KTM Australia press release:

KTM Motocross Racing Team and Egan Mastin have mutually parted ways following the 2018 MX Nationals Championship, in which defending MX2 champion Mastin was credited 13th in the final standings.

After capturing the championship aboard a KTM 250 SX last season, Mastin has endured a challenging year with KTM Australia’s Factory Team riding the KTM 250 SX-F. Injuries sustained at The Ranch MX round prematurely ended the 20-year-old’s campaign.

As a result of his injuries and following a frustrating title defence on a personal level, Mastin has notified KTM Motocross Racing Team Management that he will sit out the remainder of 2018. He was initially contracted to contest the Australian Supercross Championship in SX2.

KTM Australia wishes Mastin well in is future racing endeavors and will be announcing its roster for the 2018 Supercross Championship prior to the opening round of the season on 15 September at Jimboomba, Queensland.

Jay Marmont – Team Manager, KTM Motocross Racing Team: “Egan came to us following his most recent injuries and basically said that he was a little bit stale in his racing. He indicated that he wanted to take a step away and that he didn’t feel like he was in the right frame of mind heading into Supercross, which was a challenge for him last year. It was a very mutual decision between both of us at that point, as we definitely don’t want to have somebody out there on the track if they don’t want to be. We wish Egan all the best and hopefully he can get back to racing when he is ready.”

Egan Mastin: “This year was the first time I haven’t had the results that I have wanted. I’d worked really hard in my career to get to this point and it’s always been a dream to be at this level and be on the team that I have been on. I put in a lot of hard work in the pre-season, but it was a very stressful year for me not getting what I wanted to get out of it. As I started feeling good toward the end of the season, especially when I got on the 2019 KTM 250 SX-F, I had a big crash – it was definitely the hardest hit I’ve ever had. With my head injury, I went and saw the doctor, who said to take some time off. I thought it was time to give my body a rest and to relax for a little while, take a few months off and hopefully feel fresh coming into next year. I’m definitely aiming to keep racing in 2019, that’s the plan, but right now I feel like I need time off. This year has opened my eyes how well-run the KTM Motocross Racing Team has been and how much commitment KTM Australia puts into the whole program. It was an awesome experience being part of it for the first time, very exciting, and I really enjoyed my time with the team, so thanks to everybody involved.”