The petite blonde motorcycle racer from Northamptonshire, Maria Costello, seems destined never to compete at the Kennedy International North West 200, as she was yet again forced to pull out of the event due to injury.
Costello had already faced challenge after challenge in the run up to the event with what seemed like endless mechanical set backs but the real threat came in the form of a broken shoulder blade she sustained four weeks earlier in a high speed crash while testing her Philip Youles Triumph Daytona 675 at Cadwell Park.
Air lifted to hospital and with the daunting prospect of surgery looming, Maria’s thoughts were still set on competing at the North West 200, planning rehab and physio on her way home from the hospital. Not even a broken bone was going to deny her the opportunity of returning to the Irish ‘Real Road’ race she finished third in class at in 2005.
Maria comments:“Thankfully surgery wasn’t required and I could get straight home to start intensive treatment with a fantastic physio Barry Goudriaan. We could see improvement every day so I was positive, as was my physio that I could go to Northern Ireland and give it a shot, although I’d have to go blind as we had no opportunity to test before hand.”
Despite the good progress Maria made physically with her injury, there was still uncertainty as to whether she’d be able to ride at the flat out speeds required on the demanding North West 200 road course, or even ride at all. On top of this her BERING Honda RVF400 and Philip Youles Triumph Daytona 675 were still receiving final preparations leaving no time for testing. Therefore Maria’s first opportunity to ride a bike since breaking her shoulder would be the start of her first practice lap of the 8.9 mile course.
Costello’s broken scapula wasn’t causing too much pain during the first night of practice, as only one lap was completed on the Triumph as the session was shortened due to a red flag incident. The following four laps on the Honda were not highly demanding either. It was during the final qualifying sessions on Thursday night that difficulties riding the bike at a competitive pace became difficult for Maria. This left the TT’s fastest woman with a heart wrenching decision to consider, of maybe having to pull out of racing at the event.
Maria Costello comments:
“I don’t mind pain in fact I’ve raced with a broken collar bone before. It wasn’t a problem during Tuesday nights practice, the 400 is easy to ride and the bikes speed was limited as the gearing was wrong so I had to roll off down the long straights. But the Triumph took more effort and although the Stomp pads were really helping to take some of the pressure off my arms, during an out braking manoeuvre I felt tremendous pain in my shoulder. I returned to the pits knowing that competing on Saturday may be slipping away.”
“I’m so disappointed not to race but I didn’t want to be riding around for a finish, I’d never do that. I love the NW200 event and was so looking forward to racing the Triumph on the roads, so believe me when I say I did everything to try and race. The positives are that the few laps I completed are valuable, providing us with great feedback to take to the next event. I’ll be working with my physio everyday so that I’m back racing soon.”
Despite this disappointment Maria is looking to the future and is planning to compete at some extra race events, funds permitting, including various short circuit meetings and road race events such as the Cock ‘o’ the North at Scarborough and the Southern 100. And with her physiotherapist Barry Goudriaan and coach David Sutton on hand to aid her rehab and improve her fitness Maria is determined to make the rest of the season a success.
Maria would like to send special thanks to: CMS Cars & Commercials for their unwavering support, BENCO a Brixworth engineering company without whom we would not have two working motorbikes, KNOX for the amazing body armour, ZAK Leathers of Northampton for the last minute badging of my new BERING race suit, Andy Peck Paintwork for some stunning fairing designs, James @ Bill Smith’s, Northamptonshire’s County Cricket Club’s Physiotherapist Barry Goudriaan, Skidmarx, Scorpion Exhausts and not forgetting my boyfriend Dominic.
To follow Maria’s progress at future events go to:
www.costelloracing.com
