RED BUD WAS HOT, BUT NOT AS HOT AS THE STAR YAMAHAS

Chase Sexton (1) was back from his self-imposed exile. He was angry that the internet was full of so many false and scurrilous rumors about why he wasn’t at the races. Of course, at anytime since his Pala crash, he could have posted on Instagram about what he was doing to put a stop to the misleading information. However, at his Red Bud return Chase rode well for a guy who’s last race was back on March 24. He went 5-4 for fifth at Red Bud.

Aaron Plessinger (7) came to Red Bud with the same mysterious illness that has been floating through the pits as of late. He gave it all he had in the first moto to get a 6th, but couldn’t answer the bell for moto two.

You gotta love Tony Cairoli, the retired nine-time World Champion does not have to fly to the USA to race in the heat of summer, but Tony just loves to race. He probably wasn’t too bummed when his Ducati Desmo450 broke in the second moto and he didn’t have to get over-heated. Ducati said the DNF was because of “electrical problems,” which is manufacturer code for whatever it is that they don’t want you to know.

There is no reason to fawn over Jett Lawrence’s 1-1 day at Red Bud. He has set the bar so high in the 2025 AMA 450 National Motocross Championship that anything less than perfect will be seen as a sign of weakness. And from what we can tell, he doesn’t have any weaknesses apart from wearing sunglasses in interviews and on the podium. .

Eli Tomac (3) has been amazingly consistent. In the first five Nationals he went 2-4-2-3-3, but at Red Bud he went 34-7 for 13th overall. He got the 34 when his YZ450 started steaming. When he slowed down in a rut and the heat won the battle.

Husqvarna is running a two-man team and 250 graduate (after 10 years), R.J. Hampshire (24) has been elevated to the star of the team as his 3-6 day at Red Bud underscored. R.J is now 6th in 450 points.

Jo Shimoda (30) was part of an impressive Honda sweep of Red Bud—with the Lawrence brothers going one-two in the 450 class and Jo sweeping both motos of the 250 class

Ryder DiFrancesco (25) surprised everyone in timed qualifying by setting the fastest time in the 250 class by a big margin. Unfortunately, bad starts hampered the greatest day of his AMA Pro career, but he did get sixth overall with a 12-6 score 

250 points leader Haiden Deegan had a terrible first moto in the 250 class. He bounced back and forth between 12th and 14 in the first moto and fell twice. In the second moto, he made amends, by coming from the back to finish second. However, his 14-2 day was only good enough for 5th overasssll behind Mikkel Haarup, Michael Mosiman, Jalek Swoll and Jo Shimoda.

Michael Mosiman (93), along with several team mates in the Star Yamaha camp, has been having overheating problems that have cost him several top five finishes. At Red Bud his YZ250F held together long enough to make the podium.

Tom Vialle (16) was thir din the first 250 moto, but he collided with Michael Mosiman off the start of the second 250 moto and was sent flying. There are lots of rumors that Vialle will retrun to Europe next year to race for Honda. However, whether he goes to Europe or stays in the USA, he will be forced to race the 450 class.

RED BUD RESULTS, POINT STANDINGS

450 RESULTS: 2025 RED BUD NATIONAL
1. Jett Lawrence (Hon)…1-1
2. Hunter Lawrence (Hon)…2-3
3. Justin Cooper (Yam)…4-2
4. R.J. Hampshire (Hus)…3-6
5. Chase Sexton (KTM)…5-4
6. Jorge Prado (Kaw)…7-5
7. Justin Barcia (Gas)…8-9
8. Malcolm Stewart (Hus)…11-10
9. Cooper Webb (Yam)..15-8
10. Harri Kullas (Hus)…12-11

250 RESULTS: 2025 RED BUD NATIONAL
1. Jo Shimoda (Hon)..1-1.
2. Jalek Swoll (Tri)…6-3
3. Michael Mosiman (Yam)..4-4
4. Mikkel Haarup (Tri)…8-5
5. Haiden Deegan (Yam)..14-2
6, Ryder DiFrancesco (Gas)…12-6
7. Levi Kitchen (Kaw)…2-19
8. Parker Ross (Yam)….11-10
9. Seth Hammaker (Kaw)..5-16
10. Garrett Marchbanks (Kaw)…10-12

TOP TEN IN 450 NATIONAL AFTER RED BUD
(Round 6 of 11)
1. Jett Lawrence…290
2. Hunter Lawrence…239
3. Justin Cooper…221
4. Eli Tomac…217
5. Aaron Plessinger…204
6. RJ Hampshire…185
7. Cooper Webb..151
8. Jorge Prado…147
8. Joey Savatgy…124
10. Jason Anderson…111

TOP TEN IN 250 NATIONAL POINTS AFTER RED BUD
(Round 6 of 11)
1. Haiden Deegan…274
2. Jo Shimoda…236
3. Levi Kitchen…189
4. Tom Vialle…186
5. Garrett Marchbanks..184
6. Michael Mosiman…..149
7. Mikkel Haarup…144
8 Chance Hymas…132
9. Max Vohland…124
10, Seth Hammaker…122

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• 2025 WORLD VET CHAMPIONSHIP DISCOUNT ENTRIES? DO YOU WANT TO SAVE MONEY?

