Darian Sanayei | Out For Rest Of 2020 Pro Motocross
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Summer is over for Darian Sanayei. The Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider has announced that he will miss the rest of the 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship due to ongoing issues with his shoulder, a problem that can only be repaired with surgery. Signed to the PC squad as a fill-in rider, Sanayei had a hard slam at the opening round at Loretta Lynn’s that aggravated an existing injury, skipped a few rounds for recovery, and returned to action for the two races at RedBud. Unfortunately, the damage has become too much and doctors have recommended he undergo a procedure now, that way he heals up in time and can race in 2021.
“So bummed to be writing this, but my shoulder hasn’t gotten any better and is just in too rough of shape to continue racing without getting it fixed,” Sanayei stated in a social media post. “I tried my best to race with it last weekend at RedBud and did all I could, but the issues im having are not ones that heal on their own. So we have decided I will be getting surgery on it so I can get back in time for next year.”
This has been an important and eventful year for Sanayei, but he been affected by this shoulder injury almost the entire time. After a few years spent in Europe in the MXGP series, Sanayei returned to the United States, did a handful of races in the Kicker Arenacross series, then turned his attention to the 250 East Coast Region of the Monster Energy Supercross Series with a Monster Energy and Babbitt’s-backed Kawasaki. During a pre-race talk at the Arlington Supercross, he explained that he dislocated his shoulder in a practice crash before Supercross even started and that it had caused some issues in his preparation, but that it was something he could race through as long as it didn’t get worse.
The injuries that Jordon Smith, Garrett Marchbanks, and Austin Forkner suffered during Supercross forced the Pro Circuit team to find replacement riders for the Nationals, and after some test sessions, Sanayei and Mitchell Harrison were selected for the open spots. Things started off okay, thanks to a 14th place result in Moto One at the opening round, but a crash in Moto Two did further damage to the already weak spot, and he missed Loretta’s Two and Ironman.
Sanayei’s return at RedBud was a bit of a surprise, as he was expected to miss a few more weeks, but the opportunity to ride for one of the premier teams in the 250 Class got him back to the line for. He finished all four of the Michigan motos in the top-20 (10-20-18-19), which added some results to his limited record in the US. “Tough decision to make when I have this amazing ride, but if I can not ride at 100% it doesn’t do myself or the team any good,” he noted in the caption. “I want to thank the whole PC race team and Kawasaki for the opportunity and all of the sponsors and people that helped out!”
It is unclear what Pro Circuit will do with Sanayei out. The team still has two bikes on the track in Cameron McAdoo and Mitchell Harrison, but there could be a detail in a sponsorship contract that requires three riders. Will they attempt to find a fill-in for the final four races or will Austin Forkner, now healed from his injuries, be brought back into the fold? We will share more information as it becomes available…
