The weekend in Tampa was one of ups and downs for Star Yamaha rider Pierce Brown. He qualified seventh overall all in the 250 East Coast class and got the holeshot and finished second in his heat race. In the 250SX main event he was running in second place on the opening lap and was able to catch and pass teammate Max Anstie for the lead a few laps in. When the race was 10 laps in, Brown had a nasty crash in the whoops and could not immediately and safely be removed from the track, causing the race to be red flagged. He was then carted off by the Alpinestars Medical Team on a backboard and in a neck brace. He confirmed that he broke his T5 vertebrae and had surgery on Sunday to get it fixed.
Damn what a night! I felt great all night leading my heat and main! Halfway through the main I crashed in the whoops. Unfortunately I broke my T5 vertebrae. I had surgery today to get it fixed so that I could get back to racing. I want to thank all my family, friends, fans, and Star racing Yamaha for all the support. I will keep you guys updated on my recovery. – Pierce Brown