RJ Hampshire secured a solid fourth-place finish in the 450MX class at Round 7 of the 2026 AMA Pro Motocross Championship, whilst Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing teammate Daxton Bennick claimed a career-best seventh overall in the 250MX division at Saturday’s Spring Creek National in Millville, Minnesota.
Aboard his Husqvarna FC 450 Factory Edition, Hampshire qualified fourth with a 1:57.283 lap-time before charging to a hard-fought third-place finish in Moto 1. The 30-year-old remained inside the top-five throughout Moto 2, locked in a race-long battle for the final podium position with Jorge Prado, pushing all the way to the final corner before ultimately crossing the line in fourth for P4 overall on the day.
The result leaves Hampshire fifth in the 450MX championship standings following seven rounds, with the Washougal National next on the schedule on 25th July.
“I’m happy and I’m thankful to finish in this position,” commented Hampshire. “It has been a grind recently – I reset this week, did things differently, and that’s the best that I have been by far. I had [Jorge Prado] right where I wanted him with four laps to go, and then lost a bit of time in the rollers. We were a little short [of the podium], but this is where I want to be battling, so I’m stoked on that.”
In the 250MX class, teammates Bennick and Ryder DiFrancesco were both in form on board their Husqvarna FC 250 Factory Editions at Spring Creek. Bennick finished fifth in Moto 1, with DiFrancesco sixth, before the pair recorded 10th and 11th respectively in Moto 2. The consistent performances resulted in seventh overall for Bennick – his best result of the season – and eighth for DiFrancesco, who now sits tied for fifth in the 250MX standings heading into Washougal.
“Millville was good for me,” said Bennick. “I struggled pretty badly in practice, and mentally, I was doubting myself a little bit. But I put that all behind me, went out and rode my best. I got a good start in Moto 1 and hung in there for fifth, which I was happy with. And then in the second moto, I had a big bobble on Lap 1, which cost me a lot of time, and then didn’t really find my flow until around halfway. Finishing with 5-10 results on the day, I can’t be too mad at it – it’s a big improvement and if we can keep building from here, I’ll be happy.”
“Round 7 didn’t finish how I would have liked,” explained DiFrancesco. “I didn’t put myself in a great position off the starts, which can cost you a lot. My riding is great and so is my fitness – I just need to put myself in better positions and we’ll be good. We’ll clean a couple of things up and come out strong for Washougal.”
Also representing Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing in the 250MX class was Casey Cochran, who qualified seventh quickest before a first-turn incident in Moto 1 left him classified 36th. He responded in Moto 2 with a strong recovery ride to ninth, securing 15th overall for the round.
“I had a rough first moto,” reflected Cochran. “I felt good on the track, but two crashes weren’t ideal, and then having last gate pick for Moto 2 was tough. I fought hard for a top-10 finish in that one, so I can’t be too mad, but it’s definitely not where I want to be. We’ll keep progressing and developing next weekend.”
The 2026 AMA Pro Motocross Championship continues on 25th July at the Washougal National in Washington.
Photo: Husqvarna Media
