Plessinger Out

Ongoing health issues rule Plessinger out of Washougal

Section: Competition Post: Kane Taylor

450MX contender prioritizes recovery before planned return date.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Aaron Plessinger has been ruled out of the Washougal National this weekend, with a focus on addressing ongoing health issues that have plagued the 450MX contender across both RedBud and Spring Creek events.

Two challenging rounds have seen the 29-year-old withdraw from three of the last four motos, attempting to race the seventh round at Millville on the weekend, only to retire at the halfway mark of race one.

RedBud was a similar story for the number seven, who powered through for a sixth-place finish in the opening race, before electing to exit moto two. A light week of training wasn’t enough to remedy the issue, with both the team and Plessinger electing to sit out Washougal.

“The whole Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team is fully behind Aaron Plessinger,” explained Red Bull KTM team manager, Ian Harrison. “Our priority right now is making sure he receives the best medical advice and care possible. Aaron came into RedBud not at 100 percent, but he gave it his all and continued to push through to line up at Millville.

“Unfortunately, he felt the effects of his illness early on and, despite fighting hard in the first moto, was completely depleted and unable to recover for the second.

“By sitting out Washougal and heading into the break, it gives him a few weeks to focus on figuring out exactly what’s going on with his health. Most importantly, it allows him time to gain peace of mind and make the best decision on when he’s ready to return to racing.”

A two-weekend break in the schedule follows the Washougal round, with Plessinger and the team looking to regain 100 percent fitness before returning for the final three Pro Motocross rounds beginning at Ironman Raceway, and then into the SuperMotocross World Championship post-season in September.