It was a devastating night in Tampa for Team Honda HRC, as their sole active rider, Cole Seely, was sidelined early in the evening after crashing hard in 450SX heat two.
While running third, Seely attempted to jump a quad in the long rhythm section after the start straight. He came up short and was ejected over the handlebar, after which the motorcycleās rear wheel landed on him.
Seely was immediately assisted on-track by the Alpinestars Mobile Medical Unit crew and was then transported directly to St. Josephās Hospital.
After further evaluation, it was determined that Seely had sustained fractures to his sacrum and the left and right sides of his pelvis. He underwent an initial procedure Saturday evening to realign the pelvis.
On Sunday, a more extensive operation was performed to repair substantial damage to his abdominal wall, fixate the pelvis with a large plate and screws, and insert a screw on each side of the sacrum. The initial prognosis is for eight weeks non-weight bearing, with a follow-up appointment to take place in 10 to 14 days.
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“Weāre extremely disappointed to see Coleās season come to an end like this,” said Team Manager, Erik Kehoe. “Things were going well up until this weekend. He was second in points and continuing to improve each week, so it was only a matter of time until he would have gotten a win.
“This is the hardest part of our sport because it never gets easy seeing one of your riders hurt. The entire team and everyone at Honda wishes Cole the best for a speedy recovery.”
Prior to Saturdayās action, Team Honda HRCās Cole Seely and Ken Roczen were joined by GEICO Hondaās Jeremy Martin, RJ Hampshire, and Cameron McAdoo for an appearance at Xtreme Powersports in Tampa to hang out with fans and sign autographs.
Though heās not racing due to the injuries he sustained in San Diego, Roczen was in Tampa spending time with his team and fans. Roczen joined Jim Holley and Daniel Blair for an interview on Race Day Live, before sitting alongside team-mate Seely for an autograph session. Even after the 30-minute session was completed, Roczen continued to take photos and sign autographs for his fans, who were excited to see him.
During the evening program, Roczen joined Jeff Emig and Ralph Sheheen in the Fox Sports 1 broadcast booth to discuss his injury and to commentate during the 450SX heat races.
For the second consecutive week, Team Honda HRC helped support the Road 2 Recovery Foundation in their efforts to raise money for the Alpinestars Mobile Medical Unit. Two packages, each of which included a signed Ken Roczen jersey, a tech-truck tour, access to the teamās hospitality area for dinner, and a meet-and-greet session with Roczen, were auctioned off for a total of $2,403.
This week, the series heads to Atlanta for round eight. With both Roczen and Seely injured, Team Honda HRCās status will be announced later in the week.
