Image: Russell Colvin.

Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) rookie Max Croker is on the road to recovery after sustaining multiple injuries to his right hand and arm in a major incident at this week’s unofficial Wakefield Park test in Goulburn.

The 20-year-old, who finished 13th on debut in the premier class at Phillip Island, was ejected from his Mladin Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000 on entry into the final turn on Tuesday morning during what was the second day of testing.

Croker was air-lifted to Liverpool Hospital, with scans confirming a badly-broken right hand, wrist and clavicle in two places, as well as lacerations to his small finger that had to be operated on. Emergency surgery to relieve pressure effectively saved Croker from losing his hand – the damage that severe – and he currently remains hospitalised on the mend.

“It was the final corner… I went in a bit hot,” Croker told CycleOnline.com.au. “It’s a little bit downhill there, the rear wheel came up off the ground and I got out of shape. I tried to make the corner, but lost the front and it threw me forward. I think the bike collected me, because when I stopped I was on top of the bike.

“I tried to avoid it, obviously overshot my braking marker by a little bit, but by the time I thought to stand the bike up the rear wheel had sort of landed sideways. That’s what threw me past the bike – I didn’t even really have time to let the brake off in the end.”

In his second season with Mladin Racing, led by seven-time American Superbike champion Mat Mladin and this year receiving major support from Yoshimura, Croker has emerged as one of the most capable rising talents on the ASBK grid. It’s not clear when he will be able to return to the bike at this point.