RJ...A couple of Bruises!

"I got humbled real quick." -RJ Hampshire on an off-season crash

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s RJ Hampshire surprised a lot of people in the AMA Pro Motocross Championship when he not only raced less than two weeks after wrist surgery but moved up to the 450 class and did well. All summer long RJ improved, and his once wild riding style seemed to tame down on the larger displacement. RJ sat down for the SMX Media Days last week and tried to dampen expectations for the fast-approaching 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season.

“I'm literally going into supercross, like I went into outdoors," he said on expectations. "I mean, outdoors, dude, I was barely hanging on, but that was one arm there at first. But I'm trying to not expect too much. Take it as it kind of comes the first round or two. And, I mean, I told you guys I would grow into it as the season went on and by where I said I'd be, I think it was after High Point, you know, I'd be battling for podiums. That's where I was. And I feel like I'll kind of be in that same kind of situation here in supercross. Give me till, you know, round five or six, and I should be kind of in that same spot where I was for outdoors. Don't expect something crazy right off the bat because I don't think I'll be at that level, but I do feel like I can grow pretty fast. And, I mean, I need to learn a lot on this 450 and get some get some time on it.”

A 450 on a supercross track is a whole new beast, one that demands respect. As RJ quickly learned, suffering a crash while testing recently.

“I got on the 450, I'd say the end of October it was and that was my first time testing on it. So, I tested for a full week out here in California. Made a lot of progress. I felt like, for myself, got back to Florida and road a couple of days with Malc [Stewart] and we were pretty close and [I] had a big one. That was very humbling, right off the bat. So yeah, had a big one that that one stung. And then yeah, just, you know, last week or so back riding feeling good.”

Pressed further about the crash, RJ went into a little more detail.

“Dude, it was, like I said, I got humbled real quick. I was out here in California, and, I mean, rode with someone that had something else, and I thought it was going to be a good change. And it felt great out here. And then I got back to Florida and, dude, yeah, it got away from me in the whoops and couldn't bring it back. And that was it. So, it's off my bike now and I won't be back on it. So that was my answer [if it worked or not].”

He continued: “I broke my scapula and a couple ribs. But, yeah, that was nothing compared to what I thought it was. So, I was off the bike to two and a half weeks. So, yeah, I've been back on the bike about two weeks now.”

So, coming off an injury, and learning the 450 on a supercross track, RJ knows not to expect greatness right off the bat. However, if his learning curve is anything like it was in 450 motocross, we should expect to see RJ battling for podiums by the end of 17 rounds.