Image: Octopi Media.

Qualifying is done and dusted from Budds Creek with Ken Roczen (Team Honda HRC) and Justin Cooper (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha) topping the timesheets ahead of the gate drops for round nine.

The day opened with some muddy first sessions, but when the riders took to the track for the second rounds of qualifying the track had begun to take shape.

Roczen grabbed the top spot in 450MX qualifying with a lap of 1m48.983s, claiming the top spot from points leader Dylan Ferrandis (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha) late in the session.

The duo are separated by 39 points in the standings, leaving Roczen with nothing left to do but continue his momentum from last weekend’s 1-1 sweep at Unadilla to attempt to close the gap.

Ferrandis took second, eventually losing his chain in the closing moments of the session, effectively ending his charge to unseat Roczen at the top of the leaderboard.

Eli Tomac (Monster Energy Kawasaki) rounded out the top three in the session as he looks for his first overall win of the season today in Maryland. It’s been an up and down season so far for the multi-time champion, with just three moto wins to his credit.

Chase Sexton (Team Honda HRC) was fourth as he looks to battle at the front today after going 11-2 last weekend for a top-five overall. If the second-year premier class rider can minimize mistakes, he’s a contender for an overall without question.

Cooper Webb (Red Bull KTM) was fifth as the first rider in the 1m50s range. The reigning 450SX champion managed sixth overall with a pair of fifth places last weekend, still looking for his first podium of the season here at Budds Creek.

Justin Bogle (Rocky Mountain ATV/MC KTM) was sixth with a solid qualifying performance, just edging out podium finisher from last weekend Marvin Musquin (Red Bull KTM) in seventh.

Aaron Plessinger (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha) rebounded from his massive crash last weekend to take eighth in the session. It will be interesting to see how he holds up while dealing with multiple nagging injuries from last weekends crash.

Plessinger’s teammate Christian Craig was ninth in the session. Craig has been a consistent top 10 finisher so far this season and will look to work his way into the top five as the gate drops on the motos today.

Rounding out the top 10 was Coty Schock who continues to impress aboard his FXR Chaparral Honda. Schock notched his first top 10 finish of the season last weekend and has momentum on his side as he navigates what’s considered a home race for the rider from Delaware.

Image: Octopi Media.

In 250MX action it was again Justin Cooper putting his Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha atop the timesheets in 250MX. His 1m50.980s lap gave put him first in qualifying for the seventh time this season.

Cooper edged out Jett Lawrence (Team Honda HRC) by nearly half a second, as the duo line up today with just four points between them in the championship standings with eight motos to go.

Austin Forkner (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki)rounded out the top three with one of his best performances of the season in qualifying. He’ll look to find the podium for the first time this season.

Fourth was Jeremy Martin (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha) who continues to battle back from injury. Martin has managed to secure the most moto wins so far this season and is closing in on third place in the standings.

RJ Hampshire was fifth fastest aboard his Rockstar Energy Husqvarna. Hampshire has had the speed to win this season and led plenty of laps, but will look to grab his first moto win of the season today.

Sixth went to Hunter Lawrence (Team Honda HRC) as the first rider in the 1m52s range. Lawrence is the only rider so far this season who has went 1-1 in the 250MX class, he’ll hope to bounce back from a rough go last weekend at Unadilla.

Seventh was Jarrett Frye(Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha) with Ty Masterpool (AEO GasGas) Jo Shimoda (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) and Levi Kitchen (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha) rounding out the top 10.

Detailed results