2012 AMA Motocross Championship
After a rare two-week break from racing, the members of the GEICO Honda team are refreshed and prepared to resume the 250cc title chase at Saturday’s Redbud National in the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship series.
Although the break was a welcome respite, it shouldn’t be confused with a holiday.
Justin Barcia (GEICO Honda CRF250R Motocross) says: “There is no summer vacation for us. You have to stay ahead of the game, which for us means training on and off the track. You take a few days off to rest but mainly I’ve wanted to stay in the same routine I’ve been in.
“I did actually have time to buy some furniture for my new house, so it’s nice to be able to sit on a couch.”
Barcia and teammate Eli Tomac are both in the thick of the championship with seven races remaining in the season. Blake Baggett is the series leader with Barcia 13 points behind in second and Tomac in third, 22 out of the lead.
Tomac said he spent the downtime at home in Durango, Colorado.
Eli Tomac (GEICO Honda CRF250R Motocross) says: “I got in a little golf and visited some friends while I was here. Those five races in a row wear you down more than you think so it was nice to relax for a few days. I feel like I’m going to come back fresh after getting a little R&R.”
Wil Hahn, who had been making vast improvements during the last few races, also went home to train and relax.
Wil Hahn (GEICO Honda CRF250R Motocross) says: “I took a few days to see my family, but mainly I kept my nose down. I wanted to keep building on the momentum I had built before the break.
“It’s exciting to come back at one of my favorite tracks of the year. There are big jumps and the crowd is always awesome there. The fact that it follows the Fourth of July weekend makes it that much more exciting.”
Barcia also is a big fan of Redbud’s near ideal racing surface.
Justin Barcia says: “The dirt is always really good. It’s loamy and soft so it makes some good ruts and gives you some good uphills and downhills to race on.”
Tomac made the vote unanimous, noting Redbud’s all-around quality.
Eli Tomac says: “I like it a lot and don’t know many people who don’t like racing there. There are a lot of good hills, the dirt is awesome and it has the craziest fans – overall it’s the best race of the year.”
Practice for the Redbud National gets under way at 8:30 a.m. EDT on Saturday with opening ceremonies starting at 12:40 p.m. FUEL TV will air the first motos live at 1 p.m. EDT. The second motos will air on the NBC Sports Network starting at 4 p.m.
