Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's RJ Hampshire set the pace in 250SMX qualifying at Playoff 1 in the 2024 SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX), on a day where results didn't match the potential of all three active team riders when the final checkered flag flew.
Hampshire was exceptional on Saturday morning at Charlotte's zMAX Dragway in qualifying his Husqvarna FC 250 Rockstar Edition fastest on combined times. This year's AMA Supercross 250SX West Champion was then racing toward the front of the pack in Moto 1, until a crash cost him any chance of a podium finish, and he remounted for P10. Moto 2 saw RJ claim eighth, which placed him ninth overall and he now sits P10 in the series.
"Today started off really good, qualifying fastest," Hampshire recalled. "In the first moto I made my way into second, but caught a rut in the rhythm, which shot me left, into the tuff blocks and the barrier. That kind of messed my day up, but we fought through it for 10-8 finishes and ninth overall. We'll keep getting better this week and try to land on the box in Dallas."
Charlotte marked Malcolm Stewart's first-ever SuperMotocross start on the unique hybrid track layouts, going on to earn seventh overall. The Husqvarna FC 450 Rockstar Edition rider qualified in seventh and then registered 8-7 scores for seventh overall, which also positions him P7 in the 450SMX standings to commence the post-season.
"Charlotte was fun and this was my first time racing SuperMotocross," Stewart commented . "First moto we were P8 and then second moto seventh, so that placed us seventh overall and it was a great start for us. I'm learning the bike in this format and we'll take what we learned into Texas and keep building. Huge shoutout to the whole Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing crew – we've been pushing hard all season and I look forward to the next couple of weekends."
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing 450SMX teammate Christian Craig also lined up in the SMX playoffs for the first time at the North Carolina venue. A crash and further trouble in the opening encounter meant he finished in 20th, before managing to rebound in Moto 2 with a ninth-place score, and that put him 14th overall.
"The day started off pretty good," Craig said. "Qualifying was decent and I was riding not bad. First moto, quarter of a lap in, I went down and got hit in the back of the head pretty hard, so had to make my way back up, but got a tuff block cover stuff in my back brake pedal and I had to stop to get that out. I regrouped for the second main, got a decent start, and was in the mix for a little bit to end up ninth. It wasn't my best ride, but all in all, we'll regroup and get ready for Texas next week."
On return from injury in Charlotte for the 250SMX post-season, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's Casey Cochran unfortunately crashed in the opening qualifying session this morning and was unable to continue for the remainder of Playoff 1.
Next Race: September 14 – Fort Worth, Texas (SMX Playoff 2)
Results 450SMX Class – SMX Playoff 1
1. Jett Lawrence (AUS), Honda
2. Eli Tomac (USA), Yamaha
3. Chase Sexton (USA), KTM
7. Malcolm Stewart (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
8. Aaron Plessinger (USA), KTM
14. Christian Craig (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
Standings 450SMX Class 2024 after 1 of 3 rounds
1. Chase Sexton, 45 points
2. Jett Lawrence, 41
3. Hunter Lawrence, 40
6. Aaron Plessinger, 32
7. Malcolm Stewart, 30
12. Christian Craig, 18
17. Justin Barcia, 13
Results 250SMX Class – SMX Playoff 1
1. Haiden Deegan (USA), Yamaha
2. Julien Beaumer (USA), KTM
3. Levi Kitchen (USA), Kawasaki
5. Tom Vialle (FRA), KTM
9. RJ Hampshire (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
12. Pierce Brown (USA), GASGAS
14. Ryder DiFrancesco (USA), GASGAS
Standings 250SMX Class 2024 after 1 of 3 rounds
1. Haiden Deegan, 50 points
2. Levi Kitchen, 42
3. Tom Vialle, 37
5. Julien Beaumer, 35
7. Pierce Brown, 26
10. RJ Hampshire, 22
12. Ryder DiFrancesco, 21
20. Casey Cochran, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 4
Lucas Coenen storms to a flawless 1-1 victory at the MXGP of Türkiye, while team-mate Kay de Wolf adds to Husqvarna’s podium dominance, with just two rounds remaining in the 2024 season.
MotoGP™ moved to the first of back-to-back Grands Prix at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli and Collin Veijer raced to 5th position as Tatsuki Suzuki was also strong for P8.
Round twelve of 2024 MotoGP landed on the epic plains of central eastern Spain for the Aragon Grand Prix. Collin Veijer raced to P2 with his Husqvarna FR 250 GP in Moto3.
The twists and speed of MotorLand Aragon delivered a new surface and a sun drenched twelfth outing for the world championship in 2024, as well as being the third of four dates on mainland Spain this year. MotoGP had not visited Aragon since 2022 so this was a fresh Grand Prix experience for Husqvarna IntactGP star Collin Veijer who was hunting his sixth podium result of the campaign. The weekend permitted Tatsuki Suzuki with another chance to tweak his race set-up.
After events in the UK and Austria, MotoGP weathered the heat in MotorLand, three hours south and west of Barcelona, and relished the mix of 16 corners, cambers and high-speed sections of the circuit that was welcoming the series for the fifteenth time. As well as more trophies, IntactGP were also hoping to boost Veijer’s world championship points haul, with the Dutchman P4 in the standings.
On Friday Collin vied for the top of the time sheets and ended up in 4th while Suzuki made sure of 16th. Saturday’s schedule involved the pursuit of Pole Position through Q2 (after a damp track in the morning had dried by the afternoon) and Veijer finalised the session with the 9th slot on the grid. Tatsuki lined up ten spots further back for the 17 laps on Sunday.
Race day morning presented a conundrum: rain. With precious little time in the wet the Husqvarna duo knew there would be a lottery element to the race even if the sunshine did start to dry the tarmac by the time grid formed. Veijer was cautious in the opening phases but soon latched onto the fight for 2nd. The 19-year-old set the fastest lap in the first half of the distance to rise to P2 and then set-off in pursuit of David Alonso. He swept into P1 but then his medium tyre choice started to bite, and he could not prevent Jose Antonio Rueda coming past. Collin guided the FR 250 GP to a solid and comfortable runner-up slot in the last two laps for his sixth trophy of 2024; allowing him to assume 2nd place also in the championship, 75 points behind Alonso. Suzuki made ground to circulate on the edge of the top ten. The experienced Japanese then guided his motorcycle home to confirm two points for 14th.
Twelve Grands Prix in the books and MotoGP packed up swiftly for the journey across the continent and to the east coast of Italy. The Gran Premio Red Bull di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini will push round thirteen into action at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.
Collin Veijer, 2nd: “Very happy because I had a difficult weekend and struggled a lot with the condition of the track. I started calm and tried to see what was possible, I saw David was pulling a gap and I knew if I hit the clean line I would be on the same pace. I caught and passed him but I was on the medium trye and tried to managed it. Anyway, after a difficult weekend we’re on the podium again so I’m happy.”
Tatsuki Suzuki, 14th: “A tough race and in the beginning I was quite competitive. I managed the first lap quite well. From the middle until the end I tried to manage my tyre and my pace but I could not catch the second group. A shame, and not the result I wanted but we have another race to try next week.”
Moto2 involved 19 laps of damp action on Sunday and with Darryn Binder and Senna Agius in the search of more premium points. Binder, in particular, had found a good flow on Friday and was roaming the outskirts of the top ten. Both Darryn and Senna were just over a second away from P1 after Practice and then could not fight their way through Q1, ending-up 20th and 24th on the grid respectively.
After the exhilaration of Moto3, Moto2 then tried to lay rubber on the slick Spanish surface and Darryn was a competitive force in the top ten as he chased title contender Ai Ogura and headed Austrian GP winner Celestino Vietti. A well-earned 9th was his reward. Senna passed the flag in 16th and just missed the points.
Darryn Binder, 9th : “Definitely not an easy race, the track conditions were really difficult and my start position didn’t help. I had a good getaway though and really good pace. I was making my way up the field but for two laps in a row I made the same mistake and got a bit off line, which cost me a bit of time but I’m happy with my speed and how the race went. I could have been a bit further up the road but this is my third top ten in a row and I feel things are coming together. I just need to work on my qualifying.”
Senna Agius, 16th: “Difficult for us this weekend. It started really well but then we were unable to adapt to the track conditions to perform. I’m disappointed in myself. I couldn’t find my rhythm and I made too many mistakes. We want more and deserve more. I feel a bit flat, so time to reset and look to Misano.
Results Moto3 Aragon Grand Prix
1. Jose Antonio Rueda (ESP) KTM 34:51.635, 2. Collin Veijer (NED) Husqvarna +1.985 , 3. Luca Lunetta (ITA) Honda +3.556, 4. David Alonso (COL) CFMOTO +4.942, 8. Xabi Zurutuza (ESP) KTM +17.029, 9. Daniel Holgado (ESP) GASGAS +17.165, 14. Tatsuki Suzuki (JPN) Husqvarna +23.532 , 15. Joel Esteban (ESP) CFMOTO +23.594, 21. Jacob Roulstone (AUS) GASGAS +51.593
World Championship standings Moto3
1. David Alonso (COL) CFMOTO, 237 points, 2. Collin Veijer (NED) Husqvarna, 162 , 3. Ivan Ortola (ESP) KTM, 157, 4. Daniel Holgado (ESP) GASGAS, 156, 6. Jose Antonio Rueda (ESP), KTM, 99, 14. Tatsuki Suzuki (JPN) Husqvarna, 50 , 15. Jacob Roulstone (AUS) GASGAS, 46, 16. Joel Esteban (ESP) CFMOTO, 42, 21. Xabi Zurutuza (ESP) KTM, 11
Results Moto2 Aragon Grand Prix
1. Jake Dixon (GBR) CFMOTO 35:54.402, 2. Tony Arbolino (ITA) +1.779, 3. Deniz Öncü (TUR) +5.479, 9. Darryn Binder (RSA) Husqvarna +19.757 , 10. Celestino Vietti (ITA) +21.301, 16. Senna Agius (AUS) Husqvarna +30.080 , DNF. Izan Guevara (ESP) CFMOTO
World Championship standings Moto2
1. Sergio Garcia (ESP), 162 points, 2. Ai Ogura (JPN), 150, 3. Alonso Lopez (ESP), 133, 5. Jake Dixon (GBR) CFMOTO, 119, 7. Celestino Vietti (ITA) KTM, 102, 15. Senna Agius (AUS) Husqvarna, 33 , 16. Darryn Binder (RSA) Husqvarna, 32, 17. Deniz Öncü (TUR) KTM, 27, 19. Izan Guevara (ESP) CFMOTO, 25
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's RJ Hampshire finished a rewarding third overall in today's final round of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship, standing on the 250MX podium in only his second outdoor appearance of the 2024 season. The series also ended in a picture of consistency for 450MX duo Christian Craig and Malcolm Stewart.
After clinching the 250SX West title in May, Hampshire was injured on the eve of the Pro Motocross season, but managed to return last time out at Budds Creek. The Husqvarna FC 250 Rockstar Edition pilot started strongly at the finale by finishing fourth in Moto 1, and then charged to third in the final race of the series to place him P3 overall.
"It was awesome to be back at the races again," Hampshire said. "We were here for the gate drops and to get some intensity back, and somehow pulled off a podium. I felt pretty good on the bike, definitely still not even close to 100 percent, but it was nice to grind it out and suffer a bit today. I'm happy to be rewarded with a podium and look forward to Charlotte here in a couple of weeks."
It's been an impressive year of rebuilding for both Craig and Stewart in 450MX onboard their Husqvarna FC 450 Rockstar Edition machinery, with Craig getting the upper hand at Ironman via 10-7 scores for eighth overall – his eighth top 10 result of the series – and also finishing P8 in points.
"Last round of the outdoors, I was pumped to make it through the whole season and with just one DNF," Craig recalled. "We scored points in every moto we finished though and built throughout the season. I struggled a little bit today with the track, just couldn't get comfortable, and had a couple of big crashes in practice, but in the races I did what I could. The second moto was better and we ended up eighth overall, so riding is good, and I'm excited for my first time in SMX now. We'll keep trying to put in the good results."
While the final round saw Stewart go 7-11 for 10th overall, impressively only finishing outside of the top 10 overall once all season, he can celebrate earning sixth in the 450MX championship on return to the outdoors. Like Craig alongside him, Stewart has been gaining momentum after missing a lot of racing through injury, and will carry increased confidence into the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) playoffs.
"Ironman, we had a good first moto and the fans were awesome, which I'm always really thankful for," Stewart commented. "I'm more so happy with finishing the whole season of Supercross and Pro Motocross without any injuries or missing any races. We have to think of all the positives and, no matter how you look at it, gate drops are the best thing you can get. In the second moto today I had a bad start, had to ride hard, and then kind of faded a little bit, and was cramping up, but it was a really good season for us overall. I'll enjoy this next weekend off and then head into SMX excited for what's to come!"
Ironman Raceway also hosted the Scouting Moto Combine event on Friday prior to this weekend's final National of the 2024 season, where Rockstar Energy Husqvarna amateur Landon Gibson rode his Husqvarna FC 250 to 5-7 moto results for fourth overall.
Next Race: September 7 – Concord, North Carolina (SMX Playoff 1)
Results 450MX Class – Ironman National
1. Chase Sexton (USA), KTM
2. Aaron Plessinger (USA), KTM
3. Eli Tomac (USA), Yamaha
8. Christian Craig (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
10. Malcolm Stewart (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
Standings 450MX Class 2024 after 11 of 11 rounds
1. Chase Sexton, 504 points
2. Hunter Lawrence, 462
3. Aaron Plessinger, 403
6. Malcolm Stewart, 297
8. Christian Craig, 244
14. Justin Barcia, 148
Results 250MX Class – Ironman National
1. Tom Vialle (FRA), KTM
2. Chance Hymas (USA), Honda
3. RJ Hampshire (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
7. Ryder DiFrancesco (USA), GASGAS
14. Julien Beaumer (USA), KTM
17. Pierce Brown (USA), GASGAS
Standings 250MX Class 2024 after 11 of 11 rounds
1. Haiden Deegan, 481 points
2. Tom Vialle, 412
3. Levi Kitchen, 405
8. Pierce Brown, 269
10. Ryder DiFrancesco, 250
11. Julien Beaumer, 221
13. Casey Cochran, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 164
22. RJ Hampshire, 65
Kay de Wolf pushed through the pain from a high-speed crash in qualifying to secure a crucial MX2 victory. Lucas Coenen, and Mattia Guadagnini (in MXGP), faced a tough weekend at Frauenfeld to finish 7th and 12th respectively.
Lucas Coenen narrows the championship gap with victory at Arnhem, as Kay de Wolf finishes P2. Guadagnini shines in MXGP with a strong sand performance.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing riders Malcolm Stewart and Christian Craig continue to gain strength in the 2024 AMA Pro Motocross Championship, finishing fourth and sixth overall in the 450MX Class at today's Budds Creek National. This weekend also saw the welcome return to competition of RJ Hampshire in 250MX.
Collin Veijer keeps his eyes fixed on a 2024 Moto3 world championship medal with his eighth top five classification of the season after a riveting Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring.
RJ Hampshire will make his anticipated return to competition in Round 10 of the 2024 AMA Pro Motocross Championship, the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider set to make his first outdoor appearance of the season at the Budds Creek National.
Husqvarna's historic legacy shone brightly at the 2024 MXGP of Sweden, where Lucas Coenen dominated both MX2 motos, securing his fourth 1-1 victory of the season.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing pair Christian Craig and Malcolm Stewart claimed P8 and P9 overall as the AMA Pro Motocross Championship got back underway at Unadilla this weekend, competing with a distinctive Heritage livery at Round 9 of the 2024 season.
Kay de Wolf secured the overall win and extended his championship lead, while Lucas Coenen faced a tough weekend to finish seventh. Mattia Guadagnini overcame injuries to finish 13th in MXGP.
Husqvarna Factory Racing is delighted to announce the extension of its successful partnership with Nestaan-MX. The new multi-year contract will see Nestaan-MX continue as "Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing" in the FIM Motocross World Championship, ensuring an exciting future for both organisations.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider Malcolm Stewart finished seventh and Christian Craig ninth overall in Washougal's eighth round of the 2024 AMA Pro Motocross Championship, continuing their consistent top-10 form in the 450MX division during the Military Appreciation weekend of the series.
After a short refresh break, the Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Team touched down for racing on European soil again, following their total domination of the fly-away races in Indonesia two weeks ago. The picturesque and formidable Loket circuit beckoned, boasting its fearsome layout of steep climbs, and winding rock-laden turns.
Teenage rookie Casey Cochran has claimed a spectacular first-career podium finish at the Spring Creek National, leading the majority of 250MX Moto 2 this afternoon on his way to a P2 finish, which resulted in third position overall in a breakout ride at Round 7 of the 2024 AMA Pro Motocross Championship.
The Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing was on blistering form for the MXGP of Lombok, with Lucas Coenen securing a perfect 1-1 victory, and Kay de Wolf maintaining his championship lead despite finishing P5. Mattia Guadagnini secured a top-ten overall finish, moving up in the championship standings.
Tatsuki Suzuki and the FR 250 GP showed race-leading speed at the curving Sachsenring for round nine of 2024 MotoGP™ by scoring 9th position in Saxony.
All three Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing riders took season-best finishes at the RedBud National, marking Round 6 of the 2024 AMA Pro Motocross Championship. Malcolm Stewart charged to sixth and Christian Craig 10th in 450MX, while newcomer Casey Cochran raced to the highest finish of his 250MX career in P7.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing newcomer Casey Cochran delivered his best 250MX moto finishes of the 2024 AMA Pro Motocross Championship season on his way to 10th overall at Southwick, as teammates Malcolm Stewart and Christian Craig also featured inside the top 10 across Saturday's pair of 450MX motos.
Round eight of 2024 MotoGP™ took place at the revered TT Assen circuit and Husqvarna Motorcycles and Collin Veijer almost added to the folklore, missing out on P1 by 0.012 of a second.
Kay de Wolf dominated a hot and challenging opening weekend in Indonesia, claiming a perfect 1-1 score in MX2, with Lucas Coenen finishing P3. Mattia Guadagnini battled the conditions and delivered a solid P7.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider Malcolm Stewart went 9-9 for ninth overall at today's High Point National, marking Round 4 of the 2024 AMA Pro Motocross Championship. Rutted, technical conditions were on the agenda, but it was consistency that was once again the story of Stewart's day.
The iconic Maggiora track, which has hosted GP action since 1966 in northwest Italy, provided the perfect venue for the Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Team to reach the halfway point of the season. The team has so far claimed six overall wins and 11 individual race wins in MX2 alone.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing teammates Malcolm Stewart and Christian Craig have further established themselves among the top 10 of 450MX in the 2024 AMA Pro Motocross Championship, with Stewart a picture of consistency for P8 and Craig gaining strength on his way to 10th at Thunder Valley, Colorado.
Husqvarna Motorcycles maintain its status as a central Moto3 protagonist as Collin Veijer guides his FR 250 GP to 2nd place at a warm and busy Autodromo del Mugello for round seven of ’24 MotoGP™.
Lucas Coenen secured his third consecutive MX2 win, with Kay de Wolf finishing a close second. In MXGP, Mattia Guadagnini raced to a Fox Holeshot award on Saturday and a top ten overall finish on Sunday.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing has been able to draw from the positives following an encouraging Hangtown National that saw all three riders – Casey Cochran, Malcolm Stewart, and Christian Craig – finish inside the top 10. For 250MX rookie Cochran, he started the day in convincing fashion by qualifying quickest overall in class.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider Malcolm Stewart's return to the AMA Pro Motocross Championship resulted in an encouraging top 10 result overall at the Fox Raceway National, as teammates Christian Craig and Casey Cochran formed foundations to build upon in the 2024 season.
Round six of 2024 MotoGP™ took place at the sun-kissed Circuit de Barcelona-Cataluyna and Dutch star Collin Veijer and his FR 250 GP were protagonists in the Moto3 class once more. The IntactGP team also reached a personal best with 5th in Moto2™.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider RJ Hampshire has unfortunately been sidelined ahead of Round 1 of the 2024 AMA Pro Motocross Championship in Pala, California, after injuring his wrist during media day on Thursday afternoon.
The 28-year-old, fresh from capturing the 250SX West Championship in AMA Supercross two weeks ago, underwent immediate surgery yesterday evening, but it remains unclear when he will be fit to return to the 11-round outdoor series.
Nathan Ramsey, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team Manager: "The highs and the lows of this sport are sometimes tough to swallow, but unfortunately with RJ taking a spill on press day here at Pala, he has injured his wrist. It's a setback, but we can all get through this – I know that RJ and the crew will stay positive. RJ's tough and he's mentally strong, so he'll be back as soon as possible."
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing looks forward to welcoming RJ back once he is back to 100 percent health. The team will field Malcolm Stewart and Christian Craig in 450MX, as well as rookie Casey Cochran in 250MX, at this Saturday's season-opening Fox Raceway National.
The 2024 AMA Pro Motocross Championship beckons for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team, fresh from RJ Hampshire's title-winning achievements in the 250SX West division of AMA Supercross and with the motivation to maintain that momentum into the great outdoors. Round 1 will take place in Pala, California, this Saturday.
Husqvarna Motorcycles and Rockstar Energy are excited to introduce Season 3 of the immensely popular Grit and Grind: A Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Series, documenting the team's remarkable journey throughout all 17 rounds of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship.
The Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing Team shone at the 2024 MXGP of France, with Lucas Coenen taking the overall MX2 win, and Kay de Wolf securing second place to maintain his championship lead. Mattia Guadagnini earned valuable points in MXGP, finishing 14th to move up in the world standings.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's RJ Hampshire is the new AMA Supercross 250SX West Champion after clinching the 2024 title at tonight's final round of the season in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Collin Veijer continues his bright 2024 Grand Prix campaign by tussling for the win and taking 3rd position at the French Grand Prix and round five of the world championship.
