Honda racing star and former Superbike champion Miguel DuHamel had a steel rod removed from his left femur last night by Dr. Art Ting. That rod has been in DuHamel's leg since 1989 when he crashed an RVF at Suzuka while testing Michelin tires for Honda.

The surgery was succesful, and lasted about an hour and twenty minutes. DuHamel is now in a private clinic and will be there for a few days before flying home for Christmas. He'll need five weeks to heal up.