2024 RedBud Motocross | Kickstart Recap & Gallery

Monster Energy Kawasaki keeps in-house fabricator Kiyoshi Bansho very busy with special projects like the customized racks he created for the race rig, the toolbox on the track Mule, and this handy pit accessory that lets the mechanic lean the bike over to scrub the underside of the frame. Yeah, you could just the stand, but why?

Keep your friends close and enemies closer. The back-and-forth between Jason Anderson and Hunter Lawrence has been an entertaining storyline to the season, but now that one rider is in title contention, one wonders if the antics between them cease for the summer or step up to another level. Stay tuned.

Dean Wilson is determined to do what it takes to keep him out of the LCQ at the SMX Playoffs, even if means lining up for outdoors. The Fire Power Honda rider was eager to contend for the team at RedBud, but a practice crash at Glen Helen on Tuesday dinged his wrist and kept him out of the afternoon’s races.

Zero G dreads.

It was great to see Broc Tickle back behind the starting line. The rider has logged lots of laps on a KX450 lately through his testing role with Monster Energy Kawasaki, including his usual program in California and multiple trips to ClubMX in South Carolina, but the RedBud weekend was his first official outdoor gatedrop in over three years, with an encore set to come at Budds Creek. Nice technique in the turn, Tick.

Race officials had a new rule at RedBud: no one is allowed to step in the 15-foot space ahead of the starting gate, a measure that aims to keep certain ruts from being compromised. Haiden Deegan’s popularity at Southwick spurred the initiative, as so many cameramen stood in front of his gate that it packed the sand in more than any other spot on the grid.

Speed tuck.

Clean air.

Jake Cannon had quite the weekend. The Australian up and comer made the trip to the States as part of Yarrive Konsky’s Fire Power Honda effort, got 11th in the one gatedrop that happened on Friday during the Scouting Moto Combine, and then signed up for the 250 Class on Saturday, where he went 31-18 for 21st.

Style check for Talon Hawkins’ scrub off the ski and one-off denim gearset by CANVAS.

Did you see the Checking In With interview we put up with Jett Lawerence on Sunday? The Team Honda HRC rider took us through the details of the injury and surgery, but his admittance that being at the races as a spectator with a headset isn’t his forte was one of our favorite quotes from the chat. Find it on the homepage or YouTube.

Oakley and Troy Lee Designs put together a gear collaboration that was run by the GASGAS Factory Racing crew in Michigan and the Canyon Mountain Bike team in France. The Troy Lee Designs x Oakley VISION gear is on TLD’s SE Ultra platform and SE5 helmet, and now available at retailers and the company website.

Baldy. Throttle Jockey gets endless requests to recreate the Woody Woodpecker design from the early 2000s, but a licensing agreement with Universal Studios keeps that from being a possibility. The Indiana crew decided that the next best thing would be a bald eagle with an American flag, and yeah, it looked great on the Team Honda HRC bikes. The stickers are now available for purchase for your CRF.

This year’s National was the best attended in event history, as camping on property sold out weeks ahead of time and overflow was directed to a nearby fairground, and more than fifteen thousand fans turned out to watch the motos. It’s been great to see so many people at the races this summer and we’re sure the strong turnouts will continue through the back-half of the summer.

Pass attempted...

Pass denied.

These Masterpool-Deegan last lap duels are all-time. The first one at High Point was exciting because it was new and a bit unexpected, but RedBud was feisty all the way to the finish line and the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider proved that he’s not going to back down to the current point leader.

0.369 second margin of victory and a dirt nasty scrub to celebrate.

It’s Perfecta season. The big attachment is the ripper of choice for tracks in the Midwest.

Did this work?

The Monster Energy Kawasaki truck is basically a pantry on wheels (thanks for the coffee, B), and the team even has the Mule stocked with goods for the time in the work area.

Road signs

There is always an influx of European riders during the summer months with the usual contenders from the old MX countries like France and Germany, but it’s been cool to see Estonia become a hotspot in the last few years through riders like Harri Kullas and Jorgen Talviku.

Privateer Power. Sidenote, James Harrington might be the only American rider we’ve ever seen to wear KENNY gear on this side of the Atlantic.

This hat has seen plenty of action over the years. Wonder how many doubles it saw during the heyday of Unadilla…

This moment after 450 Moto One was one of the most striking of the weekend to us, as Chase Sexton stepped onto the podium and was greeted by a massive crowd after a victory in Moto One that came at the cost of Hunter Lawrence’s win and points lead. The excitement for the hometown winner was deafening, but the Honda rider seemed oblivious to it all behind the curtain as he stared off into the distance and pondered the mistake.

We met Gage Stine in the elevator at the hotel on Friday night and quickly talked about his run on the Pro Motocross tour, including the highs of making motos and the lows of not qualifying other weekends. The Massachusetts rider went 29-26 for 28th overall.

The AMA rules state mechanics must wear a collared shirt, but the tie, sport coat, and pocket square are a nice touch.

Rookies on the rise. Both Hunter Lawrence and Justin Cooper have exceeded expectations this summer, and strong results already have us thinking about how the two will stack up in 2025.

Genius.

Chase Sexton had a dream day at RedBud. The Illinois native has done lots of laps at the track and had plenty of memorable moments, including that MXON win in 2022, but Saturday’s laps in Moto Two were some of the best we’ve seen him do as a pro.

Onto Spring Creek. Hard to believe the season is half over already.