The 2024 MXGP of Galicia in northwest Spain provided perfect sunny conditions for the Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing Team to shine. Lucas Coenen clinched a thrilling victory in the MX2 category, while Mattia Guadagnini secured valuable points with a P10 finish in the MXGP class.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's RJ Hampshire finished third at the penultimate round of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship in Denver, positioning him tied on points with a single round remaining in the 250SX West title race.
Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing raced through a challenging weekend at the MXGP of Portugal; highlighted by Mattia Guadagnini's return and solid performances from Kay de Wolf and Lucas Coenen.
An eighth-place finish marked another step forward for Malcolm Stewart and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing in Philadelphia for Round 15 of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship, continuing to gain momentum in the final stages of the season.
Stewart has been improving from week to week onboard his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 450 Rockstar Edition, qualifying in ninth position – within a second of the fastest lap-time following Qualifying 2 – and then racing to fifth in Heat 2. The Main Event saw him fight hard to P8 for a fourth-straight top-10 score and he's still ranked 11th in the standings.
"Philly was definitely new for everybody, very challenging dirt, but I enjoyed it," said Stewart. "The fans were awesome this weekend and we actually did alright. The Main Event was okay, because I made some mistakes, but pulled it back around and we ended up P8. It's not the result we want exactly, but I rode good and that's all that we can ask for at the end of the day. There are some things we could clean up, so I look forward to the next races and the whole Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing crew have done a phenomenal job – we'll keep giving it everything we've got."
Teenage teammate Casey Cochran made his third professional AMA Supercross start in 250SX East, once again displaying his speed for ninth overall in Qualifying and then claiming seventh in his Heat race. Equipped with the Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 250 Rockstar Edition, he had an early mishap in the Main Event, before going on to claim five points in 17th position.
"It was another day of learning for me overall," Cochran reflected. "It wasn't the best day for me, but we'll push on and move forward. I'm taking it all in with each race, so we'll use this to keep being able to learn and apply it for next year."
Next Race: May 4 – Denver, Colorado
Results 450SX Class – Philadelphia
1. Jett Lawrence (AUS), Honda
2. Chase Sexton (USA), KTM
3. Jason Anderson (USA), Kawasaki
6. Justin Barcia (USA), GASGAS
8. Malcolm Stewart (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
Standings 450SX Class 2024 after 15 of 17 rounds
1. Jett Lawrence, 311 points
2. Cooper Webb, 299
3. Eli Tomac, 270
4. Chase Sexton, 268
7. Aaron Plessinger, 198
9. Justin Barcia, 182
11. Malcolm Stewart, 169
Results 250SX East Class – Philadelphia
1. Max Anstie (GBR), Honda
2. Tom Vialle (FRA), KTM
3. Haiden Deegan (USA), Yamaha
14. Pierce Brown (USA), GASGAS
17. Casey Cochran (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
Standings 250SX East Class 2024 after 8 of 9 rounds
1. Tom Vialle, 158 points
2. Haiden Deegan, 143
3. Pierce Brown, 124
22. Casey Cochran, 19
A third victory of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship saw Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider RJ Hampshire take over the 250SX West points lead in Nashville's 250SX East/West Showdown tonight, setting him up to contend for the western regional title into its closing stages.
Hampshire was at his very best onboard the Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 250 Rockstar Edition inside Nissan Stadium, qualifying quickest in class and then going on to win his Heat race. From there he managed to deliver a commanding Main Event win after leading the entire race, which sees him reclaim the red plate with a two-point advantage and just two rounds remaining in the 250SX West series.
"First off, I'm so proud of this team," said Hampshire. "I had that feeling from the beginning – Practice went awesome with P1, then in the Heat race I came from the back to win that, followed by a holeshot in the Main Event to lead every lap for the win! That's the first time that's ever happened in my career and it came at a really good time to do it. Tonight I executed the start in that Main Event, and felt like that was what I really needed. I had the speed, so it was just giving myself a chance, and it was an awesome race from there. I had a couple of moments in the beginning, then settled in and it's a big weight off my shoulders. I knew I could close the points lead tonight, but didn't expect to get the red plate back – I'm so happy for my whole team and all of our supporters! This Nashville crowd is awesome, I love this state, and it's pretty cool to come away with the win here tonight."
Alongside Hampshire in the Showdown was 250SX East newcomer Casey Cochran, the teenager impressing early on today by clocking the sixth-quickest time in Qualifying and finishing fourth in his Heat race. The Main Event was tougher on his way to an eventual P15 result, but it was another positive step in these initial stages of his professional career.
"First Showdown of my career, so a new experience and I'm just learning, building each weekend, so I'm stoked to come back again next weekend," Cochran commented. "Overall, a pretty good day in Qualifying and the Heat race again... gotta clean up a few mistakes, but I'm happy with my riding and want to continue in this direction."
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing 450SX entry Malcolm Stewart also displayed promise in his first visit to Nashville, powering his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 450 Rockstar Edition to ninth on the time-sheets in Qualifying and then surging to P4 in Heat 2. The Main Event saw him earn his ninth top 10 finish of the year in P9, despite an early fall, and is motivated to keep climbing the order in the upcoming final races of the season.
"Nashville, I honestly felt like overall I was riding alright," Stewart reflected. "It was definitely a pretty crazy, notchy track, and we made a few mistakes. I didn't get off to a good start, wasn't sure when I was, and then went down after the finish line, but was able to salvage a ninth. We're trying, doing everything we can to get back up there where we should be, but it's a matter of time, so we're just going to take the momentum that we have and fight all the way to the end because we're not giving up."
Next Race: April 27 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Results 450SX Class – Nashville
1. Jett Lawrence (AUS), Honda
2. Eli Tomac (USA), Yamaha
3. Cooper Webb (USA), Yamaha
5. Justin Barcia (USA), GASGAS
9. Malcolm Stewart (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
DNF. Chase Sexton (USA), KTM
Standings 450SX Class 2024 after 14 of 17 rounds
1. Jett Lawrence, 286 points
2. Cooper Webb, 281
3. Eli Tomac, 253
4. Chase Sexton, 246
7. Aaron Plessinger, 198
9. Justin Barcia, 166
11. Malcolm Stewart, 155
Results 250SX East/West Showdown Class – Nashville
1. RJ Hampshire (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
2. Jo Shimoda (JPN), Honda
3. Tom Vialle (FRA), KTM
9. Julien Beaumer (USA), KTM
11. Pierce Brown (USA), GASGAS
15. Casey Cochran (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
19. Ryder DiFrancesco (USA), GASGAS
Standings 250SX East Class 2024 after 7 of 9 rounds
1. Tom Vialle, 136 points
2. Haiden Deegan, 123
3. Cameron McAdoo, 120
4. Pierce Brown, 116
24. Casey Cochran, 14
Standings 250SX West Class 2024 after 8 of 10 rounds
1. RJ Hampshire, 166 points
2. Levi Kitchen, 164
3. Jordon Smith, 148
6. Julien Beaumer, 106
12. Ryder DiFrancesco, 68
A 10th-place finish was the outcome for Malcolm Stewart in the 450SX Main Event at Foxborough, marking Round 13 of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship. Tonight also marked the anticipated debut in 250SX East for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's Casey Cochran.
Stewart has been gaining strength throughout the series since his return to competition on the Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 450 Rockstar Edition this year, recording his eighth top-10 result and continuing to take the positives out of each weekend completed. He was P9 in qualifying today and surged to fifth in his Heat, before racing hard in the Main Event for 10th, which sees him ranked 11th in the championship with four rounds left on the schedule.
"Foxborough was decent, even though of course the result isn't where we wanted it to be," Stewart commented. "The track was definitely pretty gnarly. I went down in the Main Event in the final couple of laps, but at the end of the day, we've just gotta keep digging and keep moving forward. I rode hard, made some passes, and there are some positives to take – we'll get them next weekend! I've never raced in Nashville, so I'm excited for that one."
Foxborough saw the professional AMA Supercross debut of Cochran onboard his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 250 Rockstar Edition in the eastern region of 250SX, the 17-year-old impressing from the outset by qualifying in third position on combined times. He then raced to P5 in Heat 2 of the night program, before clawing his way back from an early crash to 15th in a hard-fought first Main Event appearance.
"First pro Supercross race at Foxborough, it was tough," recalled Cochran. "I mean, I had a pretty good day until the Main Event, went down on the first lap, and was basically dead last... I started to click a few laps together, but it's a whole new experience out there with these guys. Unfortunately, I had a second crash as well, then just did what I could from there. We get another go at it next weekend, so I learned a lot, and we'll take what we have and continue from here."
Following his breakout podium result in St. Louis, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna amateur newcomer Landon Gibson was back in action as part of the Supercross Futures category, but was unable to start the Main Event after sustaining a broken collarbone during the afternoon's practice session.
Next Race: April 20 – Nashville, Tennessee
Results 450SX Class – Foxborough
1. Cooper Webb (USA), Yamaha
2. Chase Sexton (USA), KTM
3. Ken Roczen (GER), Suzuki
10. Malcolm Stewart (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
11. Justin Barcia (USA), GASGAS
Standings 450SX Class 2024 after 13 of 17 rounds
1. Jett Lawrence, 261 points
2. Cooper Webb, 261
3. Chase Sexton, 246
7. Aaron Plessinger, 198
9. Justin Barcia, 149
11. Malcolm Stewart, 142
Results 250SX East Class – Foxborough
1. Haiden Deegan (USA), Yamaha
2. Cameron McAdoo (USA), Kawasaki
3. Tom Vialle (FRA), KTM
4. Pierce Brown (USA), GASGAS
15. Casey Cochran (USA), Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
Standings 250SX East Class 2024 after 6 of 9 rounds
1. Cameron McAdoo, 120 points
2. Tom Vialle, 116
3. Haiden Deegan, 107
4. Pierce Brown, 105
29. Casey Cochran, 7
As the temperatures soared in Sardegna, so too did the results for the The Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing Team, with Kay de Wolf delivering an incredible overall third Grand Prix victory in a row, and Lucas Coenen winning Sunday’s opening moto.
A fourth-place result saw Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider RJ Hampshire only marginally finish outside of the 250SX West podium in St. Louis' final Triple Crown round of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship, as Malcolm Stewart equaled his best finish of the year with seventh overall in 450SX.
The afternoon saw Hampshire qualify on top of the timesheets, setting the tone for what would be another competitive night on his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 250 Rockstar Edition. He recovered from an average start in the opening encounter for fourth and then repeated that result in Race 2, before P2 in Race 3 saw him credited fourth overall to retain second in the championship, just 15 points outside of the red plates.
"My riding was pretty good all day, but not my starts," Hampshire commented. "4-4-2 is not going to get it done, so we will have a couple of weeks off and focus on the three rounds left [in the western region]. Get out of the gate better and I feel like I could have won tonight, but I didn't execute when it was time to go, and we will be better at Nashville."
Stewart, meanwhile, continued his fight in the 450SX division equipped with the Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 450 Rockstar Edition, qualifying ninth and then registering 7-9 finishes across the first two races of the evening. An eighth-place score in the final encounter resulted in him claiming seventh overall, in line with his best finish of the 2024 season to date.
"St. Louis was okay for me," said Stewart. "We struggled a little bit on the starts, just trying to get up there to run with those guys. I'm going to enjoy this upcoming weekend off, clear my head in the outdoors, and come back swinging for the last five rounds. I know we keep saying it, but we're here in the fight and ain't ever gonna give up."
Round 12 of the season also saw the Supercross Futures back on track, where Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing newcomer Landon Gibson impressed on his way to second position on the podium, as Casey Cochran took the checkered flag in seventh place.
"It was such a great experience," Gibson reflected. "I was tense the first two laps, but after that I got into a groove and I feel like I deserve this, so I'm really happy with the result and to finish on the podium."
Next Event (Round 13): April 13, 2024 – Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts
450SX – St. Louis Results
1. Eli Tomac (Yamaha)
2. Cooper Webb (Yamaha)
3. Hunter Lawrence (Honda)
4. Aaron Plessinger (KTM)
5. Chase Sexton (KTM)
6. Justin Barcia (GASGAS)
7. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
450SX Rider Point Standings after Round 12
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda) – 244 points
2. Cooper Webb (Yamaha) – 236 points
3. Chase Sexton (KTM) – 224 points
6. Aaron Plessinger (KTM) – 198 points
9. Justin Barcia (GASGAS) – 138 points
11. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 130 points
250SX West – St. Louis Results
1. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki)
2. Jo Shimoda (Honda)
3. Jordon Smith (Yamaha)
4. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
7. Julien Beaumer (KTM)
8. Ryder DiFrancesco (GASGAS)
250SX West Rider Point Standings after Round 7
1. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki) – 156 points
2. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 141 points
3. Jordon Smith (Yamaha) – 130 points
6. Julien Beaumer (KTM) – 93 points
13. Ryder DiFrancesco (GASGAS) – 65 points
Decent points and pace for LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna IntactGP at the second round of 2024 MotoGP™ as Collin Veijer logs his second top six result of the season with the FR 250 GP.
A solid second-place finish signaled a convincing return to action for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's RJ Hampshire as the 250SX West division resumed in Seattle, marking Round 11 of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship.
In what was the sixth race of the western regional series, Hampshire rode his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 250 Rockstar Edition to P6 in qualifying and built momentum from there. He improved to second in his Heat and then repeated that result in the Main Event despite a difficult start, continuing to challenge for the title in its middle stages and only sitting eight points outside of the red plate.
"I was second in the Heat race and then I settled down for the Main Event, but I'm not sure what happened off the start – I must have spun or something and those first couple of laps were hectic," recalled Hampshire. "I made some good passes, but this track was brutal tonight, and we're happy to be on the podium in the end. We said we wanted to be solid tonight and that's all we had, so we will take second and look forward to St. Louis."
Tonight was also a promising one for Malcolm Stewart at Lumen Field in the 450SX category, taking an encouraging fourth-place result in Heat 2 equipped with his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 450 Rockstar Edition. After featuring inside the top 10 early on, Stewart eventually claimed 11th position and is determined to keep gaining form in the final stages of the season.
"Seattle was definitely muddy in practice, but the track actually turned out okay for the night show," Stewart commented. "I was P4 in the Heat, which was okay, and then in the Main Event we were running okay again to begin with, but I got a little tight and the track started going away. When you start riding the track like that you start making a lot of mistakes, so we ended up 11th and that's not the result we were looking for, but we'll live to fight another day."
Next Event (Round 12): March 30, 2024 – The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis, Missouri
450SX – Seattle Results
1. Cooper Webb (Yamaha)
2. Chase Sexton (KTM)
3. Jett Lawrence (Honda)
4. Aaron Plessinger (KTM)
9. Justin Barcia (GASGAS)
11. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
450SX Rider Point Standings after Round 11
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda) – 230 points
2. Cooper Webb (Yamaha) – 214 points
3. Chase Sexton (KTM) - 207 points
6. Aaron Plessinger (KTM) – 162 points
9. Justin Barcia (GASGAS) – 122 points
11. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 115 points
250SX West – Seattle Results
1. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki)
2. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
3. Jo Shimoda (Honda)
7. Julien Beaumer (KTM)
13. Ryder DiFrancesco (GASGAS)
250SX West Rider Point Standings
1. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki) – 131 points
2. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 123 points
3. Jordon Smith (Yamaha) – 110 points
7. Julien Beaumer (KTM) – 78 points
14. Ryder DiFrancesco (GASGAS) – 51 points
An encouraging run of consistent finishes saw Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's Malcolm Stewart claim eighth place overall in Indianapolis at the second Triple Crown round of the year.
Stewart continues to build momentum in the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship after missing the majority of last season through injury, racing to 9-8-8 results across the three 450SX races onboard his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 450 Rockstar Edition in Indy.
In navigating some of the most technical track conditions of the year, Stewart managed to keep charging throughout the night and improved with each gate drop, which now has him positioned 11th in the championship standings following Round 10 of 17. He's also excited to head to Seattle next weekend, where he's had strong results in the past during his professional career.
"Indy was tough for everybody with the track conditions, but we went 9-8-8 to end up ninth overall," said Stewart. "It was not too bad, I felt like we got better as the mains went on – the intensity is always so high at these Triple Crown races. Obviously, it could have been a better night or a worse night, and we're leaving here healthy again, ready to keep pushing ahead. It will be good to get to Seattle, I always ride well there, and I'm really looking forward to that one."
Next Saturday night in Seattle will also see the return of the 250SX West category, where Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's RJ Hampshire is currently positioned third in the standings on his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 250 Rockstar Edition, only five points outside of the lead.
Next Event (Round 11): March 23, 2024 – Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington
450SX – Indianapolis Results
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda)
2. Ken Roczen (Suzuki)
3. Chase Sexton (KTM)
…
9. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
450SX Rider Point Standings after Round 10
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda) – 210 points
2. Cooper Webb (Yamaha) – 189 points
3. Chase Sexton (KTM) - 185 points
...
11. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 104 points
Promising speed and performances by the LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna IntactGP team at the Lusail International Circuit and the first episodes of Moto3™ and Moto2™ competition this season.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing's Malcolm Stewart pushed on for a well-earned 10th-place finish at Birmingham's ninth round of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship, continuing to gain strength as 450SX reached its halfway point tonight.
Supercross made a welcome debut at Protective Stadium in Alabama and Stewart was in the mix from the outset on his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 450 Rockstar Edition, qualifying in sixth as the track conditions began to dry and improve.
Stewart then impressed on his way to third in his Heat race once the night program commenced, before an early crash in the Main Event while running inside the top 10 saw him bumped toward the rear of the pack. From there he put on a charge, climbing all the way back to 10th position and taking confidence from his effort in technical conditions.
"Birmingham actually treated me well, we had a good round in its own weird way," Stewart reflected. "The track was a little muddy in practice and qualifying, but I ended up P6 this afternoon and then the Heat was really good, so ended up third in that one. The Main Event wasn't terrible and it wasn't a bad start inside the top 10. I tried to make a pass on one of the outsides of the turns though and went down, it was just one of those things – I just lost the front.
"I got back up, rode strong and we ended up P10, so overall everything has been going well. It's heading the way that we want it to go on the motorcycle, but we're just having a few issues with the racing side of it and making these little mistakes. Onto Indy now and we're looking forward to that, I think the Triple Crown will be good for us! I'm stoked as a team, we live and learn, and everybody's trying their best including myself, so it is just a matter of time until we are where we want to be."
Next Event (Round 10): March 16, 2024 – Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana
450SX – Birmingham Results
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda)
2. Cooper Webb (Yamaha)
3. Ken Roczen (Suzuki)
…
10. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
450SX Rider Point Standings after Round 9
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda) – 185 points
2. Cooper Webb (Yamaha) – 172 points
3. Chase Sexton (KTM) - 165 points
...
11. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 91 points
18. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 39 points
Testing is complete and the LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna IntactGP team are now set-up and ready inside the paddock of the Lusail International Circuit anticipating the beginning of 2024 MotoGP™. Husqvarna Motorcycles enters the 21-round campaign with sights narrowed on the Moto3 crown and significant evolution for only its second term in the Moto2 category.
A season-best seventh position continued Malcolm Stewart's mid-season uplift at Daytona's eighth round of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship, the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider taking his third top-10 result in a row.
Stewart has been gaining race fitness and comfort as the 450SX season approaches its middle stages, powering his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 450 Rockstar Edition to fourth place in the Heat Race. The Main Event was just as promising, overcoming grueling track conditions to claim P7 and make further inroads on the front-runners after missing much of last season through injury.
"Being the closest race to a hometown weekend for me, Daytona treated me okay," Stewart said . "The Heat wasn't too bad, vision was kind of tough being where I was, but we made some passes and ended up fourth in that one. Main Event, the track went away really fast and it was a typical, really hard Daytona. At the end of the day, we ended up P7 – it could have been better, could have been worse. My headspace is okay, we're going to look forward to Alabama, get back to regular Supercross, and get back up front."
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna's Casey Cochran impressed in his first 250SX Futures appearance of the season, qualifying on top of the charts this afternoon to take first gate pick for the Main Event. He recovered from a bad start to make his way to third position, opening his campaign with a podium result on the Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 250.
"I felt pretty solid all day, really comfortable, and was super-excited for the Main Event," Cochran said. "It was a tough start for me, I was buried pretty far back and was struggling to get into a flow out there. It was one of those nights where you couldn't really get into the rhythm you wanted to – the track was like a minefield getting around – so I'm happy to still get a podium finish."
The weekend also marked the first showing for new recruit Landon Gibson in the 250SX Futures, the talented young rider on debut gaining immense experience on his way to 11th place. He ran as high as sixth at around halfway, only for a mistake to drop him down the order and to eventually take the checkered flag just outside the top 10.
"It was definitely a learning curve," reflected Gibson. "I was far inside on the gate and got swarmed off the start in the Main Event, then later on, after the whoops I went down pretty hard. That was that and I know what I need to work on from here – I'm looking forward to lining up again now."
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing 450SX regular Christian Craig is scheduled to undergo surgery next week on his ongoing elbow injury, which will extend his time on the sidelines. We look forward to welcoming him back to racing once he is healed and healthy to line up again.
Next Event (Round 9): March 9, 2024 – Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama
Round 8 Results: Daytona
450SX – Daytona Results
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda)
2. Eli Tomac (Yamaha)
3. Chase Sexton (KTM)
…
7. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
250SX Futures – Daytona Results
1. Drew Adams (Kawasaki)
2. Cole Davies (GASGAS)
3. Casey Cochran – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna
…
11. Landon Gibson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna
450SX Rider Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda) – 160 points
2. Cooper Webb (Yamaha) – 150 points
3. Chase Sexton (KTM) - 147 points
...
12. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 79 points
17. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 39 points
250SX Futures Rider Point Standings
1. Cole Davies (GASGAS) – 47 points
2. Drew Adams (Kawasaki) – 41 points
3. Parker Ross (Honda) – 36 points
…
8. Casey Cochran – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna - 20 points
18. Landon Gibson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna - 11 points
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing pair Malcolm Stewart and Guillem Farres both managed ninth-place results at Arlington's seventh round of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship, with both displaying front-running pace throughout the program.
While Christian Craig was unfortunately ruled out of the Millitary Appreciation Round with a re-aggravated elbow injury following press day at AT&T Stadium, it was Stewart who flew the flag solo in the 450SX division on his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 450 Rockstar Edition.
Stewart was seventh on the charts at the conclusion of qualifying and then battled for the victory in Heat 2 on his way to second position. A troubled Main Event saw him go down early and recover to ninth, marking his third top 10 of the season in an inspired performance. Importantly, his confidence is on the rise in the mid-stages of the season.
"Arlington always treats me okay and all day I felt really good on the bike," explained Stewart. "I was gelling with everything and it was good to lead in the Heat. I enjoy being on the East Coast, we've all been putting in the work, and it's beginning to click. In the Main Event, we made some passes really quickly but came together with another rider and went down. I got back up and felt like it was one of the best rides I've had all year long. I know the results aren't what everyone wants to see on paper, but we've been moving in the right direction and it's just a matter of time before we're heading for the box or a win."
The resumption of 250SX East was a welcome one for Farres as he continued to gain Supercross experience during his rookie campaign, qualifying in an encouraging sixth position and then claiming fourth in his Heat. The Main Event saw him ride to ninth place, banking his second top 10 result in a row onboard the Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 250 Rockstar Edition.
"My day started pretty good, felt good in practice, and then in qualifying I was sixth," Farres said. "The Heat was positive with fourth and then I felt good coming into the Main Event. The start was decent, around top-five, and then I made a mistake and got passed by a couple of riders. I ended up ninth and felt better towards the end, so overall I am happy because we made a big step from Detroit in the past few weeks."
Next Event (Round 8): March 2, 2024 – Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida
Round 7 Results: Arlington
450SX – Arlington Results
1. Cooper Webb (Yamaha)
2. Eli Tomac (Yamaha)
3. Aaron Plessinger (KTM)
…
9. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
250SX East – Arlington Results
1. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha)
2. Cameron McAdoo (Kawasaki)
3. Tom Vialle (KTM)
…
9. Guillem Farres – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
450SX Rider Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda) – 135 points
2. Cooper Webb (Yamaha) – 132 points
3. Aaron Plessinger (KTM) - 128 points
...
12. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 64 points
16. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 39 points
250SX East Rider Point Standings
1. Max Anstie (Honda) – 38 points
2. Pierce Brown (GASGAS) – 34 points
3. Daxton Bennick (Yamaha) – 32 points
…
9. Guillem Farres – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing - 27 points
Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing team rider and MXGP talent Mattia Guadagnini will not participate in the opening round of the 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship in Patagonia-Argentina, due to injuries sustained in a crash during pre-season training in the South of France.
Guadagnini was promptly transferred to the nearest local hospital for check ups, where he was diagnosed with a fractured shoulder blade, and soft tissue injuries to his lower arm. The latter required minor surgery, which was successfully carried out this morning. The medical team has conducted comprehensive functionality tests, revealing no damage to nerves or tendons, with positive forecasts for a full recovery of the arm. However, the timeline for this recovery remains undetermined at this stage.
Guadagnini is expected to be discharged from the hospital within 48 hours, with plans to return to Belgium for further assessments and a second opinion on his injuries to establish a clearer recovery timeframe. As a result, participation in the MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina has been ruled out, with further examinations required to provide an indication of when he might return to racing.
Rasmus Jorgensen, Team Manager of Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing, stated: "This is a setback for Mattia and the team, but we are relieved that his injuries are not as severe as initially feared. Our focus now is on his recovery and ensuring he receives the best possible care. We appreciate the concern and support from the MXGP community and will provide updates as we learn more about Mattia's condition and expected return to racing."
Further information regarding Guadagnini's recovery progress and expected return to competition will be shared in due course. The team wishes Mattia a swift and full recovery and looks forward to his return to the MXGP circuit.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire has returned to the top step of the 250SX West Class podium at Round 6 of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship in Glendale, Arizona, on a night where 450SX teammates Malcolm Stewart and Christian Craig both raced to season-best results.
Hampshire resumed his quest for the western regional championship by posting the third-fastest qualifying time onboard his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 250 Rockstar Edition, which he would follow up with P3 in his Heat Race.
A top-three start in the Main Event saw the number 24 exercise patience as the battle unfolded at the front, with a decisive move for the lead allowing Hampshire to move into clean air, as he extended his winning margin to over two seconds as the checkered flag flew. He's now within five points of the red plates entering a six-week break in the 250SX West schedule.
“Glendale was awesome,” recalled Hampshire. “The ending was especially awesome, but I felt really good at the beginning of the day, and then had a big case in the first timed qualifying. I was in a lot of pain from that, although I knew I needed to pull it together for the Main, and that was when I rode my best. I made a couple of quick passes, then saw I had a bit of a gap after the others made mistakes, and just managed it from there. Really stoked and am looking forward to some time off before Seattle.”
450SX contender Stewart was ranked P6 in qualifying inside the sizable State Farm Stadium, before racing to a convincing second-place finish in his Heat Race, and taking his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 450 Rockstar Edition into the Main Event.
Starting outside the top 10, Stewart charged all race long as he progressively made his way up the leaderboard, putting in a spirited ride that would last the entire Main Event to land him eighth place for the night and his best finish of the season so far.
“Glendale went fairly well for me,” said Stewart. “Qualifying was decent with P6, then we finished with P2 in the Heat Race, which felt really good to be up there. Main Event, not a great start, so I just had to pick my way through the field and got all the way back up to P8. My riding was great, although you need to get the start in this class, so we’ll work on those heading into Arlington.”
Craig, meanwhile, found comfort early in Arizona as he qualified in ninth position, which he converted into a P7 score in his Heat Race. In posting a calculated ride on a highly-technical circuit, Craig would seal P12 in the Main Event, which was also his best result of the year.
“Glendale started off well, I felt comfortable right away with the layout and big rhythm sections,” Craig commented. “I struggled a little with arm strength today for some reason, which was frustrating, so this week off comes at a good time. Feeling more comfortable, had more fun, so I feel the improvements are coming over the break.”
Next Event (Round 7): February 24, 2024 – AT&T Stadium, Arlington Texas.
Round 6 Results: Glendale
250SX West – Glendale Results
1. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
2. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki)
3. Jo Shimoda (Honda)
450SX – Glendale Results
1. Ken Roczen (Suzuki)
2. Jason Anderson (Kawasaki)
3. Jett Lawrence (Honda)
…
8. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
12. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
250SX West Rider Point Standings
1. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki) – 106 points
2. Jordon Smith (Yamaha) – 102 points
3. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 101 points
450SX Rider Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda) – 117 points
2. Chase Sexton (KTM) – 111 points
3. Aaron Plessinger (KTM) – 108 points
...
12. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 51 points
15. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 39 points
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing experienced a mixed day at Round 5 of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship in Detroit, with 450SX contenders Malcolm Stewart and Christian Craig racing to P11 and P13 results, while 250SX East Class rookie Guillem Farres claimed a solid eighth place finish on debut.
Stewart opened race day by registering the ninth-fastest qualifying time aboard his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 450 Rockstar Edition, adjusting to the softer, rutty conditions that the East Coast dirt served, before powering his way to fifth place in his Heat Race.
A top 10 start saw Stewart battling forward in the premier class Main Event, before an untimely fall while making further passes ultimately cost him a stronger result. Tumbling down the running order, the fan favorite would eventually climb into 11th position by race's end.
“Detroit, I was P1 in Free Practice, which meant I felt pretty good all day,” recalled Stewart. “Ninth overall in qualifying, then fifth in the Heat, and felt really good at that point. I tried to get by [Jason] Anderson in the whoops after a good start, and then just dropped it at the end of the set there. It really sucks to crash like that, but I fought hard for 11th – the riding has been improving, so we’ll keep fighting.”
450SX teammate Craig started the day with consistency, posting a time good enough for P13 in qualifying, before improving to seventh place in his Heat Race. In struggling for track position on the technical track surface, he would salvage a 13th place finish to complete his day inside Ford Field.
As the Eastern Region made its anticipated first showing of the year, Guillem Farres made his Supercross debut, with the talented Spaniard piecing together a confidence-inspiring day across the variety of sessions. Ninth place in 250SX East qualifying, followed by P7 in his Heat Race set the rookie up well entering the Main Event, where he went on to finish in eighth position on the Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 250 Rockstar Edition.
“Detroit was pretty good, especially for my first Supercross ever!” Farres commented. “Luckily, I got the track pretty dialed on press day, which was helpful. I felt good in my qualifiers today and then was super nervous heading into the Heat Race, but got a decent start and finished seventh. Then, in the Main there was a massive pile-up that I was lucky to avoid... I was running sixth until the last lap before a small tip-over, so I am a little mad about the fall, but happy with my first Supercross.”
Next Event (Round 6): February 10, 2024 – State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona
Round 5 Results: Detroit
250SX East – Detroit Results
1. Austin Forkner (Kawasaki)
2. Max Anstie (Honda)
3. Daxton Bennick (Yamaha)
…
8. Guillem Farres – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
450SX – Detroit Results
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda)
2. Chase Sexton (KTM)
3. Ken Roczen (Suzuki)
…
11. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
13. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
250SX East Rider Point Standings
1. Austin Forkner (Kawasaki) – 25 points
2. Max Anstie (Honda) – 22 points
3. Daxton Bennick (Yamaha) – 20 points
…
8. Guillem Farres – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing - 13 points
450SX Rider Point Standings
1. Chase Sexton (KTM) – 98 points
2. Jett Lawrence (Honda) – 97 points
3. Aaron Plessinger (KTM) - 96 points
...
14. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 37 points
17. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 29 points
With just over a month to go until the start of the 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship season, the Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing Team has unveiled their rider lineup; boasting an exciting mix of raw talent and experience.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider RJ Hampshire rebounded to a well-deserved second-place finish in the 250SX West Class at Round 4 of AMA Supercross action in Anaheim, California, on a night where 450SX contenders Malcolm Stewart and Christian Craig finished the Triple Crown event with P10 and P14 results, respectively.
Hampshire charged to pole position onboard his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 250 Rockstar Edition in the Anaheim 2 round, before carrying that momentum into the opening Race of the Triple Crown format, in which he would go on to register a P2 result.
Race 2 saw Hampshire jump out of the gates to a strong start as he sat inside the top three, biding his time in P2 before making a decisive pass for the race lead. Managing the race comfortably at the front, he would collect a popular Race 2 win.
A small mishap in Race 3 saw Hampshire briefly on the ground, however, the number 24 would recover for seventh position, which was enough for second overall on the night and he is currently third in the 250SX West standings.
“It was a solid night at A2 and I was fast all day,” recalled Hampshire. “We topped all three practices, and the first two Races were awesome – I had so much fun battling with Levi [Kitchen], we put on a good show, which was sick. Third Race, not a great start, and then just a bit of a mishap. Still made up a lot of points, cut the deficit in half, so I’m stoked on that.”
Stewart would start his Anaheim 2 race day by sealing the fourth-fastest qualifying time in 450SX overall, which the Floridian would follow up with a strong start in Race 1. An unfortunate fall while battling inside the top 10 would result in 11th place for the Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 450 Rockstar Edition pilot.
Races 2 and 3 saw the number 27 improve his position on each occasion despite being hampered by mid-field starts, collecting P10 and P9 results across the remaining races, which meant a 10th-place finish on the night and his best of the season upon return from injury.
“A2 for me, there are positives to take,” said Stewart . "I was P1 in the first qualifier and then was affected by some tough starts in the Races for the Triple Crown. Went down in Race 1 with Hunter [Lawrence], came back to 11th. Then the others, just struggled with starts again, but I’m getting back into the swing of things – I haven't raced for a long time, so this one really felt like A1 to me. We’re heading in the right direction and it’s going to come, so we’ll keep on trucking into Detroit.”
450SX challenger Craig collected the 15th-fastest qualifying time, before going down on the opening lap in Race 1 and recovering to P17. A 12th place in Race 2, coupled with 13th in the third Race earned him 14th overall for the weekend.
“My day started decently and qualifying went okay,” Craig commented . “It was nice to be on a dry track after the last couple of weeks, but yeah, I went down in the second corner in Race 1 and was way, way back. Inched up, did what I could, then in the second one I think I got 12th. Race 3, not enough intensity at the start, got passed a bunch, and then had to try to make those passes back. It has been a frustrating start to the season, but we’ll keep trying.”
Next Event (Round 5): February 3, 2024 – Ford Field in Detroit, Mich.
Round 4 Results: Anaheim 2
250SX West – Triple Crown Results
1. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki)
2. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
3. Nate Thrasher (Yamaha)
450SX – Triple Crown Results
1. Cooper Webb (Yamaha)
2. Eli Tomac (Yamaha)
3. Aaron Plessinger (KTM)
…
10. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
14. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
250SX West Rider Point Standings
1. Jordon Smith (Yamaha) – 84 points
2. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki) – 84 points
3. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 76 points
450SX Rider Point Standings
1. Aaron Plessinger (KTM) – 80 points
2. Chase Sexton (KTM) – 76 points
3. Cooper Webb (Yamaha) - 74 points
...
15. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 26 points
17. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 20 points
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing endured a challenging night of racing at Round 3 of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship in San Diego, California, with RJ Hampshire taking a sixth-place result in the 250SX West division, while Malcolm Stewart and Christian Craig encountered their share of adversity in 450SX.
Hampshire opened the day by posting the third-fastest qualifying time, before rocketing out of the gates onboard his Husqvarna Motorcycles FC 250 Rockstar Edition in the Heat Race. Despite a troubled affair, he eventually claimed P6 to transfer into the Main Event.
In mixed conditions with rain beginning to fall once again, Hampshire launched to the holeshot in the 250SX West Main Event, extending his lead to a two-second margin throughout the opening stages of the race. An all-out battle ensued for first place throughout the entirety of the race, with a late race mishap demoting him to sixth place.
“Just another mudder here in SD and another tough night,” recalled Hampshire . “I got off to an awesome start and then led a lot of laps in the Main, but threw away a podium with two corners to go. Super-frustrating, but nothing I can do about it now. Time to go home, regroup, and we need a win next week in Anaheim.”
Tenth place for Stewart in 450SX qualifying translated into a strong Heat Race ride, as the number 27 charged the entire duration of the race and fell short of the victory by a small margin, claiming second place. An opening lap fall for Stewart made for a tough premier class Main Event, with a race impacted by errors resulting in a 19th-place score.
“San Diego was another mud race,” said Stewart . “We qualified 10th in the dry, then got off to a great start in the Heat Race and finished with second, which pulled me out of a bit of a slump I felt I was in. Then in the Main Event, I spun off the gate – no big deal – and then I came together with another rider and went down in the first lane, which pretty much summed my race up. The bars were tweaked, so I visited the mechanic's area, but again my speed was super-good. We're off to a Triple Crown next weekend and my starts have been good, so I’m confident of a good night of racing in Anaheim to turn things around.”
450SX challenger Craig posted the 11th-fastest qualifying time, before improving to a fifth-place finish in his Heat Race and a direct transfer into the Main Event for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider.
Jumping out of the gates to a good start, Craig ran inside the top 10 before cross-rutting in the muddy terrain, which resulted in him coming together with another ride. A visit to the mechanics area meant that the Californian was buried deep in the field and was credited with P20.
“The day started pretty good with qualifying in P11,” Craig commented. “I was riding good and felt really strong, but then the rain came down, unfortunately. Got off to a sweet start to the Heat and was running up front for a while, then made a couple of mistakes in the mud, which shifted me back to fifth. I got another good start in the Main, but just cross-rutted in the mud and another rider completely landed on me from behind. It's racing, unfortunately, it took me a while to get going, took a trip to the pits, put my head down and did what I could. Another bad result, but we’ll put our heads down for A2.”
Next Event (Round 4): January 27, 2024 – Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif.
Round 3 Results: San Diego
250SX West – Main Event
1. Nate Thrasher (Yamaha)
2. Garrett Marchbanks (Yamaha)
3. Jordon Smith (Yamaha)
…
6. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
450SX – Main Event
1. Aaron Plessinger (KTM)
2. Cooper Webb (Yamaha)
3. Justin Barcia (GASGAS)
…
19. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
20. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
250SX West Rider Point Standings
1. Jordon Smith (Yamaha) – 67 points
2. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki) – 59 points
3. Garrett Marchbanks (Yamaha) – 57 points
…
4. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 54 points
450SX Rider Point Standings
1. Aaron Plessinger (KTM) – 60 points
2. Chase Sexton (KTM) – 59 points
3. Jett Lawrence (Honda) - 56 points
...
17. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 14 points
18. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 12 points
It was a challenging evening for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing at the second round of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship in San Francisco, California, with RJ Hampshire salvaging a ninth-place finish in the 250SX West division, as Christian Craig and Malcolm Stewart battled hard against the elements in 450SX.
Entering with the points lead, Hampshire continued his impressive form in the San Francisco mud by topping the qualifying timesheets amidst the chaotic conditions. A consistent ride on his Husqvarna FC 250 Rockstar Edition resulted in a second-place finish for his Heat Race.
As the conditions worsened for the Main Event, Hampshire got off to a mid-field start, which created an eventful race of being caught up with other downed riders. Despite those challenges, Hampshire salvaged a P9 result and a solid bag of points toward the championship.
“Man, that was just a really, really, long and tough day for us,” recalled Hampshire . “Start was decent, got up to fourth, I think… but stuff happens with this type of racing with a guy cross-rutting and falling into me. I was in a really bad spot to go down in, hard to get back going, but managed what I could and knew I needed to get some points, so now headed to San Diego and hoping it’ll be a lot better than this weekend.”
450SX racer Craig posted the 15th-fastest qualifying time, before improving to a seventh-place finish in his Heat Race and a direct transfer into the Main Event for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing pilot.
A high-speed fall on the start straight meant that Craig would be playing catch-up for the remainder of the race, which the Californian would do, and claw his way back to a 14th-place finish as the checkered flag flew.
“The day started off as a mud race and that’s obviously chaos,” Craig commented. “Qualified decent, then went to the Heat Race just wanting to make it through to the Main, which we did. In the Main I went down 100 feet off the start, was lying in the mud with some others for a while, but just charged from the back and did what we could do. I'm excited for some dry conditions next weekend.”
For teammate Stewart, he navigated the challenging conditions onboard his Husqvarna FC 450 Rockstar Edition to the ninth-quickest 450SX qualifying time, before crossing the finish line in sixth place for his Heat Race. A difficult night of racing, combined with a trip to the mechanic's area, saw the number 27 credited 22nd.
“SF was a muddy one for us,” said Stewart . “Went down off the start, then the vision was blind for a bit, pulled a tear-off and I was in the tuff blocks. It got stuck in around the shifter, and someone had to go get a razor blade to cut it, so that’s how I got back on the track! Didn’t do very well, it was survival mode, and in these conditions, it’s hard to predict where you’ll end up. I'm disappointed as the team and I made great progress through the week, but we're looking forward to San Diego where I got my first Heat Race win last year.”
Next Event (Round 3): January 20, 2024 – Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, Calif.
Round 2 Results: San Francisco
250SX West – Main Event
1. Jordon Smith (Yamaha)
2. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki)
3. Garrett Marchbanks (Yamaha)
…
9. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
450SX – Main Event
1. Chase Sexton (KTM)
2. Eli Tomac (Yamaha)
3. Ken Roczen (Suzuki)
…
14. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
22. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
250SX West Rider Point Standings
1. Jordon Smith (Yamaha) – 47 points
3. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki) – 42 points
3. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 38 points
450SX Rider Point Standings
1. Chase Sexton (KTM) – 45 points
2. Jett Lawrence (Honda) 38 points
3. Eli Tomac (Yamaha) 35 points
…
17. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 11 points
18. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 10 points
Victory for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire in the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship season-opener at Anaheim 1 marked an exceptional start to his season in 250SX West, as 450SX teammates Malcolm Stewart and Christian Craig each experienced their share of adversity at the opening round.
Hampshire was fast as soon as bikes were on-track at Angel Stadium, with the title contender rocketing his Husqvarna FC 250 Rockstar Edition to second position during the afternoon’s qualifying sessions.
That momentum continued for Hampshire into his Heat Race, where he pieced together a ride that very nearly earned him the win, before crossing the line in second place and setting the stage for a strong Main Event.
Launching out of the gates for a top three-start, Hampshire exercised patience in the opening laps and allowing the race to unfold, before making his way into the lead and taking control from there, eventually capturing the victory and taking hold of the series leader's red plate heading into Round 2.
“A1 was awesome for me and it was a dream of mine to win Anaheim 1 and leave with the red plate,” commented Hampshire. “Super-happy with the day, felt awesome on my Husqvarna and am thankful for the whole team, they’ve been crushing it for me and it shows tonight. I took what the night gave me and it gave me a win, so I'm happy with where we are at, there's a lot of good things going right now, and we’ll stay level-headed heading into San Fran next week.”
Stewart made his welcome return to competition at Anaheim 1 after spending the majority of last year on the sidelines due to injury, with the number 27 looking fit and ready to attack 2024. He opened proceedings by posting the 10th-fastest qualifying time, before charging to an impressive third position in his Heat Race.
An unfortunate fall on the opening lap of the Main Event for Stewart after being collected in a pile-up made for a difficult outing, as the Husqvarna FC 450 Rockstar Edition pilot was tasked with a come-from-behind ride as he remounted toward the rear of the field. He showed immense heart and fought until the final lap, where he recovered to an inspired 11th-place finish.
