Round six of the 2025 Pro Motocross Championship took over RedBud for an unforgettable Fourth of July weekend, where the iconic Michigan venue delivered a full day of standout performances. Reaction dives into the commentary from around the paddock post-race.

450MX

Image: Octopi Media.

Chase Sexton (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – Fifth:
First race back at RedBud wasn’t great results-wise, but I didn’t really expect a whole lot coming into the round. Second moto, I was pleasantly surprised that even if I wasn’t riding great, that my speed was still pretty good. I’m happy with the day – onward and upward from here to build into SMX and try to win some races.

Jett Lawrence (Honda HRC Progressive) – First:
The big bosses were in town, so you’ve got to lock in and ride well—you want to look good for them! Jo also rode unreal in the 250 class; he dropped the rest of the guys, and it was great to see him riding like himself again. When the higher-ups are here, you just want to do that little bit extra to make them proud.

Hunter Lawrence (Honda HRC Progressive) – Second:
Good weekend, 1-2 in the premier class, and obviously Jo [Shimoda] had an amazing day in the 250s, so that was cool. The big bosses made a trip over, and we also had Toni Bou and Gabriel Marcelli, two of the best trials riders in the world, fly in for a demo. It was definitely a special day for Honda.

Justin Barcia (Rockstar Energy GasGas Factory Racing) – Seventh:
All around, today was a good day! I qualified a little better than last week, and the motos went better than last week as well. First moto, had a tip-over that cost me some time, so that was a bummer. The second moto was challenging on a brutal track, but overall we finished P7, and I think if we keep trending in this direction, then we will be closer toward the front soon. Happy with the day – I always want more – but I’m satisfied with our improvement, and the bike was working really good. I’m looking forward to Spring Creek now!

Malcolm Stewart (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) – Eighth:
RedBud was a blast! I always love the energy here – the fans were unreal, as always. I gave it everything I had and came away with eighth overall. We’ll keep digging and head to Millville next… It’s time to face the Whoop Monster!

RJ Hampshire (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) – Fourth:
Awesome day at RedBud! I felt good on the bike and I actually had a bit of that send-it kind of vibe on the 450. First moto, I almost got the holeshot and ran up front for a while, which was a good feeling, and I felt pretty strong for the whole moto. Bad start in moto two, but I came through the pack fast, and overall it was a big learning day for me. Fourth overall – I’m a man of my word – and I said this is kind of where I would be at this point, and we’re getting there. The next goal is to hit an overall podium, which we’ll work towards next weekend at Millville.

Cooper Webb (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Ninth:
It was an up-and-down day at RedBud. I felt great in practice, and on the last turn of my good lap, I ripped my left leg off the footpeg and caught my knee pretty bad, which wasn’t great. Then in the first moto, I ended up crashing in turn two, right off the start. I was dead last with my bars and clutch bent, but I made a hard push to get myself into 10th before my bike ran out of fuel in the last turn. In moto two, it was just a bad start, but I rode really well and ran seventh until Eli [Tomac] got me late in the moto, and I finished eighth. Overall, it was a very rough day physically and mentally, but my riding was good. I’m going to get my knee checked out on Monday to make sure that we are all good.

Eli Tomac (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – 13th:
It was a tough weekend for us. We’ll regroup and finish better in Millville.

Justin Cooper (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Third:
It was a good day at RedBud. I felt like we got the bike dialed in right away. In the first moto, I didn’t get the best of starts but made some passes and got up to fourth. I made a run at third, but I tried really hard to get up there, so I was a little bit tired. Then in moto two, I got a better start, made my way into the lead, and led for about 10 minutes. Being an American and leading here in front of these fans – it’s a good vibe. It kind of sends chills down your back when you get into the lead at RedBud and everyone’s screaming, yelling, and blowing the air horns. Overall, it was a really good day for me. I felt good on the bike and finished second for third overall. Let’s carry the momentum into next weekend.

