Motoworks / Can-Am pro ATV racer and current AMA ATV MX Championship series Pro-class points leader Chad Wienen crashed Friday while training at his practice track in Illinois suffering a season-ending injury to his back.
Medical crews were on the scene quickly and he was transported to an area hospital. At the hospital, it was discovered Wienen broke two vertebrae in the middle of his back, but he suffered no major spinal cord injury and has feeling in his extremities.
Wienen underwent surgery on Saturday to stabilize his back. The surgery to fuse several vertebrae in his back was successful and he is conscious and talking; he may be moved out of recovery today. He is anxious to get back on his feet and will start rehabbing as soon as he gets approval from the doctors.
“Chad is a hard-working and dedicated racer and I am sure he will tackle his recovery from this injury just like he tackled his training: with 100-percent commitment,” said Jimmie O’Dell, Race Manager, Can-Am. “I was glad to hear the surgery was successful and Chad is in good spirits and ready to move on and start recovering. He is in the thoughts and prayers of everyone here at BRP.”
Wienen will not be racing for the remainder of the 2011 season. He currently leads teammate John Natalie by 10 points in the Pro-class points and had four overall wins in seven rounds of racing this year.
With four more rounds of racing in the season, the team’s focus will be on getting Natalie a championship and making sure Wienen has everything he needs to fully recover from this injury.
Wienen wanted to make sure everyone knows how much he appreciates the outpouring of support from his fans and of that from the industry.
Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP), a privately held company, is a world leader in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and marketing of motorised recreational vehicles. Its portfolio of brands and products includes: Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles, Sea‑Doo watercraft and sport boats, Evinrude and Johnson outboard engines, Can-Am all‑terrain and side-by-side vehicles and roadsters, as well as Rotax engines. BRP products are distributed in more than 100 countries. www.brp.com
