Grant Langston Announces Break from Motocross - News - Dirt Rider Magazine

Because of a wrist injury that is not healing properly due to the rigors of motocross, defending AMA motocross champion and former FIM GP motocross champion, Grant Langston, has decided to take a break from motocross and supercross in order to pursue a super moto career along with longtime sponsor, KTM."KTM USA and KTM Europe have enjoyed an extended mutually beneficial relationship with Grant Langston and his company, Langston Racing," according to KTM USA. "During this time Grant has provided KTM with it's first FIM 125cc World Motocross Championship, first AMA 125cc National Motocross Championship, first AMA Supermoto Championship and first AMA 125cc Supercross Championship Event win."After several months of consulting with medical specialists, it has become clear to Langston that he needs an extended time away from the pounding of professional motocross/supercross racing to allow a serious case of Carpel-Tunnel Syndrome to properly heal. Physicians have repeatedly said that if Langston does not take this time off and let this injury heal, then the problem could in the future have a negative impact on his professional career. With Langston's current injury preventing him from competing at the highest level of the sport of motocross, officials at KTM have stated that they do not wish to have him compete in the remainder of this season's events risking further injury to himself just for the sake of having him on the starting line.So with the above facts in mind, it is in Langston's and KTM's mutual professional best interest to redefine the South African's relationship with KTM for the balance of his career as follows:• KTM will release Grant from his current obligations of racing & testing for the remainder of the 2004 AMA National Motocross Series under his existing MX/SX contract.
• Langston will focus his professional time on forming a new professional super moto team under the Langston Racing business umbrella and begin training for the upcoming ESPN X-Games and the 2004 AMA Professional Super Moto Series.
• KTM will be furnishing Grant two full factory Super Motard motorcycles and full additional equipment/parts support to compete the balance of 2004 as a professional competitor in the upcoming ESPN X-Games as well as the 2004 AMA Super Moto Series.

Said Langston: "I would like to thank KTM for the great support and equipment over the past five years and also for their understanding of my current injury. The doctors have assured me that with sometime away from the pounding that a rider's wrist takes in supercross and motocross, I should be able to return at 100% for the 2005 SX season opener at Anaheim. I've also been told because of the little stress that super moto puts on a rider's wrists, racing these events will not be a problem for me to ride in and will not impede my healing process. I can't even begin to express how excited I am about the opportunity to compete this summer in my first X-Games and I hope to be able to be able to provide KTM with their first Gold Medal in the X-Games and defend my AMA Super Moto championship this fall. I also want to thank my other sponsors, Parts Unlimited, Thor, Alpinestars, M2R & Scott USA for being supportive during my recovery from my injury."