Casey Cochran To Make Pro Debut at Budds Creek
Following a solid amateur year including a SX Futures National Championship from Salt Lake City, a win at the U.S. Air Force Special Warfare Moto Scouting Combine at Red Bud and a Schoolboy 2 title at the Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Championship at Loretta Lynn's Ranch, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna has promoted Casey Cochran to the pro ranks this weekend at Budds Creek.
Cochran rode the B class at Loretta's, so he had to compete in amateur day races at Unadilla and other tracks to get in his pro points to race this weekend. We'll have more on Cochran's steps to get his license later in the week. Here's the press release from Husqvarna.
Making his debut pro appearance this Saturday at the Budds Creek National, Cochran will race the Ironman MX finale before switching gears back to the SMX World All-Stars (amateur race) at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
"Casey has had an unbelievable season so far this year," commented Nathan Ramsey, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team Manager. "He has checked all the boxes and I feel like it’s time for him to get his feet wet in the professional ranks – what better way to do it than at a Pro Motocross event."
The highly-rated 17-year-old is fresh from a title-winning performance in the 2023 AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn's earlier this month, where he claimed victory in the Schoolboy 2 (12-17) B/C class and also won the opening 250 B moto equipped with the FC 250.
"I've had a pretty good year on the 250, so I'm stoked to get the opportunity to line up against the best in the business at the last two rounds of Pro Motocross," Cochran said, who will also contest the final round at Ironman Raceway on August 26.
Cochran joined Rockstar Energy Husqvarna's amateur program ahead of this season and clinched the Supercross Futures AMA National Championship with a Main Event win at Salt Lake City's final round in May. He also won the Moto Combine overall at RedBud in July and his first step into the professional ranks comes as a welcome opportunity following what has been an outstanding year to-date.
