REDBUD ROCKED!!!

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REDBUD ROCKED!!!

By D~ Käczan

All Photos by D~ Käczan except where noted.

The Grandstand at Redbud

The 6TH Round of the AMA Pro Motocross Championships was held this past 4th
of July weekend at RedBud Track-n-Trail, in Buchanan, Michigan, throughout
Florida-style hurricanes, California-style scorching heat, and an
energized, undeflatable party atmosphere that just has to be seen and felt
to really appreciate.

Right off the bat, I want to direct all readers to the Review's online
edition (review-mag.com), so you can browse through a broader selection of
the awesome pictures we took that really capture what RedBud is all about.
It took me around 5 hours just to narrow it down to the 'couple-a-few' pics
we ran in this issue. And we got some hotties. (Literally!)

The Partybus

The weekend marked the 30th anniversary of THE Track, owned and operated by the Ritchie Family of Buchanan. Huge thanks go out to them, and OMS Sports', Pat Schutte, for the hospitality, gracious accommodations, and overall surreal motocross experience they provided.

Being such a big fan of motocross, and for the first time being this deep on the 'inside' of such a big event, I hope this account gives you a sense of what it was all about.

It all started with waking up in a Typhoon at 6am on Saturday, and the
feeling of our 17' trailer shaking as if 10 rowdy RedBudders were rocking
the bumpers(BTW, I remember really thinking that was what it was-I mean,
this was REDBUD!)

The J.A.'s at weather.com were saying there was a 30% chance of scattered
thunderstorms for Saturday.   Well that was fine and dandy, but for those
who were there, you know there was nothing scattered about it!  We were
right smack dab in the middle of the bombardment!

mmmm...Redbud

After about an hour and a half of fierce rain and 25 mph winds, it subsided
a bit, and when I peeked outside the door, the camping grounds looked like
Beirut!  Tents were all over the place, people were stumbling around in a
daze (although that could have been for other reasons), our trailer's
awning was completely gone, but then right there, around 7:30 or so in the
morning-a couple of RedBuddites, toasting and drinking their beers, yelling

"RRRREEEDDDDD-BUUUUUUUDDDDDD!!!!!!!!!"

I think they may have been out there the whole time.  This is RedBud.

RC and the Honda Boys talk tech after practice.

Big Rick Carmichael shook his head and said, "If people want to see a picture of me grilling, go right ahead!"

Hang on now-"downshift, man."

I probably should mention the wicked 3 1/2 hour trip down (in gale force
winds, sleet, and monsoon-like rain!). Or maybe I should tell you about the
awesome fireworks show that Friday night after we finally arrived, all the
kick ass people we met, and all the hundreds of parties throughout the 30+
acre grounds*, and man, the things I saw in all that debauchery!  Looked
like a helluva lot of fun, but I had to cover the scene and do the
'responsible thing'.  (Ahhh, but to be 21 again!)

It was mostly the anticipation for Redbud that kept me tossing and turning
for a week prior.  The race weekend happens to fall on both mine, and my
oldest boy's birthday, and has become a kind of father/son tradition over
the years.  This time would be much different though, as we had "God
Passes", and would be on 'the other side of the fence' experiencing it this
time.

Bubba goes big over LaRocco's Leap. (photo by Jeff Kardas)

More on that in a bit, though.

So anyhoo, Friday the 4th, we survived and arrived,

got settled into a cozy trackside campsite on the

sprawling grounds, checked out some Amateur Racing on

the Night Track for a bit, took in the incredible

fireworks show, and then just tried to relax and get

rested for the following day of activities.   Scratch

that though-at RedBud, the party finds YOU! (Context
capturing pics on review-mag.com)

We made it through the violent tempest and later over breakfast that Saturday morning we watched as the factory rigs and all the top dogs' buses roll through the tiny burg of Buchanan from the local McDonald's window. It was an MX parade in motocross heaven. One after the other they came. All the big boys, with all their badass toys.

Saturday at RedBud has events all day long, such as more awesome Amateur
Racing, Pro Practices, Qualifying races for the Main, more fireworks, and
of course, an entire day and night of more partying. (For everyone else, of
course!)

Saturday would also be our first venture into the Pro Pits.

Man, I could write this whole story about how cool that was, and drop all
the names of not only the top factory backed riders we met and hung out
with, but also the tons of privateers who pit out of their $5000 pickups,
instead of  $500,000 dollar rigs.

RC says 'No Pressure'

One thing is for sure, they ALL have my respect. They live the life most of us can't even dream about! Doing something you love, traveling all over the country, meeting incredibly cool, and down to earth people, and sometimes actually winning some money doing it. Oh yeah, and the chicks aren't too bad either. Two words: Dirt Girls. (For the ladies, it's X-Men).

