When nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi shattered his right leg, the world was shocked and Yamaha was reeling. That’s because the “Doctor”, as Rossi is sometimes called, was in 4th position contending for the world championship. Now, Yamaha has named a replacement as Rossi convalesces, but some of us are wondering if the Japanese factory may have passed over an American that’s ready to hit the world stage.
Was Michael van der Mark the Right Rossi Replacement?
The San Marino Grand Prix was the first race missed by Valentino Rossi after his unexpected accident in the Italian countryside and it won’t be his last. His prognosis is good, but doctors estimate that he will be out of commission for 40 days. That means he will miss the Gran Prix of Aragon, and Yamaha can’t afford that.
The company is contractually obligated to provide two riders for the Aragon GP, and so they have decided on a replacement, Michael van der Mark. This Dutch rider is well known in the circles of World Superbike. He is the former World Supersport Champion and he happens to be riding one of the two factory Yamahas in WSBK. He is known for his tenacious riding, and for producing podium performances on the massively underdeveloped Honda CBR1000RR, but was he Yamaha’s only option.
Could an American Have Filled In?
In the past, Yamaha have asked test rider Katsuyuki Nakasuga, Alex Lowes, and AMA champion Josh Hayes to step in for injured MotoGP riders. However, with the recent success of the MotoAmerica series, there are a bevy of other riders contracted with the tuning fork factory who are potentially available. The last MotoAmerica race of the season happened on September 17th, freeing up riders like JD Beach and Garret Gerloff—two Supersport national champions. However, the rider most people would expect the nod to go to would be MotoAmerica champion Cameron Beaubier.
Cam has shown spectacular talent when it comes to racing at all levels. Last year he filled in for an injured Sylvain Guintoli at the Donington Park round of WSBK. That weekend he qualified ninth on the grid, crashed out of the first race, and then finished tenth in the second race. His performance and adaptability impressed the Yamaha Racing executives, which made him a clear choice to stand in for Rossi, but there was another problem. At Pittsburgh International Race Complex during Race 2 of MotoAmerica’s eighth round, Cameron crashed and suffered a dislocated shoulder. After examining the shoulder, Cameron was sent into surgery, ending his season just days before Valentino Rossi suffered his broken leg.
Though the other American prospects at Yamaha are strong, Beaubier was probably the only rider that stood a chance at Rossi’s seat considering van der Mark is Yamaha’s top World Superbike rider at the moment.
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