Hymas On Top

Though a 4-1 two moto finish “barely” got him 2nd place at the Lakewood (Colo.) MX National earlier this summer, Monster Energy’s Chance Hymas (Honda) had the exact same effort and results on Saturday  – and this time he’d end up on top of the BOB The Cooler Co. RedBud MX National podium with his first career Pro Motocross Championship victory.

“I didn’t even know I got the overall until I came into impound and everyone was going ‘Yeah, you got the win!,’” said Hymas. “Man, 4-1 last time I barely got 2nd, so it obviously feels really good to win on the Fourth of July weekend and being the only American on the team. I feel it’s kind of a bucket list win here at RedBud. And being it’s my first one makes it pretty special.”

The 250 class podium hits just kept on coming for Monster Energy as RedBud Moto 1 winner Ty Masterpool (Pro Circuit/Kawasaki) would score the overall runner-up position, with Jo Shimoda (Honda) completing the Monster Energy podium sweep in 3rd.

The all-important second 250 moto came down to Hymas, who led the moto wire-to-wire, and Masterpool, who’d battled unbelievably hard against 250 points leader Haiden Deegan (Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha) for the opening moto win. In Moto 2 an admitted physically spent Masterpool would get bye Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki teammate Levi Kitchen and into 3rd place in the second moto – which would have given him the overall win (1-3 to Hymas’ 4-1). But in the end he wasn’t able to keep the position and had to settle on 2nd to Hymas.

Said Masterpool: “In that first moto it didn’t help that Deegan and I were battling for the entire moto. That second moto I had 1st overall for a while. But, unfortunately, I hit a wall.”

As for Deegan, the hottest racer as of late would go 2-6 for 5th place, but left RedBud with a comfortable overall lead – 42 points ahead of 2nd place Hymas, 276-234.

In 450 class racing Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson led the charge with his best finish of the season (4th). And Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha’s Justin Cooper continued to run well in his first year in the class, rounding out the top five in 5th.

Scouting Moto Combine

Prior to Saturday’s Pro Motocross Championship races at RedBud, fans had the opportunity to see the top up-and-coming amateur racers with the series’ Scouting Moto Combine races. Monster Energy would be well-represented in this event as M-claw racers, who’ll you’ll see again in August at the Monster Energy Amateur National Championships at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Tennessee, took the top five positions in the Combine. Those racers were: 1st – Drew Adams (Kawasaki); 2nd – Krystian Janik (Kawasaki); 3rd – Landen Gordon (Kawasaki); 4th – Leum Oehlhof (Yamaha); 5th – Avery Long (Yamaha)

Overall Standings (6 of 11 rounds)

250 class                                  450 class                      

1st - Deegan, 276 points             4th - Cooper, 176 points

2nd - Hymas, 234 points             6th - Anderson, 185 points

4th - Shimoda, 213 points           7th - Ferrandis, 172 points

Notes & Quotes

• “I’m not from America, or American. But I love this crowd. Love the energy,” said Shimoda on the RedBud crowd.
• “These fans out here are wild, man. You can’t even block them out on the track. You hear them more than your bike. It’s insane,” added Masterpool.
• Hymas has now led the same amount of laps this season as Deegan – 65.
• “It’s me versus me. Plan doesn’t change if I’m in 10th or 1st.” – Masterpool
• “With all the effort he gave in the first moto, and in the first half of the second moto, it was just too much effort given,” NBC announcer Ricky Carmichael on Masterpool.
• “It was fun to be back. It’s been a while. Overall, I just wanted to take all of it in and just enjoy it. And I feel like we did that today.” – Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Broc Tickle
• “You talk about laying it all on the line? This was an absolute battle and an incredible ride by Masterpool.” – Carmichael on Masterpool’s opening moto battle with Hymas.
• “Masterpool holds on to win the first moto by three-tenths of a second!” – NBC announcer Jason Weigandt on what’s, arguably, the best 250 moto of the season thus far.
• “Justin Cooper’s so light and that Yamaha YZ has plenty of HP (horsepower).” – Carmichael on Cooper’s eyebrow-raising pass on KTM’s Aaron Plessinger over RedBud’s famed LaRocco’s Leap.

Up next: Round 7 of the 2024 Pro Motocross Championship runs ‘er up north to Minnesota for the annual running of the July 13th FXR Spring Creek MX National in Millville. For more information on the AMA Pro Motocross Championships, link to www.promotocross.com