Forker Retires From Professional Racing:
"My Mind is No Longer in it"
A
ustin Forkner, who was one of
motocross' most promising
riders ever to graduate from the
amateur ranks, says he has retired
from professional racing. Forkner,
27, made his professional debut
at Hangtown in 2016 and immedi
-
ately showed he had the speed to
win championships, but injuries,
some of them major, plagued him
throughout his career. He spent
most of his racing career with
the Monster Energy Pro Circuit
Kawasaki Team, then joined the
Triumph Factory Racing Team in
2025. He moved to the 450 class
for the first time this year, sustain
-
ing a few more injuries, including
his most recent at the Colorado
Pro Motocross round.
The Missouri native excelled
in AMA Supercross, claiming
13 250SX main event victories
together with a further seven
podium appearances. In the
250MX class of Pro Motocross,
he recorded one overall win at
Ironman Raceway, along with six
more top three finishes over his
10-year career.
"I've made the difficult deci
-
sion to retire from racing," For-
kner said. "I feel like the physical
and mental toll this sport takes
on you is a lot, and I just don't
have a lot left to give anymore. I
planned on making it to the end
of the year, but after my crash in
Colorado, my mind is no longer
in it, and I feel like finishing the
year isn't smart. My health and
family are being put first now, so
although it's a tough decision, it's
one I can be happy with. I'd like
to thank the whole Triumph team
for all the hard work over the
past couple of years. It's been
fun, and we achieved some good
results together. I'd also like to
thank the fans who have stuck
behind me through the years. I'm
thankful for it all and for those
I've met and connected with
along the way. Thank you."
Ian Kimber, Head of Global
Racing Programs, Triumph Mo
-
torcycles, said, "One of the most
difficult decisions for any racer
is knowing when the right time
is to close off their career, and
for Austin, this has definitely not
been an easy decision to come
to these past few weeks. We've
seen how incredibly talented he
is on a motorcycle, and there
is no doubt that he is still fast
enough to be competitive; his
recent results just don't reflect
how good he is."
CN
VOLUME ISSUE JULY , P33
Austin Forkner
says he has retired
from professional
racing.
