2025 RedBud Motocross Photo Gallery

2025 RedBud Motocross Recap

A warm, muggy day and a few unfortunate finishes impacting the Championship highlighted America's race - the Independence Day round of the 2025 Pro Motocross Championship at RedBud MX on Saturday in Buchanon, MI.

Round 6 crossed the halfway point of the series and outside drastic circumstances to the points leaders in each class, stamp this season as finished.

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Jett Lawrence (1-1) won again though not without a bit more effort than a week earlier at Southwick. Brother Hunter Lawrence (2-3) grabbed the $600,000 Holeshot, who battled a bit with RJ Hampshire (3-6), racing his first year in the 450 class along with Jorge Prado (7-5), the Motocross World Championship phenom racing his first full year in the states. Then Aaron Plessinger (6-DNS) showed up. And, of course, Jett Lawrence hung in the mix.

Nine minutes in, Lawrence passed brother Hunter but a deep rut interrupted his flow allowing Hunter to retake the lead. Short lived, at best. A minute later Jett passed Hunter again, this time for good. Their throttle-rolled back-and-forth put distance on third-place Plessinger.

Meanwhile, Eli Tomac (34-7), who started eighth, smoked past Plessinger, literally and figuratively, around the 18 minute mark. Jett started pulling away, Hunter held on in second and with about 10 minutes to go, Tomac's bike looked like a skywriting plane, and he came to a stop with nine minutes and 17 seconds on the clock and so did any hope for a Championship.

Hampshire rallied for third, passing Plessinger with six minutes to go, for his first Moto podium. Prado (7-5) faded and took seventh. Tony Cairoli (9-39), the retired MXGP standout with seven 450 class titles overseas, returned to the United States for the first time since racing Outdoors in 2022, and rode a stock Ducati to ninth place.

In Moto 2, Coty Shock (13-36) grabbed the $600,000 Holeshot but quickly lost it to Prado who looked destined for a win being on the gas and pulling away. Jett Lawrence was 11th, Tomac way outside the Top 20 and Cairoli fourth. The little engine that could in Justin Cooper (4-2) settled in the Top 3.

Lawrence crashed dropping to 18th after two minutes which briefly opened the door to a different type of podium, i.e. one with him not on it. But not to be, Cairoli's Ducati gave up the ghost less than 10 minutes in, Lawrence was seventh by the 22 minute mark then passed Hampshire for fourth two minutes later. Cooper passed Prado for the lead at the 15 minute mark and Lawrence took second four minutes later.

Meanwhile, defending champion Chase Sexton (5-4) returned to racing after a goggle-less get-off at the opening round and he was moving on up. Lawrence stunned with a dirt bike-style parkour move on Cooper with six minutes on the clock for the lead. Sexton moved into second three minutes later. But he washed out in a slippery corner a minute later and dropped to fourth. Cooper regained second and Hunter Lawrence finished third.

Thus Jett Lawrence swept, Hunter Lawrence finished second overall and Cooper third. Hampshire took fourth overall and Sexton rounded out the Top 5. Plessinger did not start Moto 2 because of illness.

Lawrence dedicated his race and win to the Zingg family. The young up-and-coming Aidan Zingg was killed in a tragic accident at Mammoth Motocross on June 28.

"I want to start off by saying, that race, I rode my heart out for the Zingg family. It was a tragic week. My heart goes out to the family I pray for them," Lawrence said. "It's never good having a young fellow leaving this community. That race was for them. My prayers go out to them. I put my heart into that race. I didn't get an ideal start. Made a silly mistake by sliding out, wanting too much. That one was for the Zingg family and I'm glad I was able to execute that and get that win for them. Fly high Zingg."

Lawrence now holds a 51 point advantage over his brother Hunter who moves into second-place in the standings. Tomac drops from second to fourth, 73 points back from first. Cooper moves into third from fifth-place.

250 Class

The Titanic didn't sink, but the lauded defending Champion showed some cracks in his armor and didn't have a great day. Instead...

Jo Shimoda swept.

In Moto 1, Shimoda grabbed the $600,000 Holeshot but was overtaken by Tom Vialle (3-21) after a few turns. But, Shimoda kept within striking distance of Vialle, made the pass at the nine minute mark and pulled away for the checkers. Levi Kitchen (2-19) started 14th and made a last lap pass on Vialle for second after posting some extraordinary lap times to get up front.

The defending Champion meanwhile crashed then crashed again taking a huge spill his body slamming against a berm. (He also crashed in qualifying.) He finished where Kitchen started.

In Moto 2, Jalek Swoll (6-3) squeaked by Shimoda for the $600,000 Holeshot while Jordon Smith (9-22) quickly took second. Kitchen started fifth but Vialle got bumped by another rider after the Holeshot into a side wall, summersaulted and was left behind though he rallied for 21st. And, just two minutes later, Kitchen's hopes for the overall ended when he went off track, spun out. He finished 19th in Moto 2.

Shortly later, Smith jumped crossways off the track and got tangled in the ropes holding up an energy drink advertisement. So long second place for him. The defending champion (whom we cannot name, the silliness of it all!) crashed again while in fourth and dropped to sixth. Shimoda and Michael Mosiman (4-4) passed Swoll nearly simultaneously after 10 minutes and Shimoda would check out from there.

"I just needed the starts," he said. Since the beginning...my riding has been not bad, I just need to get ahead of everyone. This week we tried new mapping with the start and it worked out really good. It's a good confidence booster."

Swoll, returning from an Achilles tear that sidelined him for all of Supercross, got back into second with four minutes left but then passed by the defending champion (14-2) with two laps remaining. Nonetheless, Swoll took second overall and Mosiman finished third. And from Denmark, Mikkel Haarup (8-5) finished fourth overall.

Shimoda tightened the points race from 58 to 38 as he now has a secure hold on second with Kitchen third, 85 points back from first.