Noren Seventh at Budds Creek National

The AMA Pro Motocross Championship’s Budds Creek National saw Team Honda HRC’s Fredrik Noren score a solid seventh-overall result with 8-7 moto finishes during his second race of the year aboard the factory CRF450R. In moto one, Noren hit a downed rider’s bike in the first turn, shuffling him back to a mid-pack. He swiftly began working his way forward, completing the first lap in 12^th. By the halfway mark, he had moved into eighth, which is where he finished. When the gate dropped in moto two, Noren launched to a top-10 start and then advanced to eighth during the early stages of the race. He improved one more spot before the checkered flag, finishing seventh.

NOTES

• During the week before race day, Team Honda HRC announced that they have extended their contract with Cole Seely for an additional two years. Seely’s mechanic Rich Simmons is also excited to be continuing his relationship with Honda. “I feel really good about Cole re-signing with Honda,” he said. “This year was a step in the right direction with the team. Cole is continuing to build his fitness, and we have a new bike that I’m excited about. My expectation for the next couple years is to be in the title hunt for supercross and for Cole to continue to build in motocross and be top-three.”
• During the morning’s timed qualifying practice period, Noren was eighth-fastest with a 2:06.104 lap time, posted in the second session.
• Next weekend, Team Honda HRC heads to Indiana’s Ironman MX for the final round of the 2016 AMA Pro Motocross series. Including AMA Supercross, it will be the team’s 30^th race of the year.

  THE FOCUS: Supporting Jessy Nelson

Last weekend’s second 250 moto of the Unadilla National was red-flagged after Jessy Nelson went down in a corner and his bike fell on top of him. Nelson was injured in the incident and has been hospitalized since then, with limited sensation in his legs. The Wings For Life Spinal Cord Research Foundation has been working directly with Nelson’s doctors. Nelson underwent surgery last Wednesday and everything went according to plan, but it is still too early to know the extent of his injuries.

Nelson is currently a member of the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull KTM team, and he rode a Honda CRF250R when that squad was Honda-mounted. He also spent the majority of his amateur career as a Red Rider, and on race day at Budds Creek, Fredrik Noren’s factory Honda HRC CRF450R wore a custom “One Love” sticker on its fender in support of Nelson.

“It’s a huge bummer,” said Cole Seely’s mechanic Rich Simmons, who worked with Nelson during his 2012 rookie season and is close with the family. “Things can change so quickly and everyone in this sport needs to think about that. Nobody deserves to have that happen, but Jessy is a good kid and a great friend. He’s an athlete and he knows how to fight, so that’s what he’ll be doing.”

Everyone at American Honda sends thoughts and condolences to the Nelson family. Road 2 Recovery has set up a special page where fans can donate to help offset the medical costs that will accrue.