Motocross
Hot List: Why the RedBud National is so darn good
Here’s 5 reasons to make it along to the Red Bull RedBud National next year.
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The riders get underway at RedBud
© Garth Milan/Red Bull Content Pool
As ever, a great time was had by all at the Red Bull RedBud National, held in Buchanan, Michigan. Here’s what makes the event so special...
1) The Fans Who knew that the race that draws the most fans and features the rowdiest and most festive atmosphere in all of Lucas Oil Pro Motocross would be in Michigan, and not somewhere in the mecca of motocross known as Southern California? It’s surprising all right, but that’s the way it’s been for years.
The fans make RedBud special
© Garth Milan/Red Bull Content Pool
The venue boasts the craziest and most enthusiastic fans on the circuit by far, and they don’t limit revelry to just race day either. Thousands of fans camp trackside, and when evening arrives, the camping areas are filled with drunken buffoonery and the startling sights and sounds of exploding fireworks. On race day, the event takes on a vibe that one might expect from a large music festival, with crazy outfits (such as speedo-clad fans wearing hollowed-out watermelon halves as helmets), liberal amounts of body paint and blasting air horns defining the rowdy RedBud hordes.
2) The Facility With thick, lush grass as far as the eye can see and plenty of shade provided by the many trees that line the course, the beauty of the RedBud property is second to none. There’s also plenty of grandstands and gently sloped areas trackside that provide excellent viewing opportunities for the thousands of happy fans that show up every year. Throw in ample parking and a location that isn’t out in the middle of nowhere and you’ve got one of the most fan-friendly venues on the circuit
The track at RedBud gets nice and rutted
© Garth Milan/Red Bull Content Pool
3) The Track One of the longer tracks on the circuit, RedBud boasts some of the longest lap times, is always meticulously prepped to perfection and gets nice and rough, creating a technical track capable of testing the skills of the fastest racers in the world. The spectacular dirt also ruts up nicely and forms multiple lines in corners, which helps promote excellent racing. 4) LaRocco’s Leap It’s fitting that the biggest and most famous race on the circuit contains what is without a doubt the most iconic leap in all of motocross. At 130-something-feet, the uphill triple named after Mike LaRocco is also one of the largest in all of Lucas Oil Motocross. It’s not a jump that requires extraordinary amounts of skill so much as it does healthy levels of testicular fortitude. Whacking the throttle wide open and blasting up the extremely steep and blind launch that shoots riders some five stories high isn’t exactly in-line with one’s survival instincts! Adding to the fun are boisterous spectators that pack the trackside grandstands to cheer on the riders who dare to tackle The Leap.
A five-storey leap is nothing for Marvin Musquin
© Garth Milan/Red Bull Content Pool
5) Fourth of July Weekend Motocross fans are known for getting rowdy on race weekends, and Americans in general are known for getting a little excessive when it comes to celebrating. This is especially true on the Fourth of July, the anniversary of the United States gaining independence in 1776. Well, the Red Bull RedBud National almost always takes place on Fourth of July Weekend, and when you throw these two potentially chaotic elements together it forms a perfect recipe for one of the craziest weekends of motocross on the planet. The restrained and faint-of-heart need not apply!
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