Nate Thrasher Out for the Remainder of Pro Motocross Following Shoulder Surgery
At the sixth round of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, Nate Thrasher suffered a crash on the opening lap of the first 250 Class moto. KTM rider Max Vohland quickly cut to the inside and across Thrasher in the long roller section, causing the #91 to slam to the ground hard on his right shoulder. He was quick to his feet but was heavily favoring his right arm as he waited for the field to pass. After walking off of the track under his own power, he was cared to by the Alpinestars medical crew and carted off the track. He did not start the second moto and said the following in a post-race statement from the team:
“I’m just so bummed. I got a great start but had some more bad luck and I hurt my shoulder. We’re going to keep our head high and go get looked at when we get home and hopefully will be back stronger than ever.”
Thrasher later went into more detail with the following Instagram post.
“Not the way I wanted my weekend to go! Got taken out first lap in the rollers which put an end to our day! Shoulder is pretty sore after popping out, but going to get it checked out this week to get further details! Not the best of luck these last few weeks, but I’ll post an update when I know more. Thanks to my team @starracingyamaha and everyone that supports me!”
The team confirmed Thrasher suffered a dislocated shoulder in the crash and he would miss the seventh round Washougal National as he underwent further assessment.
“@natethrasher91 will miss this weekend’s @promotocross Washougal National following a dislocated shoulder sustained at the Spring Creek National. Together, with the team and doctors, Nate will assess the best long term plan and timetable for his return 💪🏽”
Last night, the Monster Energy/Star Yamaha Racing rider took to Instagram to announce he went under the knife on Wednesday, July 28, to repair a torn labrum suffered during the crash in Millville. The post also announces his season is over as he will be sidelined for the remaining five rounds of Pro Motocross.
“UPDATE!!!!! I had surgery today on my shoulder to repair my torn labrum from my crash at Millville! Everything went smooth and we’re looking to heal up quick with some therapy and be ready next season. Some tough luck but also a lot of positives to take away from my rookie year! Thanks to my team @starracingyamaha and everyone else for the constant support through it all! 🤙🏻”
In his debut season of Monster Energy AMA Supercross, the Tennessee native picked up two 250SX main event wins at the Atlanta 1 and 3 Supercrosses after winning the LCQ earlier both nights. He finished seventh in the 250SX West Region (127 points) after sitting out the Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Showdown to refrain from surpassing the 135-point threshold (which saves him a year of eligibility in the 250SX Class).
Thrasher missed the High Point National (round three) after undergoing a “minor surgery” during the week leading up to the event—the details of the injury were not specified by him nor the team—but he returned for the following round RedBud National. (Note: the team had an incredible nine-rider roster at the RedBud National with six riders in the 250 Class and three in the 450 Class). Following a bike issue in the first moto, Thrasher earned his best moto finish of the season in moto two with a ninth. His season-best finish came at the second round when he finished 11-10 for 12th overall at the Thunder Valley National. Through seven rounds of the championship, Thrasher’s 52 points sits 19th in the 250 Class points standings—although that will change with 250 points available over the remaining ten motos. While Thrasher will miss the remainder of Pro Motocross, he is expected to return to the team in 2022 for his second full pro season.
