Dilan Schwartz Update After Houston SX Qualifying Crash
We have an update on Dilan Schwartz following his crash during qualifying at the Houston SX. Schwartz went down during the second 250SX group A qualifying session, prompting a red flag to pause the session for the Alpinestars medical crew to tend to the #42.
Schwartz was inside the top 18 to qualify directly into the three Triple Crown races during the night show, so his crash opened up a spot on the starting line. Keegan Rowley, fifth in the 250SX LCQ, got the fill-in gate for Schwartz, making his first ever main event.
The Toyota Redlands BarX Yamaha team provided an update on Schwartz in its post-race press release today, saying he broke a rib and two vertebrae but did not lose any feeling or movement. He could be back for the 250SX East/West Showdown on March 21.
The team said the following in its release:
The impressive speed Schwartz has shown all season was once again present in Houston. The team leader showed the way in qualifying and spearheaded a 10-11-12 showing for all three riders. Unfortunately, Schwartz crashed hard while he attempted to improve on his time, which brought out a red flag and stopped the session. After he received medical attention from the Alpinestars Mobile Medical Unit, Schwartz was confirmed to have suffered a broken rib and two broken vertebrae, which resulted in a heartbreaking end to what had been a strong start to the season. Fortunately, he never lost any feeling nor movement and his prognosis for a return to action is positive considering the frightening nature of his injuries.
From Team Manager Bradley Taft:
“It’s a huge bummer for Dilan and the team, to lose our most experienced rider and the camaraderie that he and his teammates had built this season. The good news is it’s a best case scenario given the severity of his injuries. He will most likely only miss the next two races [before the West Division break] and then he could potentially be back for the East/West Showdown in Birmingham in March.”
