It was a mixed outing for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing in Round 6 of the 2026 AMA Pro Motocross Championship at Southwick, with RJ Hampshire leading the team’s charge by securing eighth overall in the 450MX division, and Ryder DiFrancesco landed on the 250MX podium in Moto 1.
Equipped with the Husqvarna FC 450 Factory Edition, Hampshire qualified seventh-fastest in the premier class, posting a 1:57.531 lap-time during the morning sessions at the notoriously rough and sandy Southwick circuit.
Running inside the top-five in Moto 1, a mid-race fall dropped Hampshire down the order, with the 30-year-old recovering to salvage eighth. A first-turn crash in Moto 2 saw him charge back to 10th, with those combined scores earning P8 overall. As a result, RJ now sits tied for fifth in the 450MX standings as the series heads to Spring Creek on July 18.
“Honestly, Southwick was a really tough day,” commented Hampshire. “I crashed in the first moto, and never found the flow – I was struggling pretty badly. Moto 2, we made some changes and got a pretty good start, but lost the front in the first corner, so I was dead-last, but felt much better in the race. I worked my way back into the top-10, so overall we finished with P8 on the day – it wasn’t great, but I’m happy to salvage a result.”
Entering Southwick off the back of a career-first 250MX overall podium at RedBud, DiFrancesco qualified 10th aboard his Husqvarna FC 250 Factory Edition, before converting that pace into a hard-fought third-place finish in Moto 1. A solid start to Moto 2 was undone by an early crash, ultimately finishing just outside the points to claim 12th overall. Following six rounds of Pro Motocross, he retains fifth in the standings.
“I had a pretty good feeling on the track all day at Southwick,” reflected DiFrancesco. “Qualifying was so-so, but I knew that a start here is very important and was able to put myself in a good position in Moto 1. I rode solid to post my best moto at this venue to date, which shows we’re continuing to improve. It was unfortunate to crash in Moto 2, but we’ll shift our eyes forward to Millville.”
250MX teammate Casey Cochran powered his Husqvarna FC 250 Factory Edition to a solid eighth-place finish in Moto 1. In the demanding conditions of race two, the 20-year-old charged forward to 16th position and secured 11th overall.
“To finish inside the top-10 in Moto 1, that was a solid start to the day,” Cochran said. “I pushed hard in that second moto also, had to come from a long way back, so it wasn’t easy but we can take some confidence from the weekend. On to Millville!”
It was a difficult weekend for fellow 250MX contender Daxton Bennick onboard his Husqvarna FC 250 Factory Edition. He qualified 13th and then recorded a 25th-place result in Moto 1, before his day finished with an unfortunate DNF following a crash in Moto 2.
Also in action at the Southwick National was Rockstar Energy Husqvarna amateur talent Landon Gibson, who finished 20th in Moto 1 before improving to an impressive 10th-place result in race two, with his combined scorecard enough to claim 14th overall in just his second-career 250MX start.
“This weekend was really good to get back into 250MX and build experience,” recalled Gibson. “We worked our way into the day and then were rewarded with a top-10 in that second moto – it means a lot and I’m excited with the result we’re able to take home this weekend.”
Next Race: July 18 – Spring Creek, Minnesota
Results 450MX Class – Southwick National
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda)
2. Hunter Lawrence (Honda)
3. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha)
4. Jorge Prado (KTM)
8. RJ Hampshire (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing)
36. Lucas Coenen (KTM)
Standings 450MX Class 2026 after 6 of 11 rounds
1. Jett Lawrence, 271 points
2. Hunter Lawrence, 270
3. Haiden Deegan, 218
4. Jorge Prado, 202
6. RJ Hampshire, 183
11. Aaron Plessinger, 102
19. Lucas Coenen, 44
25. Dante Oliveira, 25
35. Malcolm Stewart, 10
Results 250MX Class – Southwick National
1. Sacha Coenen (KTM)
2. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki)
3. Cole Davies (Yamaha)
5. Julien Beaumer (KTM)
11. Casey Cochran (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing)
12. Ryder DiFrancesco (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing)
14. Landon Gibson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing)
32. Daxton Bennick (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing)
Standings 250MX Class 2026 after 6 of 11 rounds
1. Cole Davies, 227 points
2. Levi Kitchen, 225
3. Jo Shimoda, 194
4. Julien Beaumer, 194
5. Ryder DiFrancesco, 167
12. Casey Cochran, 109
14. Sacha Coenen, 83
22. Daxton Bennick, 43
Michael Le Pard (“Mr. Totalmotorcycle”) is the Founder of Total Motorcycle, the world’s largest motorcycle information site, trusted by over 430 million riders since 1999. With over 34 years of experience in motorcycles, gear and rider culture, he has built a global community dedicated to empowering and inspiring motorcyclists.
Total Motorcycle remains his passion project. Combining expert research, hands‑on knowledge and a commitment to helping riders make informed decisions about bikes, gear and safety worldwide.
