AMA Pro Motocross is just around the corner
After a highly competitive and exciting trio of title fights, racers now shift focus towards the upcoming Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship which will kick off in a matter of weeks, on May 29, with the Fox Raceway I National in Pala, California.
At the final round of the season this past Saturday from Salt Lake City’s Rice-Eccles Stadium, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Cooper Webb wrapped up his second 450SX Class title in three years. The 2019 champion clinched World Championship number two on a high note with his eighth main event win of the season.
In the two 250SX Class regional championships, a pair of first-time titleholders emerged from the Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing effort. In the East Region, Colt Nichols overcame years of hardship to earn his first championship in his seventh season of competition, while Justin Cooper finally prevailed in the West Region after back-to-back runner-up finishes. The sweep by Star Yamaha signified the first time since 2012 that a team won both 250SX Class titles.
With their attention now directed towards the summer, Webb, Cooper, and Nichols will each look to carry their championship momentum into Pro Motocross and build upon their previous successes at the Nationals.
Although he was forced to sit out the majority of last season with a back injury, Webb is a former 250 Class Champion and has a 450 Class win to his credit in Pro Motocross. Moreover, his trademark tenacity could pay big dividends over the course of the summer’s 24 motos.
Entering his fourth season in the 250 Class, Cooper has become a perennial title contender, finishing no worse than third in the final standings. As a two-time winner with 14 podium finishes, Cooper is undoubtedly one of the championship favorites this summer and has now proven he has what it takes to break through.
For Nichols, a career resurgence looks poised to continue this summer. Health has arguably been Nichols’ biggest obstacle to success and although he’s completed just one 12-round season of Pro Motocross since 2016, Nichols is a two-time podium finisher and is currently riding at the highest level of his career.
And then there are of course the two young Aussie brothers that both finished on the podium at last weekend’s Supercross finale. The Lawrence brothers headed back to Florida after SX wrapped up where team members joined them for CRF250R testing this week.
The 2021 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will once again consist of a 12-round schedule, beginning on American Memorial Day Weekend with the season-opening Fox Raceway I National. The summer season will bring the world’s best riders to 10 different states, including returns to many of American motocross’ most iconic venues, concluding on September 11 with the sport’s oldest event, the Hangtown Motocross Classic in Sacramento, California.
2021 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship
| Round | Date | Raceway | Location |
| Round 1 | May 29 | Fox Raceway National | Pala, CA |
| Round 2 | June 5 | Thunder Valley National | Lakewood, CO |
| Round 3 | June 19 | High Point National | Mt Morris, PA |
| Round 4 | June 26 | Southwick National | Southwick, MA |
| Round 5 | July 3 | Redbud National | Buchanan, MI |
| Round 6 | July 17 | Spring Creek National | Millville, MN |
| Round 7 | July 24 | Washougal National | Washougal, WA |
| Round 8 | August 14 | Unadilla National | New Berlin, MY |
| Round 9 | August 21 | Budds Creek National | Mechanicsville, MD |
| Round 10 | August 28 | Ironman National | Crawfordsville, IN |
| Round 11 | September 4 | Pala National | Pala, CA |
| Round 12 | September 11 | Hangtown National | Sacremento, CA |
Source: MCNews.com.au