Cole Seely suffers a severe season-ending hand injury while practicing at Pala Raceway; done for the year.
According to American Honda, Team Honda HRC rider Cole Seely is in recovery after undergoing a successful operation to his right hand on Wednesday, June 29, which was injured while he was practicing at Southern California’s Pala Raceway on Tuesday, June 28.
The surgery was carried out at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, California, where Dr. Nicholas Rose performed an open reduction internal fixation of Seely’s pinky finger, inserting a plate and four screws. The injured hand is in a splint, and Seely will visit the doctor in seven days to determine if a cast is needed.
Needless to say, Seely is not expected to compete for the remainder of the 2016 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. He is currently third in the 2016 Lucas Oil 450cc Pro series, his best results being a pair of third-place moto finishes, one at Thunder Valley in Colorado and one at Muddy Creek Raceway in Tennessee.
“I’m extremely bummed,” Seely said. “I was starting to find a good rhythm and really had my sights set on getting my first overall podium and win in the 450 class, so needless to say, to have my season end with a broken pinky is disappointing. Although I can’t ride, I’m going to continue to train and start focusing on next season.”
Team Honda HRC manager Dan Betley also expressed his dismay that Seely’s season is ending prematurely.
“He has been gaining a lot of momentum through the opening rounds and was continuing to build himself into a great outdoor rider, so we’re all very disappointed,” Betley said. “The fracture to his hand was pretty severe, so he was left with no choice but to get it fixed. The entire team and everyone at Honda wishes him a speedy recovery, and we know he’ll do everything he can to get back on the bike as soon as possible.”
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