What follows is a press release received by MD today from Honda regarding Ezra Lusk and the injury he sustained in a crash at practice on Saturday, January 8, 2000.
“Team Honda’s Ezra Lusk has suffered a fracture of his left shoulder socket, the result of a practice crash on Saturday, January 8 while Lusk prepared for the AMA Supercross season’s first event that same evening at Anaheim’s Edison Field.
Lusk, second overall in the AMA Supercross points standings in 1999 and a pre-season favorite for the 2000 season, was first treated for a separated shoulder at the track. He sat out the race and was expected to return to action as soon as this weekend for the second Anaheim event. Upon returning home to Georgia, Lusk was subsequently diagnosed with a chip-type fracture and torn ligaments.
Lusk will undergo arthroscopic surgery on Wednesday morning, January 12, in Georgia. He is expected to miss 6 to 8 weeks of competition while he recuperates. Lusk, while disappointed, will focus his energies on a late season return to Supercross racing and will prepare for the AMA’s outdoor National Motocross series which beings in May.”
MD wishes Ezra a speedy recovery, and strong return to the end of the Supercross series this season.
What effect will this have on this year’s Supercross series? With the injury of Jeff Emig and Ezra Lusk, the field of likely contenders to de-throne Jeremy McGrath as AMA Supercross Champion in the year 2000 has narrowed.
MD still stands behind its earlier prediction that Honda rider Kevin Windham will be the man most likely to de-throne the King. Although, quite frankly, Honda’s Mike LaRocco looked mighty strong at Saturday’s opening round of the series, and should prove to be some serious competition for McGrath. While Kawasaki’s Ricky Carmichael rode a strong start to this opening round, it appears that he will need some more time to get back to his pre-injury speed and stamina in order to challenge McGrath. There was also some serious bar banging going on between Honda’s Sebastein Tortelli and Suzuki’s Greg Albertyn during the second semi-final before the main event. It’s quite a talented field of riders.
As we’ve said before, 2000 will be the most competitive Supercross series ever.
