Glendale, AZ (January 12, 2019) – GEICO Honda’s RJ Hampshire us staying consistency in the early title fight for the 2019 250SX Championship in AMA Supercross, with back-to-back fourth place finishes to open the season. While a mid-race crash kept him off the podium last week in Anaheim, this time a bad start hurt the Floridian’s chances of a trip to the box, but Hampshire has avoided a big mistake that could take him out of the hunt.

“Felt good all day,” said Hampshire. “My speed was better this weekend, just my starts were terrible! It’s hard to be bummed about another fourth because of how bad my start was, but I was so close to a podium. That’s the goal every weekend and we’ve been just off. I’m really happy with how I feel on my bike right now and excited to see the progression each week!”

Hampshire got within 1.1 seconds of third place finisher Shane McElrath at the finish, running out of time for his podium bid. Hampshire is fifth in points after two rounds.

Teammate Cameron McAdoo was forced into salvage mode after crash late in qualifying left him with some bruises. He battled hard in the main event despite the pain, but a another crash in the same section of race track held him to 11th. He, like Hampshire, finished in the same position last week.

  “Phoenix was a rough one for me,” McAdoo says. “I had a pretty big crash in practice which sprained my thumb and wrist pretty bad. We just tried to manage the swelling as much as possible before the night show. Then in the main I didn’t get the start I was looking for, but I fought up to eighth. I still felt like I was going forward until I clipped a triple in the rhythm before the whoops which tweaked my thumb and then I went flying into the berm and the tuff blocks. That hurt! I got up in like 15th and it was survival mode and trying to hold onto my bike the last five laps I ended up 11th but I’m glad the injuries weren’t worse. Onwards and upwards to Anaheim 2!”

Round three of the championship takes place this Saturday with the series returning to Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. The race will feature a unique Triple Crown format, with three short races totaled together as opposed to one longer main event.

Courtesy Geico Honda