Noren Leads the Charge for Team Honda HRC at Budds Creek

Round six of the AMA Motocross series is a race that Team Honda HRC would like to put behind them, as the squad was dogged with misfortune for much of the day. After crashing earlier in the week, Cole Seely was only able to complete one complete lap of timed practice, ultimately not qualifying him to compete, so teammate Fredrik Noren was the lone rider representing the factory effort.

Rain throughout the day created extremely difficult conditions, but the Swedish native felt at home on the slick course and was running a solid 10th in moto one when he was sidelined by a mechanical issue. A downpour prior to the second moto turned the track into a quagmire that made even finishing difficult, but Noren overcame a poor start to mount an impressive come-from-behind performance that saw him navigate his CRF450R from 38^th to 11^th by the completion of the race.

NOTES

• Following a one-week hiatus, Team Honda HRC crewmembers and riders arrived at Budds Creek well rested and ready to take on the next few rounds of the series. “The weekend off was awesome, and much needed,” Cole Seely said. “I went up to my hometown of Thousand Oaks [California] on Saturday and spent the day at my grandparents’ to celebrate Father’s Day. Sunday was even more relaxing; I slept in, hung around the house and went to the beach.”
• Due to the rainy conditions, the day’s morning qualifying schedule was delayed by an hour and adjusted to only include a single, 20-minute timed session. Fredrik Noren landed in eighth with a 2:17.171, while Seely did not qualify after only completing one full lap.
• Noren’s lap times during both motos indicated that he was quicker than his results showed, as he laid down the eighth-quickest time in the first moto at 2:09.886 and was an impressive sixth-fastest in the second moto with 2:23.682.
• Honda Red Riders have a long and successful history at the Budds Creek National, dating back to 1989. Chad Reed’s 2011 victory marked Honda’s seventh win in the 450 class, more than any other manufacturer. Similarly, Honda riders have seven wins in the 250 division and four in the now-obsolete 500cc class. In addition, Honda-mounted Kevin Windham topped the 1999 MX GP round that was held at Budds Creek.
• Next up for Team Honda HRC is round seven of the AMA Motocross series, which takes place at iconic RedBud MX in Buchanan, Michigan, over Fourth of July weekend. “Red Bud is probably my favorite race of the year,” Seely said. “They do a great job with the track, and the whole atmosphere is unreal. The fans are crazy and overall it’s just an awesome event.”

THE FOCUS: Team Honda Prepares for Mud

As rain poured over the Budds Creek track, Team Honda HRC mechanics spent the morning preparing their CRF450R race machines for the muddy conditions by outfitting them with mesh Twin Air radiator sleeves, Dunlop Geomax MX11 tires, and adding foam around the shifter and rear-brake pedal. These changes are imperative to ensuring that the race machines perform optimally in the conditions.

“There are a few key things we focus on when setting the bikes up for a mud race,” explained mechanic Brent Presnell. “It’s important to keep the air filter dry, so we seal off the air box with duct tape to help channel the water away, and we put another thin cover over the filter. The foam is used to help prevent mud from getting jammed in the controls so they keep functioning, and the mesh Twin Air sleeves are used to keep mud from clogging the radiators. Keeping the bike cool is very important. The tread pattern of the MX11 is specifically designed for mud riding.”

The rain also makes things difficult for most riders, but there are a select few who don’t mind the extra challenge. “I actually think the mud is pretty fun,” Fredrik Noren said. “I don’t like when it actually rains while you’re riding, partly because I don’t like roll-offs so I wear regular tear-offs, but in general I think the mud makes it interesting. It’s almost like you have to go slow to go fast, because it’s about who can be the most consistent. Being from Sweden, I have some experience riding in the mud but it’s a different kind of mud. At home it’s not normally as sloppy, so that’s a challenge.”