Early registration for the 2025 Dubya World Vet Motocross Championships opened with a flurry, when racers from 23 different countries pre-enter as soon a early registration opened. By registering to race early, you can save money on the entry fees. For example, if you took advantage of the early entry offer in the month of June you could get you first class for $60 and your second class, if you want to race two classes, for $50. However, you already missed the window for that offer, but staring in July the pre-entry will rise to $70 for your first class and $60 for your second class. When the calendar flips to August, your first class will be $80 and your second class will be $70.

You don’t have to guess what the entry fee will be in September or October, because they have gradually been going up $10 per month. Once you realized that you missed all the good offers and it is close to race date, the post entry fee will be $100. Yes, you will complain about the entry fee at sign-up, but they will just say, you should have entered in June, July, August, September and early October.,

Over 500 racers have pre-entered the 2025 World Vet already—even though it is four months away.

2025 WORLD VET RACING FORMAT

(1) This will be a 3-Moto format event.
(2) One Moto per Class Friday, Saturday and Sunday(3-days of racing)
(3) All three motos count for your overall scores.
(4) Pro Motos will only have two motos and race on the same day:
(5) Friday will be the Pasha 125cc Over 50 Pro class and the first moto of the World Cup
(6) Saturday will be the Pasha 125cc Over-30 Pro and the Over-50 Pro class
(7) Sunday will be the Over 30 Pro and World Cup Moto 2 (The World Cup will have 1st Moto on Friday and 2nd Moto on Sunday). For more detailed information go to www.glenhelen.com

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• MXA PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: TM DESIGNWORKS 2025 HONDA CRF450/CRF250 SLIDE-N-GUIDE KIT

WHAT IS IT? TM Designworks is a dominant manufacturer of durable, high-performance protection and driveline components for dirt bikes. Known for its innovative chain guides, sliders, and chain rollers, TM Designworks’ products emphasize longevity and performance, making them a popular choice among competitive riders who demand reliable protection. MXA installed the Factory Edition SX Slide-N-Guide kit and chain guide on our 2025 Honda CRF450. It also fits on 2021 to 2025 CRF450, RX and WE models, in addition to 2022 to 2025 CRF250 and RX models.

WHAT’S IT COST? $155.95.

CONTACT? (541) 772-4161 or www.tmdesignworks.com

WHAT STANDS OUT? Here’s a list of things that stand out with the TM Designworks 2025 HONDA CRF450/250Slide-N-Guide kit for the 2025 CRF450 and CRF250.(1) Installation. Before installing the TM Designworks Factory Edition Slide-N-Guide Kit, perform a quick evaluation of the current wear on the drive components. Check the drive-chain slack, as you’ll likely need to loosen the rear wheel and the drive-chain-adjuster lock nuts to achieve the recommended 65–70mm (2-1/2 inches) of chain slack, measured from the back of the chain slider to the center of the chain pin. You may need to remove the countershaft sprocket. Be sure to clean the bolt threads and use the recommended torque settings when reinstalling, taking care not to overtighten, as the bolts have minimal threading into the swingarm.

For the chain guide, install all bolts and nuts, then set them to OEM torque specifications. We also recommend removing the drive-chain adjuster and applying anti-seize to help prevent future binding. Next, check the index marks on the swingarm to ensure even alignment. Reinstall the rear wheel and countershaft sprocket using Loctite and OEM torque settings, then verify that the chain-master clip is correctly positioned.

(2) Performance. TM Designworks’ performance has consistently been at the top of the list for years. Made in the USA, this product isn’t the cheapest option, but you get what you pay for—reliability and durability that will likely outlast your entire riding season.

(3) Options. TM Designworks offers four different kits for the 2025 Honda CRF450 to suit various riding needs. In addition to the Factory Edition SX Slide-N-Guide Kit, TM has two different chain guide options—red or black.

WHAT’S THE SQUAWK? Chain guides and buffer pads often exhibit noisy chain slap, but TM Designworks’ updated designs and damping pads reduce chain-slap noise while maintaining OEM-correct chain-drive slack.

MXA RATING: Over the years, we’ve come to appreciate TM Designworks’ evolution of Made-in-America chain guides, which are some of the best in the game.

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• 2025 MXGP WINNERS AT A GLANCE 

With eight races left in the 2025 FIM World  Motocross Championship Romain Febvre maintains his hold on the 2025 FIM 450 World title.