“I got the first one out the way and it’s been a whole year since I’ve raced,” noted Stewart. “We ended up 11th after going down on the first lap, got back up and then went down again. But honestly, I’m just glad to be back racing, I rode good in the Main Event, but the results weren’t there. We have something to build off now, the team’s been working really hard and we had a great off-season. The results don’t show that, but I have 16 rounds left to show what we can do. I started like this in 2022 and came back for third in the championship, so tonight was just unfortunate, but these races happen, and now we’ll start stacking up top fives and podiums to get right back up in the mix.”
Premier class teammate Craig entered this season after a grueling off-season in Florida by recording a time that landed him P14 in qualifying, converting that into a seventh-place finish in the first Heat Race of the night, which would transfer him directly into the Main Event. Unfortunately, it would not go as planned for Craig, who withdrew during the early stages and was credited with 20th position.
Next Event (Round 2): January 13, 2024 – Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif.
Round 1 Results: Anaheim
250SX West – Main Event
1. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
2. Jordon Smith (Yamaha)
3. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki)
450SX – Main Event
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda)
2. Jason Anderson (Kawasaki)
3. Chase Sexton (KTM)
…
11. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
20. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
250SX West Rider Point Standings
1. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 25 points
2. Jordon Smith (Yamaha) – 22 points
3. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki) – 20 points
450SX Rider Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda) – 25 points
2. Jason Anderson (Kawasaki) 22 points
3. Chase Sexton (KTM) 20 points
…
11. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 11 points
20. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 2 points
An expanded five-rider Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team will take centerstage when the 2024 SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) season commences with the AMA Supercross Championship season-opener at Anaheim on Saturday, January 6, led by 450SX duo Malcolm Stewart and Christian Craig, alongside 250SX contenders RJ Hampshire, Guillem Farres and Casey Cochran.
The Nathan Ramsey-managed official Husqvarna Motorcycles U.S. team will be equipped with the Husqvarna FC 450 Rockstar Edition and the Husqvarna FC 250 Rockstar Edition, forming a strong foundation for all five riders to build upon as the gates drop on what is a highly anticipated new season.
In addition to the on-track action, Rockstar Energy Drink has renewed its commitment as title sponsor of the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team in a multi-year commitment, which will span the entire 31-race SMX series. The team will contest 17 rounds of AMA Supercross, 11 rounds in the AMA Pro Motocross Championship, and a three-round, post-season SMX Finals series.
“We’re incredibly excited to extend our partnership with Husqvarna Motorcycles. Over the past 10 years, the relationship with the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team has been more than just a sponsorship and we’re looking forward to continuing to grow together , said Jennifer Kalban , Senior Motorsports Marketing Manager, PepsiCo North America. “The team is as strong as it’s ever been and the 2024 season should be an exciting one.”
Each step of that journey will be documented in Season 3 of the Grit and Grind docuseries, which will continue to be broadcast on the Husqvarna Motorcycles YouTube channel in 2024. A collaboration between Rockstar Energy and Husqvarna Motorcycles, it will once again provide an all-access insight into the season of Stewart, Craig, Hampshire, Farres, and Cochran.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team Manager, Nathan Ramsey, is confident that all five riders will be competitive across next year's SMX series, determined to iron out any kinks that have proven costly in the past and to ensure that all riders can consistently deliver strong results in 2024.
"2024 is looking good for us, the guys are having a really good off-season, and we are working hard to be ready for the season," explained Ramsey. "I think that ultimately, we ’ re going to come out swinging and avoid the major ups and downs and ride it out as steady as possible and put our Rockstar Energy Husqvarna team riders up front. We have looked a lot at things that have cost us or possibly pushed us out of championship hopes in the past, and I think we have highlighted a few of those areas and we are all – the team, the crew, the riders, everyone – committed to correcting those areas and hopefully it works and pays off, because if they are corrected, I think we ’ re in the hunt, for sure."
Making a welcome return to Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing will be Stewart, the 31-year-old who was unfortunately sidelined in the early stages of last season and is in line to pick up where he left off almost 12 months ago. The fan favorite finished a career-high third in the 450SX standings in 2022, now excited to get back behind the gates in a bid to rebuild his form in a competitive environment.
"The focus for 2024 is honestly just to get back out there and get my feet wet again," said Stewart. "2023 was a pretty short-lived year for me, it was kind of more for me to get back going and to finish what I started last year. I was looking really good, A1 was going very well, we had one little incident and we won a heat race, so we had some big flashes, but it just ended too quickly. This is part of racing and things happen, but I have had a really good recovery so far, and training has been going well this off-season with a good group of guys that I ’ m surrounded with. Everyone has been positive through the whole recovery and I ’ m glad I locked myself in for another two more years! I really want to win next year and I ’ m looking forward to getting back into the bunch with the team for the upcoming season.”
Entering his second year with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, Craig was also affected by injury in 2023 but was able to return and represent Team USA at the FIM Motocross of Nations (MXoN) in September. At 32, Craig has the desire to establish himself toward the front of the premier class and has been enjoying the pre-season to date.
"I ’ m feeling pretty good entering another year with the team, so I ’ m more comfortable, learning everyone around me, and obviously learning the bike more with more seat time," commented Craig. "I'm coming off a pretty serious injury, so just trying to build back up from that and we ’ re kind of in the middle of boot camp right now. I am excited for the new year, I need to put in some results, so am very focused and driven for this one. This past season was a big learning year for me, so this time I know what to expect with the training program, riding program, and what the team brings – I need to step up and try to be upfront as much as possible."
As one of the most experienced riders in the 250 Class, RJ Hampshire has his sights firmly set on achieving title success in the new year. He was runner-up in 250SX West last year and raced to third position in the inaugural 250SMX standings, now motivated to capture a first-career championship with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing.
"My goal is to definitely try and get a championship," Hampshire stated. "We ’ ve been close the last two years in a row, so I'll just come into the season, take it race-by-race, and build from where were last year. The team has worked really hard to make the bike as good as possible, and there are a lot of improvements already. We were in a good spot last season, so if we can be a bit better this year, I definitely think we can get it done. Supercross was massive for me because I had seven podiums in seven years and then last year I had eight in total, so that was a really big step in my career. The next step is to get the red plate, so that is the goal going into the season. The team has been awesome, there is nowhere else I would rather be, and I just renewed my deal for two more years – it just goes to show how much I believe in this team and how much I believe in myself, because we ’ ve grown a lot together. They believe in me a lot to go out there and perform also, and I definitely think that this year will be another big step in our relationship."
For Farres, the chance to join Rockstar Energy Husqvarna sees him preparing for his maiden 250SX campaign, in which the 20-year-old Spanish revelation is looking to develop important Supercross experience during the upcoming season, before turning his attention outdoors.
"The transition to the Husqvarna FC 250 and the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna team has been really good," Farres said. "This is my first time ever here in Clermont, Florida, training and first time in California. So far, so good. Everyone has been really welcoming on the team, I ’ ve been having a good time, and I ’ m excited for the 2024 season. It ’ s going to be my rookie season in Supercross, so I am going to focus on staying healthy, being at every round, and improving every day with every lap. I ’ ve never raced in a stadium before, so I ’ m sure it's going to be something new and I ’ m going to be a little nervous, but hopefully it gets better after the first round."
Exciting teenage prospect Cochran has graduated to the professional ranks with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna full-time for 2024, the 17-year-old looking to build upon the Supercross Futures AMA National Championship that he won in 2023, while learning his craft as a professional in the sport.
"It's my first official pro season, so I'm looking forward to getting out there with the big guys and mixing it up, getting good results," Cochran commented. "Nothing too extravagant so far, but my goal is to get used to the whole program. It ’ s a super-cool opportunity because we have worked our whole lives for this deal, this contract, to be on a factory team, so I am super-excited to be here and have a great team around me and ready to get to work. I have always personally liked Supercross better than outdoors, so I am excited to race indoors. I raced Futures last year and that was a good experience, so the more indoors, the better!"
Ayumu Sasaki has confirmed 2nd position in the 2023 Moto3 World Championship after ranking 1st at the Gran Premio de la Comunitat Valenciana and the MotoGP season closer.
Top six for Husqvarna Motorcycles at the Lusail International Circuit and round 19 of 20 in MotoGP means the world championship is decided but Ayumu Sasaki has a great chance of P2 in 2023.
2023 MotoGP™ entered a final run with round eighteen of twenty at the Sepang International Circuit and Collin Veijer lifted his very first winners’ trophy with Ayumu Sasaki finishing 2nd.
Collin Veijer rode his FR 250 GP to 3rd position at a hot Buriram and Ayumu Sasaki suffers a blameless DNF as MotoGP™ ends a hectic triple-header and round 17 of 20.
Husqvarna Motorcycles were protagonists for victory in a wet and windy Australia for round sixteen of 2023 MotoGP™ as Ayumu Sasaki guided his FR 250 GP to 2nd position and Collin Veijer finished 4th.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing has welcomed Guillem Farres for the 2024 SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) season, joining RJ Hampshire and rookie Casey Cochran within the three-rider 250 Class program.
The 20-year-old Spaniard will be onboard the FC 250 leading into next year, committed to the AMA Supercross Championship, in addition to the AMA Pro Motocross Championship and SMX Finals Series.
Farres first arrived in U.S. competition during the late stages of the 2022 outdoor season, immediately displaying front-running potential with a series of top-10 results. He continued that trend in the opening part of the 2023 series and scored a top-five moto finish at the beginning of Pro Motocross, however, was unfortunately injured in round three and didn’t return to action.
An opportunity to join Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing is an exciting one for Farres, set to make his 250SX debut in 2024, before continuing to build upon his promise in 250MX, while training as part of the Baker’s Factory program in Florida.
“I am really happy to be joining the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team for this upcoming season,” Farres said. “I am also super-excited to start this new chapter of my career after a tough year due to injuries. Now, I am fully healed and ready to get on the new bike. I can’t wait to get started at the Baker’s Factory – it is an honor to be part of such a legendary program with Aldon [Baker] and all the guys.”
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team Manager, Nathan Ramsey, said that Farres has been on the team’s radar since his first appearance in AMA Pro Motocross and is confident that his capabilities will translate into strong results as experience continues to grow.
“Guillem caught our eye in 2022 when he came to the US for a couple of races,” explained Ramsey. “Then when he started the 2023 MX series, he once again showed signs of great speed and potential. He has a great attitude and work ethic, which I believe will lead to great things in the future. The sky is the limit for Guillem and we are happy to welcome him to the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team.”
Collin Veijer throttled the potential of his FR 250 GP to 4th place in a hot pursuit of the Moto3 podium at round fifteen of 2023 MotoGP™ in Lombok as Ayumu Sasaki classified 18th.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing will take Casey Cochran into the professional ranks full-time in 2024, scheduled to contest the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) onboard the FC 250.
Cochran, 17, has enjoyed an outstanding final year in amateur competition, in which he clinched the Schoolboy 2 (12-17) B/C class title in the 2023 AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn's, as well as the Supercross Futures AMA National Championship in Salt Lake City and the Moto Combine overall at RedBud.
The teenage Virginia native gained immense experience in his first pro-level appearances across the final two rounds of this year's AMA Pro Motocross Championship at Budds Creek and the Ironman National, which will also help in setting him up for a full-time transition next year with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing.
"I've really enjoyed this past year working with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing and getting to know everyone, so I’m super-excited to extend what we have going on and progress into the pro ranks with such a good team behind me," Cochran commented. "Couldn’t be more stoked for the future!"
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team Manager, Nathan Ramsey, welcomed Cochran to the factory program and is excited to see him progress throughout the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship and Pro Motocross Championship, leading into the SMX Finals series.
"Casey put together an amazing final year as our elite Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing amateur athlete and he absolutely hit all the marks that we put together for him to earn his first pro contract," explained Ramsey.
"I am both happy and proud to have Casey join our pro team. He's a very hard worker and is full of potential for a great future with the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team. Now, I am looking forward to spending some time with him during the off-season as he builds into 2024."
It was a pressure-packed final round of the SuperMotocross Playoffs at the historic Los Angeles Coliseum, and thanks to a third-place finish, RJ Hampshire jumped up two spots in the final SMX 250 class standings to take the bronze and lead the way for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team.
250 SuperMotocross
RJ Hampshire was eighth early in the first moto on his FC250, but quickly went to work and started to pick off riders ahead of him. He moved into third with seven laps to go, into second with five to go, and was challenging for the lead on the last lap…but had to settle for second. In moto two, he was eighth off the gate, and could only work his way to sixth before the finish. His 2-8 score netted him a third overall for the night and for the series overall. His next stop? The Motocross of Nations as the 250 rider for Team USA.
“The last round was pretty solid. I felt good all day and had good qualifying (2nd). The first moto start was good, and I gave myself a chance to win it there at the end. I charged hard and felt really good on the bike. In the second moto, I didn't get a great start and was just flat. I couldn't really get going. But I'm stoked to end it on the podium for the race and the SMX Playoff overall,” said Hampshire . “I'm really looking forward to the Motocross of Nations in France in a couple of weeks. I'll go back home, recover a bit, do a couple of days of riding, and head over there and represent the USA. I can't wait.”
Jalek Swoll showed what a mix of FC250 power and great start skills can do as he grabbed the holeshot in the first moto. While the championship battles raged around him, he slipped to sixth at the finish. In the second moto, a bit too much aggression with the throttle resulted in a mid-pack start, though he did recover quite a few spots to finish eighth for the moto, and also eighth overall for the season.
“Honestly, this being the last round is a bit frustrating because I feel like I'm starting to find the groove and know what I can do. My starts were on point today, reaction-wise, and just getting off the gate with the bike. I ran third for a while in the first moto and finished sixth. In the second one, I felt I rode a lot better, but didn't have the start to match. I just lit the rear tire up a bit on the super-dry stuff and it kind of messed me up. I just got a really bad start and came from the back,” said Swoll . “I have some things to work on for sure, but I'm a lot closer than I've been. I feel good but need a little bit of intensity. But all in all, it was decent. I was in the mix a little bit and left healthy...anytime you leave the track healthy you can put a smile on your face.”
Talon Hawkins showed improvement through the three SMX rounds, and an 11-9 score for the day only shows part of the story. He advanced forward four positions in the first moto and ran in the top five for the first few laps of the second moto. He just missed out on a top ten overall, and was 14th overall for the series.
“I was stoked to end it on a good note. I got my first top ten out of the three races. I'm looking forward to a little time off and then getting back on the bike,” said Hawkins . “I'm so thankful for the whole Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Team for giving me the shot this year. I turned pro early, but I made the most of it and did the best I could all year long. I've learned a lot this year, and have a lot of good memories. Thank you guys.”
SuperMotocross Playoffs: Los Angeles Coliseum
250 SuperMotocross Results
1. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha), 5-2
2. Jo Shimoda (Kawasaki), 4-4
3. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 2-6
…
8. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 6-8
11. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 11-9
450 SuperMotocross Results
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda), 1-1
2. Ken Roczen (Suzuki), 2-2
3. Cooper Webb (Yamaha), 5-3
250 SuperMotocross Rider Final Point Standings
1. Haiden Deegan – 157 points
2. Jo Shimoda – 152 points
3. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 122 points
…
10. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 88 points
14. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 58 points
450 SuperMotocross Rider Final Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence – 163 points
2. Ken Roczen – 146 points
3. Chase Sexton – 120 points
After a rough start to the SuperMotocross playoffs in Charlotte, the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team came to Chicagoland with renewed focus and hunger for results. The long, flowing track provided ample opportunity to show the true speed of their FC250s, with high speeds, and nearly two-minute lap times.
250 SuperMotocross
RJ Hampshire’s day got off to a great start as he grabbed the top spot in qualifying among the 250 competitors. When the gate dropped for the first 250 moto, he was in the sixth spot as they crossed the stripe. He moved to fourth spot for three laps before settling into fifth for the rest of the moto. He currently sits in fifth overall in the playoff standings, with one round to go.
“This was much improved from last weekend. Last weekend was such a struggle I was just looking for any type of positive from this weekend, and I came out and was P1 in practice...I believe that's one of my first poles of the season, and then just two solid motos. I didn't get great starts, but I didn't get terrible starts, so fourth overall on the day.,” said Hampshire . “I'm not stoked on it, but it's a huge improvement so we'll take that into L.A. next weekend where it's a more Supercross track. Hopefully, my back heals from this track today, and then I'll be ready to go next weekend.”
Jalek Swoll was eighth out of the gate in moto one, and was ninth for a good portion of the race before moving to seventh at the checkers. In moto two, a poor start had him near the back of the 22-rider field, but he rebounded to 11th before a late-race crash dropped him to 13th at the finish.
“Moto one was okay, but I would've liked to get more comfortable earlier on. That was P7. In the second moto, it was not a good start and I wasn't riding too well and had a big crash at the end, so it wasn't the best day but I still feel good and feel like I can run up there. I just need that start,” said Swoll . “All in all, I'm not broken up, so we'll be good and continue to fight in L.A.”
Getting to the end of his rookie season, Talon Hawkins is still learning the ins and outs of the pro scene. But in a new playoff format where even veterans struggle to make the right setup choices, the playoffs have been a challenge. His 15-15 moto scores resulted in a 16th overall.
“It was a rough one, but there are positives to take away from it. It's been hard to get the bike set up for these types of races. This is a brand-new thing this year, so I think everyone is struggling with bike setup. I think we're getting there, we just need a few things,” said Hawkins . “I'm looking forward to next weekend, and I want to thank the team for believing in me for these last couple rounds.”
Next Event (SuperMotocross Round 3): September 23, 2023 – Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, Calif.
SuperMotocross Playoffs: Chicagoland Speedway
250 SuperMotocross Results
1. Hunter Lawrence (Honda), 1-1
2. Jo Shimoda (Kawasaki), 2-2
3. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha), 3-3
…
4. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 5-4
10. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 7-13
16. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 15-15
450 SuperMotocross Results
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda), 1-2
2. Ken Roczen (Suzuki), 3-1
3. Chase Sexton (Honda), 2-3
250 SuperMotocross Rider Point Standings
1. Hunter Lawrence – 89 points
2. Jo Shimoda – 86 points
3. Haiden Deegan – 82 points
…
5. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 62 points
12. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 46 points
16. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 25 points
450 SuperMotocross Rider Point Standings
1. Chase Sexton – 90 points
2. Jett Lawrence – 88 points
3. Ken Roczen – 80 points
Round twelve of 2023 MotoGP™ sees another positive outing for the FR 250 GP as Collin Veijer finishes 5th and Ayumu Sasaki, 7th, closes to within 4 points to the top of the standings.
Ayumu Sasaki delivered his eighth top-four result of 2023 after another riveting Moto3™ contest at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and narrowed the margin to P1 in the standings.
Husqvarna Motorcycles is firmly in play for the 2023 Moto3 world title after Ayumu Sasaki took his FR 250 GP to a sixth podium in a row at a sunny Red Bull Ring.
MotoGP™ exchanged the flat, flowing and exposed scope of Silverstone in the UK for the wonderfully scenic mountain wind of the Red Bull Ring for the CryptoDATA Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich to bring the 2023 Grand Prix campaign to t
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing is pleased to welcome amateur standout Casey Cochran to its 250MX lineup for the final two rounds of the 2023 AMA Pro Motocross Championship.
Making his debut pro appearance this Saturday at the Budds Creek National, Cochran will race the Ironman MX finale before switching gears back to the SMX World All-Stars (amateur race) at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
"Casey has had an unbelievable season so far this year," commented Nathan Ramsey, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team Manager. "He has checked all the boxes and I feel like it’s time for him to get his feet wet in the professional ranks – what better way to do it than at a Pro Motocross event."
The highly-rated 17-year-old is fresh from a title-winning performance in the 2023 AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn's earlier this month, where he claimed victory in the Schoolboy 2 (12-17) B/C class and also won the opening 250 B moto equipped with the FC 250.
"I've had a pretty good year on the 250, so I'm stoked to get the opportunity to line up against the best in the business at the last two rounds of Pro Motocross," Cochran said, who will also contest the final round at Ironman Raceway on August 26.
Cochran joined Rockstar Energy Husqvarna's amateur program ahead of this season and clinched the Supercross Futures AMA National Championship with a Main Event win at Salt Lake City's final round in May. He also won the Moto Combine overall at RedBud in July and his first step into the professional ranks comes as a welcome opportunity following what has been an outstanding year to-date.
Ayumu Sasaki classified as runner-up around the long, fast and technical layout of the historic Silverstone circuit as 2023 MotoGP™ resumed with the British Grand Prix and round nine of twenty.
Everything about Southwick is tough, with the sand, heat and humidity…and the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team, who were ready to take on the roughest track on the AMA Pro Motocross series.
250 MX
It was Jalek Swoll who led the charge for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team at the start of moto one, as he rounded the first turn in second spot on his FC250. He was closely pursued by RJ Hampshire in seventh, and Talon Hawkins was lurking just outside the top ten in 11th place.
As usual, Hampshire was clawing his way forward from his starting position, moving up to third at the finish. In moto two, he once was near the front, working his way from just outside the top five to fourth at the finish, and was closing on the overall winner as they raced to the checkers. His moto scores were good for fourth overall. He maintains his third overall spot in the championship standings, but has moved back to within 15 points of the lead over the last two races.
“Overall, it was just a really solid weekend. Nothing special, but I made up a lot of points. I had two decent starts and salvaged what I could. It was 3-4 on the day and I'll just keep plugging away. We're at the halfway mark and I'm still in the championship hunt.,” said Hampshire. “I'll go back, recover, and Millville is another fun one for me. I'm just looking to get these starts figured out to give me a little bit more of a shot at these wins.”
