Steve Cox | August 18, 2018
2018 Budds Creek 250cc National MX Results: In order to clinch his first AMA National Championship, all Monster Energy/Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha’s Aaron Plessinger needed to do at Budds Creek was lose less than 22 points to his closest championship rival, TLD/Red Bull KTM’s Alex Martin.
But rather than “back in” to a championship, on a day with a heat index hovering near 100 degrees, Plessinger grabbed the holeshot in moto one and took off.
2018 Budds Creek 250cc National MX Results
Plessinger led every lap over GEICO Honda’s RJ Hampshire, eventually winning the moto with almost 7 seconds to spare over Hampshire and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Austin Forkner, who held off Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Mitchell Harrison for third at the finish. Plessinger’s teammate Dylan Ferrandis came through the pack for fifth after starting in the middle of the field, just in front of Martin’s teammate Jordon Smith, Hampshire’s teammate Chase Sexton, Harrison’s teammate Michael Mosiman, Martin’s teammate Shane McElrath, and then Martin.
2018 Budds Creek 250cc National MX Results
With that, the title was over. Plessinger’s points lead was insurmountable, and he would be crowned the 2018 250cc National Champion by the end of the day. Seemingly with the pressure off, Plessinger snatched another holeshot in moto two, but Hampshire began pressuring him for the lead a few laps in, then made the pass on lap five while Plessinger seemed to begin to struggle. He fell back to fourth the next lap, then crashed and remounted at the tail end of the top 10. In the waning laps, he was passed by teammate Ferrandis – who was down in the first turn in moto two along with Smith and Hampshire’s teammate Cameron McAdoo – and ended up 11th in the moto.
Hampshire held strong up front to win his first ever AMA National event, winning the moto by about four seconds over teammate Sexton, with room to spare over Plessinger’s teammate Justin Cooper, Martin, Harrison, McElrath, Forkner, and the rest of the field.
2018 Budds Creek 250cc National MX Results
Hampshire took the overall with a 2-1 over teammate Sexton’s 7-2 and Plessinger’s 1-11, which just edged out Harrison (4-5) for what would’ve been his second overall podium in a row.
But while the GEICO Honda team got to celebrate a 1-2 result within easy driving distance of GEICO’s headquarters, it was Plessinger who is bringing home the number-one plate to his brand new baby boy, Jake.
There’s one round left to run in the championship, this coming Saturday at the Ironman MX National in Indiana.
2018 Budds Creek 250cc National MX Results
2018 Budds Creek 250cc National MX Results
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