Watched ML’s “what we learned on Friday at redbud” video where he said “And Everybody in the pits pretty much right now is talking about the likelihood that Austin Forkner is retiring number 1. But number 2, we may not see him again, we may have seen the last of Austin Forker racing already. There is no scheduled return date for him.”
First time I’ve heard that. I gotta admit as a fan of his it’s been confusing to see his results in ‘25 and ‘26. I chalked it up to him struggling to adapt to the bike and the decisions the team has been making along with trusting the motorcycle. He is a family man now and probably looks more forward to seeing his wife and son more than winning races these days. Coker was on Pulp talking about how Austin in the fastest guy at the test track and is untouchable. It’s just delivering on the weekends where it goes haywire. He said he wasn’t going to give up on Austin either and that he encouraged Austin to stay on the 450. So I wonder if Triumph not re-upping him is a Coker decision or a corporate decision. Either way it’s a huge bummer. I was reading silly season threads wondering why we haven’t heard anything regarding him signing with or negotiating with teams. Now we have our answer.
I wonder what’s next? Test rider for Triumph? PC? I hope he can stay involved with the industry somehow.
I hope it’s temporary and he can come back. But I can also recall an interview where he was asked about when he would have kids way back in like 2022. He answered something along the lines of “we’ll have kids whenever I can see the horizon of the ending of my racing career.” Maybe it really is time.
You couldn’t blame the guy if true. Showed so much heart coming back from injury time and time again. He can still enjoy riding with his family and friends.
Maybe he just needs a break from racing.
Injury, new kids, move across the country, pay reduction from his PC days, that's a lot to process...
I went and rode this weekend for the first time since having our first son. The track was so sketchy and dry that I can confidently say it was the worst and most yeehaw fair-tier track I've ever been to. It was just straight up dangerous and not worth riding.
However.. one thing that motivated me to head over to the turn track and run drills for the rest of the day was the idea of being too injured to be a successful dad. Child or not, I was out when my front wheel was locking up under braking and pushing/plowing through the silt in every part of the track.. BUT: For a guy like austin that seems to nearly die every season, I hope he does something different.
He got a concussion at Lakewood, I wonder how the hit to the head is affecting especially after having brain surgery. Millsaps and Hepler are two that come to mind that had to stop racing because of bad concussions, maybe Forkners doctors are telling him that he can’t take too many hits to the head.
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Sad if we don't get to see him again, I was sure he would crush it going back into the 250s. Looks like both he and Jalek (maybe Stylez too?) are out at Triumph, so really wonder what he's thinking about doing next........and where Triumph is going.
It’s good that he can walk away. I think it’s the right decision for him and his family. Good luck to Forkner.
Stylez was announced as retiring and now a test rider last November..
Seeing how he hasn’t made any announcement about his crash at Lakewood and how he hasn’t posted much of anything other than him, Rylee and Atlas I think he is simply just not as invested into racing his dirtbike anymore, or at least at the moment. With Sexton likely departing Kawi at the end of this season I genuinely thought it was possible that Kawi would give Austin a shot in a 450 next year since that relationship ended on good terms and I truly do think getting on a 450 would be better for his career going forward and if Coker goes over to Kawi as manager and he believes in Austin I thought that it was a genuine possibility. Surprised we didn’t hear rumors of Star trying to poach him, after all he’s won so many races in the 250’s but where is his path beyond that if he did go there? These were just my silly season theories though. It’s no secret his tenure with Triumph hasn’t been what anyone expected it to be. Guy never blamed the bike though, only himself. I have noticed a shift in his goals from winning races and championships to top 5’s in the 250 class. I think racing became more of a job for him rather than a career, and life for him as changed a lot. He’s not the kid in 2016 who just went pro and his whole life centered around winning and proving himself anymore, he’s a man in 2026 with a beautiful wife and family. Some things just change and in this case that isn’t a bad thing, quite the opposite.
Pretty sure he's a manager I over there now and that's what he's talking about
I’m pretty sure Triumph let Stylez go, along with Scuba and one more person.
