Cycle News Staff | July 6, 2024
Can we get a Red Buuudddd! Welcome to round six of the Pro Motocross Championship from Red Buck Track N Trail in Buchanan, Michigan. Jett Lawrence, the undefeated 2023 champ, is officially OUT of the series with a thumb injury, leaving the championship wide open for a new face to take over. Who will it be? After four exciting races we saw Chase Sexton and Chance Hymas claiming the day’s overall wins.
Welcome to Red Buudddd!
450MX
450 Moto 1
The first 450 moto came down to the wire! Hunter Lawrence kicked things off with a big holeshot and the early lead as he sprinted away in the top spot. Near the end of the race he found himself dealing with lapped riders but managed to hold the lead with just two laps left. In the final laps he crashed on the steep downhill and fell from first place, still salvaging second at the line.
450 Start. Photos: Brown Dog Wilson
Hunter Lawrence led almost all of 450 moto one, but crashed late in the race.
Chase Sexton started in third and stalked the leaders early on in the race. He moved to second and set his fastest lap near the half-way mark, again showing his fitness strengths. Sexton stayed close to Hunter Lawrence and capitalized once the 96 hit the deck. This crash allowed Sexton to take the win, his first moto win at the Red Bud venue.
Sexton stalked Lawrence for most of the moto before Hunter’s fall.
Justin Cooper took the final spot on the box. He battled with Aaron Plessinger early in the race and closed the gap to the leaders once Lawrence remounted from the crash. That puts two rookies second and third on the 450 podium.
Justin Cooper held on for third in moto one.
450 Moto 2
Jason Anderson started up front in the second 450 moto and battled with Australian newcomer, Kyle Webster for the lead in the opening stages of the race. Chase Sexton started back in fourth with Lawrence outside the top five.
Chase Sexton took the 1-1 sweep at his home race.
Around five minutes in Sexton forced his way to the front and took over the lead from Anderson. From there it was smooth sailing for the number-four as he ended up with a 20-plus second lead at the finish. A 1-1 sweep gives Sexton the overall for the day along with the red plate for the points lead.
Aaron Plessinger earned second in race two, giving him second overall.
Aaron Plessinger charged his way into a podium position and followed his KTM teammate to the front of the pack. The “Cowboy” put it on cruise control with Sexton too far gone at the halfway mark and crossed the line for a strong second place. 4-2 on the day put him second overall.
Anderson took the holeshot and finished third.
Jason Anderson put in one of his best days of the season by salvaging a third in the second moto. Two top five finishes land him fourth overall.
Hunter just didn’t have the same pace in race two.
Hunter Lawrence got a poor start in race two and couldn’t make passes with the same intensity as he did in race one. After starting outside the top five, Lawrence clawed his way to fourth and salvaged third overall for the day. He’s now second in the championship points.
450 Podium.
450MX Overall Results (Top 10)
| 1. |
Chase Sexton |
(KTM) |
1-1 |
| 2. |
Aaron Plessinger |
(KTM) |
4-2 |
| 3. |
Hunter Lawrence |
(Hon) |
2-4 |
| 4. |
Jason Anderson |
(Kaw) |
5-3 |
| 5. |
Justin Cooper |
(Yam) |
3-6 |
| 6. |
Malcolm Stewart |
(Hus) |
6-7 |
| 7. |
Garrett Marchbanks |
(Yam) |
7-8 |
| 8. |
Kyle Webster |
(Hon) |
10-9 |
| 9. |
Harri Kullas |
(KTM) |
9-12 |
| 10. |
Christian Craig |
(Hus) |
8-13 |
250MX
250 Moto 1
What a race to start the day! Tom Vialle grabbed the holeshot in race one but was quickly overtaken by Chance Hymas who sent it down one of the early downhills to take the top spot. Hymas led more than half the race before dropping back to fourth.
250 Start.
Masterpool passed for the lead and led most of the race up front.
Ty Masterpool ran up front for the whole race and stalked Hymas in the early laps. He eventually made his move for the lead around the number-48 and proceeded to lead the rest of the race.
Deegan caught Masterpool late in the race and the two battled to the line.
Haiden Deegan applied pressure late in the race and the two battled wheel to wheel in the final laps. Masterpool held the spot by three-hundredths of a second at the line to take the moto one win.
Vialle rebounded for third.
