Cooksey, Straight To The Point: Kawasaki’s Hot-And-Cold Night 20

The 2019 Monster Energy Supercross in Nashville started with Monster Energy Kawasaki and Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki teams giving their executives heartburn. The only way I can describe their night is, “As bad as it went, it couldn’t have gone any better.” Kawasaki had a mechanical failure, a smoking bike, rider injuries, and LCQ stress followed by victories! They experienced a season of highs and lows in one evening. When it looked like they were out of contention for both the 250 East and 450 titles, their fortune changed for the better.

The craziness started in the first timed 250 session, when Austin Forkner had a huge crash. Austin has been tempting fate all season long with his weekly crashes. How many times can a rider walk away from a big crash before suffering an injury? For Austin, the bill came due and his left knee looks to have suffered. I am not a doctor, but I have endured multiple knee injuries and both of my ACL tears came from impacts similar to Austin’s. While every knee injury is different, his injury looked to be an ACL tear to me.

A complete ACL tear can leave the knee extremely vulnerable and unstable, ultimately causing further damage to other ligaments and the meniscus. This is crucial because more often than not, damaged meniscus is removed instead of repaired. The effects are not felt until the person is older, then knee replacement surgery is required. Most likely Austin will be given the option to tough out the pain and race much like Kyle Peters and Adam Cianciarulo did last season. The risk for further damage is very high, and is the risk worth the reward? This is something Austin will have to contemplate. Then again, every injury is different and it might not be an option, so stay tuned.

Pro Circuit had to rely on 32-year-old Martin Davalos who just went under anesthesia to receive a neck injection a week ago. Davalos suffered a broken neck at Dallas last year and something in his neck is pushing on his spine causing issues with his arm and hand. Things were looking bleak in the Pro Circuit pits. Austin had a 26-point lead and if Chase Sexton won the race the lead would be lost. Their only hope was that the most experienced 250 Supercross rider on the planet would find his form and block Sexton from max points. The seasoned veteran did exactly what they hoped (with some help from Chase Sexton and Justin Cooper) and took the win.

The 450 drama started when Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Eli Tomac suffered a bike failure in his heat race. Then in the LCQ, his bike looked like a 2-stroke fresh off Craigslist, with smoke billowing from the engine. With only a few minutes between the LCQ and the start of the main event, another complete engine swap was impossible. They had to tighten whatever they thought was causing the smoke and hope for the best.

After the first couple laps of the main event, Joey Savatgy was in second and looking good. A nasty washout of his front wheel left him walking off the track holding his arm in a way that had me believing his shoulder was out of the socket. His Instagram post following the race was cryptic at best. He said, “Sore but I’ll be good,” which leads me to believe it was indeed a dislocated shoulder. Once the shoulder is popped back in place the outlook instantly changes. If this happens regularly, riders risk needing a shoulder reconstruction.

I have to question why Joey doesn’t offer more transparency to his fans? They want to know what exactly happened and follow his recovery. Hiding the severity of this injury is counterproductive. All his competitors know he has an injury, so hiding from them isn’t beneficial. Joey is one of the most talented riders, but is probably one of the least popular. I think it’s because his post-race interviews lack anything of substance and his lack of transparency with fans comes off as smug.

I am not sure what happened with Eli Tomac when Joey crashed, but he decided he wanted to win. Tomac is one of the all-time greats of this sport, but probably the worst all-time great ever. But as an all-time great when he decides he wants to win, there is not much his competition can do to stop him. His win brought him within 21 points of series leader Cooper Webb. If he can close the gap, I will most definitely change my tune when referring to him as the worst all-time great.

As we wind down the most exciting and unexpected season, a few questions remain. Can Cooper Webb fight through his burns, bumps, and bruises to win his first 450 championship? Will Ken Roczen ever get that elusive first win with his surgically repaired arms? Can Marvin stop making mistakes and pay back his teammate and rival for rough riding? Will certain Vital members ever stop complaining about the announcers? (Seriously let it go, guys, RC and Ralph are staying).

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Chris Cooksey is life-long motocross enthusiast, racing professionally in arenacross, motocross and supermoto. Chris obtained his degree from Arizona State, majoring in business and communications. After college Chris immersed himself in the business and social media aspects of the industry. Chris enjoys sharing his opinions. Sit back and enjoy the view from his perspective.