Skip to content
We Went Fast
PREVIEW

2025 RedBud MX Research

By Brett Smith

Round 23: Buchanan, Michigan’s RedBud MX

With a 1-2, Jeff Emig won the 125MX class at RedBud in 1992, his first ever Pro Motocross win. Photo: John Raymond
With a 1-2, Jeff Emig won the 125MX class at RedBud in 1992, his first ever Pro Motocross win. Photo: John Raymond

The longest continuously running National on the Pro Motocross schedule, RedBud is known as ‘America’s Motocross Track’

  • First Pro Motocross: 1974 (250cc and 500cc classes)
  • RedBud has run its Pro Motocross uninterrupted since 1976 (Independence Day weekend since 1978)
  • Only two Michiganders have won at RedBud: Mike Hartwig (1974, 500cc) and Jeff Stanton (1989, 250cc).
  • All-time RedBud wins leader: Ricky Carmichael has 7 450MX wins. Eli Tomac and Mike Kiedrowski (3 wins) are 2nd all-time.

More info in the RedBud Venue History page.

REDBUD MX HISTORY
The 2025 Southwick National was Eli Tomac’s 99th career 450 Pro Motocross start. Photo: Octopi

450MX Facts

  • Eli Tomac will make his 100th 450 Pro Motocross start. RedBud is his worst active venue on the circuit (though somewhat impacted by disastrous 2018)
  • Chase Sexton hasn’t finished off the moto or overall podium at RedBud since 2021.
  • Last 3 RedBud overall winners, Chase Sexton (2024), Jett Lawrence (2023), and Eli Tomac (2022) will FINALLY face off here.
  • Hunter Lawrence now has 8 career 450MX runner-up finishes (no wins). Andrew Short had 12 second place finishes (no wins)
  • RedBud is Hunter Lawrence’s worst venue on the 2025 circuit – only 2 overall podiums in 7 starts (both classes)
  • RJ Hampshire has 4 career overall wins on the 250 – 2 at RedBud and 2 at Budds Creek.
  • With Ducati’s Antonio Cairoli lining up, we could see 10 OEMs racing in a Pro Motocross class for the first time since 1978 when 12 different bike brands were represented.
  • Freddie Noren (13 RedBud 450MX starts) could tie Hall of Famer (and local legend) Mike LaRocco for most RedBud 450 starts (14).
  • But… Noren needs to qualify! He failed to qualify at Southwick. Noren (135) could also tie Kyle Lewis (136) for 3rd in all-time premier class starts.
  • Midwestern privateer hero Jeff Walker is expected to make his 13th consecutive RedBud start (3 in 250 and 10 in 450). Only Barry Carsten and Mike LaRocco (17) raced RedBud more times consecutivel.

250MX Facts

  • Haiden Deegan (21) now has more moto wins than Jeff Lawrence (20). More on that below.
  • One more overall win and Haiden Deegan ties Eli Tomac for 13th most 250MX wins all-time (12 wins). Three more wins and he ties Jett Lawrence (14 wins).
  • Jo Shimoda hasn’t taken a holeshot since Budds Creek Moto 1… in 2023!
  • Deegan’s +58 point lead over Jo Shimoda is the largest after 5 rounds since 2008, when Ryan Villopoto had a +58 lead over Ryan Dungey.
  • This week marks the 2nd anniversary of Haiden Deegan’s first professional win (RedBud, July 1, 2023). His 2-3 moto scores got him first overall.

SMX Points Battle

There are 3 different points battles forming as we enter the second half of the Pro Motocross season.

A three-way battle for the SMX #1 seed is breaking out and Justin Cooper is PROJECTED to lead it. Photo: Octopi
  • Cooper Webb, Justin Cooper, and Aaron Plessinger are battling for the top SMX Playoff seed and a 3 point advantage. Notably, Cooper Webb had lost 10+ points per round to Justin Cooper and Aaron Plessinger but in Southwick only lost 2 & 3 points respectively.
  • Chase Sexton (603 pts) and Jett Lawrence (599 pts) are projected to finish just 4 points apart with the assumption Chase scores 40 pts per round (3-3’s) and Jett 48 pts per round (1-2’s).
  • Eli Tomac, Malcolm Stewart, and Hunter Lawrence are separated by 29 points in the projections. This will likely comne down to the final rounds and could be pivotal for Eli and Hunter.
450SMX Points PROJECTIONS (After 28 rounds)

Final thoughts…

  • Chase Sexton returns at Red Bud. We have him averaging 3rd per moto over the final 12 motos.
  • Remember the SuperMotocross points escalates single/double/triple over the 3 rounds. There’s no clinching early and you can make up significant ground in the final two rounds.

