Image: Octopi Media.

Legendary Italian Tony Cairoli concluded his Pro Motocross campaign with a hard-fought P10 result in moto two at the Spring Creek National, rebounding from an early fall and subsequent leg burns in the opening race to collect critical data for Ducati’s Desmo450 MX project in the US.

The 39-year-old factory test rider qualified 10th at Millville, however, his day began with a second-turn incident in moto one that left him trapped under multiple bikes and suffering an exhaust burn.

Despite that setback, Cairoli remounted in last place and battled through the field to finish 23rd. He was assisted by Yamaha-mounted Marshal Weltin in the moment, and managed to return to the track following a short stop to assess any injuries.

Race two got off to a more promising start, as Cairoli exited the opening corner inside the top 10. He lost ground early, but regained positions in the closing stages to secure a P10 result and conclude his two-round stint onboard the all-new Ducati that will enter full-time AMA competition next year.

“Race one started badly,” he reflected. “I collided with another rider, crashed, and the bike landed on top of me – right on the exhaust side – burning part of my leg. I stopped to get checked out by the doctors and restarted because I wanted to finish the race at all costs to collect as much data as possible. Despite being a lap down in 40th, I fought hard and made it up to 23rd with a solid pace.

“Heading into race two, I wasn’t even sure if I’d be able to start, but in the end, things went better than expected as I gritted my teeth through the pain and managed to finish 10th. It’s a shame because we could have had two good top 10 finishes, but we still gave it our all and gathered plenty of very important data. Now we’ll take the information home and start preparing for the next challenge.”

Spring Creek marked the final stop in Cairoli’s three-week American tour, which also included RedBud. Across both events, the nine-time world champion collected valuable feedback as Ducati continues development of its motocross program, which is being supported in the US by Factory Connection.

Of the two rounds contested, Cairoli scored a ninth-place finish in the opening moto at RedBud, before showing promise while equipped with the Borgo Panigale brand’s first motocross entry, running inside the top-five in moto two, before an electrical issue brought a premature end to his race.

Given the storied Italian manufacturer’s intention to enter the American racing scene as soon as next year, Cairoli’s data acquired throughout the Pro Motocross series will prove invaluable relating to further development with real-world information for the Desmo450 MX.