In the 450 class at round 5 of the 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship and the second of two rounds at RedBud in Buchanan, Michigan, Monster Energy / Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo put his name in the record books as a 450 AMA National overall winner with a solid 1-3 score. On the podium with AC at his first-ever win was Rocky Mountain ATV/MC / WPS / KTM’s Blake Baggett in 2nd (6-1)—his first moto win and overall podium of 2020—and the red plate holder, Rockstar Energy Racing / Husqvarna’s Zach Osborne, in 3rd (4-2). As we head into a week off, Zach enjoys a semi-comfy 28-point cushion in the 450MX standings.
In the 250 class at RedBud, consistency—as opposed to raw speed and moto wins—carried the day and Rockstar Energy Racing / Husqvarna’s RJ Hampshire used a 2-3 scorecard to record his first win of the 2020 season. Climbing onto the overall podium with RJ was a Monster Energy / Star Racing / Yamaha duo of Dylan Ferrandis in 2nd (5-2) and Shane McElrath 3rd (1-10). GEICO / Honda’s Jeremy Martin hung onto a 9-point lead heading into the break with a 4th (11-1) on the day.
After the racing was over, we gathered numerous quotes from the riders talking about their fifth outdoor national of the 2020 season. You can check out what the riders had to say below.
>Adam Cianciarulo: (1st in 450MX) “This feels great, I mean two holeshots on the day, a moto win, and to get the overall. My KX450 is really good and everyone on the team has been really grinding so it feels good to get over that hump and get my first premier class win. This is a big deal for me and I’m really proud of myself and this Monster Energy Kawasaki team. I am always trying to do my best and I believed I was capable of winning, but in supercross, I put a lot of pressure on myself to win, and I finally put that mindset behind me which I think helped me get over the hump today.”
Blake Baggett: (2nd in 450MX) “It feels good to get that moto win. I had the speed all weekend. Things were connecting and the race just came to me. I want to give it up to the team for being behind me and all their hard work. We will take this momentum into the break and come back ready for another podium at Spring Creek.”
RJ Hampshire: (1st in 250MX) “I got off to two pretty good starts today, which was nice. I should have had that first moto win but I made two mistakes late and it cost me huge. I pulled it together in the second moto and I’m so stoked. Huge thanks to this whole team, this is the first overall for me in about two years, so it’s special. We’ll celebrate and hopefully rack a few more before the season is over.”
Dylan Ferrandis: (2nd in 250MX) “I gave everything I had for the two RedBud rounds, but my crash in the first moto at RedBud I hurt me. I hit my shoulder and my head, so it was not great for only having two days to recover. It was hard, but I had to deal with that, and we saved some points in the championship. Today, in the first moto we had an incident with “J Mart” (Jeremy Martin), which was really unfortunate. I don’t really know what happened. I think this championship is between us two, and we both really want it. So I think it was just a racing incident. In the second moto, I got a bad start again. We are getting a lot of bad starts right now, so we need to figure out what’s wrong. I feel like I’m the problem, not the bike because the bike is really great and the team is doing a great job. We can see that all of our bikes are always in front. So I need to fix that. We have 10 days to recover before Millville. I will try to rebound there.”
Shane McElrath: (3rd in 250MX) “I would say half my day was really good, getting the win in the first moto, and the second moto was really not good. I spun off the start. It was bad from the get-go. It was super hard to pass out there. I made passes, and then I would get passed back trying to make more passes. I felt like I was just going back and forth with the same guys out there. By doing that, I couldn’t break away. So that was pretty frustrating, but overall, to end up on the podium… I can’t believe I ended up on the podium. So I’m happy about that. I’m ready to keep working for wins, but I can’t be that far back”
Zach Osborne: (3rd in 450MX) “I didn’t qualify that great but I was able to take two good starts and go 4-2 for third overall and extend my points lead a little bit. I can’t thank the team enough for all of their hard work and we’re happy to get through this doubleheader weekend healthy and strong.”
Marvin Musquin: (4th in 450MX) “The first moto was quite good, I was pretty happy about those moves and I was able to get third, it was great. The second moto was a little rougher. Once again, I felt pretty good and I was right there trying to charge but I stayed there and got a fourth-place overall. It’s a bummer because I want to be on the podium and I want to make up points but I didn’t. I did some great things out there but we need more.”
Jeremy Martin: (4th in 250MX) “I’m not going to deny I was pretty pissed after that first moto,” said Martin. “I knew we were racing for the championship and that it was going to come down to this and that Dylan [Ferrandis] was going to get aggressive. That’s racing and I guess it’s on now. You’re not going to break me. I remember laying in the hospital with a broken back and the road I had to take to get back to where I am now. I’m ready to dig deep and put up a fight.”
Eli Tomac: (5th in 450MX) “The second moto was tough after going down in the second turn and having to play catch up the whole time. This track was really tough, and a lot of the guys were riding the same speed, so if you weren’t up front in the beginning it was really hard to get up there. Unfortunately, that’s how it goes, and we will try to rebound for the last few races.”
