News is filtering out of the Fontana test that Aaron Yates' 2006 season is not off to a wonderful start. Yates suffered a broken shoulder in a fall today at Fontana—but how severe the break is remains unknown.

Yates' manager, Clifford Nobles, said moments ago, "Yes, I can confirm that he has suffered a broken bone in his shoulder but we're awaiting the results of an MRI to gauge how bad it is. We have two of the best doctors on the job--Dr. Grant here locally and then of course, Dr. (Dave) Keiffer."

Kieffer is, of course, the racing "Dr. Dave" of Gem City Bone and Joint fame, where a mulitude of riders have had their injuries repaired. Keiffer retired from his Colorado practice and is now the head man in sports medicine in the orthopedic department at the St. Louis University.

Yates, 32, is roughly a month away from the season's first event at Daytona Beach.