Image: Supplied.

Team Honda HRC’s Cole Seely’s 2018 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship season is over after sustaining multiple injuries in Tampa and undergoing surgery this week.

While running third, Seely attempted to jump a quad in the long rhythm section after the start straight. He came up short and was ejected over the handlebars, after which the rear wheel landed on him.

Seely was immediately assisted on-track by the Alpinestars Mobile Medical Unit crew and was then transported directly to St. Joseph’s Hospital. After further evaluation, it was determined that Seely had sustained fractures to his sacrum and the left and right sides of his pelvis.

He underwent an initial procedure Saturday evening to realign the pelvis. On Sunday, a more extensive operation was performed to repair substantial damage to his abdominal wall, fixate the pelvis with a large plate and screws, as well as insert a screw on each side of the sacrum.

“We’re extremely disappointed to see Cole’s season come to an end like this,” commented team manager Erik Kehoe. “Things were going well up until this weekend. He was second in points and continuing to improve each week, so it was only a matter of time until he would have gotten a win. This is the hardest part of our sport because it never gets easy seeing one of your riders hurt. The entire team and everyone at Honda wishes Cole the best for a speedy recovery.”

The initial prognosis is for eight weeks non-weight bearing, with a follow-up appointment to take place in 10 to 14 days. Seely’s injury dashes his title chances after running second, joining teammate Ken Roczen – expected to return for Pro Motocross – on the sidelines.