FIGHTING BACK | Bikesportnz

He was one of the favourites to win the MX2 motocross crown in New Zealand this summer, but now Michael Phillips is in full rest and relaxation mode as he recovers from injury.

The 28-year-old, a late call-up to The Honda Shop Racing Team as a replacement for injured MX2 rider Aaron Wiltshier, two-time former national 250cc champion Phillips seemed an ideal choice to “keep the seat warm” on the team’s CRF250.

Indeed he was, stunning everyone with outright MX2 class wins at the Whakatane Summercross and the annual King of the Mountain Motocross in Taranaki and he then followed those victories by also winning the MX2 class at the New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Auckland.

Not bad at all for a temporary, fill-in, semi-retired racer.

But then, just as he was setting one of the fastest times of the day during early qualifying at round one of the New Zealand Motocross Championships in New Plymouth a couple of weeks ago, he crashed off his bike and was taken to hospital.

He went “splat on the face of one of the rollers coming out of turn four” and suffered three broken ribs, two compressed vertebrae and a broken collarbone.

Amazingly, although obviously unable to continue the qualifying session, he had still done enough to set the fifth fastest time.

“That’s just motocross for you. That’s just the nature of the beast,” said a philosophical Phillips. “The broken bone was quite close to the artery in my neck, so that was a concern for a while.”

It will be at least another four or five weeks before he could even consider getting back on a bike.

“I’m naturally pretty disappointed. I have won national championships before, but another one would have been quite nice. I’m just thankful that I’m okay.”

The good news is that a spleen-ectomy he underwent in England in 2009, with the organ removed following a huge crash, is believed to be growing back.

“They scanned me following this latest crash and that’s what they told me, so that’s good news at least.”

Round two of the New Zealand Motocross Championships is in Timaru this weekend, but it will be without Michael Phillips on the starting gate.

His younger brother, John Phillips, will, however, line up again for The Honda Shop Racing Team in the MX1 class.

John Phillips is third overall in the class after the opening round, behind Queenstown’s Scott Columb (Yamaha) and Australian KTM rider Kirk Gibbs.

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