By Sean Bice

Tap the rock. Fist bump. Whatever you call it, it seems like the age-old handshake has been supplanted in motorcycle road racing paddocks. Developed during medieval times, the handshake was a way for two people to peacefully greet one another while extending their right hands in order to show that neither is holding a weapon.

The handshake was probably replaced by the fist bump in the MotoAmerica paddock because of COVID-19, but I have a different theory. Fist bumps are easier on injured hands than handshakes.

Have you ever considered just how many motorcycle road racers suffer hand injuries? Missing or abbreviated pinkies have long been common among road racers, especially from the two-stroke era when a suddenly seized engine would catch riders before they could pull in the clutch, and little fingers trapped under the handlebar invariably bore the brunt of the impact.

Then, there is the late, great Randy Renfrow, who lost his right thumb (again, trapped under a handlebar and surgically amputated) in a pre-season testing crash and then subsequently (and intentionally) lost a big toe, which he had surgically attached to where his thumb used to be. For a road racer, a noticeable limp is a lesser evil than not having an opposable thumb to properly grip the handlebar and throttle.

Hand injuries continue to happen in motorcycle road racing despite vastly improved safety gear and the much-improved reliability of modern motorcycles.

PJ Jacobsen damaged his hand in a crash at the opening round of this year’s MotoAmerica Superbike Championship. And, at the recent round at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Cory West suffered a crash that resulted in injuries to his hand, wrist, and elbow.

During the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca event, one round prior to Mid-Ohio, Kayla Yaakov had a crash that caused a hand injury eerily similar to what happened to her Rahal Ducati Moto teammate and muse Jacobsen.

Jacobsen’s and Yaakov’s hand injuries were particularly gruesome. Both suffered soft tissue and bone damage the likes of what you imagine would happen if you stuck your hand in a meat grinder. No hyperbole intended here. You’ve probably heard of an “angry cut.” Jacobsen’s and Yaakov’s injuries were superfly TNT, mushroom-cloud-layin’ angry.

And yet, neither Jacobsen nor Yaakov missed the next rounds of their respective championships.

It wasn’t easy for the two Ducati riders, however.

Yaakov recently wrote about it on her Facebook Page: “During Race 2 (at Laguna Seca), I had a crash in the early laps while chasing the front two guys. This crash unfortunately opened up a couple of my fingers and caused some fractures in the fingers, as well. I took the week and a half between Laguna and Mid-Ohio very seriously in terms of my recovery, just to grid up again and keep fighting.

“Mid-Ohio was probably the most challenging weekend of the season for many reasons, but I pulled through in Race 2 for a P3! With my screwed-up fingers and sickness aside, we struggled all of Friday and Saturday to find my feeling again on the bike, but (we) made a huge turnaround for Sunday’s race. While it wasn’t our best weekend, walking out with a P4 and P3 wasn’t bad considering everything that’s gone on the last few weeks. (I) finally felt more like myself on the bike again on Sunday, and (I) can’t wait to carry what we’ve learned over to VIR!”

And so, it goes for Kayla Yaakov. And for PJ Jacobsen. And, for all the other injured riders in the MotoAmerica paddock who literally suffer for their craft. That’s how much they love our sport.

If you’re going to VIRginia International Raceway this weekend, or to Circuit of The Americas or New Jersey Motorsports Park, be sure to say hello to the riders. And don’t be offended if they don’t shake your hand.