Date/Venue                                                450                                                                 250
Mar. 2…Argentina…………Maxime Renaux (Yam)……………………Kay de Wolf (Hus)
Mar. 16…Spain #1…………Tim Gajser (Hon)…………………………….Liam Everts (Hus)
Mar. 23…France #1……….Tim Gajser (Hon)…………………………….Andrea Adamo  (KTM)
Apr. 6…Sardinia……………Romain Febvre (Kaw)……………………..Kay de Wolf (Hus)
April 13…Italy……………..Tim Gajser (Hon)…………………………….Thibault Benistant (Yam)
April 21…Switzerland…….Lucas Coenen (KTM)………………………..Simon Laegenfelder (KTM)
May 4…Portugal……………Lucas Coenen (KTM)………………………Andrea Adamo  (KTM)
May 11…Spain #2………….Romain Febvre (Kaw)………………………Kay de Wolf (Hus)
May 25…France #2……….Romain Febvre (Kaw)………………………Simon Laegenfelder (KTM)
June 1…Germany…………Jeffrey Herlings (KTM)…………………….Andrea Adamo  (KTM)
June 8…Latvia…………….Jeffrey Herlings (KTM)…………………….Sacha Coenen (KTM)
June 22…Great Britain…..Romain Febvre (Kaw)………………………Simon Laegenfelder (KTM)
July 13…Finland
July 27…Czech Republic
Aug. 3…Belgium
Aug. 17…Sweden
Aug 24…Holland
Sept. 7…Turkey
Sept. 14…China
Sept. 21…Australia
450 points leader…Romain Febvre (Kaw)
250 points leader...Simon Lagegendfelder  (KTM)

Romain Febvre holds a 30 point lead over Lucas Coenen in the 450 class

TOP TEN IN 450 GRAND PRIX POINTS AFTER 12 OF 20 RACES
1. Romain Febvre…604
2. Lucas Coenen…574
3. Glenn Coldenhoff…430
4. Ruben Fernandez…398
5. Maxime Renaux…360
6. Jeffrey Herlings…350
7. Calvin Vlaanderen…331
8. Andrea Bonacorsi …328
9. Tim Gajser…305
10. Jeremy Seewer…277

Simon Laengenfelder has a 49 point leader in the 250 World Championship.

TOP TEN IN 250 GRAND PRIX POINTS AFTER AFTER 12 OF 20 RACES
1. Simon Laengenfelder…597
2. Andrea Adamo…548
3. Kay de Wolf… 525
4. Liam Everts…474
5. Sacha Coenen…435
6. Thibault Benistant… 425
7. Camden Mc Lellan…373
8. Valerio Lata…293
9. Cas Valk…267
10. Oriol Oliver…253

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• 2025 AMA NATIONAL MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP TV SCHEDULE: PEACOCK ALL THE TIME, NBC FOUR TIMES & USA TWICE

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• THE GREATEST DEAL IN MOTOCROSS: REAL WORDS, MORE TECH, BIG PHOTOS & A $25 ROCKY MOUNTAIN CREDIT

This is the June 2025 cover of MXA. If you are interested in motorcycles, this issue has you covered with a 2025 YZ125 versus 2025 YZ250 comparison test. There are also  “Race Tests” of the 2025-1/2 KTM 250SXF Factory Edition and 2025 Triumph TF250-X. We also did an indepth shootout between the 2025 Husqvarna TC125, 2025 KTM 150SX, 2025 Husky TC250 and 2025 KTM 300SX.

Inside our panel of motocross specialists fill you in on the things you need to know: REP’s Mark Johnson explains how to  use your bike’s suspension clickers in harmony with each other; Twisted Development’s Jamie Ellis discusses developing the race engines for a myriad of AMA Pro teams by analyzing port sizes, gear ratios, intake trumpet design, injector location and  balancing torque and horsepower to unleash the most performance possible; Meanwhile, on the human  performance side of things,  Gainslinger’s Cameron Purczynski explains the five things that you can do to help improve your brain’s neuroplasticity to help your brain learn new things quicker.

And of course, it wouldn’t  be MXA without “Jody’s Box.” In this issue Jody explains how blessed he feels to have tested virtually every  motocross bike made over the last 51 years (48 of those years at MXA).

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• THE 2025 GREAT PLAINS VINTAGE MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP RETURNS ON JULY 20 AT RAZOR EDGE IN FARRAGUT, IOWA

The eight-round Great Plains Vintage series The Great Plains Vintage MX association is kicking off our 2025 season with six vintage-style tracks, each designed to honor the roots of our sport. No monstrous double (or triple) jumps or treacherous rhythm sections! For 2025 it has has four rounds in Nebraska, two rounds in Iowa and one round in South Dakota. For more information go to www.greatplainsvintagemx.org.

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The MXA wrecking crew is everything moto related. Check out our MXA YouTube channel for bike reviews, Supercross coverage, rider interviews and much more. And don’t forget to hit that subscribe button.

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• TALK MOTO WITH ON MXA’S FACEBOOK GROUP CHAT

We love everything moto and want to bring all moto junkies together into one place to share their two cents, ideas, photos, bike fixes, bike problems and much more. To check it out, you  need to have a Facebook account. If you don’t, it isn’t much work to get one (and you could even have an alias so nobody knows it is you). To join MXA’s Facebook Group, click HERE. After you request to join we will accept your request shortly after. 

Photos Credits:  Trevor Nelson, Debbi Tamietti, GasGas,  Jon Ortner, Beta,  KTM, Kawasaki, Brian Converse, Kawasaki and MXA archives