Image: Foremost Media.

Western Australian fan favourite Regan Duffy sustained a fractured T12 vertebra in his back after crashing out of the Manjimup 15,000, injured upon impact following a scary off-track excursion on Sunday.

Duffy – winner of the prestigious event in 2019 at just 16 years of age – had carded a pair of sixth-place finishes across the opening Allstars motos, but his day ended in dramatic fashion soon afterwards.

“When it rains it pours!” announced the 22-year-old Perth product. “An unfortunate ending to one of my favourite weekends of the year. Started to ride a touch better, getting up to third in the moto [that] I ended up throwing it away in.

“Falling from that height onto my back wasn’t a great feeling, but I wasn’t leaving the place on a stretcher. I’m tough, but not indestructible unfortunately, and I sustained a fractured T12 vertebra and a lung contusion. I’ll be in a back brace for a little while whilst I heal up.

“But don’t feel bad for me – I choose this crazy/beautiful/dangerous sport and I’m fully aware of what comes with it. Thanks to all the legends that have reached out and of course everyone that supports me. Will keep everyone updated.”

It’s another tough break for Duffy, who has largely had his career affected by injury since turning professional on a national scale. He is currently positioned 10th in the national MX1 standings halfway through what has been a rebuilding year with the Raceline Husqvarna Tdub Racing Team. It’s unclear how many ProMX rounds he will miss at this point.