Brett McCormick will be at Miller Motorsports this weekend for the latest Superbike round, but he’ll be there only as a spectator, as the Liberty Racing rider is still recovering from his Assen crash where he sustained multiple injuries, including a facture to his C5 vertebrae.

The Canadian in late April, speaking from his hospital bed in Assen had targeted a return in August and that date seems to be still in his sights.

“With a broken neck it’s tough to judge the healing time because every case is so different. I’ve been getting check-ups every week and I’m healing up really good. I hope to get the brace off in a couple of weeks from now, and after that hopefully I’ll be able to race within a month. I could be back by the end of July if everything goes perfectly, but I think August is more realistic. When I come back as long as physically I am back to normal, I’d like to pick up where I left off and keep working our way towards the front. In Assen I was getting closer to the top 10, so hopefully I can pick up from there once I’m back.”

McCormick, as many may remember was forced onto astroturf during a damp Race 2, when Carlos Checa overtook him trying to regain positions after having had pitted due to a wrong tire choice.

Continue reading: Brett McCormick targets August return

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Effenbert Liberty Racing team has announced that they will not be replacing injured Brett McCormick in next week’s World Superbike round at Monza (May 6th - which clashes with MotoGPs Estoril round).

20-year old McCormick suffered serious, but not threatening multiple fractures to his vertebrae following a crash in race 2 at Assen and will be out of action for at least two to three months, but team owner Mario Bertuccio doesn’t want to find a substitute rider for the Canadian yet, despite receiving numerous offers.

“We are still shocked, and very sad, for what happened to Brett McCormick at Assen,” said the team Owner Mario Bertuccio. “For this reason, in his respect, during the 4th round of the Sbk Championship that will be held at Monza next week, we have decided that nobody else will ride the 4th bike, and we haven’t accepted the offers recently received. The 4th bike belongs to Brett, we have in high esteem him and this is our sign of our great affection for him.”

Effenbert Liberty will be fielding only Sylvain Guintoli (Assen race 1 winner), Jakub Smrz and Maxime Berger at the Temple of Speed.

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Just the other day, Brett McCormick personally informed fans during a phone interview with CBC Radio on his health and of his two fractured cervical vertebrae and one in his lower back, but luckily he didn’t sustain any spinal damage and that he expects to return to complete fitness very soon.

However, his team Effenbert Liberty, in a press release issued today says that McCormick will probably need a recovery and rehabilitation period of two or three months (more or less in August for either the Silverstone, but more likely the Moscow round) and that he will have to wear a collar and a back brace for a few weeks and will be returning to Canada in an air ambulance in order to avoid any unnecessary movements.

Effenbert Liberty press release after the jump.

Continue reading: Brett McCormick to return to racing in 2 or 3 months

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Injured Effenbert Superbike rider Brett McCormick following his horrific Race 2 accident and is still currently hospitalized at Groningen in Holland and was contacted by The Morning Edition of Saskatchewan’s CBC Radio to find out how he is.

McCormick who seems to faring well despite his multiple injuries, confirms that he has no nerve damage and every part of his body is working and that even if his C5 is fractured and has other cracked vertebrae, he was lucky and that if he could, he’d be back on his Ducati immediately.

The former Canadian Superbike champion went on to describe how the incident happened and how a rider (Carlos Checa) came up on the inside and pushed him wide sending him on to the wet Astroturf and that they were racing in unsafe conditions.

To hear the entire interview just click here.

Photo source | brettmccormick#twitpic.com

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Effenbert Liberty World Superbike team has yet to release any further news regarding Brett McCormick’s conditions following what turned out to be a terrible and injury packed crash during Race 2 at Assen, but his father Grant on McCormick’s personal website posted this message for all the racing fans who are worried about the Canadian rider, especially regarding his cervical fractures,

Thanks for all the well wishes everybody!
Brett is sleeping comfortably and will be assesed tomorrow, to see if surgery is necessay to stabilize his C5.
Other than that a broken thumb and assorted bruises etc (two black eyes).
He was lucky and will be making a full and speedy recovery.
I would like to thank Shoei and Alpinestars for doing an awesome job and keeping this from being much worse.
Have to add how unbelievably supportive the Effenbert-Liberty team has been, feels like family. The best.
And a huge thank you to all the track side & medical centre staff for their time & attention to Brett following his crash.
Grant.

Further update, always from McCormick’s website

Monday, April 23, 2012

We are still at Assen hospital, but Brett will be able to transport in a day or two.
We will then travel to Italy and/or home to Canada.
If Brett requires surgery it will be at that time.
He’s in good spirits and Lucca (engineer) is with us.
Thanks again for all the positive support!
Brett really appreciates it!!!

Grant.

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It isn’t a good moment for World Superbike racers. Just a few weeks following Joan Lascorz’s horrific crash at the post race test at Imola, Effenbert Liberty’s Brett McCormick is now in the hospital facing some serious and multiple injuries.

20-year old McCormick was riding in 11th in Race 2 at Assen, when he crashed out heavily at turn 12, he was transported to the medical centre where he was diagnosed with fractures to his cervical vertebrae - seemingly without any neurological consequences - a facial trauma, and fractured finger in his right hand. He was transferred to Groningen Hospital for further examination.

