Two-time MotoGP->ke5142 world champion Casey Stoner’s return to two-wheel racing ended in spectacular fashion when he crashed out of the Suzuka 8 Hours five laps into his run at the iconic Japanese race track.

Stoner sustained a broken right shoulder and left tibia as a result of the accident but after seeing video of the crash for the first time, I can make a really good case that Stoner was fortunate that he didn’t suffer anything more serious than the separated shoulder and the broken leg.

Apparently, the throttle on the MuSASHi RT HARC-PRO Honda CBR1000RR got stuck open at full throttle, which led to Stoner losing all control of the bike as it went sideways into the gravel A closer look seconds before he went off the track also shows the front wheel give a slight wiggle just as Stoner was about to make a sideways turn.

What happened after that will be the moment that fans will have a trouble forgetting. As the bike careened into the barricades, it threw Stoner out of the saddle and flipped over in the air more than a dozen times before crashing in a heap in the middle of the race track. Stoner himself took a few violent spills before getting slammed in a heap into the grass.

The accident predictably brought out the safety car as emergency response units quickly rushed to Stoner as he was crawling out of the wreckage, no doubt hurt but feeling fortunate that he was still alive.

The video is pretty graphic and some people might not be able to stomach watching it without feeling a little queazy. But the good news is that Stoner is alive and well, except for the few broken bones sustained during the violent spill.

That’s really all we should care about at this time because Stoner could just as easily have died because of the crash.

Continue reading to read more about Casey Stoner’s horrific crash at the Suzuka 8 Hours.

Why it matters

I’ve seen the video a couple of times and it doesn’t get any less pleasant watching it over and over again. The injuries Stoner sustained are obviously horrible, especially when you take into account the sheer violence of the crash. If he had fallen off the bike at a different speed or place, who knows if we’d be talking about him in the present tense or the past tense.

It could’ve been a lot worse for the two-time MotoGP champion. He could’ve sustained more broken bones, gotten paralyzed, or worst, he could’ve died from that crash.

That’s how bad it looked from my perspective.

The bike itself looked like a lost cause as soon as it slammed into the race track after doing its best Olympic gymnastics routine. But mangled bikes are replaceable; dead rider’s aren’t.

So yeah, Stoner should be counting his blessings because it could’ve turned out worse for him. That might not ring true to someone who just suffered a broken right foot and has a cast on his left leg, but trust me when I tell you, he really could’ve died from that crash.

That’s how violent and horrific it looked from our end.

Get well, soon Casey Stoner! It sucks that your return to motor racing didn’t go as well as you or anybody else hoped. But the important thing is that you’re alive.

Banged up, but still breathing. Thank the Lord for that one.