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Bill Ballance, Yamaha Factory Rider (5 Time
GNCC Champion) |
Los Alamos, CA (8/3/2005) - Bill Ballance
suffers a broken ankle during the press intro
for 2006 Yamaha YFZ450 on Monday, August 1st while
riding on the Castillo Ranch in Los Alamos, CA.
The injury occurred while Ballance was performing
for the media at the press intro when he attempted
a jump and the take off didn’t go as planned.
Ballance bailed off the back of the YFZ450, and landed
straight legged and the impact apparently broke a
bone in his left ankle according to Steve Nessl, Yamaha
public relations.
Bill Ballance was rushed to the Santa Maria hospital
for X-rays and MRI, and he was released Monday night,
and flew back home to Kentucky on Tuesday to meet
with his local doctors on Wednesday to make a final
prognosis on his ankles condition and the amount of
time he will be sidelined from riding or racing.
The five time GNCC Champion, Bill Ballance is currently
leading the GNCC Pro Class with a 43 points lead over
#3 Chris Borich, Alba Action/Honda, who injured his
collar bone at the Wisp GNCC, but has made a complete
recovery and will be ready to race at Yadkin Valley
Stomp GNCC on September 10th, 2005.
Whether or not, Bill Ballance will be ready to race
by September 10th has yet to be decided depending
upon the prognosis, but with five weeks to heal up,
it remains very possible that he will be ready to
race after the Summer break.
UPDATE (8/31/2005) - Steve
Nessl, Yamaha Public Relations
As for an update on Bill, he is very good spirits
and the timetable for his return depends on the progress
he and his leg make over the next few weeks, and is
completely contingent on whether or not he gets the
green light from his doctor to race. He will, for
sure, miss the next GNCC round in Yadkinville, but
is unsure at this point if he will be in New Berlin,
NY, on September 24th.
Regarding the injury, Bill reports the leg is healing
fine - he no longer has any pain and the incisions
from the surgery are healing nicely. Further, he is
getting stronger every day and says that he is also
starting to get back some mobility in the ankle. He
has also taken to swimming every day except Sunday
in order to stay in shape as much as possible while
he is off the YFZ450.
"I'm feeling good," says Bill. "I
am getting better every day."
As more details become available, ATVriders.com will
keep you up to date.
