Monday Kickstart – Red Bud National

The ruts in the off-cambers were so gnarly. The 250 riders could barely power through them without getting hung up.

If the brutal track wasn’t enough, the heat definitely became a factor as well. The temps reached 93 degrees, but the humidity made it feel well into the triple digits.

Ashley Fiolek felt quite comfortable on the Red Bud track. She is originally from Michigan, but never raced RB as a kid. You’d never guess. Her monster holeshots in both motos put her out front early, and she managed to hold onto the lead both times. She will take the red plate to Millville in two weeks.

Ryan Villopoto wadded up hard in the first moto, losing his visor and the functionality of his exhaust. Surprisingly, the muffler didn’t break off, but the exhaust was definitely blasting out of all orifices. RV2 valiantly battled through the entire pack from dead last to score 9th. His win in the second moto sealed third overall. Pretty damn impressive.