Our last report on Nick Turner's TT campaign saw him battered, bruised but still battling on following a brush with a wall. In fact, we finished with this: "At the time of going to press he is waiting to start the 1000cc Production race on the Danske Bank Yamaha R1. We will post results as soon as we have them..."

Well, six weeks later and I have just come home from seeing Nick. It's fair to say that the Production race didn't go quite as well as hoped, although Danske Bank must be pleased in some ways as their livery, or parts of it anyway, will no doubt feature in many of the less tasteful "And they walked away" type videos for some time to come. Because 15 miles into the first lap, while running at a highly competitive pace, Nick failed to negotiate the fast right hander at the end of Kirk Michael and hit the wall. This time it wasn't just a brush but a full on impact at the wrong side of 120mph.

Nick broke his right shoulder blade, smashed his left kneecap and broke his left shin so badly that his foot was almost detached. On top of that, he broke a few ribs, suffered a collapsed lung and sustained head injuries. His ride to Nobles Hospital in the helicopter was generally expected to be his last, and he was given a less than 20% chance of survival. The next few days were touch and go. Despite being conscious in the helicopter, Nick soon lost consciousness and remained out cold for the next week and a half. During this time his shattered knee was pinned together and his ankle was stabilised. But more importantly, over a gallon of fluid was drained from his lungs. Day by day his survival prospects improved and within a week or so it became apparent that he was going to live.

Nick was transferred back to the mainland two weeks after the accident and continued to get better. And now, six weeks to the day since the crash, he is sitting up, reasonably mobile, and is starting the long road to full recovery. His right arm is still not working properly as his broken shoulderblade is interfering with the nerves. Hopefully he will soon be strong enough to endure the surgery needed to fix it back in position properly, at which point things should get better fast. His leg is in a complicated mix of plaster and metal, but is healing and is not a cause for concern. His head injury has left him unable to concentrate for long periods and has made his speech rather more deliberate than usual. But he is definitely the same person. A little reflective, perhaps, and currently convinced that he won't be getting back on a bike, but he's still there. And in good humour at that.

The next report will hopefully be even more positive...