Image: Octopi Media.

The 2021 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship is back underway after a weekend off, with Dylan Ferrandis and Justin Cooper making it a Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha sweep of qualifying at the infamous RedBud round.

Ferrandis (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha) set the bar in the 450 class with a 2:03.729s lap setting the benchmark in the class, marking the first time the current points leader has topped qualifying since moving up to the premier class.

Second place went to Adam Cianciarulo (Monster Energy Kawasaki) who was nearly a whole second back with a 2:04.635s lap, Cianciarulo still looking for his first overall win of the season after mistakes cost him in the first two rounds.

Second-year 450 rider Chase Sexton (Team Honda HRC) took the final spot in the top three as the first rider in the 2m05s range. Sexton has had plenty of speed to run at the front this season but has yet to find himself atop the podium.

Reigning 450SX champion Cooper Webb (Red Bull KTM) put himself inside the top five, finishing fourth overall in the morning sessions. Webb has yet to find the top five this season as he continues to search for settings that suit him outdoors.

Rounding out the top five was Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen as he looks to grab the red plate back from Ferrandis at RedBud this weekend.

After a resurgent overall podium at High Point, Eli Tomac (Monster Energy Kawasaki) continued his momentum during the qualifying sessions to take sixth ahead of Justin Barcia (TLD Red Bull GasGas) who was the first rider in the 2m06s range.

Aaron Plessinger (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha) was eighth fastest as he looks to find the podium this weekend for the first time since the opening round at Fox Raceway.

Marvin Musquin (Red Bull KTM) took ninth and Christian Craig (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha) had a solid morning, rounding out the top 10.

Image: Octopi Media.

Cooper put himself atop the timesheets yet again in qualifying in the 250 class, with his 2:06.179s lap setting the bar. Cooper grabbed his first moto win of the season at High Point as he continues to chase Jett Lawrence (Team Honda HRC) who leads the championship.

Cooper was followed by Jo Shimoda (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) who was just under a half-second back, Shimoda searching for his first podium of the season at RedBud.

Points leader Jett Lawrence was a tenth further back rounding out the top three. Lawrence enters the fourth round with the championship now in mind, looking to find the balance between collecting points and race wins as the series rolls on.

Fourth place was RJ Hampshire (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) as the first rider in the 2m07s range. Hampshire has shown he’s got the speed to run up front all season long but luck has not been on his side so far this season.

ClubMX Yamaha’s Brandon Scharer rounded out the top five, the long time privateer who only raced one national last season clocked a 2:07.780s lap in the opening session of the day.

Sixth was Hunter Lawrence (Team Honda HRC) as he looks to get himself back on the podium today for the first time since Fox Raceway’s opening round.

250SX East champion Colt Nichols (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha) was the first rider in the 2m08s range, putting himself seventh overall ahead of Michael Mosiman (TLD Red Bull GasGas) in eighth.

ClubMX Yamaha rider Garrett Marchbanks was ninth fastest, with Nate Thrasher (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha) rounding out the top 10 as the first rider in the 2m09s range.

Detailed results