Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

2002 AMA Superbike Rookie of the Year Brian Livengood suffered a broken left ankle when he hit a wall after crashing in an unofficial practice session at Road Atlanta Tuesday, October 22, before Air Fence and Alpina Air Module sections were deployed for the start of official practice. Livengood planned to race in the GSX-R750 Suzuki Cup Finals this weekend before traveling to the Macau Grand Prix in November but will now be out at least two to three weeks.

“Basically, I went into turn four, and the front just went,” said Livengood Saturday at Road Atlanta. “(Another racer) told me he saw a knee puck in the corner, and I think I might have hit it. Normally, you can feel the front end go, but this time the front just went.

“I slid on my butt and tried to spin, but I went into the wall feet-first. The bike went in first and cleared out the haybales, and I hit the bare wall.”

Livengood said he broke “a couple of bones” in his left ankle but underwent two hours of successful surgery to screw and plate the ankle back together at the Piedmont Medical Center in Atlanta, Georgia on Wednesday.

Livengood pointed out that he will still be training, as best he can, while off his feet and is still looking for a ride for 2003.

Vincent Haskovec will take Livengood’s place on the North American Macau team. Haskovec will ride his SGI-sponsored Suzuki GSX-R750 and will work with mechanic Mike Godin.


Meanwhile, young gun Matt Furtek was taken out of the Suzuki Cup Finals by an aggravated wrist injury; a surgical screw due to be removed after the GNF started backing out, causing Furtek’s hand to go numb. Furtek, 17, was riding for Valvoline EMGO Suzuki in both the GSX-R600 and GSX-R750 Suzuki Cup classes.