Gritty Australian Supercross Championship threat Matt Moss has revealed that his 2023 season is over after enduring a bruising night at Newcastle’s second round of the season on Saturday.

Empire Kawasaki’s Moss fractured a vertebra in qualifying – not confirmed until following the event – among other injuries and then later crashed out of the Triple Crown round altogether.

A trouble-filled qualifying session saw the number 102 fall in the whoops, before remounting and suffering a sizeable crash later in the session off the dragon’s back, injuring his wrist and sustaining a hematoma on his thigh. It was his neck injury that will ultimately spell and end to his year.

In a bid to keep his title hopes alive, Moss lined up for the night show at McDonald Jones Stadium and finished fourth in SX1 heat two, before a heavy rhythm section crash in the first final brought a close to his night and his SX1 championship hopes in the process.

“Sustained a slight fracture in one of my vertebra in my neck at round two of supercross at Newcastle, that was in qualifying,” Moss said. “Tried to line up for the main events, I got fourth in my heat and I was in third or fourth in the first final, but crashed out.

“I was in no shape to be out there, I was in so much pain. Obviously broken neck, and some other injuries which are really sore. I gave the team 100 percent, myself 100 percent to try and see out the season, but unfortunately it wasn’t to be.

“We will take the positives from this year and try build next year, really looking forward to next year, there’s no way I’m hanging up the boots anytime soon. I’ll take this time to recover and spend some time with my family and my friends and stuff like that.

“Just try and better myself and really looking forward to trying to have a good season next year. Thanks to all of my friends, family and supporters, and everyone that has believed in me from the get-go. I appreciate your support and I’ll see you all behind the gates in 2024.”

Moss was originally slated to defend his Paris Supercross SX2 title this weekend in France, before turning his attention to Melbourne’s AUSX/World Supercross Championship (WSX) double-header at the end of the month.