Jorge Prado (Monster Energy Kawasaki) – Sixth:
This was a step in the right direction for me. This week we did a lot of work on the bike, and we will keep building on that. I’ve been out riding on the East Coast and testing different things, and the team has been very supportive with making all the changes back in California. Being up front today was a very comfortable feeling for me. It helped me understand the bike more and the areas we can work on. I just need to keep training and testing, and I know we can be on the podium soon.

Jason Anderson (Monster Energy Kawasaki) – 15th:
I didn’t have my best performance today. I qualified 14th overall, which is a bit slower than usual for me. I was more focused on the day ahead. Moto one, I started around eighth and tried to battle with the guys around me, but ended up getting 10th. Moto two, I had to pull off early because I wasn’t feeling 100 percent. I’m still having some issues with my health. I need to check on that and see how everything is, and we’ll go from there.

Benoit Paturel (Twisted Tea Suzuki) – 11th:
Today was an average day for me. The track was really nice, but it was tough. We need to keep working hard and keep improving to get to that next level. Eleventh overall is not bad, but we want more.

Colt Nichols (Twisted Tea Suzuki) – 37th:
It’s been a tough summer, with several crashes and not being able to finish motos. I’m unfortunately struggling with an injury that I picked up at round one and it’s hard for me to hang on out there.

250MX

Image: Octopi Media.

Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – 13th:
Practice and qualifying were good, then I was leading Moto 1 for a while until about six or seven laps to go, where I ended up in third. Overall, my speed was much better there than previous rounds, which was good. Unfortunately, I had a crash at the start of the second moto in turn two. I kind of collided with another rider and I flew off the track, so I’m lucky to be alright. I did what I could to come back to 21st, so we’ll get back to training in Florida and come out strong in Millville.

Julien Beaumer (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – 16th:
It was another pretty average day for me. Second moto was off to a better start, but then I crashed late and just struggled to get going again. We’ll get some things figured out this week and come back to try again at Millville.

Jo Shimoda (Honda HRC Progressive) – First:
I think I needed that. I’m actually more stoked about getting two good starts than even winning a moto! Going 1-1 and getting my first overall win with Honda feels really good. I’m just excited for the next couple of rounds – we just have to keep it going.

Ryder DiFrancesco (Rockstar Energy GasGas Factory Racing) – Sixth:
RedBud was great! Qualified P1 for the first time ever, which felt really good, and I was able to back it up in the second session. Not a great start in moto one, and I had to push my way through, which I think 12th was our best in that one. Moto two, I ended up getting into fourth pretty fast, then I went down, so had to charge forward again. Overall, a good day, and the next couple of tracks are good for me, so I’m excited!

Haiden Deegan (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Fifth:
I was able to finish second in the second moto. I was a little beat up. The track was rough, and the pain was gnarly going through all those bumps. It is what it is. On days like this, we need to recover through the races and try our best. We get to leave with a big points lead. We’ll hopefully come out swinging next weekend.

Nate Thrasher (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – 11th:
It was a better day for me at RedBud. I’m starting to feel the pace coming back. I had a little tipover in moto two, but I gave it everything I had and pushed for a solid result. So it was a positive weekend. We’re just going to keep making baby steps to where I want to be.

Michael Mosiman (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Third:
It was a good race. It’s great to be at RedBud. It’s been three years since I’ve raced here, so it was cool to come back to a place where you have many years’ worth of memories. I felt pretty good on the bike. I wasn’t super fast in qualifying, but I felt solid. In the first moto, I had to come from around eighth or ninth and made some good passes to get up to fourth, so I was stoked with that. In moto two, I got a little better start and was able to ride my way into second, with some guys going down. I was in a really good spot. I was pressuring Jo [Shimoda] there for a little bit. I made a brief run at him, but this heat definitely took something out of me. I was regrouping and then made a small mistake and had a small crash. I was back to third, then Haiden got me. I’m stoked to get on the podium – it’s been a lot of hard work to get here. I’m stoked about the progress we’re making and the bike. I’m really happy with the team.

