Crumlin’s Stephen Thompson has confirmed he will make his return from injury at the Macau Grand Prix following a frightening crash at the Ulster Grand Prix in August.

Thompson will ride a BMWS1000RR at the 46th edition of the famous race at the Guia street circuit on November 17.

He suffered a broken C7 vertebrae in his neck following a crash in the Supertwin race at Dundrod but has now been passed fit to race at Macau.

“Fred McSorley and John Hinds put me through a tough medical but I passed it and I’ll be riding at Macau,” said Thompson.

“I’m a bit dubious about getting back on a bike again after such a big crash, but these are the things you have to do when you race motorcycles.

“Whether or not I’ll be competitive is another matter, but I’ll give it a go and we’ll see how I get on during free practice.

“The event has been taken over by different organisers this year and I wanted to make sure I kept my place for when I’m fit next season,” added the 36-year-old.

“I’m still struggling with my neck and it could be next May before it’s completely healed, but I’ve just got to get on with it.”

In September, Thompson told the News Letter he stopped breathing following his crash at the Ulster Grand Prix, which occurred on the approach to Ireland’s Corner.

He received a police escort to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast following the incident.

“I’d had very little practice on the Supertwin but I qualified in 12th which wasn’t too bad,” said Thompson, reflecting on the crash.

“I got away and was lying in eighth, but there was a group in front of me of four or five riders and I thought that if I could catch them I could have got through.

“But coming out of Quarterlands I high-sided and the next thing I went through the hedge. I remember landing and then the pain must have knocked me out.

“I was unconscious for about six or seven minutes and Dr [Fred] McSorley brought me round again because I wasn’t breathing,” he added.

“I was lucky that he was at the corner.”

Thompson will compete under the T&R Motorsport banner at Macau along with Steve Mercer, who will ride a Honda Fireblade.

Northern Ireland’s Jamie Hamilton and Lee Johnston will make their debuts at the event, where Michael Rutter and John McGuinness top the entry on the SMT Honda machines.




By Kyle White
.