Round six of AMA Pro Motocross at RedBud was full of intense battles throughout the field in each moto. Quotebook features compiled comments from riders over the weekend.

450MX

Image: Octopi Media.

Chase Sexton (Red Bull KTM) – First:
It feels so good, I don’t even know what to say! I have chills right now, this is something special, and the best crowd I’ve seen here at RedBud – they got me through here today. In that second moto, I had such a good flow, and so much fun out there. I just want to thank my whole team and the group of people behind me. Let’s keep this thing going!

Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM) – Second:
This is crazy! I’ve never seen RedBud like this – these fans are unbelievable. After finishing fourth in moto one, I had a great start in that second moto and kind of put it on cruise control, but they started catching me for position and I had to kick it up! They were riding good, I just sat in second place there, and the bike was working awesome… We made some changes after the first moto, and it was so good. I’ve got to give it up to the whole Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team, everybody around me, and all the fans out here. I could hear them every lap, it was almost hard to hear my bike or even what gear I was in! It’s unbelievable how much enthusiasm these fans have for the sport, and it makes me so happy to come out here every weekend. We’ll keep charging!

Hunter Lawrence (Team Honda HRC) – Third:
I knew coming in it would be tough to beat Chase; it’s his home race, and I knew he’d be on it. I was close in the first one until I was upside down, but I’m thankful to not be hurt; it happened so fast, but that’s the nature of the beast. The lappers were tough this weekend; I’d get held up a bit, and then Chase would get held up a bit.

Jason Anderson (Monster Energy Kawasaki) – Fourth:
It was a decent day for me. I didn’t have the best start in moto one and it was difficult to get close enough to a podium position. We made some changes to my KX450SR for moto two and at the start I already knew it was a step in the right direction. I grabbed the holeshot and was battling in second until a mistake on my part sent me off track, and I moved back to third. I’m still happy to have landed back on the podium again and being so close to an overall. Lots of positives leaving this weekend, let’s go Millville!

Justin Cooper (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Fifth:
I felt really good all day. In the first moto, I had a good start and just charged to the end and finished on the podium. In the second moto, I got another good start, but I kind of got pinched off. I went back pretty quickly, and I was back to fourth or fifth, then I ended up going down in the same turn twice, which I’m bummed about. I just had my work cut out for me, and I was only able to get back to sixth. I made a lot of passes at the end, though, and my riding was really good. So there were a lot of positives to take away, and we’ll fight for the podium next weekend.

Malcolm Stewart (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) – Sixth:
For another track I haven’t been back to in 10 years, I can say one thing – the fans were awesome this weekend! It’s pretty cool and I had a really, really great time out there. Moto one was good for me, and then moto two was better again in a lot of ways. I made a mistake, went down, and got back up to charge to seventh. We were sixth overall, but I am really happy because I rode good and we’re learning a lot as a team. We’re just going to take this same momentum into Millville, and I’m glad we’re leaving here on a good note, so we’ll keep the ball rolling.

Kyle Webster (Mobile X Honda) – Eight:
This was so good, so much fun, and I have learned so much. I know I have a lot of work ahead of me, and I believe we have some great people around us. The bike, the teams here and in Australia, are world-class, and I am looking forward to returning home to continue my work. We have 3 rounds of Motocross remaining in Australia, the Des Nations, and then Supercross. I can’t thank everyone enough for this opportunity,

Christian Craig (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) – 10^th:
The day started off pretty well, qualified inside the top 10 and felt confident going into the motos. moto one, I got a mid-pack start and was able to work my way up into eighth, so that was decent. Second moto, I had a bad start and then started to make my way through, before some big mistakes cost me a lot of time. I was pretty frustrated, but I did what I could for 10th overall. My speed is still coming around and I’m just lacking some strength still, so we will keep working on that and come back better for next week.

Broc Tickle (Monster Energy Kawasaki) – 13^th:
I feel good with how the day ended up. I knew coming back into racing would not be easy, but I definitely feel like we made a lot of positive moves with the KX450SR. Jason and I had a lot of similar comments on ways we could improve, and it was awesome to be able to do some testing in a racing environment. Thank you to the Monster Energy Kawasaki team for the opportunity to line up again. I had a blast and I’m excited to do it again at Budds Creek!

Shane McElrath (Twisted Tea Progressive Suzuki) – 16^th:
It was a productive day. We made some progress, just not necessarily in the areas we needed to as far as the results go. We’re definitely learning, and we have a good plan going into this week. The track was really rough, and that’s really what highlighted our issues; we need to take everything we learned today and use that to make changes this week. So, back to work, and see you all in Millville.

Kyle Chisholm (Twisted Tea Progressive Suzuki) – 22^nd:
Fourth of July weekend, the crowd is always great here, awesome facility, and I like the track. I want to be in that 12th to 15th place range every moto. I think that’s where I should be, and I was just a little outside of that. My starts were good, that’s a positive, and we’ll get ready for Millville. I really like that track, so we’ll come there and try to have a better weekend.

250MX

Image: Octopi Media.

Chance Hymas (Team Honda HRC) – First:
In the first moto, I got out in front and tried to build a big gap, but I was making bad choices and fighting the bike; with my riding style, I can’t ride like that for 35 minutes. I watched some video, executed a really good start in the second moto and tried to ride as loose as I could–honestly, I just believed I could do it. I put a big gap, but Jo reeled me in and I had to pick up the pace. I didn’t even know I had the overall win until I came in. I was like, ‘Man, last time that I went 4-1 (Thunder Valley), I barely got second! It’s really good to do it on Fourth of July Weekend. RedBud is kind of a bucket-list win for a lot of Americans, so to get my first one here is pretty special.