I really hope the best for Austin. Who knows, 10-15 years from now he could be the manager of one of the race teams. I really hope he stays involved. He gave us enough entertainment and doesn’t have to prove anything to anybody at this point.
Why did they fire them?
I have no insider info, but Triumph is probably wondering why things are going well for the team in the MXGP series, but not in the AMA.
Pig farming in Missouri might pay a lot better.
Results, or lack thereof. Believe they parked Gage Linville as well.
If you take Jordan Smith out of the picture, they only have two podiums in three years (a second and third by Swoll).
Professionally, his career has been a bit rough with the injury bug. That dude on the track in his first several years though, so fast, way faster than anyone on the track. He was awesome to watch.
Honestly it wasn’t even close. If he lined up he was going to win. One of the surest bets
I’m not sure, I think Triumph is just trying to clean house and right their ship, although Scuba is pretty knowledgeable and was Millsaps mechanic when he almost won the SX title back in 2013. Scuba was working for Bobby Hewitt and his team for a bunch of years so the guy knows a lot. I think I heard that on MLs “what I learned on Friday” vlog/podcast. Stylez I thought was training some of the guys in place of Brownie when Brownie broke his neck. I don’t know how much they can look at their MX2 program in Europe to compare because I thought I heard that the euro program is running different frames and a bunch of different stuff that the US spec bikes can’t run.
Pit Row
Stilez wasn't fired.
https://www.vitalmx.com/forums/moto-related/stilez-robertson-retiring
Max was a mutual decision too. He was fired this time from running the VIP program, but also does not mean he wasn't doing a good job. Triumph is not getting the results so they are making changes. Needs to happen more in this sport (think Kawi, JGR, Factory Yamaha).
I remember ML saying Stilez and Scuba were both let go and Linville parked. That Ivan was remaining as assistant team manager and Coker taking on the team manager role on top of being the GM. I believe it was ML's Friday Redbud video.
there's ZERO evidence or commentary to suggest Sexton is leaving Kawi end of this season. It's only tossed about here by people who can't analyze his situation entirely and ignores the reality of all the complications preventing a Chase move.
To be honest should have after the brain surgery going off his history he was at big risk of getting dead trauma again any head/brain trauma is no joke.
No disrespect to Forkner.
My Forkner memory is his crazy-rapid ascent from this little kid busting tricks on a razor scooter at the skate park, to getting tats and hooking up with a Monster chick. At first I was like "way to go buddy"! But then he started throwing up all this lovey-dovey "spend the rest of our lives together" shit up on social. I remember thinking....easy there tiger...you're barely like 18 years old (or whatever he was).
Wish him the best though. He's had a tough moto career. Hope he stays healthy and finds his path.
ML said he was let go on his “what I learned on Friday” video, he says it around the 2 min mark.
I didn't watch the video. Mistakes happen, my bad
IMO, it never made much sense to have him there when they already had Brownie on staff. Hopefully he can land on his feet somewhere else or go back to school and carry on with normal life.
Linville. Not sure who made the decision to sign him as a replacement, but one quick look at his results would've told anyone it makes no sense. He has one podium in SX (3rd at Foxborough 2025 which was a complete mudder) and never cracked the top 10 in any of the other races he's done. Outdoors, he never cracked the top 20.
The only rider pulling his weight around is Haarup and he's going back to MXGP.
I think Smith is coming around slowly. He's been in the top 10 and I'd say that's about right for him anyway.
Wouldn't blame him if he did. I guess he made decent money, and nobody can question the heart and determination he showed time and time again. He has a young family to think of and has already taken far too many hits to the head.
If he wanted to stay in the sport, I think people like Forkner would make great tutors to other hyped kids when they go pro and start trying to navigate all the hurdles and injuries. He didn't ever hit the heights he was expected to hit, and is one of the best 250 riders I've ever seen to NOT win a title, but he probably has more insight and wisdom to share than 90% of the guys that had everything go right
holy run on sentence, Geez😁 A few commas would go a long way.
He left.
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