World endurance veteran Damian Cudlin will replace the injured Loris Capirossi for this weekend's Motegi MotoGP round after the seasoned Pramac Ducati racer is unable to take part after his shunt at the last round.

Capirossi, who will retire at the end of the year, ran into the back of Toni Elias at Motorland Aragon, dislocating his shoulder. The Italian had a choice of either resting the oft-damaged bones or having an operation which would end his career immediately.

"It's hard to put into words what this opportunity means to me. I've dreamed about starting in MotoGP since I was a boy, and until now it's been just that- a dream. Now it's become a reality and to be honest, I'm still in shock! I'm under no illusions about how difficult this race will be," said Cudlin, who made his GP debut with a Moto2 ride at the Nurburgring last year, placing seventh.

"I've never ridden a real MotoGP bike before and I've never been to Motegi either, so realistically my expectations can't be too high. I just want to do the best job I can, enjoy the experience, and just see what happens. I've really got nothing to lose, so why not? I don't know what I've done to deserve this. I still can't believe I'll be replacing Loris Capirossi- I had posters of him on my wall as a kid!

"I just want to thank Sito Pons for recommending me, the Pramac Racing Team for giving me a chance, and also my current BMW Team for allowing me to use this opportunity. I hope I can make everyone proud that they took a chance with a guy like me."