With two minutes to go in the 250SX East main event at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, points leader Austin Forkner endured one of the most brutal hits of the season.
Midway through the rhythm section, Forkner lost balance, flew off his No. 64 Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki and landed hard on the concrete section on the outer edge of the track.
Scary get off for Forkner while leading 🫣#SupercrossLive #SMX pic.twitter.com/8R0TD0NwMo
— Supercross LIVE! (@SupercrossLIVE) February 25, 2024
He spent the remaining two minutes, 30 seconds of the main event on the ground and was eventually helped onto the Alpinestars medical rig by the safety crew towards the end of the race. Forkner was seen wearing a neck brace, supplied by the medical crew.
He was unable to complete the race and was officially scored 20th. Prior to the incident, he was leading the race.
On the NBC broadcast, it was announced that Forkner had been transported to a local hospital and was being evaluated for a shoulder injury. No additional updates on his condition have been released at this time.
Forkner won the 250SX East opening round at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich., three weeks ago.
Later on Saturday night, 450SX rider Adam Cianciarulo, who has dealt with his fair share of injuries over the course of his career, wrote a heartfelt social media post dedicated to Forkner.
Cianciarulo wrote, “I think we all felt a little sick to our stomach watching Austin go down like that. It takes a lot of courage to keep coming back, as he has (from previous injuries), and I know I’m not alone in wishing the best for him — both physically and mentally.”