Cole Seely Out For Remainder Of 2019 MX Season
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When we walked under the Team Honda HRC tent on Friday at the 2019 High Point Motocross, something seemed amiss, as Cole Seely’s CRF450R was pushed over to the side of the pit normally reserved for Toshiki Tomita. Within moments, a press release hit our inbox that announced Seely will be sidelined for the remainder of the summer due to a shoulder dislocation and injury he sustained in a practice crash on Tuesday while practicing in Florida.
From what the team told us, the crash was minor but Seely has experienced some recent issues with the shoulder (he had a similar injury in 2015) and this dislocation caused significant damage to the labrum and broke part of the socket. Seely flew from Florida to California shortly after the crash and visited with the doctor that did his prior surgery, and that’s where the full extent of the injury was determined. A full surgery will be necessary to repair the area, scheduled for this coming Tuesday, and Seely will miss the remainder of the 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship as a result.
Injuries are always unfortunate, but this one is especially so for Seely since 2019 was a rebuilding year after the pelvis injury that sidelined him for most of 2018. The Team Honda HRC rider has made it clear the 2018 injury and rehabilitation caused him to give some thought to retirement, but his performance through the Supercross season and early part of the Nationals proved there is plenty of fight left in the 14. He currently holds a one-year contract with Team Honda HRC that will expire at the conclusion of the race season.
The team will not field a replacement rider this weekend at High Point since they have Ken Roczen and Toshiki Tomita under the factory awning, and it’s unclear if they will extend an offer to another rider the way they did with Fredrik Noren in the past. Considering the team’s current two-rider program and lack of a title sponsor that would mandate a certain number of bikes to be on track, we would not be surprised if the vacancy is not filled this summer.
The press release, including quotes from Seely and Team Manager Erik Kehoe, is posted in full below…
Team Honda HRC’s Cole Seely will be sidelined for the remainder of the 2019 AMA Pro Motocross series due to a torn labrum and fractured glenoid socket, sustained when he dislocated his right shoulder in a practice crash at the Moto Sandbox in Claremont, Florida, on Tuesday, June 11. Seely flew to California on Wednesday for further evaluation, during which it was determined that he would need to undergo surgery. Dr Warren G. Kramer, the same surgeon who operated on Seely’s shoulder in 2015, will conduct the surgery on Tuesday, June 18, at the Newport Surgical Center in Newport Beach. The recovery time is estimated to be three months.
“I’m extremely sad to have to sit out the remainder of the season,” Seely said. “I’ve been working really hard to continue to build myself up after my big injury last year, so to have another setback like this is very disappointing. It seems like I’ve had nothing but challenges. I want to thank all of my fans and my team for their support.”
“It’s really unfortunate to see Cole’s season end this way,” added Team Honda HRC manager Erik Kehoe. “The beginning of this season has been a challenge for him, but he showed a lot of speed during the first moto at Colorado; it’s a bummer that we won’t be able to see how he progresses. He’s had some tough luck with injuries, but he has kept a good attitude and continued to give his best effort. On behalf of the team and everyone at Honda, I wish him well during his recovery.”