After an excellent start in moto one, Jalek Swoll suffered a couple of crashes that dropped him to 11th, but he rebounded on moto two with a seventh-place finish, and a ninth-place overall score. He has also steadily climbed in the 250 championship standings, moving from 21st at Fox Raceway and cracking the top ten at Southwick by moving into ninth overall.
“Qualifying was good for me, and it was nice to finally find some speed in practice and carry it into the motos. In the first moto I had a good start and was riding okay but I went down early and that was kind of tough. I had two falls in that one and it put me pretty deep and I only got back to 11th. In moto two I had a good start, in the middle of the top ten, and it was okay...nothing crazy. I started to feel better at the end but just a little too late. I had sixth right in front of me but I ran out of time,” said Swoll. “I'm looking forward to next weekend and build off the momentum that I got today, despite the crashes.”
Talon Hawkins cracked the top ten barrier in moto one, and backed it up with a 14th in moto two to score an 11th overall, the best of his pro career. He sit just outside the top ten overall in 11th spot.
“We got a top ten, and that's been a goal of mine ever since coming into this. I have a lot to improve and a lot to work on, but it's definitely something good to take away from today. I came into today without the highest level of confidence, but I turned it around and put a smile on my face,” said Hawkins. “I'm glad I was able to almost break the top ten overall...I got 11th, my best finish so far. We're looking to keep on improving every race.”
Next Event (Round 7): July 15, 2023 – Spring Creek Motocross in Millville, Minn.
Round Six Results: Southwick
250 MX Results
1. Tom Vialle (KTM), 1-3
2. Justin Cooper (Yamaha), 2-2
3. Jo Shimoda (Kawasaki), 6-1
…
4. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 3-4
9. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 11-7
11. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 10-14
14. Jorgen Talviku (Husqvarna), 14-16
34. Travis Mecking (Husqvarna) 31-32
450 MX Results
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda), 1-1
2. Chase Sexton (Honda), 2-2
3. Dylan Ferrandis (Yamaha), 3-3
…
19. Luke Renzland (Husqvarna), 18-20
22. John Adamson (Husqvarna), 19-24
24. Anton Gole (Husqvarna), 20-DNS
36. Scott Meshey (Husqvarna), 37-35
250 MX Rider Point Standings
1. Haiden Deegan - 218 points
2. Hunter Lawrence - 213 points
3. RJ Hampshire - Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 203 points
…
10. Jalek Swoll - Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 110 points
14. Talon Hawkins - Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 70 points
30. Jorgen Talviku - 12 points
41. Kai Aiello - 2 points
450 MX Rider Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence – 300 points
2. Dylan Ferrandis – 233 points
3. Aaron Plessinger – 210 points
…
40. Luke Renzland - 4 points
45. Scott Meshey - 3 points
47. John Adamson - 2 points
48. Anton Gole - 1 point
Husqvarna Motorcycles continues to move up the Moto3 world championship as Ayumu Sasaki scored 2nd position in the Netherlands for round eight of 2023 MotoGP™ and Collin Veijer aced a top ten result at his first home GP.
Ayumu Sasaki fulfilled another starring role in a fantastically close Moto3 Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley at Mugello by taking his FR 250 GP to 3rd position for round six of 2023 MotoGP™.
MotoGP™ journeyed to France for round five of twenty and Husqvarna Motorcycles watched Ayumu Sasaki finish runner-up with his FR 250 GP around a sunny and busy Le Mans.
The last time we saw RJ Hampshire in action, he was coated in mud from head to toe after a last-ditch effort to make a final corner pass in New Jersey. Heading into the penultimate round of the 2023 AMA Supercross season in Denver, RJ and the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team were looking for the win that had been oh-so-close but had proven elusive thus far.
250 SX
When the gate dropped for the main event, RJ Hampshire got a great start on his FC250 and was in the top three. He quickly moved into second place and began reeling in the leader. Near the midway point, he made a move for the lead and was there briefly before running out of room on the edge of the track. Once returning to the racing surface he was several seconds behind the lead, but was the fastest rider on the track. His never say die attitude paid off, and with a pair of laps left in the main, he moved back into the lead for good, scoring his first win of the season.
“It was an awesome day. I'm super-stoked for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team, and to knock one of these wins off before the season is over was huge. We've built a lot of momentum; man; I don't take these for granted. I know how much work goes into this from the team side and myself, this motorcycle, and all our supporters. It's just really nice to give them a win... a little payback for all they do for us,” said Hampshire . “I wasn't that fast in qualifying and didn't win my heat race. But I just had that feeling today that I would get it done. I had that big mistake about midway through the main event, but I really put a charge on there at the end and at least gave myself an opportunity to have a shot at the win. Sure enough, we pulled it off.”
450 SX
It’s been more evident than ever during the last couple of weeks that part of the challenge of the AMA Supercross season is making it to the end unscathed. The 450 side of the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team is working hard to be back on track with their FC 450 Rockstar Editions as soon as possible.
Next Event (Round 17): May 13, 2023 – Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah
Round 16 Results: Denver
250 SX West Results
1. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
2. Levi Kitchen (Yamaha)
3. Jett Lawrence (Honda)
250 SX West Rider Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence – 197 points
2. RJ Hampshire – 163 points
3. Enzo Lopes – 137 points
450 SX Rider Point Standings
1. Chase Sexton – 346 points
2. Eli Tomac – 339 points
3. Cooper Webb – 304 points
…
11. Christian Craig – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 150 points
29. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 15 points
31. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 15 points
MotoGP™ landed back in Europe for the fourth date of the twenty round 2023 campaign and Ayumu Sasaki was one of the stars of a gripping Moto3 affair at Jerez in southern Spain as the Japanese captured 4th position, less than half a second from victory.
A pulsating Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas was the stage for Ayumu Sasaki and Husqvarna Motorcycles to again star in the Moto3 category but the Japanese did not reach the flag in Texas.
Husqvarna Motorcycles again fills the role of protagonist in the opening stages of 2023 MotoGP™ by challenging for top points and places in both Moto3 and Moto2 at a busy and wet Gran Premio Michelin de la Republica Argentina.
Points and presence in both Moto3™ and Moto2™ categories for the first time for Husqvarna Motorcycles as the MotoGP™ World Championship launches in the Algarve sunshine.
The Grande Premio de Portugal at the Algarve International Circuit hosts the first of 21 rounds in the 2023 MotoGP World Championship this weekend.
Husqvarna Motorcycles is set for participation in both Moto3™ and Moto2™ classes for the very first time thanks to the LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP team.
FR 450 Rally rider leads home a Husqvarna Factory Racing one-two as Skyler Howes finishes as runner-up and increases his lead at the top of the event standings
In the swift wake of its most successful season as part of the Moto3™ world championship series, Husqvarna Motorcycles has unveiled the colours for 2023 and the scale of the project to enter two Grand Prix categories next year.
Double Grand Prix speed next season as LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP will field four riders in both classes and aim for more world championship race success.
The Japanese ace starts from Pole Position and vies for Grand Prix victory at a fast and relentless Phillip Island for the eighteenth Grand Prix of the season
The fourteenth appointment for 2022 MotoGP™ rounded the flat curves of the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli and John McPhee rode to the top ten in San Marino.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire put on a strong showing in Crawfordsville, Indiana, delivering 2-4 moto results to finish fourth overall in 250MX at the penultimate round of the 2022 AMA Pro Motocross Championship.
Hampshire entered Ironman full of enthusiasm after claiming his first 250MX victory of the year at the prior round. With a solid qualifying result in eighth, he was positioned well for Moto 1 and he powered his FC 250 into podium contention right out of the gate. A battle ensued to maintain third and he swapped positions several times before reclaiming the spot mid-race. It wasn’t long before he climbed into second, where he finished with a strong runner-up performance. With a top-10 start in Moto 2, Hampshire battled alongside his teammate, Swoll, for the first couple laps before making the jump to sixth near the halfway point. Determined to break into the top-five, Hampshire continued to press on as he powered his way into fourth with a few laps to go, finishing just outside the podium with fourth in the moto and fourth overall for the weekend.
“Another solid weekend,” Hampshire said. “We were good all day and had good speed. Once I got my flow in both motos, I felt like I clicked off really good laps and was fast, battling at the front. I’m stoked to be back in this thing. We were not there for a while, and it's so draining whenever you show up and you're not at the level you know you can be at. I’m stoked on the things that we have going on and hope to be better next weekend.”
In Moto 1, Swoll got off to a strong start just outside of the top-10. However, bad luck struck within a few laps when he had a tip-over, dropping him back to 19th. Motivated to regain as many positions as he could, he went to work navigating the loamy midwest soil and chasing down his competition. He was able to climb to 13th by mid-race and with a few laps to go, he made a final push to ultimately finish 11th. In the second moto, Swoll sat 10th after the first lap and he settled into ninth for a majority of the race. Making a late-race pass for eighth, he held steady in the final moments to secure eighth in the moto and eighth overall with combined scores of 11-8 in Indiana.
“I got a decent start in the first moto,” Swoll said. “We were running up there, and I had to tip over. I was pretty deep [in the field], and came back to 11th. Moto 2 was an okay start but I lost pace a little bit. I'm just going to put all my focus into that last round and try to give somebody something to look forward to for the next year.”
Coming off a successful week at the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn's, Talon Hawkins made his second Pro Motocross appearance, collecting 21-29 moto finishes. Even though a crash on the last lap of the second moto set him back a bit, the young rider was able to remount and finish the race.
“It started off a little rough but I was able to turn it around,” Hawkins said. “It was my second Pro National and I'm just looking to keep improving every time. Obviously, I had a pretty bad get-off in my second moto on the last lap - another rider came into me and I ended up front-flipping. We're going to get back out there and get back to training this week.”
Still trying to find their rhythm after returning late in the season from injury, 450MX teammates Malcolm Stewart and Dean Wilson showed signs of improvement at Round 11, each capturing their best moto finishes of the year in Moto 2. Stewart, the ninth-place qualifier, came into the first moto with high hopes as he blasted off the line and into a top-10 battle. Shuffling between 10th and 11th throughout the race, he eventually settled into a comfortable 11th. With an unwavering performance in the second moto, Stewart maintained eighth wire-to-wire, notching his best moto-finish this season and eighth overall at the Ironman National.
“I think the day was overall better for me,” Stewart said. “Qualifying was much, much better. Getting these races under my belt, it’s starting to kind of come back to me. I feel like we're going in the right direction. Our team made a few adjustments for that second moto, and we ended up eighth. I'm really happy just the way that I performed, but the results aren't quite there.”
A tough start had Wilson sitting 18th on the opening lap of Moto 1 but he quickly made passes to reach 14th within a few laps. Around the middle of the race, he picked up another position and crossed the line in 13th. In Moto 2, a start inside of the top-10 would propel Wilson’s performance as he sat in seventh by the end of the first lap. Unfortunately, near the middle of the race, Wilson found himself off the track while battling with his teammate and he lost a few positions before he could re-enter. Focused on improving his result, he rallied back up to ninth later in the race to score his best moto-finish of the season. With 13-9 finishes, Wilson secured 10th overall.
“Another weekend of improvements,” Wilson said. “First moto, I had a really bad start. I got up to 13th and had a decent pace at the end. I pushed hard and that gave me good confidence. I got a decent start in the second moto and I was hanging in there for a bit. Malcolm and I had a good battle. He got around me and I kind of ran his pace until I came around the corner and the berm went off the track. I lost a few positions but I got back on, made a good couple charges and ended up ninth. The goal is to be top-10 in both motos.”
Next Event (Round 12): September 3 – Fox Raceway II National – Pala, California
Round 11 Results: Ironman National
250MX Results
1. Hunter Lawrence (HON) 1-3
2. Jo Shimoda (KAW) 5-1
3. Hunter Lawrence (HON) 3-2
4. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 2-4
…
8. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 11-8
27. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 21-29
450MX Results
1. Chase Sexton (HON) 2-1
2. Eli Tomac (KAW) 1-2
3. Aaron Plessinger (KTM) 3-3
…
8. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 11-8
10. Dean Wilson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 13-9
250MX Rider Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence – 478 points
2. Jo Shimoda – 437 points
3. Hunter Lawrence – 430 points
…
5. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 314 points
12. Stilez Robertson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 169 points
15. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 131 points
39. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 7 points
450MX Rider Point Standings
1. Eli Tomac – 496 points
2. Chase Sexton – 495 points
3. Jason Anderson – 402 points
…
18. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 55 points
22. Dean Wilson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 43 points
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire has secured his first 250MX victory of the season at the Budds Creek National, delivering an outstanding performance with 1-2 moto scores at the 10th round of the 2022 AMA Pro Motocross in Mechanicsville, Maryland
After battling through the ups and downs of a long outdoor season, Hampshire was more than determined to put his FC 250 into the center of the podium late in the year. He set himself up for success in Moto 1 with a second-place start, pressuring the race leader early on before making his move out front halfway through. With a big charge late in the race, Hampshire posted a dominant five-second victory at the end of 17 laps. He put himself into another good position off the start of Moto 2, working his way from fifth to second later in the race. He maintained a solid pace to finish runner-up in the moto, which was good enough to seal the overall win in the 250MX class.
“This is so special!” Hampshire said. “We were fast from the beginning and we just took a gamble there and stuck with this paddle tire all day and that really helped. We got two good starts, rode well and got our first overall this season. I’m stoked for myself and for this whole team, we’ve been through a lot already just this outdoor season, so I’m just stoked to be able to give the team our first overall of the season. Let’s keep this going, I’m not just settled in here, I want more!”
Jalek Swoll put forth a season-best performance at Budds Creek, despite having to come back from a pair of crashes in the first moto. After re-mounting back in 28th on the opening lap, Swoll climbed through the pack up to 13th before suffering another big crash that ultimately pushed him back to 23rd. He bounced back with a top-three start in Moto 2, battling between third and fourth for most of the race. He got passed by the defending champion with a few laps to go and he capped off the day on a positive note with a best finish of fifth in the moto.
“All-in-all, it was a good day for me,” Swoll said. “I got off to a good start around P3/4 and got tangled up with Justin Cooper early in the first one, so I came from pretty much dead last to around 13th. But I had no tear-offs and couldn’t see and ended up having a really big one on the straightaway. I re-grouped and got a good start in Moto 2, ran the pace for a while, but I was a little hurt at the end. I finished fifth – the best finish of the year for me – so I’m going to take the positives, try to heal up and better that score next week.”
It was the second race back from injury for 450MX teammates Malcolm Stewart and Dean Wilson, who each have their sights set on making progression with only four motos left in the series. Stewart scored a top-10 overall finish in the class, putting in consistent 12-10 moto scores throughout the day.
“I think the day was good,” Stewart said. “Overall, I got ninth, but I think that was a lot better start than it was for Unadilla. The whole team is working hard, so I’m just glad to get some gate drops – I think just getting that race-mode back in me is definitely helping a lot. Let’s just keep digging, we’ve got two rounds to go and we’re getting close to that top-10 so let’s just keep moving.”
Wilson also scored some points in both motos, finishing the day 15th overall with 18-11 results in the class.
“It was a challenging day for me,” Wilson said. “Unfortunately, I got collected in a pileup off the start in the first moto and came from last to 18th. I didn’t ride great but it was good to come through the pack and learn different lines. In the second moto, I got a better start and made some pretty good passes at the beginning. Mookie and I had our own battle the whole moto – he got around me and I tried to get around him again but just couldn’t make it happen. It was good for me, just building my speed and fitness.”
Next Event (Round 11): August 27 – Ironman National – Crawfordsville, Indiana
Round 10 Results: Budds Creek National
250MX Results
1. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 1-2
2. Jo Shimoda (KAW) 3-1
3. Jett Lawrence (HON) 2-3
…
11. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 23-5
450MX Results
1. Jason Anderson (KAW) 2-2
2. Eli Tomac (KAW) 1-5
3. Ken Roczen (HON) 3-3
…
9. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 12-10
15. Dean Wilson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 18-11
250MX Rider Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence – 433 points
2. Jo Shimoda – 396 points
3. Hunter Lawrence – 390 points
…
5. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 274 points
12. Stilez Robertson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 169 points
16. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 108 points
450MX Rider Point Standings
1. Eli Tomac – 449 points
2. Chase Sexton – 448 points
3. Jason Anderson – 369 points
It was a steep return to the AMA Pro Motocross Championship for the entire Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team, who lined up with a nearly-complete four-rider roster for the first time in New Berlin, New York. For the team’s 250MX riders, the Unadilla National served as the first race back after a two-week break from racing, while 450MX riders Malcolm Stewart and Dean Wilson each made their 2022 outdoor debut at Round 9. Once again showcasing his determination in the roughest of track conditions, RJ Hampshire was the team’s top finisher with 3-8 moto finishes and a top-five overall in the 250MX cl
After qualifying fourth, Hampshire grabbed a top-10 spot out of the gate in Moto 1. He sat in ninth for the first five laps before climbing his way up to fifth over the next few laps. Nearing the end of the race, he picked up two more positions to finish third, scoring his first podium since Round 1. In the second moto, Hampshire found himself buried in 13th after experiencing an issue on the opening lap. He gained a few spots up to 10th through the first half of racing but lapped traffic proved to be a challenge heading into the second half of the moto. Determined to excel, Hampshire continued to battle through the field, ultimately landing his FC 250 into an eighth-place finish.
“We had positives today,” Hampshire said. “I was fast in qualifying, which I haven't been. First moto, I felt like I got into a really good flow early and was clicking good laps off and landed back on the podium for the first time since Round 1. Second moto, I got a decent start and then just split out right after the finish. Someone went into the line I was going for and I tried to get out of it and just swapped the front. It was a bummer but we'll definitely take the positives out of today.”
Jalek Swoll got off to a good start in Moto 1, positioning himself just outside of the top-10. Unfortunately, he struggled to stay upright throughout the race. After falling back to 16th on the second lap, Swoll made a strong push to climb into ninth but he lost a few spots to eventually finish in 12th. In Moto 2, Swoll charged to an eighth-place position on the first lap. He tried to maintain the spot, but a few mistakes dropped him back to ninth. Holding steady in ninth until just after the halfway mark, Swoll eventually slipped to 11th. Battling lapped traffic late in the race, he wasn’t able to make any moves and he ultimately finished 11th in the moto and 11th overall for the day.
“My starts were good, I just kept finding myself on the ground,” Swoll said. “I was trying to push but every time I fell, it was just a huge gap – so I was kind of just in no man's land. I feel like my riding was okay, I just have to get those starts again and just be a little bit better and we'll be fine.”
Lining up for his first AMA Pro Motocross race in eight years, team rider Malcolm Stewart also made his return to racing in New York after missing the first eight rounds due to injury. With a start just outside the top-10, Stewart ran in the 12th-place position early on, bouncing between 13th and 14th for the remainder of the race. Easing his way into the long motos, Stewart ultimately finished 14th. In Moto 2, he grabbed a 14th-place start and immediately went to work in chasing down his teammate, Wison, ahead. Hovering around the top-15 battle, Stewart dropped a couple spots later in the race, settling for 16th at the line.
“First outdoor race back in eight years and I think it was a good day just being back,” Stewart said. “Of course, the results didn’t show it, but just having that race back there again was really good for me. I'm happy to be back, but we have some work to do. I'm really looking forward to Budd's Creek because that's obviously one of my favorite tracks. I learned a lot, and you can't replicate racing, so this is just a good race just to come back to – to get through it.”
After several months off of competition due to injury, Dean Wilson was happy to make his debut alongside his teammate. However, with a less-than-ideal gate pick in Moto 1, Wilson struggled to get a good position off the start. Sitting around 23rd on lap one, he began picking off riders to get just inside the top-20 nearing the end of the race, earning his first point of the season with a 19th-place finish. In Moto 2, Wilson chased the top-10 battle with teammate Stewart on his heels, locking in 13th for the remainder of the moto.
“On paper, it wasn't very good but it was a long time off,” Wilson said. “I think it was five months off total, so it's great to be back. I really struggled with the track, it was so choppy and I feel like I'm not quite in shape where I should be yet. I got arm-pump really bad in the first moto so I told myself to just get through it and the second race was a little bit better. I think I'm going to get better every moto, it's just tough coming back, especially when all these guys have been racing and they're in the flow. By the end of the summer, hopefully I’ll be where I should be.”
Next Event (Round 10): August 20 – Budds Creek National – Mechanicsville, Maryland
Round 9 Results: Unadilla National
250MX Results
1. Jo Shimoda (KAW) 1-3
2. Justin Cooper (YAM) 5-1
3. Hunter Lawrence (HON) 2-5
…
5. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 3-8
11. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 12-11
450MX Results
1. Chase Sexton (HON) 1-1
2. Eli Tomac (KAW) 2-2
3. Jason Anderson (KAW) 3-3
…
15. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 14-16
16. Dean Wilson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 19-13
250MX Rider Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence – 391 points
2. Hunter Lawrence – 365 points
3. Jo Shimoda – 351 points
…
5. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 227 points
10. Stilez Robertson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 169 points
16. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 92 points
450MX Rider Point Standings
1. Chase Sexton – 409 points
2. Eli Tomac – 408 points
3. Jason Anderson – 325 points
…
30. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 12 points
33. Dean Wilson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 10 points
Husqvarna Motorcycles continued their strong vein of Moto3 world championship competitiveness as John McPhee and Ayumu Sasaki hunted podiums at Silverstone.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team riders experienced a day of holeshot challenges at Washougal MX Park, the site of AMA Pro Motocross Championship Round 8, because despite its picturesque views, the track conditions proved to be anything but easy when you’re coming from behind for 30-minutes plus two-laps. As the team’s top-finisher of the day, RJ Hampshire persevered for seventh overall with 8-6 moto scores in the 250MX class.
Struggling to get the positioning he needed off the line in Moto 1, Hampshire found himself back in 10th on the opening lap and he spent the early part of the race working to get through the traffic. Establishing himself in eighth through the second half of the race, Hampshire carried that through the checkers. In the second moto, he got off to an eighth-place start and once again had his work cut out. With a big push in the latter half of the race, he closed out strong with a sixth-place finish in Moto 2.
