Image: Octopi Media.

A 450MX podium result in the opening moto at the RedBud National marked an important early milestone for premier class newcomer RJ Hampshire, resulting in a season-high fourth overall.

A steady build throughout the first six rounds of Pro Motocross has seen the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna rider finish inside the top 10 on all six occasions, with sixth overall at Southwick highlighted by P4 in moto two.

At RedBud, the 29-year-old was again toward the front, qualifying fifth before racing to a third-place finish in the first outing. A poor start in moto two erased his hopes of ending up on the box overall, but it was considered another step in the right direction.

“Awesome day at RedBud!” commented Hampshire post-race. “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.”

Hampshire currently sits sixth overall in his first 450MX campaign, 19 markers behind Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and 34 in front of 450SX champion Cooper Webb (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) as the season heads to Millville this weekend.