Colt Nichols Sidelined with Hand Injury

After great showings in the four Eastern Regional 250 Supercross races in Salt Lake City, Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha’s Colt Nichols was involved in a heat race crash with another rider at the East/West Shootout series finale and suffered a broken bone in his right hand. The Oklahoma native underwent surgery to repair the damage on Friday, June 26, and he will likely miss the first two rounds of the Lucas Oil 250 Motocross National Championship.

“I’m very disappointed, to say the least,” says Nichols. “I was really enjoying being back to racing in Salt Lake City and I was happy with the way I was riding. It was good to get back on the podium and run up front, and I was looking forward to carrying that momentum into the MX Nationals.

“I knew that something was broken at the track, but I waited to get back to SoCal with my regular physician to learn the extent of the injury,” adds Nichols. “I broke the third metacarpal bone in my hand – not a horrible injury – but it required a small plate and a few screws to expedite the healing. I originally wanted to try and make it to the first National, but doctors say it needs four-to-six weeks to heal. We’ll play it by ear.”

Of the crash, which involved Eastern Regional 250 Supercross Champion Chase Sexton, Nichols says, “Initially I was thinking ‘How did that just happen?’ but after reviewing the footage of the crash, I realize that I misjudged how close he was to me when I went double-single and cut to the inside. I did look over my shoulder, but I simply didn’t see him. It was a racing incident.”

“We are obviously disappointed that Colt will be out for a bit with injury,” says Team Manager Wil Hahn. “Colt worked so hard to get back up to speed following his off-season shoulder injury and we were really expecting a lot from him in the MX Nationals this summer. Last summer, he enjoyed the best motocross finishes of his career and he’s sure to better those in 2020.”

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