Broc Tickle: (6th in 450MX) “I felt better from the get-go. We made a change based on comments from Red Bud I. I wasn’t spectacular in practice time-wise compared to everybody, but I felt good on the bike. I knew it was going to be important to be consistent and obviously get good starts and put myself into a position to click off laps the way I wanted to. The first moto didn’t go as planned. I was probably around 20th the first lap and worked my way up to eighth, which I thought was really good for the track conditions. I hear a lot of guys today saying that it was hard to pass, but I was able to make my way through the pack pretty well. In the second moto I finally put myself in a decent position and a couple of guys made mistakes. I was able to make a few more passes and ended up fifth in the second moto. We’re 8th in points. We’re in the mix. I haven’t raced in three years, so this is a big step in the right direction. I want to be competitive next year and still want race. The goal is to focus on each weekend and get as good as we can before the season ends.”
Mitchell Harrison: (5th in 250MX) “It was nice to redeem myself a bit from Friday because I felt good, but those results didn’t show it. I am thankful to be able to put it in the top five for the team. They’ve worked really hard and I want to keep the solid results going for them. It will be nice to get a little break, but I want to bring the momentum to Spring Creek.”
Joey Savatgy: (7th in 450MX) “For Red Bud 2 we made some changes to the bike and overall it got better. My starts were good and I rode well, I just had a little issue in the first moto and a small crash in the second moto while running third. My speed is getting better and I’m excited to have a week off to work on some things to get ready for Millville.
Jett Lawrence: (6th in 250MX) “I just got done with RedBud and all I can say is, I’m making more improvements. I’m getting closer and closer to that podium. Today was good. I got to run with those top two boys and I was feeling good and faster—I pulled them in—but I couldn’t execute my passes. In the second race, I had third place locked in and Masterpool washed out in front of me, came in front of me and I had nowhere to go so I went over the bars. That put me back to 8th. So just 3 points away from the podium.”
Justin Barcia: (8th in 450MX) ““It was a challenging day. The first moto was a bit difficult. I rode a little tight and ended up fifth. Then in the second moto, I ended up getting into a little bit of a tangle on the second corner which was unfortunate. It didn’t go the way I wanted it to. I was definitely searching a little bit on the bike for some changes after the first RedBud we raced on Friday. I made some changes to the bike that I shouldn’t have and went a little bit in the wrong direction. That’s just a mistake that I made. I have some time to regroup now before the next round. We’re going to go back to California to do some work and probably take the weekend off to relax a bit before coming back and going after it.”
Christian Craig: (9th in 450MX) “Qualifying was okay today. The track was a lot different than Friday, so I had to change my bike setup a little bit to adjust. In both motos I got pretty good starts. In the first moto I was running in the top five, then had a tip-over after a couple laps and couldn’t really find my groove. I finished in 10th, which I wasn’t pumped on. We made some changes to my bike for the second moto and I felt much better. I charged the whole moto and felt more comfortable. I kept fighting and ended that one in sixth. Overall a pretty decent day.”
Chase Sexton: (10th in 450MX) “Today was not very good. I started off the day crashing off LaRocco’s Leap, which put a damper on it. I then qualified fifth. In the first moto I was in fifth and then crashed on the first lap. From there I made my way back up to seventh and then had a mechanical problem with my shifter, and I went back to ninth. In the second moto I got a good start, but got cleaned out by [Justin] Barcia in the second corner and then made my way back up to sixth and then hit the deck again. We’ll rebound and come back at Millville.”
Justin Cooper: (7th in 250MX) “RedBud has never really favored me. I was pretty consistent, but it’s not where we want to be. I want to be fighting for the podium and even a win. Until we’re there, I’m not going to be satisfied. It’s just the way it goes. When you do well in the past, you want to stay there. We’re back to work this week. I’m going to work on some stuff and hopefully get some more testing in so that we’re a little bit more comfortable and can go after it.”
Ty Masterpool : (8th in 250MX) “The starts have been good. I kind of got the power-to-weight ratio going for me, being 120 pounds. I felt pretty good in the motos. I was running up there. I just kind of made some dumb little mistakes here and there. It’s great to be back racing, and I’m feeling pretty good for getting released to race less than a week ago. I’ve got the speed. I just want to stay up front now and stop making those small mistakes.”
Alex Martin: (9th in 250MX) “The second Red Bud was a tough one for me. Starts were really important as everyone was really close in speed. My starts were subpar, and some mistakes and a crash didn’t help the cause. I’m going to regroup and come out swinging at the hometown race.”
Dean Wilson: (11th in 450MX) “The two RedBuds have been kind of a struggle for me. I have a bit of a knee injury and I was off the pace for both rounds here but at the end of the day it’s not an excuse and I know I need to be faster and I need to be better. I’m glad to be safe and move onto the next round at Millville.”
