Image: Jeremy Hammer (Foremost Media).

Western Australian Kyle Webster has sustained a serious back injury during Saturday night’s SX2 main event at Bacchus Marsh’s second round of the Australian Supercross Championship in Victoria, where he suffered fractures to multiple vertebrae in his back.

The Penrite CRF Honda Racing rider started the night strong with a second place finish in his heat, however it wasn’t to be when he came unstuck while negotiating the dragon’s back which saw his bike land on him in the process.

“I went over the bars on a dragon’s back section and the bike landed on my back,” 21-year-old Webster explained. “The impact broke my T7, T8, T9 and T10 vertebrae and for a short time I lost feeling from my waist down. Thankfully though, that was just the spine in shock, and I have regained feeling and have full movement again.

“The Racesafe crew were immediately on the scene and I have to pay them a huge vote of thanks, because who knows how this could have played out without their care and expertise – it was a frightening experience and a situation where you really want experienced and caring people around you.

“I’d also like to say thanks to my carers, Mick and Linda Lillis, who have been at my bedside in hospital throughout, my closest friends and family, everyone on the Penrite CRF Honda Racing team and all the other riders, families, friends and fans who have wished me well – all the support is so appreciated.”

Webster, who has signed with the CRF Honda Racing outfit for 2018, remains in Royal Melbourne Hospital, where surgeons are expected to operate in the next 48 hours to place a rod to stabilise the damaged vertebrae.

“Unfortunately this is a part of the sport we all love,” he continued. “But overall I am okay and once we get through the surgery on Wednesday, then we can look ahead to taking the recovery one stage at a time.”

A timeline of his recovery is yet to be determined, however its expected to be a lengthy duration. The New South Wales-based team hasn’t yet made plans to source a replacement rider for the remaining four rounds, where they’ll continue to field Joel Wightman in the premier SX1 category.