Source: Josh Hook Racing.

Team Honda Racing’s Josh Hook continues to recuperate in hospital following a major incident in yesterday’s second Phillip Island Superbike Championship race alongside the World Superbikes.

After starring during the opening part of the weekend with pole position and the race one win, Hook crashed on the opening lap of race two at Turn 11 in a dramatic incident that also took down teammate Wayne Maxwell.

Initial injury reports had Hook with a broken wrist and collarbone, however it’s since been confirmed by Honda that he has also fractured the C6 vertebrae in his neck.

Team principal Paul Free was satisfied to see Jamie Stauffer take the overall victory, but otherwise concerned for the injuries of Hook and Maxwell, who dislocated his shoulder in the clash.

“What can I say? We won the round and that’s fantastic, but Josh is in hospital and Wayne is injured,” Free reflected. “I can’t take anything away from Jamie and don’t want to gloss over his win – he rode very well all weekend and was very consistent, so well done to him for the race two win and the overall round win.

“We are all thinking of Josh now and will be keeping in contact with his family as he recovers. The weekend certainly ended on a positive note in terms of Jamie’s win, but we could not have anticipated Wayne not finishing both races, being injured and Josh ending up in hospital, so we will take stock and regroup.

“We do have another event very soon at Wakefield Park with the Australasian Superbike Championship so we need to stay focused and move forward.”

Honda will be absent from tomorrow’s official pre-season ASC test at Wakefield Park, expected to complete a club meeting at the circuit early next month before the season opener on 14-16 March. Hook’s injuries will almost certainly rule him out of that event.