Justin Brayton Out With Knee Injury, Ben LaMay to Fill-In
Justin Brayton was involved in a first-lap crash along with Chad Reed, Kyle Chisholm, and others in the 450 main event on Saturday at round 12 of the championship in Seattle. The Smartop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts Honda rider was checked by the medical team on site and went for further evaluation on Monday.
According to a team statement, the examination yesterday revealed a torn MCL and strained ACL. The statement said Brayton is expected to start his recovery next week with light cycling and physical therapy. The recovery time is anticipated to be between two to six weeks before he is cleared for full activity. He said in an Instagram post that he is aiming to return to the championship in round 16 in East Rutherford:
After a long day in and out of doctors offices and an MRI, I’ve got a torn MCL and a sprained ACL. Neither will require surgery which is good but I’ll be off the bike for the next few weeks. My goal is to make it back for the last two rounds of @supercrosslive in East Rutherford and Las Vegas?
With Brayton out in the immediate future, the MCR team named Ben LaMay the fill-in for Brayton, starting this weekend in Houston. LaMay, who will race with the team for three rounds, finished a season-best 14th in Seattle and currently sits 18th in 450SX points.
The team also lost Vince Friese and Malcolm Stewart to injury earlier this year. Mike Alessi will remain on the team for the next two races to continue his replacement duties.
