Dilan Schwartz will miss Round 5 of the SuperMotocross World Championship in Glendale, Arizona, and most likely will not return until the East / West Showdown in Birmingham, Alabama, on March 21.
“The impressive speed Schwartz has shown all season was once again present in Houston,” the Toyota Redlands BarX Yamaha team said in a news release. “The team leader showed the way in qualifying and spearheaded a 10-11-12 showing for all three riders. Unfortunately, Schwartz crashed hard while he attempted to improve on his time, which brought out a red flag and stopped the session.
“After he received medical attention from the Alpinestars Mobile Medical Unit, Schwartz was confirmed to have suffered a broken rib and two broken vertebrae, which resulted in a heartbreaking end to what had been a strong start to the season. Fortunately, he never lost any feeling [or] movement, and his prognosis for a return to action is positive considering the frightening nature of his injuries.”
Schwartz was coming off a strong start to the season in which he hovered around the 10th position in each round. He finished 10th in the season opener at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, was ninth in San Diego, and 11th when the series returned to Anaheim for its second race.
“It’s a huge bummer for Dilan and the team to lose our most experienced rider and the camaraderie that he and his teammates had built this season,” said Bradley Taft, team manager. “The good news is it’s a best-case scenario given the severity of his injuries. He will most likely only miss the next two races [before the West Division break] and then he could potentially be back for the East/West Showdown in Birmingham in March.”