250 Moto 2
Chance Hymas got the start again in the second 250 moto and led wire to wire. He righted his wrongs this time around and held off his teammate Jo Shimoda for the win in race two. This marks Hymas’ second race win and 4-1 scores earned him his first overall victory. He was docked points for jumping on a red cross flag during the first moto but still keeps the points for an overall win.
Hymas bounced back to win moto two and the overall.
Jo Shimoda rallied again in the second moto for the second week in a row. He started up front and challenged Hymas for the lead late in the race but a mistake on the final lap ended his run at the win. 5-2 finishes put Shimoda third overall for the day.
Jo Shimoda excels in the second motos. He landed second.
Levi Kitchen put himself back on the box in moto two. The Kawasaki rider battled up front with teammate Ty Masterpool and later got the spot back once the number-29 faded back to fifth. Masterpool’s 1-5 still proved good enough for second on the day.
Kitchen landed on the box in moto two.
Deegan finished outside the top five in race two after crashing with a downed rider which was not shown in the broadcast. A sixth place result dropped him to fifth overall but he still keeps the points lead.
250 Podium.
250MX Overall Results (Top 10)
| 1. |
Chance Hymas |
(Hon) |
4-1 |
| 2. |
Ty Masterpool |
(Kaw) |
1-5 |
| 3. |
Jo Shimoda |
(Hon) |
5-2 |
| 4. |
Tom Vialle |
(KTM) |
3-4 |
| 5. |
Haiden Deegan |
(Yam) |
2-6 |
| 6. |
Levi Kitchen |
(Kaw) |
6-3 |
| 7. |
Casey Cochran |
(Hus) |
7-9 |
| 8. |
Ryder DiFrancesco |
(GG) |
13-7 |
| 9. |
Max Anstie |
(Yam) |
9-13 |
| 10. |
Mark Fineis |
(Yam) |
11-12 |
QUALIFYING
Chase Sexton calls Red Bud his home track and he looked comfortable, setting the first and second fastest times of the day. He was more than a second faster than second and third place riders, Justin Cooper and Hunter Lawrence. Look for those three to be up front all day. Aaron Plessinger and Jason Anderson rounded out the top five.
Chase Sexton is the day’s top qualifier. Photos: Brown Dog Wilson
Justin Cooper wedged himself between Sexton and Lawrence for second.
Hunter Lawrence grabbed third.
450MX Combined Qualifying (Top 10)
| 1. |
Chase Sexton |
(KTM) |
2:04.902 |
| 2. |
Justin Cooper |
(Yam) |
2:06.206 |
| 3. |
Hunter Lawrence |
(Hon) |
2:06.252 |
| 4. |
Aaron Plessinger |
(KTM) |
2:07.964 |
| 5. |
Jason Anderson |
(Kaw) |
2:08.113 |
| 6. |
Malcolm Stewart |
(Hus) |
2:08.136 |
| 7. |
Kyle Webster |
(Hon) |
2:08.907 |
| 8. |
Dylan Ferrandis |
(Hon) |
2:09.598 |
| 9. |
Christian Craig |
(Hus) |
2:10.388 |
| 10. |
Shane Mcelrath |
(Suz) |
2:11.486 |
250MX
Tom Vialle snuck in a fast lap late in the final 250 qualifying and took the top spot. He’ll enjoy first gate pick today on the wide open start straight. Chance Hymas and Ty Masterpool landed second and third, all within the same hundredth of a second! Haiden Deegan was fourth and the final rider on the 2:09 mark.
Tom Vialle took the top spot in 250 qualifying.
Ty Masterpool was a close second.
Chance Hymas looked good for third.
250MX Combined Qualifying (Top 10)
| 1. |
Tom Vialle |
(KTM) |
2:09.229 |
| 2. |
Chance Hymas |
(Hon) |
2:09.295 |
| 3. |
Ty Masterpool |
(Kaw) |
2:09.296 |
| 4. |
Haiden Deegan |
(Yam) |
2:09.774 |
| 5. |
Jo Shimoda |
(Hon) |
2:10.668 |
| 6. |
Nicholas Romano |
(Yam) |
2:11.103 |
| 7. |
Levi Kitchen |
(Kaw) |
2:11.220 |
| 8. |
Casey Cochran |
(Hus) |
2:11.431 |
| 9. |
Max Anstie |
(Yam) |
2:11.929 |
| 10. |
Daxton Bennick |
(Yam) |
2:12.382 |
