With only three rounds left in the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, Budds Creek Motocross Park in Maryland comes calling. In the shadow of our nation’s capital, Budds Creek lies in wait near the Maryland shoreline. The site of previous USGP’s as well as the incredible Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations in 2007, this track and venue is a favorite of mine. The only challenge can be the heat and humidity but if you’re hoping to avoid that, you’re in the wrong series.

Dirty Little Secrets

Budds Creek was my favorite track in my own racing career and one that I think most riders like. The orange clay provides ample traction and an opportunity for riders to get aggressive. After Unadilla’s treacherous surface left riders unsure, this week is back to business. Riders will be able to trust what they see and push the envelope without being white knuckled for 35x2.

This track rewards good starts more than the average as most of the turns funnel into one line. If you can start near the front, it’s easier to lock into the pace and avoid a traffic jam. It’s a fairly easy track to protect the inside, making a charge from the back incredibly difficult. To further complicate things, the start highly favors the inside gates. That means qualifying will be very important within reason. The guys inside the top ten won’t really see a difference between a few positions but for the privateers, finding a way to qualify 15th versus 30th can change the entire day.

Another factor I will be watching for is the return of the scoop tire. Budds Creek has enough traction that riders could take the gamble. There will be sections that it’s not ideal but watch for Tomac and Cairoli to use their scoop tire and rely on the berms where traction gets dicey. It’s such an incredible advantage on the start that if traction is anywhere near reasonable, riders will be strongly considering it.