There’s still 12 motos and 300 points to earn.

Chase Sexton’s Return

Defending champion, Chase Sexton is expected to return at RedBud, coming off the longest 450 in-season break he’s had since he missed rounds 3-8 of the 2021 Supercross series.

Chase Sexton’s win at RedBud 2024 was the 8th of his career. Photo: Garth Milan
  • Historically, RedBud isn’t kind to locals: Indiana’s Mike LaRocco (17 starts) NEVER won here and Michigan’s Jeff Stanton (8 starts) only got one win. Sexton grew up 173 to the west and raced here as a kid.
  • Sexton’s DNF-DNF (for 41st) at Fox Raceway ended an incredible streak of 36 straight top 5 finishes.
  • Sexton has never missed a 450 race at RedBud. It’s not his best venue but he considers it a ‘hometown’ race.
  • This weekend will be his 7th 450 RedBud start, tying Fox Raceway for the most starts he’s made at a single MX venue.
Chase Sexton @ RedBud (450 class)

RedBud Diversity

  • Six different riders have won the most recent six 450 overalls at ReBud MX.
  • Curiously, all six won the opening moto.
  • Eli Tomac (2022, 2019, 2017) is the only active rider with multiple wins at RedBud.
Recent RedBud 450MX Winners

European Invasion to America’s Racetrack

The 39-year-old semi-retired Italian legend Antonio Cairoli will join his former rival Jorge Prado of Spain for a two race stint in AMA Pro Motocross.

  • Cairoli is racing the RedBud and Spring Creek rounds of the Pro Motocross Championships.
Cairoli Returns
  • 2025 Update: Cairoli finished 7th overall on his Ducati Desmo 450 MX at the recent Grand Prix of Great Britain on June 22.
  • He was Grand Marshal at The Wick 338 last weekend.
  • Retired from full-time racing after the 2021 season.
  • 2022: Cairoli raced 5 rounds of AMA Pro Motocross but this will be his first time racing RedBud and Spring Creek.
  • 2022: Had one top 5 overall finish (Lakewood) but was top 10 in the first 6 motos.
  • 2022: Twisted his knee in moto 1 of High Point and didn’t return until Budds Creek (round 10)
Antonio Cairoli’s FIM World Motocross Career

LaRocco’s Leap. The 411

Named after Mike LaRocco, LaRocco’s Leap is an Evel-Knievel-hold-it-wide-open-for-the-fans triple jump created in the early 1990s by Red Bud’s Tim Ritchie and eventual two-time Pro Motocross champion Mike LaRocco.

James Stewart jumping LaRocco’s Leap on a KX125 in 2002. Photo: Jeff Kardas
  • Gap Length: 125-ft. (takeoff to landing of sweet spot).
  • Run-in length: less than 100-ft. (exit of corner to takeoff. Length depends on which line a rider takes)
  • The vertical, elevator-style takeoff obstructs the view of the landing and the deep loamy left handed sweeper before it saps engine power.
  • The consequences of coming up short are broken spokes, wheels and hubs, occasionally bent frames, sometimes broken ankles and wrists.
  • Its namesake, Mike LaRocco hailed from nearby South Bend, Indiana. He lined up for 17 Pro Motocross events at RedBud.
  • Must read/listen: James Stewart vs. LaRocco’s Leap.
Mike LaRocco @ Red Bud (all classes)

Haiden Deegan Passes Jett Lawrence

With another 1-1 performance, Haiden Deegan, just jumped past Jett Lawrence and Jeff Ward on the all-time 250MX moto wins list. With 21 250MX moto wins, he’s tied with two-time champion Mike Kiedrowski for 14th all-time.

For overall wins, Deegan now has 11 (tied with Jeff Ward/14th all-time). His max potential is 17, which would land him between Ryan Villopoto (19) and Guy Cooper (16).

Haiden Deegan is set up to do some chart climbing this summer. Photo: Octopi

At RedBud, Deegan could enter a 4-way tie for 11th most moto wins

12 motos remain in the 2025 MX season. Deegan’s MAX potential is 33, which would land him 7th all-time.

All-Time 250MX Moto Wins (10th-16th)