Ty Masterpool (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – Second:
What a day. Qualifying went good and first moto was great. I grabbed the holeshot on my KX250, started battling early on and regained the lead. I made a few mistakes towards the end that let Haiden (Deegan) get close to me, but I continued to push and grabbed the win. In moto two I felt great for the first 15 minutes and put on a charge, but then felt myself beginning to fade. I’m still stoked to leave RedBud with a moto win and overall podium. I’ve always done well here and the fans are unreal. Ready to keep this momentum going into Round 7.

Jo Shimoda (Team Honda HRC) – Third:
I got taken out in the first corner in moto one; it was pretty hectic after that, and I just didn’t have enough pace. I enjoyed the day though. I’m not from America, but I enjoy this crowd; when you’re racing for 30 minutes in this heat, to have that energy around makes a big difference. To get it done and be on the podium is so special. I think there are still a little more improvements to make, and I can ride a little faster. We’re trying hard.

Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM) – Fourth:
I went 3-4 today, which was okay. First moto, I had the holeshot and had a small tip-over, so finished third in the end. Second moto, it was a bad start and I was around 10th or 12th, and I tried to come back, but the track was tough to pass on. I was one of the fastest at the end of the moto, but only made it back to fourth. That was the best I could do today, I have no regrets, and we’re looking forward to next weekend now.

Haiden Deegan (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Fifth:
It was a little bit of a slower day for me. I qualified fourth and in the first moto, I was riding really well. I got a decent start, made my way up to Masterpool, and we had another photo finish. He ended up getting a win, but it was super close. Then in the second moto, I got pinched off really hard on the start, so it made it a little hard on me, but I got going. I started setting some of the fastest laps, and then a rider crashed on a landing and there were no flags, and I crashed. So, 2-6 for fifth overall on the day, and no points lost, that’s good. We’ve got a 42-point gap still, so we’re in a comfortable position. We’ll go back to work this week, though, so we can come back swinging next weekend.

Levi Kitchen (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – Sixth:
I felt good with where we ended up today. We made some changes after qualifying and the first moto that really showed in moto two. We finally made it back to the podium and I feel like we are moving in a good direction in motocross. RedBud is always a fun race and the fans are awesome. I’m going back to work to be ready for Millville.

Casey Cochran (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) – Seventh:
RedBud was good for me. I’ve had some success here in the past, so today I felt comfortable and I was able to get my best pair of moto finishes with a 7-9 for seventh overall. We’re making progress each week, so we’ll keep on building and hopefully get up there into the top five soon.

Ryder DiFrancesco (Troy Lee Designs Red Bull GasGas) – Eighth:
RedBud was a better weekend for me. Qualifying was decent and then in the first moto my start was okay, but I ended up going down and fought back to 13th. Second moto, I was in P2 off the start and ran up front for a long time, before I went back to seventh. We’re ready for Millville and we’ll keep building!

Max Anstie (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Ninth:
I ended up ninth overall at RedBud, but we’re making some steps forward and figuring out the 250MX class. I’m happy to be logging laps, and I’m looking forward to Millville next weekend.

Daxton Bennick (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – 11^th:
It was a pretty good weekend for me at RedBud. I started 36th in the first moto and was riding tight, but I was able to make my way back to 16th. In the second moto, I got to a really good start, and finally, I’m really happy with that moto. I was in eighth, and fourth through seventh were not very far at all, so I’m happy with that. It shows that I can still do it. I’m looking forward to next weekend.

Nick Romano (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – 13^th:
It was a good day. Qualifying went well for me, and I ended up sixth, which I was stoked about. I rode well all day in the motos, but I just got terrible starts, which was on me. That’s not like me, but I felt strong today, and we made progress, so I can’t be mad about that. We’ll go back, regroup, figure some things out, and come back at Millville.

Dilan Schwartz (Toyota Redlands BarX Suzuki) – 14^th:
It was an average day for me at RedBud. In the first moto I didn’t get a great start and had to come from way back. In the second moto, I had a little better start, but I tipped over in the opening laps and had to come from the back again. We’re hoping for a better result next weekend.

Jordon Smith (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – 15^th:
It rained a lot yesterday, so the track was really deep, and the ruts were never-ending. I didn’t qualify the best, and then I got together with Joey (Savatgy) in the first moto and went down very hard, but I was lucky to be okay in that one. I had the 38th gate for the second moto, so it wasn’t a great start, and I just battled back to a top-10 finish. I’m not pumped with how it all went today, but we’ll be back for Millville and ready to fight.

Pierce Brown (Troy Lee Designs Red Bull GasGas) – 17^th:
It was a tough day at RedBud. I’m disappointed because I’ve been feeling really good on the bike lately, but the results just haven’t shown it. Moto one, I was battling around seventh or eighth and fell, so ended up 10th. The second moto, I got together with another rider and fell on the first lap, which damaged my bike and I had to DNF. That’s tough, but onto the next round!

Jake Cannon (Mobile X Honda) – 21^st:
Wow, this was crazy. I lined up between Shimoda and Bennick, and it wasn’t something I was ready for. It was hard to get the flow I needed to be further up. I was tense and overthinking most things, but as the day progressed, I got more comfortable. I know I want to be overseas; these guys sprint for 30 minutes, and I have some work to do before I come back. But this has been amazing. Again, I am so grateful for the opportunity.

Leo Tucker (Toyota Redlands BarX Suzuki) – 32^nd:
The day started off solid in the first qualifying session, but unfortunately, I just missed the ball in the second session when the track was faster. I raced my way into the motos from the LCQ. In moto one, had a big get off, but I got up and just pushed the whole time. Moto two also started solid. I was running right with the pack. Unfortunately, I had a couple bad laps in the middle of the race and lost the draft. Overall, it was a promising day on my Suzuki!