Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire broke through for his first-career 450MX podium at Ironman Raceway, charging to an impressive P2 overall at round nine of the 2025 Pro Motocross Championship. In this Fast Thoughts feature, Hampshire gives his take on the milestone.

Image: Octopi Media.

Stringing two solid motos together…

I mean, the break definitely helped. I feel like I got a little bit more speed. Right now, for me, it’s just kind of holding that speed longer each time I do get up there. Second moto, it was crazy – alot was going on.I kept finding myself in battles and just staying in it. But I kind of knew where I was, points and overall wise, especially once I’ve seen Chase [Sexton] do that off the wall jumps. But overall, we’ve been working for this. We know that I can be at this level and be on the podium. Definitely today, I had some help. But also, I feel like going forward, this is where I kind of expect and hope I can be each weekend as battling for the podiums.

Biggest adjustment stepping up to the 450…

For me, it’s just kind of getting the bike figured out. Like, Malcolm’s a lot bigger than me, so he rides the bike a lot different. Then the bike that I got at the beginning of the season was not, yeah, it wasn’t what I was comfortable with. Man, we’ve been changing a lot and I feel like when it’s when it’s good, I feel great on the bike, and then it kind of off, we’re just having issues right now, kind of finding that, you know, fine line of my comfort and whatnot. Truthfully, I feel like I had a lot more today and I just couldn’t really push. I have had this feeling a lot on the 450. But then, like, during the week, I find ways to get to that point. I feel like I can go, I do go a lot faster than what I have been. I just haven’t found that on race day yet. Just keep kind of building like that, learning. This is the new kind of motivation on this class. I’m enjoying it a lot more than the 250 class.

Image: Octopi Media.

The rewarding feeling of first 450MX podium…

Yeah, people don’t realize how hard it is to even get to this point and get a ride on a 450, which is why I spent the time I did in the 250 class. I truthfully feel like I would have been in this spot, you know, a couple of years ago if I would have got that opportunity, but I didn’t. I have a family and you’re going to do whatever supports them – so that’s where the money was. You know, I was lucky enough to finally – not lucky enough – but I just had the opportunity to win that championship. But, the highs and lows of the sport, you see how my championship ended this year. Man, I was just so motivated and wanted to kind of graduate into this next step and kind of forget about it, honestly. So yeah, that’s kind of where I was. You tell these guys, you’re going to come out here and battle in the top five and whatever else, and they’re like, ‘Yeah, okay, like, sure, let’s see it.’ And then, we see how it started with, I had surgery 10 days before round one, could barely hang on and just kept grinding. Then, Eli [Tomac], like same as Hunter said, I’ve looked up to him for so long in my career, and he’s kind of getting at the later ends of it and I’m not far behind him, but I do feel like a rookie. I mean, yeah, I am a rookie, but I’m also a 29 year old rookie. So you can’t really count it. But man, it’s just awesome to be close enough to battle with him. I hope to finish off strong and get ready for Supercross, because that’s, you know, my next step.

The Ironman track this year…

I did the site lap and then I finished the site lap and I was like, ‘Okay, I learned nothing on that site lap. Like I do not know where I’m going to go here.’ And that was first moto. So, yeah, I mean, the track was pretty gnarly. I do not care for that triple thing down that backside. But also, man, I love this place, so, yeah, it was a tough track, really hard packed base, but you still got that rutty sections to it.