Effenbert Liberty Racing press release:

The Effenbert Liberty Racing Team announces that Brett McCormick, following the disastrous crash in race two this afternoon in Assen, after the control in the circuit medical center, has suffered the trauma of the cervical spine, facial trauma with a hematoma to the eye sockets as well as a fracture of the fifth finger of his right hand, and he was sent to Assen hospital for further evaluation.

The result of more checks carried out that there was a fracture to the fifth and sixth cervical vertebrae, apparently without neurological involvement, so Brett has been transferred in the Groningen’ hospital, where it will decide how to stabilize the injuries. Further updates will follow as soon as possible.”

The Canadian Superbike champion started the season at Imola after Effenbert Liberty decided to pull the rug out from their announced Superstock effort and promoted him to World Superbikes to field a four rider strong team, with Sylvain Guintoli, Jakub Smrz and Maxime Berger.

Video of the incident after the jump:

Continue reading: Brett McCormick suffers serious multiple injuries in Race 2 crash at Assen

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There are going to be some begruntled Troy Bayliss fans at Imola at the end of the month. After giving Ducati hell for not allowing the former three-time World Superbike champion a couple of wild card rides - and Ernesto Marinelli having gone on the record offering the Australian a bike for the Italian round - the whole Bayliss to return thing has definitely fizzled out according to a press release by the Effenbert Liberty team, which instead confirms what we anticipated yesterday, that Brett McCormick will be riding in World Superbikes.

“The Effenbert company believes in motorsport and its use as the most powerful promotional engine so much that it was in their contemplation to run a Liberty Racing bike with legendary Troy Bayliss on a couple of occasions this season. They had a strong desire to give him the opportunity to ride as a wild card in a few races, “said Team Owner Mario Bertuccio. “Unfortunately, as we all know, this intention was not fulfilled successfully for various reasons. At this point, the possibility has vanished completely and Effenbert decided to reconsider other options of further investments in the team, with regard to the budget, which eventually resulted in the decision to engage a fourth permanent rider for the entire 2012 season. This decision is also promising something very interesting.”

The reigning Canadian Superbike champion who was to ride in Superstock 1000 FIM Cup this year on a Ducati Panigale 1199, will now be riding a Ducati 1198R.

Continue reading: Brett McCormick instead of Troy Bayliss in Effenbert Liberty WSBK team

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Brett McCormick was to ride for Effenbert-Liberty Racing in the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup in 2012, but according to several Italian websites the Canadian rider has just been promoted to their World Superbike effort.

McCormick’s switch to the already three-strong Superbike team will bring the Czech-Italian squad to field four 1198Rs and he’ll be joining Sylvain Guintoli, Jakub Smrz and Maxime Berger on the WSBK grid starting from the upcoming Imola round.

The reigning 2011 Canadian Superbike champion had already spent three-days testing the Ducati 1199 Panigale in Superstock trim last month at Phillip Island together with team mate Federico Sandi, and now the same Italian websites are reporting that Raffaele De Rosa who just divorced from Pro Ride Motorsports could be replacing McCormick in Effenbert Liberty’s Superstock team.

More news when we get it.

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This week’s private testing at Phillip Island wasn’t only for World Superbikes, but it also included Effenbert Liberty’s Superstock team with Federico Sandi and Brett McCormick.

The two riders shared the debuting Ducati 1199 Panigale in Superstock trim under the watchful eyes of Ducati engineers. The Panigale suffered some teething problems on the first day - the engine stopped and started billowing smoke - but testing went well, despite McCormick having come down with an intestinal virus that wiped him out on the first day.

“After four months of inactivity I’m back on track and as you can guess it wasn’t easy getting back to the top, but I am happy about the lap times and the work we carried out. Despite McCormick and I having to share the only bike available, were able to take turns over the two test days,” said Sandi. “Here in Australia it was all new for me, from the Panigale which proved to be very different from the Superbike I rode last year, and the same goes for the type of tires that are very different than what I’m used to. The first impression however was positive, the bike was very fast in direction changing and precise in corner entry and with a very performing engine. I focused most of my attention in finding the right set-up that will allows us to be as fast as our our rivals. ”

Unofficially Sandi’s best lap was 1.37.8 while McCormick set a 1.38.2.

Three teams will be using the 1199 Panigale this season in the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup: Effenbert Liberty Racing, DMC Racing with Kev Coghlan and Alexey Ivanov, Barni Racing Team with Lorenzo Savadori and Eddi La Marra at the helm.

Source | motoblog.it

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20-year-old Brett McCormick the 2011 Parts Canada Superbike champion has landed a ride with Effenbert-Liberty Racing for their World Superstock team.

The Canadian champion in October rode a BMW S1000RR in World Superstock for the Garnier Alpha Racing team at Magny Cours in France and then at the Portimao round, finishing 13 at Magny Cours and 10th at Portimao and in the post season test a Portimao, the Effenbert Liberty Superbike team had him try out Jakub Smrz’s Ducati 1098R and were duly impressed by his first laps on the bike and signed him up for their new Superstock effort.

McCormick will be riding the debuting Ducati 1199 Panigale, and his first official appearance for the team will be at a Phillip Island for a three day test session.

“It has been my goal and my dream to race in the world championships, and I have to thank the Effenbert-Liberty team for giving me a test in Portimao. Their team and bike are with the best, and they are serious about winning, so I plan to return their faith in me by putting the team colours at the front! At the test I found the bike to be the best I’ve ever ridden. And working with the team from both a technical and human standpoint was awesome, so I can’t wait for the season to start!” said the excited Canadian.

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