It's alarming enough to be seriously ill, but to be seriously ill and not have a clue as to what may be wrong with you has to be frightening. Near the end of his professional career, former World and AMA Superbike champion Doug Polen spent several years deathly ill and in serious pain before a specialist finally diagnosed the Texan with a colon issue. In the process, Polen nearly died. "I saw the white light twice," he recalled at Road America.

This much is known: Superbike champion Ben Spies came home from the Laguna Seca USGP with issues in his abdomen. He has many of the symptoms normally associated with appendicitis, the flu or food poisoning. He underwent an appendectomy and at least one other "surgery" in trying to fix or discern what's ailing him. All to little avail.

By Sunday night several people were ill in the paddock at Laguna and more came home with either a mild case of food poisoning or the flu.

At the moment, Spies is still ill and his medical staff haven't yet got a handle on what the problem may be.