What happened to Forkner?

I think he’s cooked man.  

Definitely crashed in moto 1, he was around 20th early in the moto (but also didn't move forward?), dropped back to like 35th and didn't finish the moto. Moto 2 he was dead last on timings a lap in, got to like 29th I think, he was 8-9 seconds slower a lap than the top guys though. I don't know. He got only a couple finishes inside the top 10 last year (with one top 5th overall) and was riding around in 15-20 most of the weekends.

He is tough as nails and has certainly every right to be out there but there are riders more deserving of a factory ride at this point imo.

Gravity happened to Austin, over a 7-year period.

SX, yeah. He was never even close to being the fastest guy outdoors. He has one overall win in outdoors and that one is from his rookie season in 2016, that was also his best championship finish that year (4th).

But even with the amount of injuries he had he was always able to immediately come back to winning speed in SX (which is crazy), until his brain surgery, he's a completely different rider since then (understandable ofc). But the past two seasons are just rough to watch.

It made me sad to think of how he was smoking Deegan 3 years ago and now he’s finishing last in the 250 Motos outdoors.

I think he’s over it.

Always been a fan of Austin, the poor guy has hit the ground once too many and he knows it. Building himself a beautiful family and this year will be it I think. 

Not for any money in the world would I go through that injury/surgery list, that's for sure. Brutal stuff

Ya... it's over... roughest sport on the planet... so many people have been chewed up and spit out... with any luck he sees the light and moves on with his life... it's well past time... 

I wish Forkner still had success coming, but it's starting to look like this is his last season as a pro. What a shame. 

The record book will never reflect just how fast Forkner was at one time. Nothing but respect for his grit. 

Stick a Fork-ner in it, he's done.

. actually, it will. He won 11 of his first 22 Supercross Mains. What has happened to his speed through these injuries is just so sad to see. He was on his way to rewriting some record books.

Right. Never a real contender outdoors. His results are really nothing special in mx. Lots of finishes outside the top 5. Sx is a different story. Nothing special for an elite rider, by the way. Obviously an amazing rider. The injuries detailed him so much. Its unfortunate 

I saw a mini documentary on him a couple months back by some British guy (not me) that I thought was really good - there's so much he was going through even during the race he was leading Deegan before that horrifying crash. Most people (myself included obviously) just wouldn't know about.

The thing is if he were to quit racing he can still say, taken as a whole, he's had a great career in SX. There's a tendency to only think in negatives over his career but despite not getting a pro title it was suprising to me watching the doc just how many times he'd bounced back and races he'd won that I'd forgotten about. Really he just needed it all ideally during one or two seasons... 

Dang, you are one clever feller. 

As a fellow Missourian, I've been a fan since the beginning. Injuries and Father Time will always win in the long run. Unfortunately, it seems to be another tale of what could've been. I hope Austin is in a position to call it a career and focus on his beautiful family.

He is ripped apart through the sport we love. The internal injuries he had, brain injuries, ... If I was him I would call it a career, before it goes wrong again.

But those of us that have been here the last few years know how he OWNED Sexton and gifted him one sx title (same gift eli gave him n the 450's). Austin was dominant early on in his pc days. He was every bit as dominant in sx as jett an deegs. He could just never seal the deal. Whats the old saying, gotta be in it to win it!  

Do disrespect to Sexton on the gifts. He was there and took advantage of the situations.

Just watched ML's What we learned on Friday video and he mentioned a rumor going around that due to Triumph not renewing his contract Forkner might likely retire. Damn shame but not entirely surprising. 

I'm actually not really sure we even see him back this Summer. Some in their camp suggested we may not see him again.

It was the straight to cement hit that Feld and Bondo repeatedly use as promotional material. Slow motion, even.  

Austin raced a lot at our local tracks as an amateur.  I remember seeing him and thinking "no one can ride a motorcycle faster."  (Especially one time I mistakenly persuaded my son, who was in his first year on a 125 to enter a local "125 C two stroke class."  Needless to say he was quickly lapped by Forkner and some guy I hadn't heard of at the time, Chase Sexton).

Just another proof point on how difficult it is to reach (and succeed) the highest levels in pro motocross/supercross.

I hope he has a bright and happy future.

Forkner should retire and live a happy family life.

Last year he finally got some momentum going making 99% of the races, and 3 weeks before A1, Triumph says get on the 450 A1.  Biblical levels of mismanagement by Triumph for the 2026 race season.

Austin is 27 yrs old.. in moto I'd think everyone wants to race the premier class before they retire... even though he wasn't fast this year, I'm glad he got some chances to line up in the premier class... he was gonna get smoked in either class... at least he finally got to race a 450 for a few rounds...