The Monster Energy Pro Circuit team announced Tuesday night that Austin Forkner will miss the remainder of the 2023 Supercross season as he heals from a knee injury that included a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament).
Immediately after the press release, Faulkner took to Instagram to thank his supporters and provide further updates on his physical and mental state.
“[The knee] Not completely broken, but it’s the ACL, and the ACL is long; six months old. “
However, the injury to Forkner’s knee was not the primary injury. He acknowledged in his post that he was working his way through the injury.
“It’s so hard to deal with right now, and I had a really good offseason this year,” Forkner said. “Super low-key, super calm. I’m honestly embarrassed at this point. I’m obviously very disappointed in myself; Don’t even want to look people in the eye.
“This is the third year in a row I’ve been knocked out after two games, the most. I didn’t even play the first game this year, and now I’m out for a while. It’s hard because of the last few years, it’s really It’s tough.”
After a serious crash in Arlington last year, Forkner told NBC Sports, “The injury wasn’t the hardest part of the accident. It’s all about the injury — not the game, everything you’re dealing with mentally, and the negative thoughts that come with it.“
Forkner cannot be blamed for last year’s accident in Texas.
At that time he said, “Honestly, it’s easier to accept (injury) this time than it was my fault in the past. I’m not the type of person who has to yell to get a point across. I can walk the track without my trainer or my dad or anyone else having to yell at me in my face that I’m not riding well. If I don’t run well, I will come back and be angry. I am self-motivated.
“It was almost easier this time because it wasn’t my fault. When the car accident was my fault, I kicked myself. Afterwards I was devastated, ‘Dude, why am I making these mistakes? I have to do something to stop Making these mistakes, it destroys me and sends me into the dark, thinking “why can’t I fix this? “”
But Forkner is equally blameless in the accident that forced him out of the 2023 season. He was hit from the side, which sent his Kawasaki sideways. As he struggled to get the Kawasaki to go straight, the half-turn momentum threw him out of his seat.
Hurt again, and the negative thoughts return. The crashing situation didn’t quell the fight that was and should have been.
“I’m not blaming anyone. [People tell me] It’s not 100 percent your fault,” Faulkner said. “I don’t like that perception, and I’m going to take responsibility as best I can.
“If I could jump a little better, I could put a wheel on those guys and they wouldn’t come over and we wouldn’t hit. Either way, RJ (Hampshire) and I got together at the gate Together, my front wheel was off the ground a little bit, and the guys started coming from the outside. My front wheel was on it, so I couldn’t move around.”
“I tap my knee, and when I tap my knee, I know it’s done. A quarter of an hour, or whatever, when I tap my knee until I’m ejected, I know my knee It’s over.”
