Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing teammates RJ Hampshire and Ryder DiFrancesco both secured top-five overall finishes at Saturday’s Unadilla National, Round 9 of the 2026 AMA Pro Motocross Championship. The duo delivered consistent performances at the historic New York venue, with DiFrancesco continuing his impressive mid-season form in the 250MX class.
Aboard his Husqvarna FC 450 Factory Edition, Hampshire qualified eighth in 450MX before running inside the top-five for much of the opening moto. A late mistake dropped him to sixth at the chequered flag, and he followed up with eighth in Moto 2 for fifth overall on the day. The result keeps Hampshire fifth in the 450MX standings with two rounds remaining.
“It was an eventful weekend,” said Hampshire. “I was riding well in the first moto and I felt good, before making a mistake there late and losing a position. Second moto, someone flinched off the gate, and I was pretty dang close to dead-last. I went down another two more times before putting in a heck of a charge to get me fifth overall. On a day where I wasn’t overly comfortable, we’ll take it.”
Malcolm Stewart made his return to Pro Motocross competition at Unadilla, his first outing since sustaining a knee injury at the season-opener at Fox Raceway. The 450MX veteran recorded 23-16 moto finishes aboard his Husqvarna FC 450 Factory Edition and will look to build momentum across the final two rounds.
“Overall, we came to Unadilla with nothing but smiles,” commented Stewart. “This track can give you a reality check – everyone has been riding good all summer, so my first moto wasn’t the best showing, but I managed to find a little bit more form in race two. That’s racing when you try to jump back in with the guys, and we’ll look for improvements come Budds Creek.”
In the 250MX class, DiFrancesco qualified sixth aboard his Husqvarna FC 250 Factory Edition before posting 5-3 moto scores for fifth overall. The 21-year-old worked his way from tenth to fifth in the opening moto before charging to third in Moto 2, further closing the gap to third in the championship standings. DiFrancesco now sits fourth, just 15 points behind Julien Beaumer with two rounds remaining.
“Unadilla was good – a solid day,” recalled DiFrancesco. “Every session I was out there, I was inside the top-five, and that’s where I belong. Going 5-3 for fifth overall is tough, but we’ll keep digging. We closed the gap to third in the points, so it was a positive day, and the last two tracks are usually really good for me.”
The Unadilla round proved challenging for teammates Casey Cochran and Daxton Bennick. Cochran grabbed the 250MX Moto 1 holeshot but suffered a heavy crash that ended his day prematurely. Bennick was credited with 27th in Moto 1 before sitting out the second race.
The 2026 AMA Pro Motocross Championship continues on 22nd August at Budds Creek in Mechanicsville, Maryland, for the penultimate round of the season.
Photo: Husqvarna Media
