The sixth round of AMA Pro Motocross Championship took place at RedBud over the weekend, and it was an exciting one to watch. Especially the first 250 Class moto where Ty Masterpool and Haiden Deegan went down to the wire, with Deegan finishing a mere 0.3 of a second behind. In the second moto, Masterpool was running third for the first half until he ran out of energy and faded to fifth, dropping him from first overall to second.
Though frustrated with his stamina, Masterpool is realistic, understanding that he had to have surgery on not only his ankle but his appendix as well during the off season. His ankle was not recovered in time at the start of Monster Energy AMA Supercross, and he didn’t line up for a 450 main event until Daytona. So, he is essentially racing himself back into shape as a fill in rider for the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki team this summer.
“Yeah, I mean, each round I'm gonna just get stronger and stronger," he said. "So, I can feel the stamina getting better and better. In that first moto it didn't help that Deegan and I were battling that whole time. But the stamina is just gonna get better and better from here on out and feeling good. And yeah, I mean that second moto I think I had first overall for a while and then unfortunately, I hit a wall. Like that first ten to 15 minutes I felt so good. I mean, I don't know, I hope they had the camera on me I was feeling so sweet! [Laughs] I was going outside, outside like I was moving around good and having fun with the track and, yeah, it was awesome. I hope they got some footage of that! I felt sweet but with the stamina, it's just gonna get better and better and I'm looking forward to next year so I can have that foundation in because it's really everything off your season. You really work off that. So, it's just gonna get better and better.”
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Masterpool and Deegan Align Media ![Masterpool and Deegan at the finish line!]()
Masterpool and Deegan at the finish line! Align Media ![]()
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And surprisingly he says riding a 250 takes more energy.
“Yeah, definitely a lot to get used to," he said. "I thought it would be easier going back down to a 250. But honestly, I feel like my stamina is a lot better on the 450. Just kind of letting the bike do the work and you be a little more aggressive on it. But biggest thing is just getting used to it. It's really hard on those opening laps whenever, I mean, there's so much stuff going on and it's just all muscle memory. So, yeah, just feeling better and better and feeling better and better on the bike.”
RedBud - 250
July 6, 2024| Rider | Hometown | Motos | Bike | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Chance Hymas | Pocatello, ID  | 4 - 1 | Honda CRF250R |
| 2 |  Ty Masterpool | Paradise, TX | 1 - 5 | Kawasaki KX250 |
| 3 |  Jo Shimoda | Suzuka, Japan  | 5 - 2 | Honda CRF250R |
| 4 |  Tom Vialle | Avignon, France  | 3 - 4 | KTM 250 SX-F |
| 5 |  Haiden Deegan | Temecula, CA | 2 - 6 | Yamaha YZ250F |
Masterpool has always ridden well at RedBud, so many wonder what it is about that track that Ty seems to mesh so well with. Anyone who has ever ridden both RedBud and His 956 Facility down in Texas, (the track Ty trains at and his family owns) will notice similarities between the two in both dirt and the way the tracks are prepped and how they rut up. However, Ty has his own theory.
“Yeah, everyone's kind of been saying that but I mean, when I was on Star, that is the only round I raced and then when I was on KTM, on the privateer bike with no graphics and stuff, I almost got third overall," he said. "And then I did really good at Southwick, but I was starting in 25th place on the bike and then charging, I think I got like seventh or eighth. And then at Millville, I was doing really good and then unfortunately, I just came down the hill a little too fast and it was very slick and just hit a little kicker at the end and there's literally a gap that big when you bend your knee braces all the way and I landed right on my handlebars with my knee bent all the way and shattered my kneecap. So, 100 percent my fault on that. But, I mean, when people say that it's honestly just, I happened to race this race for the last couple of years.”
Whatever the reason for Ty’s stellar rides at RedBud, the fans are there for it. The crowds were huge this year at RedBud, so big that the riders themselves took notice.
“I mean, these fans out here are wild!" he said. "Just like what you're saying, you can't even block them out on the track. Like you hear them more than your bike. It's insane. I mean, there's so many people on the podium. Yeah, that was awesome.”
Fans may be wondering what’s next for Ty. He now has two moto wins this season, which is impressive for anyone, let alone a fill in rider. However, Ty says it's still too soon to talk next year and that everything is still “up in the air.” So, for now fans will have to settle for watching more great racing like they saw at RedBud, which is certainly no hardship.
