Jones deputises for O’Halloran

Former British 125GP champion Luke Jones will deputise for Jason O’Halloran in the seventh round of the National Superstock 1000 Championship round at Oulton Park for HM Plant Honda as the Australian continues to recover from the injuries he sustained in a crash at Knockhill.

Jones currently leads the Triumph Triple Challenge. He also won the British 125GP Championship in 2007 and narrowly missed out on the Junior Superstock title finishing runner-up in 2009.

Jones said: “You never want another rider to be injured and I hope Jason makes a speedy recovery. I am really excited to be offered a chance to be part of the HM Plant Honda team; they have so much experience across the different championships and the Fireblade is possibly the best package out there, so I can’t wait until Oulton Park.

“The Superstock 1000 class is the only one at BSB that I haven’t yet experienced, but I have raced against some of the riders already so I am looking forward to it. I am aiming for a strong top ten finish and I want to thank the HM Plant Honda team for giving me this opportunity whilst Jason recovers from his injury.”

O’Halloran was involved in a multi-rider crash in the Knockhill race when he crashed out at turn one, leaving him with a broken left leg just above the ankle and also underwent further operations to remove his spleen and repair a tear in his bladder. The former Australian Supersport champion remains in Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline and had an operation on his leg on Monday. He is expected to be transferred to a hospital nearer to his home in the forthcoming week.

O’Halloran said: “I am doing much better now and making really good progress so it won’t be too long before I can leave hospital. I had the operation on the broken bone in my leg, which will hopefully speed up the healing process. Initially after the crash I had to have my spleen removed and there was a question over one of my kidneys but that didn’t end up being a problem.

“I had another operation on my bladder and that was when I really felt I had turned a corner.

“I haven’t set a goal yet of when I will be coming back; I want to try and get healthy and then look at what is achievable. I want to be back racing with the HM Plant Honda team before the end of the season that’s for sure and I need to thank everyone for their support since the crash.”