The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team went to battle at the historic RedBud National, the seventh round of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship, in Buchanan, Mich. on Saturday. The team had a strong showing, with Phil Nicoletti earning fifth in the 450 class, and Michael Mosiman, Mitchell Harrison, Jordan Bailey, and Ryan Sipes finishing eighth, 10th, 12th, and 16th, respectively, in the 250 class.
Phil Nicoletti got a great start in the first 450 moto and quickly moved into third. He inherited the second-place spot after the leader went down, then went back to third the following lap. He fought hard for position and looked strong as he charged his way through the moto. He put on an impressive ride despite being shuffled back and crossed the finish line in sixth. He was mid-pack at the start of the second moto and came out of the first lap in eighth. He charged to sixth in the second lap and put on a strong ride to finish sixth. He went 6-6 for an impressive fifth overall on the day.
“It felt really great to get in the top-five,” said Nicoletti. “It’s been a long time coming, and we made great progress this week. The track was brutal, and it wasn’t easy by any means. I ran in second for a long time in the first moto, but I’m not quite used to that pace. If I keep putting myself in that position I’ll keep getting better. I’m happy with everything and I’m going to keep plugging away.”
Michael Mosiman was mid-pack at the start of the first 250 moto and was riding in 14th by the second lap. He charged his way to 11th by the fifth lap, then continued to push as he made his way into the top-10 with eight minutes remaining. He held his ground and finished ninth despite going down twice in the race. He got a great start in the second moto and came out of the first lap in fourth. He was shuffled back to 12th then made one more pass to finish just outside the top-10 in 11th. He went 9-11 for eighth overall on the day.
“RedBud is in the books,” said Mosiman. “There’s definitely some positives to take away, but a lot of mistakes were made. My speed was good, but I need to be up there mixing it up with those guys. I got a good start in the second moto, but went down twice. I got ninth in the first moto, but crashed twice there, too. I’m going to keep striving and will enjoy the weekend off.”
Mitchell Harrison went down at the start of the first 250 moto and had to work his way through the field. He was in 17th in lap 10 then made a late race charge to finish 13th despite crashing three times during the race. He pulled the holeshot in the second moto but got shuffled back to sixth by the end of the first lap. He was eighth around the halfway mark and stayed strong to finish eighth. The 13-18 finish gave him 10th overall on the day.
“I learned a lot this weekend,” said Harrison. “I went down three times in the first moto and got tangled up with a few guys. I had a strong second half of the moto and came back to 13th. I ripped the holeshot in the second moto, but these guys are so fast and they got by me. I rode my own race and was strong in the second half and caught a few riders. If I can do the whole moto like I can in the second half I’ll be right up there.”
Jordan Bailey was mid-pack at the start of the first 250 moto and was just outside of the top-10 in the second lap. He held strong in 11th the majority of the race before finishing 12th. He was mid-pack at the start of the second moto and was riding strong in 12th. He moved up to 11th soon after then made two more passes for ninth after the halfway point. He put on a great ride and made one more pass to finish 10th. He finished 12-10 for 12th overall.
“RedBud lived up to its expectation,” said Bailey. “The track was deep and the ruts were nasty. Practice was good for me. I finished 12th in the first moto, then finished 10th in the second moto. It’s a step in the right direction. I’m going to keep building and will work on getting better results.”
Ryan Sipes joined the team as a fill-in rider this week, and held his ground amongst the stacked field. He got a decent start in the first 250 moto and came out of the first lap mid-pack. He stayed consistent the remainder of the race to finish 16th. He got a good start in the second moto and was eighth by the end of the first lap, then put on a strong ride and finished 13th. The 16-13 finish gave him 16th overall.
“I was able to get pretty good starts both motos,” said Sipes. “It took me awhile to get going in the first moto. I rode a lot better the second moto. I’m ok with 16-13 for only having two days on the bike. I haven’t ridden a track this gnarly in years, so I’m good with it.”
Next Race: July 21 – Spring Creek National – Millville, MN
RedBud National Results
250 Class
1. Aaron Plessinger (1,1)
2. Alex Martin (4,3)
3. Dylan Ferrandis (3,4)
4. Shane McElrath (5,9)
5. Justin Cooper (8,7)
6. Chase Sexton (11,6)
7. Austin Forkner (35,2)
8. Michael Mosiman – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – (9,11)
9. RJ Hampshire (2,40)
10. Mitchell Harrison – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing (13,8)
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12. Jordan Bailey – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing (12,10)
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16. Ryan Sipes – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing (16,13)
450 Class
1. Marvin Musquin (2,1)
2. Ken Roczen (1,3)
3. Justin Barcia (4,2)
4. Blake Baggett (5,5)
5. Phil Nicoletti – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing (6,6)
6. Justin Hill (10,4)
7. Cooper Webb (7,7)
8. Kyle Cunningham (11,8)
9. Weston Peick (8,11)
10. Jake Nichols (9,13)
250 Class Rider Point Standings
1. Aaron Plessinger – 283 points
2. Alex Martin – 248 points
3. Justin Cooper – 201 points
4. Shane McElrath – 198 points
5. Austin Forkner – 191 points
6. Jeremy Martin – 176 points
7. RJ Hampshire – 176 points
8. Chase Sexton – 166 points
9. Jordon Smith – 163 points
10. Dylan Ferrandis – 149 points
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12. Michael Mosiman – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 119 points
13. Zach Osborne – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 105 points
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15. Jordan Bailey – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 72 points
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17. Mitchell Harrison – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 51 points
450 Class Rider Point Standings
1. Marvin Musquin – 304 points
2. Eli Tomac – 301 points
3. Justin Barcia – 264 points
4. Ken Roczen – 246 points
5. Blake Baggett – 232 points
6. Weston Peick – 193 points
7. Benny Bloss – 176 points
8. Phil Nicoletti – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – 172 points
9. Cody Cooper – 101 points
10. Kyle Cunningham – 93 points
