Stocker: Injury cuts short local racer's season

Published April 13, 2006 at midnight

Text size

More Sports Columns & Blogs

Jimmy Elzinga will miss the opening of the AMA Toyota Motocross Championships in May. Simply put, he can't shoulder the load. Literally.

Elzinga, 20, said he is going to undergo surgery Friday on his right shoulder at Rose Medical Center. He dislocated the shoulder in April 2005 during an AMA Pro-Am Western Thundercross Series race in Spokane, Wash.

"I was racing and clipped a hay bale on the side of the track," said Elzinga, a resident of Morrison who rides 250cc and 450cc bikes. "I went down and my shoulder popped out, and I ended (up) being out of racing two months.

"But when I got back, I still finished the season riding somewhat injured," Elzinga said. "My shoulder feels fine, to be honest."

So why have the surgery?

"It has popped out a bit a couple of other times," said Elzinga, who finished fifth in the Thundercross standings last season. "I just figured it was time to have the surgery done. I hope I've got a long career ahead, and I want to race healthy. Now is as good a time as any to have it done."

For Elzinga, one of four Colorado riders in the series, it certainly is not time he wanted to miss.

His plan was to join the series on the second round in Pennsylvania.

"But that's not going to happen now," said Elzinga, a privateer whose primary sponsor is Fay Meyers Motorcycle World in Centennial. "My ultimate goals are to continue progressing, come through with good results and get a factory team ride. As soon as I can ride, I will be getting ready, for sure."

Elzinga probably will be out of action for about 2 1/2 months going through the rehabilitation process. His goal is to be ready to race in the AMA Motocross Series when the series makes its Colorado stop July 22-23 at Lakewood's Thunder Valley.

Elzinga, who had his first bike when he was 14 and was racing by 15, also plans to race selected Colorado SRAC/RMax regional events this summer.

"I got off to a late start, but I've been at it constantly since then," El- zinga said. "I want to stay with motocross. I prefer a track with good rhythm and some big jumps. It's fun to mess around on pavement, but for a career, I love the dirt."

HILL CLIMB TICKETS: Tickets for the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, scheduled July 1, are on sale. The price is $35 before June 1, then $40 after. The race offers a VIP package, which allows admittance to the race and access to the VIP hospitality area. Tickets are $75 in advance, $80 after June 1.

Tickets are available at all Front Range TicketsWest locations in King Soopers and online at www.TicketsWest.com. Visit www.ppihc.com for information.

stockers@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-5275

Subscribe to the Rocky Mountain News