Budds Creek Motocross Park is one of the best tracks on the circuit. Not everyone loves it but they should. The orange clay is predictable and packed with traction, while the elevation changes and fun, safe jumps only add to the track’s aura. You may not hear many riders raving about the Budds track but you won’t hear a lot of negativity, either. The only real downside is the difficulty in passing but I would offer a good start as a solid remedy. I think the fondness for the dirt is likely because it’s very similar to dirt found throughout the Southeast. This is where all of the practice facilities are located nowadays and a thousand laps on similar dirt creates comfort on race day. The setup during the week transfers nicely to Saturday and riders trust their motorcycle to do exactly what they expect it to do. Comfort and trust on Saturday is a very underrated combo for racers.
As for who this track favors in the 250 Class, I think it has to be Cole Davies. His breakout ride last year was notable, but perhaps even more importantly, his starts consistently put him in position to contend at the front. If he starts up front and Levi Kitchen starts outside the top 10 like his averages indicate, it’s not going to go very well on this track. He could certainly climb up the leaderboard but it will be more difficult, and he will likely not get as close to the front. Every point is critical now so watch for the starts to be a huge factor this weekend in particular.
For the 450 title, the situation changed drastically at Unadilla. Hunter Lawrence’s DNF gives Jett Lawrence a 10 point lead with four motos to go. There are ways for Hunter to get it done: the simple math is to win all four motos. That would win the title no matter what Jett does. That sounds a lot easier on paper than on the track, especially with Jett finding his form as of late. More likely would be to capitalize on a Jett mistake. We have seen more of those in 2026 from Jett than at any point in his career. One crash can flip the points very quickly yet again, but hoping for a crash from one of the best riders we have ever seen is not a prudent strategy, either. The interesting aspect here is that Jett can’t simply lay up and follow Hunter. He has to go win at least one moto. If Jett could split moto wins this weekend, a la 2025, it would make life much easier in Indiana. If Hunter catches fire with a 1-1 on Saturday, that puts a lot of pressure on Jett to not only go 2-2, but also ratchets up the pressure for the finale.
It’s an interesting study in psychology now because certainly Jett and Hunter would both like to have the points lead. But, at the same time, the pressure is much higher for the points leader. Jett just had to go for broke at Unadilla and win at all costs. That is a dire situation but it also lowers the pressure a bit. The leader has to protect against all outsized difficulties, ride a bit more cautious than they’d like. Preferable spot? Yes, but not without drawbacks. Now that dynamic flips between the brothers and Jett is the one who has to be on guard. This is nothing new for Jett but it is a change for this series. Does anything drastic happen on Saturday to change it once again for the last round?
Who’s Hot
LaLa Turner went 1-1 and was never really under pressure. She excels when the track is at its best. Her sprint speed is significantly better than the rest of the women.
Cole Davies overcame a big crash in qualifying to go 2-1 on the day and draw the points back to a single point. This was the place where he really showed promise in MX a year ago.
Chance Hymas continues to claw his way back to the front. He is getting a bit frustrated with mistakes, but I would guard against that if I was him. Frustration leads to forcing things and that leads to more mistakes.
Levi Kitchen lost six points which is a losing equation at this juncture, but his riding was likely the best it’s been since May.
Carson Mumford continues to impress. He is proving that he is capable on all types of tracks and conditions. Hard to not cheer for this guy.
Brodie Connolly and Alex Larwood both put in rides they should be proud of. This class is not easy to just jump into midstream and they did it with ease.
Jett Lawrence went from needing a miracle before moto two to being in the driver’s seat for this title.
Jorge Prado opened some eyes with his speed on Saturday. This weekend is big as far as validating what we saw at ‘Dilla. If he can’t back it up, many will say “that was just a Unadilla thing."
Garrett Marchbanks is quietly now a top five mainstay. He’s solid. The starts are not great but every other aspect is elite.
Mark Fineis might be the most interesting interview in moto. He’s also absolutely ripping.
Who’s Not
Kay Kay Nielsen can’t buy a break with the mechanical gremlins. That’s twice that she’s had a runner up spot stolen by a snafu.
JuJu Beaumer had horrific opening laps and never really had a chance at Unadilla.
Aaron Plessinger had mechanical problems in both motos and was unable to finish. Welcome back!
Hunter Lawrence’s 1-DNF was brutal to witness. It’s not over but man, that was tough.
Bold Predictions
Travis Pastrana parachutes into Budds Creek to take part in his Grand Marshal duties.
Zach Osborne holeshots Budds Creek and leads on the 20th anniversary of his debut.
Haiden Deegan brings over a bushel of license points to the AMA truck on Friday to fulfill whichever lines he chooses to take for the rest of the season.
