puts stress on the left side of the body, which believes will make a major difference.

“It’s anti-clockwise, so it’ll still be tough but I can ride with one arm there,” he said. “The trouble at Donington is that I am braking into rights and I am putting all of my weight on the right arm and then as you lean the left arm does nothing.

“You couldn’t have two more opposite tracks because Donington is the hardest track on your right arm, this is the track everybody gets arm pump. Laguna is the hardest track for the left arm. It’s difficult to put a number on where we will be, but I think we can ride there.

Reflecting on what has been an arduous recovery trail, Laverty admits he was becoming disheartened by the lack of noticeable progress for several weeks, only for his fitness levels to improve in a short space of time so as to allow him to attempt Laguna Seca and not wait until the post-summer break event at Portimao in September.

“It was so slow for six weeks, there was no progress and it felt like a mental block. Then since Misano it has moved on.

“I could manage 30 per cent on the gas at Misano when I jumped on the bike, at Donington I managed 75 per cent, so I’m almost there now. I just have to keep working towards it. It was important for me to see some progress.”