Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Mike Preston, the Team Manager of the Kawasaki factory AMA road racing team, will not attend the upcoming Dunlop tire test December 8-10 at Daytona International Raceway due to injuries sustained in a recent motocross crash.

Preston was riding a Kawasaki KX250F at Lake Elsinore Motocross Park (LEMP) in Lake Elsinore, California November 22 when he was blown off the side of a table-top jump by a crosswind, according to Kawasaki Crew Chief Dan Fahie, who was riding on a different course at LEMP at the time of the crash.

“The guys we were parked next to were riding right behind and beside him over the jump when it happened,” Fahie told Roadracingworld.com Thursday. “Sometimes when you crash you say, ‘It was stupid to have tried that,’ but this wasn’t one of those cases. He wasn’t doing anything stupid and was riding well within his skill level. It was just an unfortunate accident.”

Preston crashed when he landed on the side slope of the jump. He was transported by ambulance to the Inland Valley Medical Center, near the track, where he was diagnosed with multiple fractures of his right humorous (upper arm bone) and fractures in his left hand. Preston was admitted into the hospital and had surgery to repair his injuries November 25-26.

“He’s at home now and basically doing okay for a guy with no arms. He’s sore more than anything else,” said Fahie. When asked how the team was coping without Preston present in the race shop, Fahie answered, “We’re doing what we can. We talk to him on the phone now and again, but his busy time had pretty much just ended. The lining up of the riders and mechanics was done. Now it’s mainly the crew’s job to thrash and get ready for the tire test.” Fahie added that Preston would not be at the test.

Attempts to reach Preston directly have been unsuccessful.