Haslam bangs head in fall, fitness to be reviewed after warm-up

Leon Haslam is a doubt for today’s two World Superbike Championship races at Laguna Seca after a crash in the opening encounter left him with a contusion to his hand and a sore head.

The Kawasaki Racing rider was running in the battle for fourth – which would have become a tussle for the podium – when he crashed at The Corkscrew on lap four.

‘Head-butting’ the floor hard and hurting his hand, though Haslam will need to be signed off by Clinica Mobile to be on the grid for the Superpole Race, he is confident he will be fit to ride.

“I got a bad start and got stuck a little bit behind Loris, but I was struggling from lap one. The package felt very different from what I had all weekend in terms of corner entry. In the change of direction at The Corkscrew I fell on lap four and head-butted the floor really hard.

“I have a slight contusion on my left hand but I should be all right to ride tomorrow. I have to analyse the data and see what was going on.

“It is frustrating because I definitely felt we had a good rhythm for third place – obviously not to go with Chaz or Johnny - but that third place was on the cards and that would have been nice for the championship.”