Now, walking around in the pits when they are closed to the public is something else. I mean, you can walk right up and talk to the pros while they're chilling at their motor home, or at the rig while their mechanics are wrenching on their bikes. I was really surprised at how approachable a lot of these guys are.

#22, Team Yamaha Factory pilot Chad Reed (2nd in the championship point standings), is one of the coolest cats you could want to meet. He took all the time we wanted to answer questions, chat, and sign things for my boyz. Team Honda's Nathan Ramsey, too. One of the nicest guys you can meet. (Despite having a big bag of ice on his left wrist, nursing a bad sprain he suffered.)

Motocross legend, and personal mentor for champ Ricky Carmichael, Jeff
Stanton, was also very cool with us.  Speaking of Ricky Carmichael, RC
wasn't exactly approachable, but his Dad and I had a good conversation
about how good his son is doing (5 straight overall victories coming to
RedBud this season).
Guess some guys need to focus, and minimize the distractions.  (He is the
reigning champ afterall!)

We met so many of the pro riders that there are too many to list here, and
I don't want to sound like I'm name-dropping, so we'll move on. (Once
again, logon to review-mag.com to see all the inside pics we got!)

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!

Sunday is raceday at RedBud, and the track was in perfect condition,
despite the deluge on Saturday.  The baking heat dried the track just
right, and left deep trenches and treacherous ruts throughout the length of
the 1.7-mile course.

I caught the mandatory rider's meeting at 8am, which really opened my eyes
to the fact that this is some serious business.  After the meeting, I took
in MX Chaplain Steve Hudson's emotional and stirring sermon.  He reminded
everyone that we all have a light inside, and it is our mission in life is
to let it out.  He also reminded the guys that they 'live the life', have
children that look up to them, and they should use their elevated status to
touch those lives in a positive way.

Before, during, and after the rider's meeting, I got the chance to chat
with Jeremiah Israel prior to him receiving a check for $1500 for top
privateer rider honors.  (Later in the day, Jeremiah tragically suffered a
serious crash that broke his back in two places). Get well soon, J.

Bubba gets grilled by Cameron Steele.

All morning I noticed how the mood had drastically changed.  All of the
riders who were so friendly on Saturday, had their game-faces on today, and
were all business.  Everyone except reigning/defending 125cc Champion, and
rookie phenomenon, James Stewart. (#259, Team Chevy Trucks Kawasaki).  The
kid just turned 17 (he just got his braces off!), and is turning the sport
on its head.  He is still all about having fun, and is all smiles every
time you see him.  He loves going out there, pulling away from the rest of
the 40-man pack, and then showboating for the crowd over every big jump.

After missing the first 4 rounds of the Nats due to a broken clavicle from
a horrific 'getoff' at the Supercross finals in Las Vegas, 'Bubba' has won
every moto since his return. Not only did he win every race, but by a huge
margin.  You should try and catch one of the races on ESPN2, which usually
broadcasts the following weekend.  (Typically, they run the 125ccs at Noon,
and then the 250s right afterwards, from 1-2pm on Saturdays).

I am not even going to try and describe just how fast and fluid that kid
is. You really have to see it for yourself.  Well, alright, I'll try-ummm,
he has such pizzazz, flair, style, and raw talent, that he is like a MX
Michael Jordan.  (Weak, I know, but he just defies description!)
Mathematically, Bubba can set yet another precedent by actually winning the
championship after starting the season 2 months behind everybody in the
points chase! By my calcs, if he sweeps the remaining rounds he can win by
an 8-point margin.  If anyone could, he can.
Moving on to the Main Events.  There are 2 different classes that run in
the National Circuit, the 125's and the 250cc bikes.  The big difference
between the two is bike weight and horsepower.

Each class has 2 separate races, or motos.  Each moto is ran for 30
minutes, plus 2 laps. Each finishing place receives points, counting toward
the series championship. First place gets 25 points, 2nd place gets 22, 3rd
place gets 20, and so on.

For detailed turn-by-turn coverage, and overall race results, login to
usmotocross.com, or any other motocross websites.  Sorry, but this whole
article could be describing all of the bar-to-bar action that took place!

The overall tally for the weekend was:

125's 1st Place - James Stewart
	        2nd Place - Brock Sellards
	        3rd Place -  Kelly Smith
250's 1st Place - Ricky Carmichael
	        2nd Place - Kevin Windham
	        3rd Place - Chad Reed

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