Toby Price crash rocks Clipsal 500 plans

Organisers of Adelaide’s Clipsal 500 Supercars opener are in damage control following the broken femur suffered by Toby Price in the Dakar Rally.

The defending Dakar champion Price was to head up the New Holland Enduro-X presented by Monster Energy, the major off-track event at this year’s opening round of the Virgin Australian Supercars Championship from March 2-5.

Officials are now preparing to offer Price an ambassadorial role for Clipsal in the highly likely event that he will not be able to take part in the off-track component at the Adelaide Parklands venue.

Price broke his left thigh bone following a crash on his factory KTM Red Bull motorcycle on the fourth stage of the Dakar.

The Australian was leading on the last part of the 416km stage from San Salvador de Jujuy to Tupiza in Bolivia when a rock caught him out at more than 90km/h, 45km from the finish.

Price was to return to the Enduro-X, which made its debut last year and which has doubled in size to include Supercross elements into a hybrid track design in March.

The KTM factory offroad ace has also been a feature in the Stadium Super Truck support races at Clipsal in recent years.

Clipsal 500 general manager Nathan Cayzer says his team was ‘shattered’ by the news of Price’s accident.

“Obviously it would have been fantastic to have Toby arrive in Adelaide as a back-to-back Dakar champion, but that will not be the case,” Cayzer told Speedcafe.com.

“We were shattered at the news yesterday, but our first thoughts were always about Toby’s health and well-being.

“So many of us have developed a personal relationship with him through the Stadium Super Trucks and his involvement in the enduro event last year.

“It is early days in regards to his health, but it would be a tough ask to see him back into competition in just eight weeks, no matter the final prognosis on his fracture.

“If he can be here, we will welcome him with open arms, whatever his level of involvement – whether that is a demonstration lap or just signing autographs.”

A further update on Price’s condition is expected through the day after the two-wheeled ace sent messages through his Facebook page yesterday.

The Enduro-X, will now be headed by American X-Games gold medallist Mike Brown, last year’s champion Mitch Harper and multi-National Supercross champion Jay Marmont.

This year’s event will also be highlighted by the appearance of Spain’s 13-time women’s trials world champion Laia Sanz, who also won the women’s motorcycle section of the Dakar on debut in 2011 and again in 2012 and 2015.