Austin Forkner Retires After Injuries, Surgeries and 2024 Crash at 27
NXTbets Pro | Published On: July 8, 2026
Forkner retires
Austin Forkner retired from professional dirt bike racing at 27 and said the move was effective immediately. He did not line up for the RedBud National after making the announcement. The decision closes a career that began in 2016 with Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki, stretched across nine seasons with Kawasaki and then moved to Triumph Factory Racing in 2025. Forkner also briefly stepped into the 450 class in 2026 before stepping away for good. His results kept him among the most productive riders in his category. He won 13 250SX races, all with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki, which tied him for third all time in the class. His career totals also included one 250MX overall victory, 28 podium finishes, 76 top-tens and 399 laps led. He made 116 SMX League starts between 2016 and 2026, a run built on speed that was repeatedly broken up by injuries and long recoveries.
Forkner injuries
Forkner said injuries shaped much of his career and played a direct role in his decision to stop racing. He dealt with ACL tears, broken collarbones, vertebra fractures and other crash-related injuries in 2019 and 2020. He lost the 2023 season after a bad crash at Anaheim 1, then said the physical setbacks kept piling up. Forkner said a lingering nerve issue and major muscle loss in his left arm, after three surgeries and specialist treatment, were major reasons he retired. He said multiple surgeries and consultations with neurosurgeons left the muscles in his left arm with limited use. That weakness made it difficult to hold onto the handlebars properly and, in his words, contributed to crashes. He also pointed to the emotional toll of his Arlington 2024 crash as a major factor. A later crash in Dallas led to a scan that revealed an AVM in his head, which required brain surgery. Forkner said that sequence of events ultimately saved his life and allowed him to live long enough to meet his son, Atlas.
Forkner final start
Forkner’s last start came at Hangtown on June 6, 2026. He finished 22nd overall after fracturing his left hand. That ended a final stretch that reflected the hard edges of his career, a rider with winning speed who kept running into medical setbacks and fresh injuries. Forkner’s record still carries major weight in 250SX, where his 13 wins all came with Kawasaki and put him in a tie for third on the all-time list. His 250MX victory, 28 podiums, 76 top-tens and 399 laps led round out a career résumé that stands out even with the interruptions. He spent almost a decade with Kawasaki, took a brief move to Triumph and made one more push into the 450 class before the injuries and recovery work caught up with him.
