Aaron Plessinger of Red Bull KTM narrowly avoided serious injury after a collision with Ken Roczen in the second race of the 450SX Triple Crown held on Saturday in Indianapolis. The crash occurred when Roczen, coming through traffic, lost control in the rhythm section just before the finish line and collided with Plessinger, landing on top of him in a dramatic accident.
Details of the Collision and Race Outcomes
Roczen had claimed victory in the first race and was positioned well in race two when the mishap happened. After sliding on one of the on-off jumps, Roczen’s trajectory intersected with Plessinger’s, causing Plessinger to hit Roczen’s rear tire on the following jump, which threw him off his bike. Despite the severity, Roczen managed to remount and completed the race, finishing in 10th place. He returned for the third race and secured third place, ending the night fifth overall.
Plessinger was able to stand and walk to the mechanics area but did not restart for the third race. He disclosed via a KTM press release that although he escaped without broken bones, he sustained a significant bruise on his right arm from the impact.
Plessinger Reflects on the Crash and Recovery Prospects
Plessinger commented on his experience, saying,
“My day was going alright in Indianapolis and I felt we made some steps forward throughout qualifying. I climbed up to eighth in the first race, which was good, given where I started – I felt I rode pretty well. And then in Race 2, I got a pretty good start inside the top-five before Kenny [Roczen] slid on one of the on-offs, then he went double while I tripled, which had me plough directly into his back tire on the next jump. It took me off the bike and now I have a pretty good bruise on my right arm where his tire hit me, but as bad as it was, I think I got pretty lucky to get away from that one with nothing broken. We didn’t do the third race, which was unfortunate, although now having a weekend off, we’ll keep up the work and keep grinding.”
– Aaron Plessinger, Red Bull KTM Rider
Upcoming Break Offers Time for Recuperation
The Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship is now entering a single off weekend amid the 17-race series, providing Plessinger the necessary time to recover and prepare for upcoming events. The crash and its aftermath have introduced uncertainty for Plessinger’s momentum, yet the break could support his efforts to return at full strength.
