Leigh-Smith and Crafar fighting serious injuries
Lung and spinal injuries respectivelyTwo of Australasia's motorcycle racing stars, Blake Leigh-Smith and the retired Simon Crafar, are battling serious injuries in hospital.
Leigh-Smith, the reigning Australian 125 GP champion and former junior dirt track prodigy, ruptured both lungs and broke his scapula in a German 125 race a couple of weeks ago when he cannoned into a fallen rider's bike at Sachsenring.
The 19-year-old Queenslander has now emerged from an induced coma with his mother and girlfriend by his side. Doctors have stated that had he not been airlifted to the hospital via helicopter, he would have died from his injuries at the track.
Crafar, a former 500 GP and world superbike winner, was involved in a serious head-on car/bike crash in Romania on June 8, which left the New Zealander with serious spinal injuries.
Steel rods have been inserted into his badly damaged T12 vertebra.
Crafar, 40, was helping to mark out trails for the popular Red Bull Romaniacs enduro event.
Crafar won his one and only 500 GP at Donington in 1998, defeating Australia's Mick Doohan and the late Norifume Abe.
Crafar finished in the 1998 championship, with Doohan claiming the spoils.
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