Garrett Marchbanks (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – 10th:
The first qualifier was okay, I was P7 and then P14 in the second session. I wasn’t quite as good in that second session, but I was feeling good on the bike all day. I went into moto one and got in a first-turn crash, came from last to 10th and I felt really good in that race. I was hoping for a better start in moto two, which I got. I was around top 10 through the first turn, going into turn two I got together with someone and went down. I came from last in both motos today. I thought it was going to be a solid second moto after I passed around 15 guys on the first lap, then I crashed again. It was a rough day, but I came back to 12th in moto two. Moving on to Millville, we’ll keep working on things. My speed is there so I just need to keep working on starts.

Levi Kitchen (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – Seventh:
I felt pretty good today. I was alright in qualifying, and moto one went pretty well for me. I fell a couple of times on lap one, but came back in second. I really felt like it was my day to win, but in moto two, I got impatient and tried to make a pass too early and crashed, got up, then crashed again. I had to go to the mechanics’ area, which was a mistake on my part. I got back out there and then crashed again. I just dropped the ball today. There are a lot of positives though to take from the day. My speed is back, but I have to learn from this one and it definitely hurts, but we’ll go into Millville and try to keep getting a little bit better.

Seth Hammaker (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – Ninth:
Today was a tough one for me. I got a pretty good start in moto one and was running in third for the first six laps, then went back to fifth and rode there for the rest of that moto. I felt okay, but it wasn’t an ideal race for me. In moto two, I had another pretty good start around the top five. I stayed there for a couple of laps and then it felt like I was getting passed each lap. It was very frustrating for me. I’m trying to figure out different things each week with myself and the bike. We’ve been testing some things, and we’re not sure how it will be until race day. I feel like I have four or five good laps in me in the first moto, and then I struggle the rest of the day. I’ve been dealing with an autoimmune disease issue for a while and the longer format races and heat are very exhausting on top of it. I’m trying to manage it and figure it out currently. We’re going to drop back to one day a week of riding to see if that helps with the stress of the races. I know I can ride and carry the pace, but it’s about having the energy to be able to carry on throughout the day.

Drew Adams (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – 19th:
I didn’t have the best day out there. In the first qualifying session I was 17th, which I wasn’t too happy with. In the second session, I was 10th, which was better, but still not super excited about those results. All day I was worried about how my fitness was going to be, and it definitely showed in the motos. I went 17-17 on the day, which we can work on. My finger was feeling fine today, I just need to go back and ride more to improve my fitness and get better.

Jalek Swoll (Triumph Racing) – Second:
We wanted consistent top-10 finishes in my return, so to be on the podium this soon is incredible! I am so happy – I felt that I unlocked a new level of speed in the off-season and it is nice to see it pay off. The team has been so loyal to me, both in highs and lows, so I am happy to share this with them.

Mikkel Haarup (Triumph Racing) – Fourth:
A good weekend for me and us as a team! This was a challenging track, but I had two solid motos and great starts. Fourth overall is my best score of the season. I want more of this, so we will continue working.

Austin Forkner (Triumph Racing) – 20th:
This was a pretty good day. The track was super deep and I struggled with it early on, but it packed in once the motos started. I was inside of the points in moto one and had a freak issue – it happens in this sport! I had an outside gate for moto two and was ran wide, but I rode well. I was happy with my performance on a gnarly track. The bike changes that we made this week paid off too. This was the most comfortable that I have felt this season! I rode hard to the end – I am happy and felt like I was on form. I just need a start now.

Jordon Smith (Triumph Racing) – 18th:
An up and down day! We have made steps in the right direction with stuff that we have struggled with. I was strong in the first moto, finishing ninth, and came out second behind Jalek in moto two. I felt good up there! I felt smooth, until I was not. I caught an edge on a hard-pack face and lost all traction. Unfortunately, I was caught in ropes on the side of the track and rejoined the race in dead last. These are not the results that we want, but we are making steps in the right direction.