RJ HAMPSHIRE MUSCLES TO FIFTH OVERALL AT REDBUD MX.
JALEK SWOLL REBOUNDS FROM TOUGH START TO SHOW WELL IN MOTO TWO.
With the Independence Day weekend festivities, the always excellent track, and wildly enthusiastic fans on hand, the RedBud Pro Motocross National is one that the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team always looks forward to.
250 MX
RJ Hampshire was third at the start of the first 250 moto and showed his standard always-forward charge by climbing to third at the checkers aboard his FC250. In moto two, RJ started well, but after lap a first-lap mishap he dropped to 21st. But once again he throttled his way through the field to finish an eventual seventh, good for fifth overall for this round.
RJ is currently third in the 250 MX Pro Motocross standings and third in the combined (Supercross and Motocross) 250 SMX point standings.
“In the first moto, I got out to a decent start and used to the whole moto to climb up to third. In the second moto, I got another decent start and was inside the top ten, but I ended up getting caught up in my teammate and went down early,” said Hampshire. “It’s really tough to keep having these weekends where we don’t figure out these second motos. We did have a big points break in the championship today, and I need to be better next weekend to get back into this thing.”
For Jalek Swoll, this round was a tough one, as a crash in the third turn in the first moto left him unable to finish. He bounced back with a strong top-ten performance in moto two, where he finished eighth, giving him 14th overall for the day.
“I felt good but had certain things holding me back a little bit. I had a bike mishap in the first moto that was a freak accident. I brushed the P40 off and in the second moto, I got a pretty good start from the outside…maybe around the top ten. I moved up to sixth for a while and made a couple of mistakes which cost me a couple of positions,” said Swoll. “Considering how the day started I’ll take it. It could have gone a lot worse. We’ll take the positives out of it. I feel like I’ve been doing a lot better this year mentally and just maybe maturing with these kinds of things. We’re trending in the right direction. It was kind of a tough weekend, but I’m motivated for next weekend, so it’ll be good.”
Talon Hawkins continues his rookie tour season through the 250 series, and he’s been working on improved speed and consistency. A pair of 15th-place moto finishes gave him 15th overall for round five of the series.
“It was very bittersweet. We showed some speed and I’m really grateful for that. I had a good start in the second moto after a not-so-good start in the first moto, but I fell both motos on the first lap and was back in about 30th in both. I worked my way back up to two 15th-place finishes,” said Hawkins. “There’s a lot to build on. I’m happy with my riding, I need to get up there early, stay there, and keep pushing. We’re going to get up there in these upcoming races. I’m looking forward to it.”
Next Event (Round 6): July 8, 2023 – The Wick 338 in Southwick, Mass.
Round Five Results: RedBud
250 MX Results
1. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha), 2-3
2. Levi Kitchen (Yamaha), 7-1
3. Justin Cooper (Yamaha), 4-4
…
5. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 3-7
14. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 39-8
15. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 15-15
41. William Crete (Husqvarna) 37-0
42. Brantley Schnell (Husqvarna) 0-38
450 MX Results
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda), 1-1
2. Dylan Ferrandis (Yamaha), 3-2
3. Chase Sexton (Honda), 2-3
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25. Scott Meshey (Husqvarna), 20-38
32. Felix Lopez (Husqvarna), 22-37
250 MX Rider Point Standings
1. Hunter Lawrence – 200 points
2. Haiden Deegan – 189 points
3. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 167 points
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11. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 86 points
16. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 52 points
38. Kai Aiello (Husqvarna), 2 points
450 MX Rider Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence – 250 points
2. Dylan Ferrandis – 193 points
3. Aaron Plessinger – 174 points
…
41. Scott Meshey – 3 points
Text/Bild: Husqvarna