Honda HRC rider Chance Hymas will miss the remainder of the 2023 Pro Motocross season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left-knee injury suffered during training on June 20th in Florida. Hymas believed he was still capable of competing, but he and the team decided it was prudent to end the season and not risk further injury.
“It’s obviously a disappointment,” Hymas said in a press release . “I feel like I had found my speed and was making good progress on improving my consistency, so I was really excited to head to RedBud for the next round.
“This injury is unfortunate, and I actually feel like I could race if I had to. At the same time, it’s better for my health to get it taken care of now, and I’m thankful that my team supports that. I’m in good hands and am super-motivated to come back healthy and show what I can do. In the meantime, I’ll focus on having a successful recovery while I cheer for my teammates from home.”
Hymas scored his first podium in Moto 2 at Thunder Valley and finished fifth overall in that round. He was sixth overall at High Point in Round 4 of the Motocross season with results of eighth and fifth in the two motos.
Hymas detailed his accident in an Instagram post , saying “Just had a freak accident in a corner and planted my leg and I felt a pop. Immediately knew something wasn’t right. Got an MRI shortly after that and results came back with a completely torn ACL.”
In the first four rounds of the Motocross season, Hymas climbed to 11th in the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) points standings riding for the team vacated by Jett Lawrence when that rider moved up into the 450 class.
“Of course it’s a bummer to lose a rider during an off-week,” said Team Honda HRC manager Lars Lindstrom. “Chance was just starting to hit his stride, and we were excited to see him take the next step. He was up for continuing to race, but we don’t feel that would be the best move for his health or career. We’re pleased that Chance has decided to address his injury now, and we wish him well on a smooth return to good health.”