A top-five result in 450MX for Justin Barcia was an inspired way to drop the gates on the 2024 AMA Pro Motocross Championship in Pala, California, on Saturday, as 250MX teammates Ryder DiFrancesco and Pierce Brown found themselves inside the top 10 at the conclusion of Round 1.
- Bam Bam lands fifth overall as we take things outdoors!
- Pierce Brown and Ryder DiFrancesco race to top 10 finishes
- Time to keep pushing with the first round in the books
Barcia was in form from the outset to open the outdoors, fourth fastest in the opening qualifier and then slotting into P7 on combined times. He rode his GASGAS MC 450F Factory Edition to sixth in both motos, rewarded with fifth overall and a strong haul of points following the first round of 11.
Justin Barcia: "Had a good qualifying practice, fourth in the first one and seventh overall, so we had a good gate pick for the races. First moto, I got off to a good start and it was a good one. Second moto, also got off to a good start and was about to have a holeshot but was bumped from behind, so that cost me a few positions. I fought really hard, charged the whole moto, and I have a lot of building to do still. It's going to be a long season, the bike was really good today, and I'm looking forward to more."
The 250MX Class also produced encouraging results this weekend, with Brown qualifying third and then going 10-8 for eighth overall on his GASGAS MC 250F Factory Edition. DiFrancesco was consistent across both motos, recording 9-12 finishes and 10th for the round.
Pierce Brown: "It was a decent day with 10-8 results for eighth overall. It's somewhere to start and we know where to build from now, so I'm excited to start building some momentum from here."
Ryder DiFrancesco: "Round 1 was good for me at Pala. The first moto was good and the second one was okay as well, but all-in-all I'm satisfied with 10th overall. It was better than last year, but I've got a couple of things to work on with 10 more rounds to go!"
Next Race: June 1 – Hangtown, California
Results 450MX Class – Fox Raceway National
1. Jett Lawrence (AUS), Honda
2. Hunter Lawrence (AUS), Honda
3. Chase Sexton (USA), KTM
5. Justin Barcia (USA), Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing
7. Aaron Plessinger (USA), KTM
9. Malcolm Stewart (USA), Husqvarna
15. Christian Craig (USA), Husqvarna
Standings 450MX Class 2024 after 1 of 11 rounds
1. Jett Lawrence, 50 points
2. Hunter Lawrence, 42
3. Chase Sexton, 40
5. Justin Barcia, 32
7. Aaron Plessinger, 30
9. Malcolm Stewart, 29
15. Christian Craig, 12
Results 250MX Class – Fox Raceway National
1. Haiden Deegan (USA), Yamaha
2. Levi Kitchen (USA), Kawasaki
3. Tom Vialle (FRA), KTM
8. Pierce Brown (USA), Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing
10. Ryder DiFrancesco (USA), Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing
11. Julien Beaumer (USA), KTM
19. Casey Cochran (USA), Husqvarna
Standings 250MX Class 2024 after 1 of 11 rounds
1. Haiden Deegan, 50 points
2. Levi Kitchen, 44
3. Tom Vialle, 38
8. Pierce Brown, 26
10. Ryder DiFrancesco, 23
11. Julien Beaumer, 22
19. Casey Cochran, 8