“It was a long day for me, my starts were terrible,” Hampshire said. “First moto was a bit of a struggle and second moto, I felt like I found some comfort mid-way through. I felt like I rode decent for the second half of the moto but all-in-all, it was just kind of a struggle of a day. We’ve got two weekends to figure some things out and I’m hoping to come back at Unadilla with a fighting chance and hopefully we can knock out a couple podiums.”
It was also a challenging day off the gate for teammate Jalek Swoll. The sixth-place qualifier found himself back in 14th at the start of Moto 1 and he maintained a steady charge throughout the race to ultimately secure a ninth-place finish. In Moto 2, Swoll started just outside the top-10 off the line but he got caught up in another rider’s crash and went down on the opening lap, sending him back to 27th early on. He quickly put his head down and climbed through the pack, making up a lot of ground to ultimately salvage 12th in the moto and 11th overall.
“Qualifying was a lot better today, it’s nice to finally get in the mix and be there speed-wise,” Swoll said . “My riding was pretty good in Moto 1 but I’ve been struggling to get up there in the first few laps and on a track like this, you don’t want to find yourself in the back because it’s really hard to pass. I got a better start in Moto 2 but somebody else’s mistake costed me and I went down. I was at the back of the pack and only could get back to 12th. It’s not where we want to be but we’re going to keep plugging away and making improvements.”
450MX
After eight rounds under the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing tent, fill-in rider Shane McElrath lined up for his final bout with the team at Washougal. In the first moto, McElrath found himself buried in the back of the pack on lap one and he fought to bring himself inside the top-20 within the first five laps. He kept the charge going into the final laps, capturing an impressive 14th-place finish in race one. With a much better start in Moto 2, McElrath battled for a top-10 position all race long and he held strong in the final laps to secure 10th in the race and 13th overall for the day.
“Washougal was a tough race day,” McElrath said. “I had pretty good qualifying session but as the track developed more, I struggled on finding a flow out there. I’m happy with my effort and the progress that we’ve made. It’s not easy out there. I’m content with where we’re at but I know I have some more to give and I’m going to keep working regardless of what the future holds. I’m just happy for this opportunity and it’s definitely taught me a lot, so I’m excited.”
Next Event (Round 9): August 13 – Unadilla National – New Berlin, New York
Round 8 Results: Washougal National
250MX Results
1. Jett Lawrence (HON) 2-2
2. Justin Cooper (YAM) 4-1
3. Hunter Lawrence (HON) 1-4
…
7. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 8-6
11. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 9-12
450MX Results
1. Chase Sexton (HON) 2-1
2. Eli Tomac (KAW) 1-2
3. Jason Anderson (KAW) 3-3
…
13. Shane McElrath – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 14-10
250MX Rider Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence – 355 points
2. Hunter Lawrence – 327 points
3. Jo Shimoda – 306 points
…
6. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 194 points
10. Stilez Robertson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 169 points
16. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 73 points
450MX Rider Point Standings
1. Eli Tomac – 364 points
2. Chase Sexton – 359 points
3. Jason Anderson – 285 points
…
10. Shane McElrath – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 157 points
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire fought his way to another top-five overall in the 250MX class with 5-4 moto finishes at Round 7 of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship in Millville, Minnesota.
Hampshire got a top-10 start in the first moto and climbed up to seventh right away. Passing his teammate Robertson for sixth, he continued to plug away, reaching as far up as fourth. He got passed later in the race and dropped back to fifth, where he ultimately finished. In Moto 2, he got off to a sixth-place start and he quickly battled up to fourth early on. Fighting hard to make a late-race pass for third, Hampshire ended up going down just before the finish, but he was still able to salvage fourth in Moto 2. With combined scores of 5-4, Hampshire secured fifth overall on the day.
“It was a dog fight all day but I felt like I rode pretty well,” Hampshire said. “Second moto, I felt more comfortable but I had to ride so hard. It’s a bit frustrating but I feel like we’re riding probably the best I ever have and in control, just need a little bit more speed. I’ll go home this week and have a pretty good setup coming into next week.”
It was a heartbreaking ending to the day for both Jalek Swoll and Stilez Robertson, who each started off the day positively. In the first moto, it was Robertson who found his footing early on with a seventh-place start, while Swoll sat back in 13th after coming together with another rider after the start. Robertson passed up to sixth early on and he bounced around inside the top-10 for the rest of the race, dealing with a minor bike issue that had him finishing 10th in the first moto.
Swoll made a steady climb through the field, passing his teammate Robertson later in the race to ultimately secure ninth in Moto 1.
In Moto 2, Swoll and Robertson got caught up in a multi-rider pileup through the sand whoops and both riders found themselves on the ground and dead last at the start of lap one. In an unrelated crash, the race was red flagged early on and despite a second-chance to line up in a restart, Robertson was unable to make it, due to an injured ankle. Swoll attempted to return to the gate for a restart but ultimately made the decision to sit out the second moto as well.
“I didn’t have the best start in Moto 1 but I feel like the riding was pretty good and I finally felt like I was finding some comfort out there,” Swoll said. “Moto 2 was cut really short – just one of those racing incidents – and there’s nothing much I could have done. It is what it is, I had to sit that one out, but the positives are for sure in the right direction and I’m pretty excited to go racing next weekend.”
“My day was eventful,” Robertson said. “I qualified almost the best I have all year, so I was excited. First moto, I think I had a little bike problem that hindered me a little bit. In the second moto, I saw the two riders crash in front of me and I tried to go left and unfortunately my teammate was there and I hit him. I folded my ankle pretty hard and that’s all she wrote. I’m going to go home and get it checked out and try to get back as quick as I can.”
In his AMA Pro Motocross debut, Talon Hawkins had a steady performance to earn his first championship points in the 250MX class. He was mid-pack off the start of Moto 1 and he charged up to 19th early in the race, maintaining that position for a few laps. He later dropped back to 20th, where he ultimately finished. In Moto 2, Hawkins had a much better run after the red flag restart, sitting just inside the top-20 on lap one. He made a few passes up to 15th later in the race and from there, he rode strong to close out a solid debut in the professional ranks. Hawkins will return to the amateur circuit later this month to compete at the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s.
“It was so sick!” Hawkins said. “I came into today looking to have some fun and I think I accomplished that goal. I didn’t do the best in qualifying but I tried to put it behind me and do as well as I could in the race. I had an awesome day, I ended up with a 20-15, so I’m pretty pumped on that for my first Pro National.”
Fill-in rider Shane McElrath captured a top-10 overall finish at the seventh round, carrying 10-11 moto scores on the day.
“It was a better day, I would say for the most part we were better and more consistent,” McElrath said. “First moto was probably my best first moto and in the second moto, I really struggled with the track and fighting with the bike pretty bad. Still trying to figure out how I can go faster and maintain that but we’re going to keep working.”
Next Event (Round 8): July 23 – Washougal National – Washougal, Washington
Round 7 Results: Spring Creek National
250MX Results
1. Jett Lawrence (HON) 1-1
2. Jo Shimoda (KAW) 3-2
3. Hunter Lawrence (HON) 2-5
…
5. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 5-4
15. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 9-38
16. Stilez Robertson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 10-39
19. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 20-15
450MX Results
1. Eli Tomac (KAW) 1-1
2.Chase Sexton (HON) 2-2
3. Jason Anderson (KAW) 3-4
…
9. Shane McElrath – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 10-11
250MX Rider Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence – 311 points
2. Hunter Lawrence – 284 points
3. Jo Shimoda – 266 points
…
8. Stilez Robertson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 169 points
9. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 166 points
18. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 52 points
450MX Rider Point Standings
1. Eli Tomac – 317 points
2. Chase Sexton – 312 points
3. Jason Anderson – 245 points
…
10. Shane McElrath – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 139 points
It was a career-best 250MX performance for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Stilez Robertson, who put in an astounding ride for third overall at the RedBud National in Buchanan, Michigan. With 3-5 moto scores, Robertson earned both his first moto-podium and overall-podium in the AMA Pro Motocross Championship, edging out his teammate, RJ Hampshire, who finished fourth overall with 4-6 results at the fifth round.
Robertson was smooth and steady throughout the day. In Moto 1, he powered his FC 250 off the line to immediately join the leaders up front. Robertson continued to push hard and trail the top-three for the first half of the moto and holding firm in fourth, he pushed hard for a podium spot. He seized the opportunity around the halfway mark and shifted up into third, where he eventually took the checkered flag. In Moto 2, he quickly grabbed fourth off the start and within another lap he made his way into third. It wasn’t long before he encountered intense pressure from behind and ended up shuffling back to fifth. While trying to regain spots, he lost traction and went down on the face of a jump, which dropped him even further back to eighth halfway through the race. Climbing back up to fifth, Robertson was able to secure a top-five moto finish to ultimately claim a career-best third overall at RedBud.
“RedBud was a good day,” Robertson said. “I just wanted to have two good motos today and we did. We got two good starts as well, so I'm super stoked and just want to keep it going. It was a really fun day and can't wait to get to Southwick and do it again. Just keep trying to do my best and keep trying to ride like I do during the week, and I think we'll be okay.”
In only his second race back since an injury at Round 2, Hampshire had a promising start to the day, qualifying seventh. However, with a mid-pack start in Moto 1, Hampshire had his work cut out for him early on. He was able to climb up to eighth within a few laps and he continued to pick off riders one-by-one, positioning himself in fourth late in the race. Attempting to go for a podium spot, Hampshire ultimately finished just behind his teammate in fourth. In Moto 2, he was running inside the top-10 early on before getting caught up in a crash with two other riders, which dropped him to the back of the field. He put his head down and gained nearly 10 spots by the next lap, once again surmounting an impressive comeback throughout the race. With another late-race charge, he took the checkered flag in a solid sixth, finishing the day with 4-6 results for fourth overall.
“The riding was really good today, I felt like I was almost back to normal,” Hampshire said. “My starts were not good and in the first moto, I was beat. The second moto, I ended up going down with a group of guys on the first lap and was buried back in 30th or so. I felt much better on the bike this weekend and had pretty good strength, so I think we're just going to continue to get better now. We kind of got over that hump with injuries and we’re back having fun and still have a fight in us.”
Jalek Swoll returned to the 250MX lineup after missing the last couple rounds due to injury. Qualifying eighth earlier in the day, Swoll didn’t get off to the best start in Moto 1 and he found himself shuffled back to around 20th for most of the race. He made moves to come through the pack halfway through but he ultimately finished 20th. In Moto 2, he was positioned in 12th after the first lap and he battled around that position before ultimately finishing 14th.
“We've for sure had some better days but it is what it is,” Swoll said. “We got through two motos today, so we'll just build off that coming into Southwick and be ready to drop the hammer. I'm getting tired of just rolling around, so I'm really going to try to send it next weekend and put myself in a position where I feel like I need to be.”
In the 450MX class, fill-in rider Shane McElrath had a good start to the day, qualifying 10th. Unfortunately, he went down with a few other riders in the first turn of Moto 1, which set him back from the rest of the field right away. He did his best to climb through the field, ultimately finishing 14th. In Moto 2, he was displaced to the back of the pack off the start but he put up a good fight to work his way to 16th by the end of the first lap. Still early in the race, he was able to advance to 12th and he made a big push into the final stretch, where he made a last-lap pass to secure 11th just before the checkers.
“I felt like today was the first productive race day I've had,” McElrath said. “I actually passed some people, and the results don't really show what we went through today. It was a good step over the last two weeks being back in Florida and we made some pretty big bike changes, which I think is really starting to come around now. It's definitely progress. We've had a lot of work to do, but we've done a lot of work. So, I'm excited to keep it going.”
Next Event (Round 6): July 9 – Southwick National – Southwick, Massachusetts
Round 5 Results: RedBud National
250MX Results
1. Jo Shimoda (KAW) 1-3
2. Hunter Lawrence (HON) 2-2
3. Stilez Robertson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 3-5
4. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 4-6
…
17. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 20-14
450MX Results
1. Eli Tomac (KAW) 1-1
2. Chase Sexton (HON) 2-2
3. Justin Barcia (GAS) 8-3
…
11. Shane McElrath – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 14-11
250MX Rider Point Standings
1. Hunter Lawrence – 218 points
2. Jett Lawrence – 211 points
3. Jo Shimoda – 182 points
…
8. Stilez Robertson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 130 points
10. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 98 points
21. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 20 points
450MX Rider Point Standings
1. Chase Sexton – 224 points
2. Eli Tomac – 217 points
3. Ken Roczen – 194 points
…
10. Shane McElrath – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 102 points
A fast and entertaining Motul TT Assen brought MotoGP™ to one of the best tracks on the calendar and Husqvarna Motorcycles celebrated success in the Netherlands.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire made a valiant return to the 250MX lineup at Saturday’s High Point National, powering through a recent injury to secure 7-7 finishes and valuable points in the 2022 AMA Pro Motocross Championship
Hampshire returned to racing at Round 4 after having surgery just two weeks ago to repair injuries sustained in a crash at Round 2. With a top-10 start in the first moto, Hampshire raced up to eighth early on and he picked up another spot late in the race to secure a respectable seventh in Moto 1. In the second moto, he got off to a much better start around the top-three and he battled for podium contention for the first six laps. The remainder of the race took a toll on his still-recovering body and he ultimately dropped back to seventh but the competitor inside of him dug deep to maintain seventh through the checkers, salvaging seventh overall for the day.
“Today was a tough day but we battled through it,” Hampshire said. “Did what we could, showed up and gave it all I had today. That was probably the hardest 7-7 I’ve ever had in my life. I’m glad we showed up and went racing today, though. We’ll have a good weekend off now and we’re headed to my favorite track. I’m looking forward to RedBud.”
Coming off a season-best finish at the previous round, Stilez Robertson was ready to go at the start of Moto 1. Unfortunately, Robertson was involved in an early crash on the opening lap, forcing him to come through the pack from dead last. He put his head down and charged through the field to score an impressive 14th in the first moto. With an eighth-place start in Moto 2, Robertson put in a good charge to ultimately finish eighth in the moto and 11th overall.
“The day was up and down for me,” Robertson said. “I went into the motos confident and really happy. I didn’t get a good jump and in the third-turn, I went down and hit someone’s back tire so I came from last up to 14th. Second moto, I got an okay start and stayed around that position. I battled the whole moto, it was fun, but definitely not where we want to be. We’ll take this weekend off and rest/recoup and come back to my favorite track swinging at RedBud.”
In the 450MX class, fill-in rider Shane McElrath battled through challenging track conditions to come away with a top-10 overall finish. In Moto 1, McElrath found himself outside the top-15 on the opening lap and he climbed a few spots up to finish 13th. In the second moto, McElrath started off in ninth and he bounced between ninth and 10th for the rest of the race, ultimately securing ninth.
“It was a little bit rough today, I just struggled with the track from the first time out,” McElrath said. “I felt pretty good in practice but it’s a tough track to flow on and I didn’t quite figure it out. I’m a little bit disappointed but I know that I can be better and we can make some good changes to continue making progress.”
Next Event (Round 5): July 2 – RedBud National – Buchanan, Michigan
Round 4 Results: High Point National
250MX Results
1. Jett Lawrence (HON) 2-1
2. Hunter Lawrence (HON) 1-2
3. Jo Shimoda (KAW) 3-5
…
7. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 7-7
11. Stilez Robertson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 14-8
450MX Results
1. Eli Tomac (KAW) 2-1
2. Chase Sexton (HON) 1-2
3. Jason Anderson (KAW) 3-5
…
10. Shane McElrath – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 13-9
250MX Rider Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence – 186 points
2. Hunter Lawrence – 174 points
3. Jo Shimoda – 137 points
…
8. Stilez Robertson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 94 points
12. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 65 points
450MX Rider Point Standings
1. Chase Sexton – 134 points
2. Ken Roczen – 129 points
3. Eli Tomac – 120 points
…
10. Shane McElrath – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 65 points
MotoGP™ reached the halfway point of the season with a baking German Grand Prix at Sachsenring and Husqvarna Motorcycles counted on Ayumu Sasaki for top five honours.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Stilez Robertson secured a career-best finish in the AMA Pro Motocross Championship on Saturday, racing to sixth overall in the 250MX class with 6-7 moto finishes at the Thunder Valley National. In the 450MX class, fill-in rider Shane McElrath claimed a season-best eighth overall with 12-5 scores at Roun
Robertson had a great start in the first moto, charging his way into third on the opening lap. He battled up front in fifth before getting passed halfway into the race. Putting up a good fight late in the race, Robertson attempted to break into the top-five but ultimately finished sixth. In Moto 2, he found himself just inside the top-10 off the start and he climbed into seventh early on. Racing steadily to the finish, Robertson rounded out the day with a solid seventh, giving him sixth overall on the day.
“Today was pretty good,” Robertson said. “I went 6-7 in the motos, so it was the best day ever in outdoors for me. Six motos down and 18 to go, so let’s keep it going! I’m having fun and the team is killing it, so I’m looking forward to the rest.”
Fill-in rider Shane McElrath had a season-best performance at Round 3, finishing the day off strong with fifth in Moto 2. McElrath had a 12th place start in the first moto and he battled just outside the top-10 all race to lock in a 12th place finish. In Moto 2, he charged off the line to put himself into sixth early on and he battled up to fifth by the sixth lap. From there, he kept a strong pace into the final moments to secure a season-best finish of fifth in the second moto.
“Much better today and a much better week all-around,” McElrath said. “We had a couple good riding days this week – actually my best ones yet – and we made really good progress on the bike. I think I’m just growing confidence every time I’m on the bike. It took me a while to get going today, so I need to work on that, but we’re taking big steps and I’m happy.”
Team rider Jalek Swoll grabbed an eighth-place start in Moto 1 and he fought his way up to seventh heading into the midway point of the race. While running eight, Swoll experienced a big crash with a few laps to go and wasn’t able to continue racing for the rest of the day.
Next Event (Round 4): June 18 – High Point National – Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania
Round 3 Results: Thunder Valley National
450MX Results
1. Ken Roczen (HON) 2-1
2. Eli Tomac (KAW) 1-3
3. Chase Sexton (HON) 4-2
…
8. Shane McElrath – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 12-5
250MX Results
1. Jett Lawrence (HON)
2. Hunter Lawrence (HON)
3. Levi Kitchen (YAM)
…
6. Stilez Robertson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 6-7
41. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 36-DNS
450MX Rider Point Standings
1. Chase Sexton – 134 points
2. Ken Roczen – 129 points
3. Eli Tomac – 120 points
…
10. Shane McElrath – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 65 points
250MX Rider Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence – 139 points
2. Hunter Lawrence – 127 points
3. Jo Shimoda – 101 points
…
8. Stilez Robertson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 74 points
16. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 37 points
Round nine of 2022 MotoGP™ brought the world championship to the hot and slippery Circuit de Barcelona – Cataluyna where the Sterilgarda Max Racing Team were able to score 7th place.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Stilez Robertson captured a top-10 overall finish at the Hangtown Motocross Classic, delivering consistent 11-7 moto scores in the 250MX division. The second round of the 2022 AMA Pro Motocross Championship proved to be a a challenging day for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing teammates at RJ Hampshire and Jalek Swoll, who both suffered premature endings to their day in Rancho Cordova, California.
Despite the challenges, Robertson was able to keep it steady through both motos of the day. He got a mid-pack start in the first moto, forcing himself to come through the field early on. Halfway into the race, Robertson had worked his way up to 14th and he continued to push late in the race to finish just outside the top-10. In Moto 2, he got off to a top-10 start and he spent most of the race dicing between the seventh and eighth-place positions, ultimately solidifying seventh.
“It started off a little rough, just not feeling where I should be,” Robertson said. “First moto was okay; I came through the pack after a bad start. Watching between motos, we figured out some things to tweak on the bike and we got it set right. It took me a little bit to get going but I finished seventh in the second moto, which is closer to where I want to be. The main goal is two good starts so we're going to keep building. There's 21 motos to go.”
Teammate Jalek Swoll bounced back strong in the first moto after a tough opening round last week. He blasted his FC 250 into second off the start of Moto 1, racing at the rear wheel of the leader for the first several laps. Meanwhile, facing intense pressure from Michael Mosiman behind, Swoll managed to hold him off until just under the halfway point before dropping back to fifth. Late in the race, Swoll got cross-rutted and crashed, dropping him back to ninth. With a third-place start in the second moto, Swoll was off to a promising race. However, bad luck soon struck when he crashed within the first lap, leaving him unable to finish the race.
“This was my first time riding this track and I had a really good start in Moto 1,” Swoll said. “I was running top-three for most of the race and my fitness and speed felt good but the crash that I had from Pala kind of just beat me down today. My shoulder wasn’t ready to go but we still showed up and put our best foot forward and it kind of gave up on me in the later stages of the day. Trying to get this thing fully 100 percent for Thunder Valley to do the same things. We're in a good spot, we just have to keep pushing away.”
After just narrowly missing the overall podium at Round 1, Hampshire came into the weekend looking for redemption in the form of a top-three finish. Fifth in qualifying, Hampshire started off the day strong but he found himself battling just inside the top-10 for most of the first moto. He experienced an issue late in the race, setting him back to a 16th place finish, and later made the decision to not line up for Moto 2.
Fill-in rider Shane McElrath battled through a challenging day in the 450MX class. With a start just outside the top-10 in Moto 1, McElrath shuffled between ninth and 12th over the 16-lap race, ultimately locking in 12th. In the second moto, he raced between 13th and 14th for several laps before settling into 14th for rest of the race.
“It was a pretty tough day today for me,” McElrath said. “I kind of was struggling with the track every time I went out, it was a little bit deceiving, and I was off the pace all day. Every time I was out there, I was battling more with the track than I was with any of the guys around me. I think we still have a lot of room to grow and I think that we’re perfectly capable of doing that. I’m excited to get back to work this week and to continue making progress and rebound next weekend.”
