Jorge Prado believes Red Bull KTM Factory Racing is edging ever closer to its first AMA Pro Motocross victory after the Spaniard secured his best result of the season with second overall at the iconic RedBud National.
The four-time MXGP World Champion delivered his strongest performance since arriving in the United States, finishing 3-2 across the two 450 motos to equal his best overall result of the championship and strengthen his hold on fourth in the standings.
After qualifying fourth fastest, Prado enjoyed an excellent start to the day by grabbing the holeshot in the opening moto. He led the early laps before eventually finishing third behind the Honda HRC Progressive duo of Jett Lawrence and Hunter Lawrence.
The second moto proved even more encouraging. Prado again launched to the holeshot and looked increasingly comfortable out front, steadily building an advantage of almost nine seconds at one stage as he searched for a breakthrough AMA Pro Motocross moto victory.
However, Hunter Lawrence produced a relentless late charge to reel in the KTM rider before making the decisive pass with just a few minutes remaining. Prado held on for second place, securing second overall for the day behind Lawrence and ahead of reigning champion Jett Lawrence.
The result marked another significant step forward for Prado, who has continued to adapt to the unique demands of American motocross after making the move from MXGP at the start of the season. His pair of holeshots and the number of laps spent leading both motos provided further evidence that the Spaniard is becoming increasingly comfortable on the KTM.
Prado said the week away from racing had allowed the team to make valuable improvements, with the changes paying dividends throughout the RedBud weekend.
“First of all, it’s always crazy to race here at RedBud! Thank you to all the fans who made it super special. We used the weekend off to make some improvements, and today during the day we kept searching for that feeling, which helped me feel really comfortable in the second moto. We’re getting closer – laps led and a couple of holeshots – so I’m happy with the progress.”
Despite Hunter Lawrence reclaiming the championship lead and Jett Lawrence remaining second, Prado’s runner-up finish helped him consolidate fourth in the 450 standings. He now sits just 12 points behind Haiden Deegan in third, while continuing to close the gap on the riders ahead as the championship reaches its halfway point.
Attention now turns to the famous sands of Southwick next weekend, where Prado will hope the momentum gained at RedBud can help him challenge for a first overall AMA Pro Motocross victory.
Images and Quote courtesy of KTM
