Round 15 from Nashville proved costly for multiple riders including Justin Barcia and Jason Anderson, who took to Instagram during the week to update fans on their injury.
“It’s been a tough few days,” Barcia said on Instagram. “I had surgery on Monday on my collarbone. That’s feeling a lot better today. I ended up breaking two ribs and broke my right shoulder. The shoulder doesn’t need any surgery, so that’s great.
“I’m feeling a lot better today and the next few days are just going to get better and better and better. Hopefully I can start training again soon. Obviously, I’m off a dirt bike for a little bit, but I wanted to give a shout out to everyone this season. It was definitely for me my best mentally and physical Supercross season. Really enjoyed it; had a lot of fun. Definitely a bummer to go out this way. Things happen though; it’s motorcycles and I can’t wait to get back racing hard and stronger than ever.”
Barcia was not being hyperbolic about his great season. Heading into Nashville, he led the NBC Power Rankings on the strength of seven consecutive top-fives. He became the fourth different winner of the Supercross season the week previous at New Jersey and had expectations of contending again in Nashville. With Cooper Webb’s early departure after an accident in his heat in that round, Barcia also had a great opportunity to climb to third in the points’ standings.
Barcia was riding fourth at the time of his accident.
While the Supercross season has ended and it is uncertain when he will mount up for his first Lucas Oil Pro Motocross races, he is more than 200 points above 20th in SuperMotocross points and still has a great opportunity to qualify for the World Championships this fall.
Jason Anderson crashed hard in his heat at Nashville and was forced to make his way into the main by winning the Last Chance Qualifier. He finished sixth in the main, but once he got home, he realized something was wrong.
“So last weekend I had a crash in practice that I didn’t think it was too bad,” Anderson wrote. “After racing then practicing this week I felt like something was wrong. So after a CT scan it showed I have a non-displaced fracture at C5-C6 in my neck. Obviously that’s one of the things we fear the most as racers is a[n] injury in that area, but luckily where the fracture is my season is not over and I can come back to the races relatively soon.”
Anderson left Nashville sixth in the points’ standings on the strength of seven top-fives.
Injury to Barcia and Anderson thins the top of the running order, changing the complexion of the final two rounds in which Eli Tomac leads Chase Sexton by 18 points. Without these riders and their potential to place between themselves Sexton and the leader, should Tomac actually struggle at Denver or Salt Lake City, Tomac’s path to the championship has fewer potholes.
Other 2023 Injury News
450 riders
Cooper Webb, concussion
Aaron Plessinger, hip
Christian Craig, elbow
Dylan Ferrandis, concussion | Will not return until Motocross
Marvin Musquin, wrist
Malcolm Stewart, knee
250 riders
Stilez Robertson, leg
Cameron McAdoo, shoulder
Jalek Swoll, arm
Seth Hammaker, arm and wrist
Austin Forkner, knee | Injury isn’t the hardest part
Jo Shimoda, collarbone | returned at Atlanta