Next Event (Round 3): June 11 – Thunder Valley National – Lakewood, Colorado
Round 2 Results: Hangtown Motocross Classic
450MX Results
1. Jason Anderson (KAW) 1-3
2. Chase Sexton (HON) 2-2
3. Eli Tomac (YAM) 4-1
…
14. Shane McElrath – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 12-14
250MX Results
1. Jett Lawrence (HON) 3-1
2. Justin Cooper (YAM) 2-3
3. Hunter Lawrence (HON) 4-2
…
9. Stilez Robertson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 11-7
15. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 9-40
21. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 16-DNS
450MX Rider Point Standings
1. Chase Sexton – 94 points
2. Ken Roczen – 82 points
3. Jason Anderson – 76 points
…
11. Shane McElrath – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 40 points
250MX Rider Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence – 95 points
2. Hunter Lawrence – 84 points
3. Jo Shimoda – 72 points
…
9. Stilez Robertson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 45 points
11. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 37 points
The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team returned to action on Saturday with the opening round of the 2022 AMA Pro Motocross Championship in Pala, California. With a third-place podium in Moto 1, RJ Hampshire fought through adversity in the second moto to finish just outside the overall 250MX podium in fourth. Fill-in rider Shane McElrath had a solid debut with the team in the 450MX class, capturing a top-10 overall finish at the Fox Raceway National.
Hampshire, the third-place qualifier, had a rough crash earlier in the day when he came together with another rider during the second practice session but he grinded through to line up for the first moto of the season. He didn’t get the best start in Moto 1 but he made a lot of early passes to climb from 11th to fifth halfway into the race. His valiant charge took him straight to the podium with about five laps to go, checking off his first podium appearance of the season right away. Positioning himself towards the front at the start of race two, he was making his way into the top-five battle when he came together with another rider in turn two and went down. Re-mounting in dead last, Hampshire put his head down and climbed back into the top-10 late in the race. With a last-lap pass for ninth, Hampshire was able to clinch fourth overall with combined moto scores of 3-9.
“It was a pretty crazy day and I was able salvage a fourth overall,” Hampshire said. “The day started off wild, I came together with someone in practice and hit the ground pretty hard but I was able to put that behind us. I feel like I was riding well today and we had really good speed, it’s not like we’re far off. I’ll work on getting a better start next weekend at Hangtown, and being up there and staying consistent.”
It was a good opening round for teammate Stilez Robertson, who managed a top-10 overall in the 250MX class with 10-11 finishes on the day. Robertson maintained a steady pace in both motos, setting a positive tone early in the season.
“Qualifying was a little rough for me,” Robertson said. “I just overrode, honestly, but it’s round one of 12, so my main goal this year is to be there every weekend and then I think the results will come. Going 10-11 for 10th overall is not the greatest day but it’s not the worst day. We’re going to keep plugging away.”
In his first race as a fill-in rider for the injured Dean Wilson, Shane McElrath immediately showcased his enthusiasm with a great start in Moto 1, just narrowly missing the 450MX holeshot as he tucked into a close second early on. Battling up front with the top riders, McElrath came away with 11th in the first moto. He picked up where he left off in the next moto, dicing back-and-forth with the same front-runners once again. Progressing on the bike with each lap he made, McElrath held his own late in the race to secure seventh in Moto 2 and 10th overall for the day,
“It was honestly a good start to the season,” McElrath said. “It was a quick deal that we put together and for me, it’s been a couple years since I’ve raced outdoors. I had a good feeling on the bike but I’ve not been racing in a couple months so there were a lot of questions I had for myself. I knew that once I got going, I could find a flow, I just had quite a bit of nerves today. First moto was tough but we had some changes for the second moto and regrouped. This is a very good opportunity in front of me and I don’t want to let it go to waste. I want to keep building on today. I think we have a lot of room to grow and I’m excited about it.”
Team rider Jalek Swoll had his day cut short after getting tangled with another rider at the start of the first 250MX moto. As a result, Swoll was unable to finish the race.
Next Event (Round 2): June 4 – Hangtown Motocross Classic – Rancho Cordova, California
Round 1 Results: Fox Raceway National
450MX Results
1. Chase Sexton (HON) 1-1
2. Ken Roczen (HON) 2-2
3. Christian Craig (YAM) 3-3
…
10. Shane McElrath – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 11-7
250MX Results
1. Jett Lawrence (HON) 1-1
2. Hunter Lawrence (HON) 2-2
3. Jo Shimoda (KAW) 4-3
4. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 3-9
…
10. Stilez Robertson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 10-11
450MX Rider Point Standings
1. Chase Sexton – 50 points
2. Ken Roczen – 44 points
3. Christian Craig – 40 points
…
10. Shane McElrath – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 24 points
250MX Rider Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence – 50 points
2. Hunter Lawrence – 44 points
3. Jo Shimoda – 38 points
4. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 32 points
…
10. Stilez Robertson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 21 points
A competitive but fruitless eighth Grand Prix of the season for Husqvarna Motorcycles at one of the fastest and most spectacular circuits on the MotoGP™ calendar
A strong performance for Husqvarna Motorcycles in front of passionate French fans at Le Mans as Ayumu Sasaki rides to 2nd place at round seven of the 2022 MotoGP™ series.
The Le Mans Bugatti circuit is one of the most distinctive layouts on the MotoGP world championship trail at 4.2km and with fourteen varied turns that make tough demands of the riders for braking and acceleration but also test their bravery for corner entry and slipstreaming. These qualities were of particular importance for the Moto3 Grand Prix at a dry but cloudy seventh round of twenty-one this year.
Sterilgarda Max Racing approached the weekend with Ayumu Sasaki in fiercely competitive form and hunting his third podium result of the season. The team were able to count on their full line-up for the first time since the opening round in Qatar. John McPhee had recovered sufficiently from the back injury he’d sustained in training to be able to wheel out the FR 250 GP from the pitbox.
Le Mans witnessed busy attendances throughout Friday and Saturday when the sunshine beamed down onto the venue in northeast France. Sasaki was the best qualifier after Saturday’s Q2 and occupied 12th place on the grid. McPhee, getting back in the flow of Moto3, was on the sixth row in 15th.
Sunday saw the climate shift to clouds and a light shower in the first laps caused a considerable shift for the grip and feeling on the French asphalt. The Moto3 class was the first to lay down rubber trails and the 22-laps was soon halted due to rain in the first two circulations. Sasaki was one of several fallers at Turn 14 but the red flag allowed the Japanese to restart after some great work by the team to get the FR 250 GP repaired in less than 15 minutes.
Consistency was key this season for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Malcolm Stewart, who topped off a career-best season of third overall in the AMA 450 Supercross Championship with a fighting fourth in Salt Lake City, Utah. Teammate RJ Hampshire also put in a strong ride at the season finale, claiming fourth in the combined 250SX East/West Showdown Main Event and runner-up in the 250SX Eastern Regional Championship.
Stewart has been battling to maintain a coveted top-three position in the 450SX Championship standings for most of the season and the Florida native had no intentions of letting it go at the final round. With a strong and smooth performance in 450SX Heat 1, Stewart secured a third-place transfer into the Main Event.
He grabbed a top-five start in the Main Event, racing his way into fourth early on. Patiently positioning himself for a podium push, Stewart made his move into third just before the halfway point but he was taken out a few turns later, dropping him back to sixth. Despite losing his momentum, Stewart quickly re-mounted and began chipping away at a podium position late in the race, coming within less than a second of making it happen before a mistake – just a few turns before the finish – solidified him in fourth.
With three podiums and 10 top-five finishes in 2022, Stewart was able to clinch a career-best third overall in the 450SX Championship Standings.
“The night was great honestly, and I was riding really good all day,” Stewart said. “In the Main Event, I made a pass for third and got into it with Barcia and he shuffled me back a couple positions. I was able to make my way back up and run him down again, all the way to the last lap, but I had a lapped rider in front of me and made a little mistake. The big goal for us was to end on a high note with third in the series and we accomplished that, so I can’t thank the whole team enough for a great year! We’ve been solid and we’ve been smooth, so let’s take this thing outdoors!”
In the 250SX class, riders from both divisions started off with two separate paths of qualifying, which led to one combined East/West Showdown Main Event at the end of the night. In the Eastern region, RJ Hampshire had a tough start to the heat race but he was able to put his head down and salvage an eighth-place transfer into the E/W Showdown.
In the Main Event, Hampshire got out of the gate in fourth and he battled inside the top-five all race long. Swapping positions just outside the podium, St. Louis Triple Crown winner came away just shy of the podium to capture his third top-five finish of the season and second overall in the 250SX Eastern Regional Championship.
“We started out a little bit of a struggle but we salvaged that Main Event,” Hampshire said. “We got a good start from the outside and I felt like I rode pretty solid for the second half of the race and gave ourselves a shot at the podium. I’m stoked to end the season on a good note, a healthy note, and second in the championship. I can’t be too bummed, especially with how it started, so just to be here at the end is a huge improvement for myself and the team. Another series coming up, so I’m excited to get it going again.”
In the Western division, Jalek Swoll found himself buried off the start of his heat race but he went to work battling his way through the field to ultimately secure a ninth-place finish. In the Main Event, Swoll secured a great jump off the start and he battled up front to the first turn until he got hit and shuffled back right away on the opening lap. He fought into the top-10 just after the halfway point and putting in a strong charge at the end of the race, he came away with his sixth top-10 finish of the season.
“It was super muddy in the heat race and I didn’t have a great start, so that was kind of a struggle and it put me on the outside in the main,” Swoll said. “I actually had a really good start and was coming into the first turn as one of the first bikes and I got hit and went all the way backwards. That pretty much ruined the night when it comes to a track that’s really tight for passing. I think the speed was a lot better these last two rounds than all year, so we’ll take that and get some more comfort in the off-season so we can come out swinging.”
Round 17 Results: Salt Lake City SX
450SX Results
1. Jason Anderson (KAW)
2. Chase Sexton (HON)
3. Justin Barcia (GAS)
4. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
250SX East/West Showdown Results
1. Nate Thrasher (YAM)
2. Hunter Lawrence (HON)
3. Pierce Brown (GAS)
4. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
…
10. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
450SX Rider Point Standings
1. Eli Tomac – 359 points
2. Jason Anderson – 350 points
3. Malcolm Stewart, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 314 points
…
10. Dean Wilson, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 152 points
250SX East Rider Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence – 192 points
2. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 158 points
3. Pierce Brown – 149 points
…
13. Stilez Robertson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 67 points
250SX West Rider Point Standings
1. Christian Craig – 230 points
2. Hunter Lawrence – 220 points
3. Michael Mosiman – 197 points
…
10. Jalek Swoll, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 106 points
Ayumu Sasaki battled against adverse circumstances at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España to deliver 6th position for Husqvarna Motorcycles as MotoGP reach round six at Jerez.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Malcolm Stewart came close to securing his first win of the 2022 AMA Supercross Championship on Saturday after delivering an impressive runner-up result at the penultimate round in Colorado. Track conditions were anything but easy at Denver’s Empower Field at Mile High but Stewart rose to the challenge with a powerful Main Event performance and he gained a valuable boost into third overall in the 450SX championship standings with one round remaining.
With a daytime format for the second-straight week, timed qualifying got underway first thing in the morning and Stewart captured a strong P3 to kick off the day. In 450SX Heat 2, he got off to a top-five start and quickly pushed his way into fourth. Setting his sights on the top-three, he made a late-race charge to secure a top-three transfer finish.
In the Main Event, Stewart positioned himself into fifth off the start and he mixed it up with the front-runners for the first few laps. Inheriting third early on, he chased after the championship contenders and it wasn’t long before he injected himself into the lead battle. Just before the halfway point, Stewart made a swift pass on newly-crowned champion Eli Tomac for second and he raced his way to his third runner-up finish of the season.
“I’m excited, that was a really big finish for me,” Stewart said. “For some reason, I always ride tracks really good in altitude and I felt really good about it. Even though we didn’t win, we got second and I’m third overall in the points now, which the end-goal is to be third in points, so I'm excited about that.”
The 250SX Western division returned to the gate for their final bout before heading into the East/West Showdown next week at the season finale. Team rider Jalek Swoll came away with a top-10 finish in the Main Event after battling through challenging conditions all day. With a fourth-place start in 250SX Heat 2, Swoll battled up front for the first two laps before getting shuffled back to sixth early on. He made a charge late in the race to secure a top-five transfer.
In the Main Event, Swoll had a great jump off the line, almost capturing the holeshot, and he settled into third on lap one. Battling inside the top-five for the first half of the race, he dropped to sixth midway through and he fought hard after lappers held him back from making the triple on the last lap, ultimately finishing 10th.
“Today was a step in the right direction in terms of comfort on the bike,” Swoll said. “I was towards the front way more than the back and I had some really good starts. In the Main Event, I hung in third for a little bit but just couldn't find that pace and lost a few positions to sixth. On the last lap, I got caught behind a couple of lappers and they went like they're going for the triple and backed out at the last second and I had nowhere to go, so I had to roll the triple and lost a ton of positions. That one stings, for sure, but we'll come back and try to be a little bit better in Salt Lake.”
Final Round: May 7 – Salt Lake City, Utah
Round 16 Results: Denver SX
450SX Results
1. Jason Anderson (KAW)
2. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
3. Marvin Musquin (KTM)
250SX West Results
1. Hunter Lawrence (HON)
2. Michael Mosiman (GAS)
3. Christian Craig (YAM)
…
10. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
450SX Rider Point Standings
1. Eli Tomac – 359 points
2. Jason Anderson – 324 points
3. Malcolm Stewart, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 295 points
…
10. Dean Wilson, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 152 points
250SX West Rider Point Standings
1. Christian Craig – 215 points
2. Hunter Lawrence – 197 points
3. Michael Mosiman – 181 points
…
10. Jalek Swoll, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 93 points
Husqvarna Motorcycles races to another podium finish with 3rd place as MotoGP™ arrives in Europe and tackles the technically challenging Algarve International Circuit.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Malcolm Stewart is back on a roll late in the AMA Supercross Championship season, securing a hard-fought fourth-place at Round 15 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. With two rounds remaining in 2022, Stewart holds 11 top-five finishes in the stacked 450SX division and he continues to vie for the illustrious number one spot.
Stewart, a notoriously fast qualifier this season, grabbed another great qualifying position in third and he kept the ball rolling with a top-three start in 450SX Heat 2. He maintained a solid pace throughout the eight-lap heat race to secure a third-place transfer.
In the Main Event, Stewart found himself back in sixth off the start, and he raced just outside the top-five for the first eight laps. Hitting his stride just before the halfway mark, Stewart really started to pick up his pace later in the race as he battled his way into podium contention. He put on a hard charge in the final stretch to get within striking distance of third-place, but it wasn’t enough to secure a spot on the podium in Foxborough.
“We did a lot of testing with the team this week, and I feel like my whole bike setup was definitely in the right direction,” Stewart said. “This race was an early one, so it's always kind of different. In the Main Event, I started terribly and I kind of got pushed out wide and made a few mistakes. Marvin and I were kind of playing yo-yo and lapped riders on the track really came into play toward the end of the race. He got a little ahead of me, and I pretty much rode a quiet fourth.”
250SX East
Hampshire, the third-place qualifier, had a tough start in his heat race as he found himself on the ground immediately off the start. Struggling to complete the first lap with a distorted front-end, Hampshire went down again before making his way to the mechanic’s area to straighten things out. He put in a hard charge for the rest of the race but didn’t have enough time to secure a transfer spot. In the LCQ, he got out front early on, and he clicked off smooth laps to earn himself a gate in the Main Event.
Hampshire had a redeeming start in the Main Event as he jumped into third early on. Five laps in, he charged into second and immediately set his sights on the race leader of Pierce Brown. As the race wore on, Hampshire continued to close the gap on the leader. He was well within striking distance until he hit the back of Brown’s bike and went down. Re-mounting in sixth, Hampshire rode hard in the last seven laps but wasn’t able to make up any ground, ultimately finishing sixth.
“Man, I had a really tough day,” Hampshire said. “I had good starts again. In the heat race, I crashed right off the start when someone hit me and went to the LCQ. I got some more laps in the LCQ and felt really good in the Main Event. We were clicking them off. I definitely had a shot at that win, and had good speed to do it, but just happened to come together with Pierce with about four or five to go and kind of threw it away tonight. I was happy with the riding in the Main Event.”
Next Round: April 30 – Denver, Colorado
Round 15 Results: Foxborough SX
450SX Results
1. Jason Anderson (KAW)
2. Chase Sexton (HON)
3. Marvin Musquin (KTM)
4. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
250SX East Results
1. Austin Forkner (KAW)
2. Jett Lawrence (HON)
3. Pierce Brown (GAS)
…
6. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
450SX Rider Point Standings
1. Eli Tomac – 341 points
2. Jason Anderson – 298 points
3. Justin Barcia – 275 points
4. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 272 points
…
8. Dean Wilson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 152 points
250SX East Rider Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence – 192 points
2. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 139 points
3. Pierce Brown – 128 points
…
13. Stilez Robertson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 67 points
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Malcolm Stewart battled through the elements at Saturday’s Atlanta SX, where he captured a solid top-five finish amidst a hectic day of racing in the 450SX class. Only four points outside of third overall in the point standings, Stewart continues to solidify his presence in the premier class as he fights for his first win in 2022. Teammate RJ Hampshire managed a tough day in Atlanta, securing a top-10 finish in the stacked 250SX East/West Showdown and climbing up a notch to second overall in the Eastern Regional standings.
Early morning rainfall created a muddled start to the day with one condensed practice and qualifying session for each class and super slick conditions as the gates dropped for the daytime schedule. In the 450SX division, Stewart put in a fast lap good enough for fifth overall and he settled into a top-five start in the heat. Climbing into third halfway through, he held a steady pace through the finish to secure third in the heat.
In the Main Event, Stewart got off to a sixth-place start and he positioned himself inside the top-five battle early on. The slick track conditions lent themselves to riders shuffling around all over the top spots but Stewart kept himself steady and in the mix all race long to secure his eighth top-five finish of the season at Round 14.
“The day was actually pretty good, even though it was a short day,” Stewart said. “ I feel like I rode pretty good in the main. I had a decent start and I kind of just made some things happen and we ended up fifth. I do feel like there was a lot more left in the tank but honestly, I’m happy to re-bound myself after the crash last weekend. I know it’s just a top-five but it’s something to build off of and I’m stoked to just be back racing again and we’ll be ready for next weekend.”
In the 250SX class, the East/West Showdown brought together the top riders from each regional division, giving teammates RJ Hampshire and Jalek Swoll the opportunity to line up together in the combined Main Event. Hampshire, last weekend’s 250SX East winner, shot off the line in his heat but he lost footing coming into the first turn and rode off-track for a moment, returning in third. Racing in second for the majority of laps, Hampshire made a late-race charge to overtake the lead with one lap to go but he lost it on the final lap, ultimately finishing third after being docked one-position for a race infraction on lap one.
In the Main Event, Hampshire got off to a great start up front but he went down in the slick conditions on the opening lap. Re-mounting in fifth, he kept himself in the top-five battle for the first few laps before shuffling back a few spots midway through the race. From there, Hampshire made the decision to ride a comfortable pace for the remaining laps, ultimately securing a solid eighth in the combined E/W Showdown.
“This was my first time racing Atlanta and it was a tough day to try and get comfortable with only one practice,” Hampshire said. “My starts are still pretty solid but I just wasn’t comfortable in that Main Event. It got pretty hairy as the race went on and I just kind of went big-picture and backed it down, so I can live to fight another weekend. Hopefully we’ll be back on the podium in Boston, if not the top step.”
Swoll, the team’s 250SX West rider, managed his day to come away with an 11th place finish in the Main Event. Battling through the rough conditions, he secured an eighth-place finish in the heat race, giving him an immediate transfer onto the East/West Showdown starting line. In the main, Swoll got a 12th-place start and he raced just outside the top-10 all day.
“It wasn’t the best day for me but we got some better starts,” Swoll said. “I just need a little bit better riding and we’ll fix the issues. All good, just looking forward to the next round and we’ll try to end off supercross with some good results.”
Next Round: April 23 – Foxborough, Massachusetts
Round 14 Results: Atlanta SX
450SX Results
1. Jason Anderson (KAW)
2. Eli Tomac (YAM)
3. Chase Sexton (HON)
…
5. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
250SX East/West Showdown Results
1. Hunter Lawrence (HON)
2. Christian Craig (YAM)
3. Jett Lawrence (HON)
…
8. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
11. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
450SX Rider Point Standings
1. Eli Tomac – 325 points
2. Jason Anderson – 272 points
3. Justin Barcia – 257 points
4. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 253 points
…
8. Dean Wilson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 152 points
250SX East Rider Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence – 169 points
2. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 122 points
3. Cameron Mcadoo – 114 points
…
11. Stilez Robertson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 67 points
250SX West Rider Point Standings
1. Christian Craig – 194 points
2. Hunter Lawrence – 171 points
3. Michael Mosiman – 158 points
…
11. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 80 points
Round four of 2022 MotoGP™ visited the spectacular Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas and Husqvarna Motorcycles almost grasp another podium finish
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire has secured his first-career 250SX win following a top-notch performance at Round 13 of the AMA Supercross Championship in St. Louis, Missouri. Putting together three solid Main Events with 2-2-1 finishes on the night, Hampshire left it all on the racetrack with an emotional culmination in the center of the Triple Crown’s overall podium.
Hampshire’s remarkable performance began with him earning fastest-qualifier for the first time in his career and he carried that momentum into the night show with a powerful holeshot in the first Main Event. Pulling a gap early on, Hampshire led until the seventh lap when he got crossed up in the take-off of a jump and landed on a tough block. He re-mounted quickly, losing two positions, and he charged hard late in the race to reclaim second on the final lap.
