Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing teammates feature toward the front again
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider RJ Hampshire raced to a fourth-place result in Indianapolis’ 250SX East/West Showdown tonight, as 450SX teammate Malcolm Stewart delivered a consistent performance with sixth position after winning his Heat Race earlier on.
Current 250SX West Champion Hampshire put in a solid display during the Eastern Division Heat Race, powering his Husqvarna FC 250 Factory Edition to P2 after challenging for the win.
A hard charge in the Main Event saw Hampshire positioned well outside the top 10 in the early stages, with an impressive comeback ride in challenging track conditions resulting in a fourth-place finish, and a solid haul of points toward his title chances.
“Overall, we got a couple of points back toward the championship, which is positive,” reflected Hampshire. “I had a pretty big crash there in the last qualifier on the last lap, which definitely didn’t help the night. I felt good in the Heat, then had a terrible start in the Main – I think I was around 17th – but passed some good guys and fought my way up to fourth. It was a good charge, but probably should’ve been better. We have a weekend off now, then we’ll come out swinging in Birmingham.”
The team lined up with a special ‘Love Moto Stop Cancer’ livery in support of the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital round this weekend.
Indianapolis served up its typical rutty, technical environment, with a mixture of patience and lap-speed at a premium for success on the night. For Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Stewart, P2 in 450SX qualifying was quickly backed up by a popular Heat Race victory on board his Husqvarna FC 450 Factory Edition.
Spending the Main Event battling around the top-five, Stewart would find himself in P6 by the time the checkered flag flew, and remains fifth in the 450SX standings.
“Indy fans always show me love,” commented Stewart. “Back-to-back Heat Race wins were good from Daytona and Indy, and then in the Main Event, I didn’t get a great start and tried to pick my way through. But with the track being rutty and technical, if you’re not 100 percent on, it can be difficult. I felt a little off in the Main, got a bit tight, and that’s just racing. We live and learn, because we know we’re capable of more, but we’ll get some rest and come back stronger at the next one.”
Next Race: March 22 – Birmingham, Alabama
Results 450SX Class – Indianapolis
- Cooper Webb (Yamaha)
- Justin Cooper (Yamaha)
- Chase Sexton (KTM)
- Justin Barcia (GASGAS)
- Aaron Plessinger (KTM)
- Malcolm Stewart (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing)
Standings 450SX Class 2025 after 9 of 17 rounds
- Cooper Webb, 193 points
- Chase Sexton, 178
- Ken Roczen, 167
- Malcolm Stewart, 140
- Justin Barcia, 129
- Aaron Plessinger, 105
Results 250SX East/West Showdown – Indianapolis
- Seth Hammaker (Kawasaki)
- Tom Vialle (KTM)
- Haiden Deegan (Yamaha)
- RJ Hampshire (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing)
- Julien Beaumer (KTM)
Standings 250SX East Class 2025 after 4 of 10 rounds
- Tom Vialle, 79 points
- Max Anstie, 78
- Seth Hammaker, 68
- RJ Hampshire, 67