Cameron McAdoo: (11th in 250MX) “I know I’m much better than the result I had today, but mistakes ended up costing me. Knowing I’m able to be up there with those guys is huge for our confidence and lining up each weekend knowing we can be there. We’ll take the off-weekend to regroup and keep plugging away at our first podium.”
Freddie Noren: (13th in 450MX) “It was not at very good Red Bud 2 for me. My riding was pretty good but I struggled to make passes and also fell in both motos. I know what I need to work on so it will be good with a weekend off to regroup and come back strong for Millville.”
Stilez Robertson: (13th in 250MX) “RedBud 2 started good! Placed 9th in the first moto. In the second moto, was passing for 10th and came together with another rider and went down. I’m learning more and more every round! Today was pretty good. In the second practice, I qualified fifth, which is my best to-date. I’m going to work on getting better starts and staying up front.”
Brandon Hartranft : (17th in 250MX) “Redbud 2 didn’t go as planned, but speed is good and I feel great on the bike! First moto, I finished 10th and in the second moto I had two get-offs on the first lap that forced me into the mechanic’s area. I never gave up and fought until the end—finishing 20th. I’m using this off weekend to figure out my starts and be ready for Millville.”
Hunter Lawrence: (18th in 250MX) “So, have you ever felt like getting donkey punched in the back of the head, and kicked between your legs at the same time? Neither have I, but that has been 2020 for me so far. Onto the next one. Thanks to my crew for always supporting me.”
Justin Bogle: (15th in 450MX) “I felt good out there today. Overall I had a better pace and picked better lines on the track today. We still have a few things to work on, but we are heading in the right direction and keep come back ready for Spring Creek in two weeks.”
Jalek Swoll : (19th in 250MX) “In the first moto, I got a pretty good start but I lost my front brake and didn’t realize it until it was time to stop for the next turn and that took me down and left me dead last from the beginning. In Moto 2, I didn’t get a good start and I could only get up to about 15th. It’s not what I wanted but we got a weekend off and I’ll put in some work and get to it at the next round.”
Jerry Robin: (20th in 250MX) “I rode my ass off in moto one after falling in turn two. I came from 40th to 20th. In moto two, I ended up 17th! Everyone is on it in the 250 class and I just need to get off the line better and into the top-ten early on. I’m ready for my hometown race at Millville, though!”
Darian Sanayei: (21st in 250MX) “The track was tough and constantly changing. Just when you thought you had a clean line, it wasn’t as good the next few laps. I am really happy we get a weekend off to hopefully help my shoulder get a bit stronger before coming back for another go at it.”
Kevin Moranz: (24th in 250MX) “Not bad but It will come. We will take this to next week and I have to buckle down, make some suspension adjustments, and work on our intensity. Points are literally within my eyesight at the end of the motos so we are close. I’m excited to keep making progress!”
Joshua Varize: (25th in 250MX) “The experience and opportunity to race Pro Motocross is unreal! Feeling stronger every race. Thank you to everyone for the support!”
Grant Harlan: (24th in 450MX) “17-20 for 19th at Redbud 2. It was a tough day physically with the two days turn around, but I got my best moto finish and overall finish so far. It’s time to head back home and get ready for Spring Creek. Thanks to everyone who has made this outdoor season possible!”
McClellan Hile: (25th in 450MX) “Fun weekend at RedBud. 22-30 after a crash on the first lap in the second moto for 25th overall. I’m getting closer to points. I’m ready to enjoy the break and get ready for Millville!”
Tyler Bowers: (30th in 450MX) “Fitness feels great. I struggled to get comfortable and carry momentum all day. I’m happy to get some points in the second moto. The deep power demanding tracks are a struggle for big boys like me sometimes. Trigger Racing and I working hard to figure things out, and I am thankful for all of the support!”
Jeff Walker: (32nd in 450MX) “Redbud Round 2 was a great one for us! Had 27th locked down in moto 1 until the very last lap when a mechanical failure caused my rear brake to completely lock up. That was demoralizing for sure, but we got it fixed and rallied back to a 26th place finish in moto 2 which I’m pretty hyped about! I gotta give it up to DW Performance for completely transforming how I feel on race day by simply fixing my hydration and nutrition. I ran my fastest lap on lap 8 and my final lap of the day wasn’t even one second slower than my fastest. That never happens to me! Still plenty of work to be done, but I’m stoked on how much better I feel on race day. Ready to have a productive weekend off, and then on to one of my favorite tracks in Spring Creek MX Park for round 6”
Coty Schock: (36th in 450MX) “Redbud 2 is in the past. I Wasn’t able to finish either moto today due to situations out of our control. I’m healthy, so that’s the important part and we’ll be ready for Millville. Thanks, everyone for the love and support”
Tristan Lewis : (37TH in 450MX) “I Struggled all weekend at RedBud and I couldn’t stay off the ground. No excuses, I just have some stuff to fix and we’ll be back in two weeks to be better. Thanks to everybody that makes it happen.”
