MSS Colchester Kawasaki's Gary Mason was released from hospital yesterday after British Superbike medical staff rushed him in with a suspected broken neck from a fall during practice on Saturday.

After precautionary CT scans, the Lichfield man was told he had fractured the T3 and T4 vertabrae some time ago and they were now healing. Mason can only speculate it was during his big Cadwell Park crash last August Bank Holiday where he injured his hand and banged his head.

"Gary said his neck was a bit painful so went to the medical centre and the next thing I knew, I got a call saying he has broken his neck and we were going to hospital," said fiancee Rachel Chilvers, speaking to bikesportnews.com this morning.

"The track staff had him on a spine board with his neck immobilised but after a CT scan, we were told it was an old injury. We're not sure when it happened but the last large crash Gary had was at Cadwell Park, so we can only assume it was then. The bones are healing well, according to doctors, so that's something."