American Moto2 World Championship rider Sean Dylan Kelly, also known as “SDK,” has split with American Racing Team.
After winning the 2021 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship, then-19-year-old Kelly signed a two-year contract to race with American Racing Team in Moto2.
Kelly’s riding was hindered in 2022 by arm pump issues in his right arm, and during the off-season he had surgery to try to alleviate the symptoms. However, Kelly’s arm did not heal normally and excessive internal scarring brought the arm pump issues back almost immediately.
Kelly struggled through the first several rounds of the 2023 season and then decided to use the five-week mid-season break to have a second surgery to fix his arm. Kelly did this, but during his recovery American Racing Team decided to put former team rider Marcos Ramirez on Kelly’s bike.
On Thursday, August 31, Kelly posted the following statement to his Instagram account:
“Unfortunately, my time with the American Racing Team has come to an end. Obviously this is a huge disappointment for me, but by no means is this the end of my Moto2 World Championship ambitions. As most of you know, my arm pump came back due to abnormal scar tissue growth and I had surgery during the summer break. After respecting the recovery time, I felt and was 100% ready to come back after Silverstone, but I have to be honest and say that this is where the team and I have differing opinions. This is not an easy time but I look forward to confirming my plans for 2024 and sharing them with you all as soon as I can. In the meantime I will be working hard to ensure I’m ready for any opportunity that might present itself from now until the end of the year. I want to thank Eitan, Avner and John for all they’ve done for me these last few years and I wish them all well for the rest of the season.”