Motorcycle ace Chris Wallington survived a wreck at more than 100mph at Daytona International Speedway yesterday.

The Island's top rider was practising at the world-famous Florida circuit for a Championship Cup Series race today when he was rear-ended by another competitor.

Wallington's 250cc bike was practically written off in the collision which, somewhat miraculously, saw him escape with just a damaged shoulder.

"I was on the start/finish line at Daytona which is pretty much the fastest point of the track," he said from the US last night. "A guy came up behind me, struck me and just wiped me out."

Wallington said he was going to make an official complaint about the way the practice session was run.

"These guys were trying to be heroes out there - everyone does it at Daytona. In the CCS races they try and become heroes in a day and it ends up causing these accidents," he said.

"They have so many people that they mix the practice sessions with 250ccs, 600ccs, 750ccs and unlimited bikes all on the same track.

"The 250ccs have 95 horsepower and probably do about 165 mph along Daytona banking and you get this guy with a 170 horsepower GSXR 1000cc bike that is doing 175 to 180 mph down the front straight, and, on top of that someone who does not ride particularly well ...

"He literally just ploughed into the back of me. He bent my rear wheel, my swing arm, took my pipe right off and then cartwheeled in front of me. I managed to stay up but he knocked my brake lever. At the time I was going into turn one at about 120 mph and I couldn't stop because there was no brake there. I just had to dump the bike on the grass and I struck my shoulder pretty hard."

Although the accident happened in the blink of an eye, Wallington said it seemed to last for ages.

"I saw everything out of the corner of my helmet. Once he had bumped me I knew exactly what had happened. He just started rubbing up the side of me, caught my leg and took my foot peg off - it happens quickly but to me it happened in slow motion," he said. "There was nothing I could do. I wasn't even on the brakes, I was still wide open. I don't understand what he was planning on doing."

Wallington was realistic about the incident, as frightening as it was.

"It happens. It's not the first accident I have been in and it won't be the last one I'll be in. In October when we were at Daytona we had a death as well. It happens," he said.

"I wanted to ride tomorrow but my mechanic said `we have got one good bike and a long way to go. It's not worth it just for a CCS race'."

While his injuries will heal his TZ 250cc machine will not be so easily repaired and he has been left with a bill initially estimated at more than $4,000.

"Financially, it has done a lot of damage to the bike and to my budget. I have got to be real careful throughout the rest of the year. The guy who struck me doesn't pay for it obviously, this is racing, it comes out of my pocket," he said.

"You are talking about a $700 rear wheel, a $1,500 swing arm and he clipped my titanium footpeg and ruined the pipe which is about another $700.

"My rear fairing is gone too and that's another $350. Without the frame being bent it is probably about $3,500 to $4,500 worth of damage. It hurts.

"But it's racing, people make mistakes, you pick up and you move on.

"I am sure I am going to knock someone off one day and I wouldn't want people to feel too upset with me.

"The guy who struck me ended up in hospital. He was "The guy who hit me was taken away on a stretcher. I was lucky to walk away from it. So I am happy with that. It is just upsetting because all my sponsors had paid for me to come out and race and I am only going to get the Nationals in (next weekend). It is just not a good way to start the year."

As for next weekend? Wallington is determined to be on that starting grid.

"I have got a pretty good bump on my shoulder, if I strap it up enough I will be there. I am going to make sure I am there, I am not going to miss the first race of the year," he said.