The J Day Off-Road Championship, presented by Pro Taper, held its fifth AMA East GP Regional Championship round at Budds Creek Motocross Park in Maryland, June 13-14. Riders faced a challenging course that combined the full motocross track, featuring steep hills and concrete-like dirt, with a long, freshly cut woods section, creating a true test of speed, endurance and technical skill. And the rider who passed the test with the highest score was Ricky Russell.
Story by Kylie Kulpa | Photos by Eighteen Photos/Kylie Kulpa
Russell put on a dominant performance in the Pro AA class, sweeping both motos with a 1-1 finish and leaving the competition chasing his rear wheel.
Moto one began with Joey Crown grabbing the Fox Racing Holeshot, but a mistake on the first step-up led to a crash, dropping him back through the field. Russell quickly moved into the lead and began building a gap.
Russell controlled the race from there, finishing moto one with a 12-second lead over Tyler Medaglia. Medaglia battled for position with Collier Martinez throughout the moto, ultimately holding second by just four-tenths of a second. Josh Toth finished fourth after trading positions with Jiggs Fustini during the moto.
In moto two, Russell once again launched himself into the lead early and settled into a strong pace. By finding the best lines and staying consistent, Russell extended his advantage to finish the moto with an impressive 52-second lead.
Medaglia claimed second, finishing nine seconds ahead of Toth, who kept pushing for another podium finish. Fustini crossed the line fourth, continuing his strong season in the Pro class, while Martinez rounded out the top five after starting ninth on lap one and making a strong charge through the field.
The overall podium featured Russell in first, Medaglia in second and Toth in third, highlighting their speed and control through the woods, the motocross track, the extreme section and the Kurt Caselli section. Martinez and Fustini completed the overall top five in fourth and fifth, respectively.
In the Amateur divisions, Rivers Morris once again took home the A overall win. Kyle Grenewicz finished second in A 250, while Cole Johnson secured third overall and won the A Open class.
The Women’s Pro class brought out some heavy competition, with Jocelyn Barnes taking control of the day and leading both motos to claim the overall victory. Barnes had a scary crash during the day but recovered and fought through to the finish.
Kayla O’Neill finished second overall, staying consistent and maintaining a strong pace through the woods and technical sections. Carly Lee finished moto one in second place, keeping pressure on the leader, but unfortunately suffered a bike issue in moto two and was unable to finish.CN
2026 J Day Off-Road / AMA East GP Round 5 Results
PRO AA OVERALL (Top 10)
- Ricky Russell (Kaw) 1-1
- Tyler Medaglia (Yam) 2-2
- Josh Toth (Kaw) 4-3
- Collier Martinez (Kaw) 3-5
- Jiggs Fustini (KTM) 5-4
- Jake Abbott (Yam) 7-7
- Justin Cokinos (Yam) 6-8
- Joey Crown (Yam) 12-6
- Dominic Griffith (Yam) 8-10
- Matt Webb (Yam) 9-11
Click here to read the 2026 J Day Off-Road / AMA East GP Round 5 Results in the Cycle News Digital Edition Magazine.