He shot off the line in Main Event 2 to secure a second-straight holeshot but a red flag came out on lap two, resulting in a complete restart. Hampshire didn’t let that faze him as he pulled yet another holeshot on the restart and led the first five laps of the race. Halfway through, he lost a position to the points leader but he held strong in second for the remainder of the race.
In an impressive feat, Hampshire aced his fourth holeshot of the night in the last Main Event and he assumed the lead position for the first three laps. Swapping it back-and-forth for the next couple laps, Hampshire eventually walked away from the battle and he cruised into the finish to secure a career-best overall win.
“This is unreal. This has haunted me for so long, I can’t even get words out,” Hampshire said. “I had good times in practice and felt a lot more comfortable on the bike. My starts tonight were unreal and you could tell we made a lot of progress because I holeshot every time I was on the track and led a lot of laps. I’m just so dang stoked for the team to finally get one of these. Big thanks to the guys that have been putting in the work behind the scenes. We put it together tonight, it was our night.”
In the 450SX division, Malcolm Stewart experienced a night of highs and lows, while teammate Dean Wilson had an especially tough night, with a race-ending early in the first Main Event.
Setting the fastest qualifying time for the fifth time this season, Stewart secured a great gate pick for Main Event 1. He blasted his FC 450 Rockstar Edition into the top five out of the gate, quickly moving into fourth. By the second lap, Stewart had moved into third and he held that spot all the way to the checkers.
In the second Main Event, Stewart got off to a sixth-place start and he was on the move early on until he clipped a tough block and crashed. While pinned under his bike, Stewart’s handlebar got caught in his knee brace and the track crew had to assist him in getting the bike free. Eventually re-mounting in last place, Stewart pulled into the mechanic’s area and made an attempt to salvage his race but ultimately made the decision to pull off and prepare for race three.
In Main Event 3, he grabbed a fourth-place start and worked his way into third early on. Still struggling through discomfort from his earlier crash, Stewart shuffled back to fifth and he rode steadily inside the top-five for most of the race before dropping back to sixth with a few laps to go.
Wilson had a strong start to the day after securing a top-10 position in qualifying. However, things took a turn for him in the first Main Event of the night. With a top-10 start, Wilson was racing mid-pack early on but he experienced a hard crash that sent him off-track on lap three. He received trackside medical attention for quite a while before being transported out of the stadium.
Next Round: April 16 – Atlanta, Georgia
Round 13 Results: St. Louis SX Triple Crown
450SX Results
1. Marvin Musquin (KTM), 2-1-2
2. Chase Sexton (HON), 1-3-3
3. Eli Tomac (YAM), 4-4-1
…
9. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 3-19-6
22. Dean Wilson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 22-22-22
250SX East Results
1. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 2-2-1
2. Jett Lawrence (HON), 1-1-5
3. Mitchell Oldenburg (HON), 3-3-4
450SX Rider Point Standings
1. Eli Tomac – 302 points
2. Jason Anderson – 246 points
3. Justin Barcia – 240 points
4. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 235 points
…
8. Dean Wilson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 152 points
250SX East Rider Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence – 148 points
2. Cameron Mcadoo – 114 points
3. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 107 points
…
10. Stilez Robertson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 67 points
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Malcolm Stewart finished just outside the 450SX podium with a solid performance at Round 12 of the AMA Supercross Championship in Seattle, Washington. With five rounds remaining, Stewart sits a mere six points away from second overall in the championship standings as he continues to fight for his first win in 2022.
Lining up in pole position for the fourth time this season, Stewart rolled into 450SX Heat 2 with high confidence and he captured the holeshot and early lead. He held onto the top spot for a majority of the race before engaging in an intense three-way battle during the final two laps. Stewart held his own in second going into the final lap but he ultimately finished third.
In the Main Event, Stewart got off the line in sixth and quickly made his way into a top-five position. Maintaining a solid pace, he climbed into fourth and put a late-race charge on Marvin Musquin for the final podium position coming into the last lap of racing. Despite all efforts, Stewart wasn’t able to make anything stick and he finished just outside the podium with a hard-fought fourth-place.
“I felt good all day,” Stewart said. “I didn’t get the best start in the Main Event and I was sitting in fourth and Marvin was right there for third, so the last lap I tried to make a little pass and one of the lapped riders ended up going inside and kind of screwed me up and I went down. Overall, I felt good, I just wasn’t fast enough to get on the podium tonight. I’m glad we ended on a better note than last weekend, so we’re going to take what we learned and go from there.”
Dean Wilson, the sixth-place qualifier, grabbed a top-10 start in 450SX Heat 1 and he charged his way through the pack to reach the top-five a few laps in. From there, Wilson rode a strong race to secure a fifth-place transfer. In the Main Event, Wilson shot off the line to capture a top-five start and he battled around fifth for the first half of racing. He got shuffled back a couple spots later in the race but he maintained a good pace to match his season-best finish of seventh in the Main Event.
"My riding was pretty good for the most part,” Wilson said. “In the main, I was in the top-five mix for a few laps, which was cool. I wasn’t too far away from top-five at the end but my arms got really tight in the last few minutes, just lack of good lines and flow on the track. It’s frustrating but I did some things well and I just have to learn from that and ride like I know how to and I can definitely be in that top-five.”
The 250SX Western division returned this round after five weeks off from racing. Team rider Jalek Swoll had a great start to the night as he powered his way to a second-place start in 250SX Heat 1. Racing up front on the opening lap, Swoll made a mistake that dropped him back to seventh early on but he kept his focus ahead to climb back to a sixth-place finish in the heat. In the Main Event, Swoll didn’t get the best start as he rounded the first lap in 15th. He worked his way into the top-10 within the first five laps and he continued to push as far up as eighth before the checkered flag flew.
“It was a tough one, I feel like it could have been a better night if I had a better start,” Swoll said. “I got into the back of the pack, somewhere around last, and could only make it up to eighth. It’s frustrating, so I’m going to go back to the practice track, put in some work on my starts and come back after the break and be better.”
Next Round: April 9 – St. Louis, Missouri
Round 12 Results: Seattle SX
450SX Results
1. Eli Tomac (YAM)
2. Jason Anderson (KAW)
3. Marvin Musquin (KTM)
4. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
…
7. Dean Wilson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
250SX West Results
1. Hunter Lawrence (HON)
2. Christian Craig (YAM)
3. Michael Mosiman (GAS)
…
8. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
450SX Rider Point Standings
1. Eli Tomac – 281 points
2. Jason Anderson – 227 points
3. Justin Barcia – 222 points
4. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 221 points
…
8. Dean Wilson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 151 points
250SX West Rider Point Standings
1. Christian Craig – 171 points
2. Hunter Lawrence – 145 points
3. Michael Mosiman – 141 points
…
11. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 68 points
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire made his first overall-podium appearance of the 2022 AMA Supercross Championship season on Saturday with a solid third-place performance inside Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. His 450SX teammate, Dean Wilson, also had a break-through night as he scored a season-best Main Event finish with seventh at Round 11.
It has been a long time coming for Hampshire, who’s led plenty of laps already this season. The Florida native had an encouraging start to the day, qualifying inside the top-five once again. In 250SX Heat 1, he powered his FC 250 into third off the start, quickly making the pass into second. It was smooth sailing from there, as he trailed the leader for the remainder of the heat to secure his third heat-race podium this year.
In the Main Event, Hampshire got buried mid-pack off the start but he quickly picked off riders to break into the top-five on the fifth lap. As the track deteriorated, Hampshire only got stronger as he gained two more positions to put himself into a podium position mid-way through the race. Hampshire did all the right things in the second half of the race to set himself up to secure his first (non-Triple Crown) Main Event podium of the season.
“We made progress tonight,” Hampshire said. “It’s been a struggle and I haven’t been comfortable at all. When the Main Event came, I just kind of managed my race and didn’t try to push anything and we had our best result of the season so far. So, I can’t be too bummed on the night. It’s a good way to end this little stint and we’ll go into the break and get some time on the bike that I’ve been racing. Hopefully we will have a new guy when we come back in a couple weeks for St. Louis.”
Team rider Stilez Robertson missed Round 5 of the 250SX East after injuring his wrist in a practice crash earlier in the week.
450SX
Dean Wilson made huge strides tonight with season-best performances across the board in Indy. Stepping up right away with a sixth-place in qualifying, Wilson positioned himself well for the heat. He charged into fifth off the start in 450SX Heat 1 and he set his sights on a podium position early on. Pacing the top two riders in third, Wilson held that spot until the checkered flag, capturing his best heat-race finish of the season.
In the 450SX Main Event, Wilson put in a commendable ride despite challenging track conditions throughout the race. With a ninth-place start, he rode inside the top-10 for the first few laps before settling into eighth for most of the race. He picked up another spot for seventh when his teammate crashed late in the race and he held strong to claim a season-best seventh on the night.
"Indianapolis was definitely a step in the right direction,” Wilson said. “I’m definitely getting closer to the guys up front but tonight was a very, very technical track. In the main, I just kind of struggled with the ruts and the whoops were really tricky. P7 is my best finish yet but I’m not real stoked on it because my riding wasn’t very good, but definitely some positives that we’ll take to Seattle next weekend.”
A top-three qualifying position for Malcolm Stewart set him up well for 450SX Heat 2, where he pulled the holeshot and battled for the early lead. Settling into second, he made a few attempts on the leader throughout the nine-lap race but wasn’t able to make anything stick, ultimately finishing second in the heat.
In the Main Event, Stewart secured another great start in third and he got shuffled back to fourth by the second lap. Riding in fourth for a majority of the race, Stewart kept himself within striking distance of the podium heading into the final stretch. After charging through the whoops, Stewart got cross-rutted in the next section and came up short, sending him over the bars and onto the ground. It took a while to remount his machine but he was able to cross the line in eighth and salvage valuable points in the championship chase.
“I feel like Indy actually treated me well,” Stewart said. “I’ve always liked this track and the atmosphere here has always been good. In the Main Event, I was sitting in fourth and I didn’t feel bad at all. The track was tough for everybody and I made one big mistake that kind of cost me but honestly, I’m just thankful that I’m okay. I’m a little bummed and irritated but it actually motivates me a little bit more to get back up there and get ready for Seattle. Let’s go get ‘em!”
Round 12: March 26 – Seattle SX – Seattle, Washington
Round 11 Results: Indianapolis SX
450SX Results
1. Eli Tomac (YAM)
2. Justin Barcia (GAS)
3. Marvin Musquin (KTM)
…
7. Dean Wilson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
8. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
250SX East Results
1. Jett Lawrence (HON)
2. Cameron Mcadoo (KAW)
3. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
450SX Rider Point Standings
1. Eli Tomac – 255 points
2. Jason Anderson – 204 points
3. Justin Barcia – 204 points
4. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 202 points
…
9. Dean Wilson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 135 points
250SX East Rider Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence – 125 points
2. Cameron Mcadoo – 114 points
3. Pierce Brown – 87 points
4. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 81 points
…
8. Stilez Robertson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 67 points
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Malcolm Stewart had a near-perfect night at Round 10 of the AMA Supercross Championship, landing his FC 450 Rockstar Edition on the second step of the 450SX podium after claiming the top qualifying and heat race finishes earlier in the night. In the 250SX East division, teammate RJ Hampshire delivered a hard-fought performance to finish just off the podium with a season-best fourth in the Main Event.
Stewart set himself up for a positive night once again, claiming an impressive pole position in the 450SX class for the second-straight round. In 450SX Heat 2, Stewart continued to boost his own confidence as he grabbed the holeshot and led all nine laps en route to his third heat-win of the season.
With a tough start in the Main Event, Stewart got pushed toward the back of the pack in 14th. Picking up five spots within a lap, he continued to pick up the pace to bring himself inside the top five around the halfway mark. As the track conditions became more challenging, Stewart only got stronger and he carried great momentum into the second half of racing. He passed on the inside of the finish-line turn to move into podium contention and he diced back-and-forth for third later in the race. With just a few laps remaining, Stewart was gifted a position when a crash occurred ahead of him and he capitalized all the way through the checkers, clinching a solid second overall at Round 10.
“I felt good all day. P1 in practice and in the heat race, I knew we had a good ball rolling,” Stewart said. “In the Main Event, I didn’t get the best start but I just really had to ride because it’s one of those tracks where it’s going to bite you at any time. I just started clicking off laps and I didn’t really want to put too much thought into it, I just wanted to get up there. Once I started seeing riders crash – like top-tier riders going down – it was kind of crazy but we ended up second and I’m thankful. Let’s just keep the momentum going!”
Top-10 out of the gate in 450SX Heat 1, teammate Dean Wilson made quick work of his competitors to jump into sixth early on. Continuing to charge further towards the front, Wilson was pushing the limits and lost the front-end in the corner after a triple. Dropping to 16th, he earned back several positions to ultimately land a sixth-place transfer position.
In the 450SX Main Event, Wilson had a roller-coaster performance. He was shuffled to the back of the field after the start. Within two laps, he had scored five positions up to 11th but he crashed in the whoops and dropped back to 19th. He re-mounted and climbed to 16th before once again going down and falling to 19th near the middle of the race. Putting in a strong ride late in the race, Wilson was able to salvage 14th on the night.
"The Main Event didn’t turn out very well for me,” Wilson said. “I was in a good position, top-five actually, but I crashed in the whoops. I got up from that and had another fall, so unfortunately, not a good night. The track caught a lot of riders tonight and unfortunately, I was one of them. But I am healthy, so we’ll be back next weekend.”
250SX East
After qualifying fifth, RJ Hampshire had a strong gate pick for 250SX Heat 2 and he pulled a great holeshot, narrowly missing a first-turn pileup. Facing intense pressure from the series leader, Hampshire slid back to second early in the race. Halfway through, he lost his rhythm and missed a whoop, dropping him back to fifth, where he ultimately finished.
Hampshire had a mid-pack start in the Main Event and he set his sights on chipping away at the positions ahead of him. He was up to seventh by the third lap, breaking into the top-five around the mid-way point. With only a couple laps remaining, he charged into fourth and held off a couple hard-charging riders to ultimately finish just off the podium in fourth.
“Man, it was a tough day,” Hampshire said. “Lost in the shambles for about 90 percent of it but we managed to get out of here healthy. We did what we could in the Main Event and will try to be better for next weekend.”
In 250SX Heat 1, Stilez Robertson blasted his FC 250 off of the line into sixth. Over the next six laps, he steadily worked his way up to second. Pushing toward the lead position, Robertson gave a good effort to ultimately secure a solid second.
In the 250SX Main Event, he narrowly missed the holeshot but he immediately pushed into the lead. With the top riders racing wheel-to-wheel early on, Robertson wasn’t able to hold them all off and he slipped to second. Around the halfway point, the 19-year-old sat in sixth but a couple mistakes dropped him back to ultimately finish eighth on the night. Four rounds into the series, Robertson sits fourth overall in the championship standings.
“Not much to say really, it wasn’t a great day for me,” Robertson said. “My starts were good but the riding was off all day. We’re going to put our head down this week and get to where we belong.”
Round 11: March 19 – Indianapolis SX – Indianapolis, Indiana
Round 10 Results: Detroit SX
450SX Results
1. Eli Tomac (YAM)
2. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
3. Justin Barcia (GAS)
…
14. Dean Wilson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
250SX East Results
1. Jett Lawrence (HON)
2. Cameron Mcadoo (KAW)
3. Pierce Brown (GAS)
4. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
…
8. Stilez Robertson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
450SX Rider Point Standings
1. Eli Tomac – 229 points
2. Jason Anderson – 187 points
3. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 187 points
…
10. Dean Wilson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 119 points
250SX East Rider Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence – 99 points
2. Cameron Mcadoo – 91 points
3. Pierce Brown – 68 points
4. Stilez Robertson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 67 points
…
7. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 60 points
Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Luciano Benavides has continued his positive start to the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge with an impressive runner-up result on stage two. After narrowly missing out on taking the stage win, Luciano now advances to sixth in the provisional classification. For Skyler Howes, after nearly crashing twice early on, the American opted to focus on reaching the finish safely and with a strong pace, ultimately recording the 10th fastest time.
The second stage of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge proved to be a serious test of endurance for both riders and their machines. With all competitors racing for well over four hours, it was a long and physical day in the saddle with both Husqvarna Factory Racing riders completing the 316-kilometre stage safely and advancing up the overall leaderboard at the close of day two.
Luciano Benavides, despite taking a little while to find his rhythm across the rolling sand dunes, maintained a strong pace up until he reached the refuelling station. From there, and knowing that the stage win was a possibility, the Argentine upped his speed and navigated accurately. Ultimately securing a runner-up finish on the special, he placed just 39 seconds adrift of the overall stage winner.
Continuing to rebuild his strength and endurance, Skyler Howes rode with caution on stage two to reach the finish line without issue. The American’s strategy worked perfectly as he completed the stage without losing too much time to the leading riders. Howes now lies 11th overall in the provisional standings with three days of racing remaining.
Tomorrow brings stage three of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, the second leg of the event’s marathon stage. With both Luciano and Skyler successfully completing the first leg with their FR 450 Rally machines running perfectly, only the necessary checks were needed ahead of day three.
Luciano Benavides: “Second place for me today is a really good result. It took me a little while to get going on the stage but once I arrived at the refuelling station, I realised that I wasn’t too far from the lead. After that I pushed on to the end and felt great on the bike and everything came together really well. It was another tough stage physically and there was some tricky navigation as well, so I had to really focus and it paid off. It was a great day and we’ll build from here.”
Skyler Howes: “Day two done and it was a long and demanding stage today. Early on I had a couple of close calls and then I saw that Michael Docherty had crashed pretty bad, so I hope he’s ok. From there on I rode a strong and steady pace. I knew it wasn’t enough to secure a decent result, but we have three more days and I know I have a lot more to give. I’m still rebuilding after some time off before this race but I feel good on the bike so it’s on me now. I’ll regroup and focus on tomorrow.”
2022 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge – Stage 2 Provisional Classification
Husqvarna Motorcycles will enter its third Grand Prix year as a prominent member of the Moto3 world championship and with high expectations as part of the alignment with the Sterilgarda Max Racing Team.
The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team rounded out the west coast stretch of the 2022 AMA Supercross Championship on Saturday and the third time was a charm for Malcolm Stewart, who delivered his best Anaheim SX result with a fourth-place finish at Round 6 in Anaheim, California.
Stewart, the fifth-place qualifier, came together with another rider off the start of 450SX Heat 2 and he found himself back in 10th on the opening lap. He immediately began a charge through the field, placing his FC 450 Rockstar Edition into the top-five late in the race, ultimately securing a fifth-place transfer.
In the Main Event, Stewart grabbed a top-five start and he battled in the front pack early on. Moving into fourth around the halfway point, Stewart set his sights on a podium position and he fought hard in the final laps to ultimately come away with fourth on the night. Six rounds in, Stewart holds fourth overall in the 450SX Championship standings.
“I felt like the entire day was good,” Stewart said. “I already knew the track was going to be really dry and slick because we already did two races and this was the final round. I felt like the biggest factor of tonight was the whoops and I just tried to be smart – this was one of those races where you could gain some and lose a lot, so I’m happy with taking another top-five finish. We’re definitely keeping the ball rolling.”
Team rider Dean Wilson fought his way through a challenging night. Qualifying a season-best seventh, Wilson found himself mid-pack off the start in 450SX Heat 2 and he made his way into a qualifying position by lap two. However, he went down just after the halfway point and dropped outside the top-nine, resulting in a trip to the last chance qualifier. With a solid performance in the LCQ, Wilson secured a second-place transfer into the Main Event.
He got off to a 13th place start in the main and he climbed his way up to the top-10 battle. He continued to charge through the second half of the race, finishing 12th on the night.
"My night was a little bit rough,” Wilson said. “I qualified well but I crashed in my heat race and had to go to the LCQ, which is never ideal. After that, I was far outside on the gate and was just kind of in traffic the whole time and the best I could do is 12th. I really struggled in the main with flow, I felt like I was kind of fighting my bike everywhere. Not my best night but we’ll work on trying to be better.”
In the 250SX division, team rider Jalek Swoll started off with a fifth-place start in 250SX Heat 2 and he battled just outside the podium all race long. He passed into fourth on lap five and held that position until the final lap when a mistake ultimately dropped him back to fifth.
In the Main Event, Swoll put himself into a great position off the start as he battled in podium contention on the opening lap. While running fourth, Swoll suffered a crash through the whoops that would ultimately end his night early.
“It was a short night but I felt good and I’m thankful to be leaving from the crash healthy,” Swoll said. “I felt good – like I got back up to how I was feeling before the crash at A1. I made some good passes at the beginning and felt like I was on that forward charge and the whoops bit me and bit me quick. It’s all good, I’m going into this break with my head down and we’ll get back to being on one of these top-three steps.”
Round 7: February 19 – Minneapolis SX – Minneapolis, Minnesota
Round 6 Results: Anaheim 3 SX
450SX Results
1. Jason Anderson (KAW)
2, Eli Tomac (YAM)
3. Justin Barcia (GAS)
4. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
…
12. Dean Wilson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
250SX West Results
1. Christian Craig (YAM)
2. Vince Friese (HON)
3. Michael Mosiman (GAS)
…
21. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
450SX Rider Point Standings
1. Eli Tomac – 134 points
2. Jason Anderson – 122 points
3. Chase Sexton – 116 points
4. Malcolm Stewart – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 112 points
…
11. Dean Wilson – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 72 points
250SX West Rider Point Standings
1. Christian Craig – 148 points
2. Michael Mosiman – 120 points
3. Hunter Lawrence – 119 points
…
12. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 53 points
The new agreement sees Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing continue with supercross, motocross, and offroad racing activities in North America through 2023