Hitchhikers guide to the American Nationals - Red Bud
July 02, 2008
Buchanan, MI is the venue for probably the biggest National of the year, and now combined with the 4th of July celebrations, things could really get outta control. Welcome to REEEEEEEEEEEEEEED BUUUUUUUUUDDDDDDDDDD (after 2 days of that, it gets VERY old).
In a nutshell:
One of the signature tracks of the AMA series, it really is worth going to this race once in your life. The crowd are crazy, the track is superb with many cool sections (including LaRocco's Leap) and weather is normally excellent. It's really hard to explain in words how much fun this event is. A little of the magic will have gone now that RC is retired, but I'm sure the hardcore party-ers will try to make up for it.
Location:
13638 N. Redbud Trail, Buchanan, MI, 49107
Click on picture for interactive map
Viewing Options:
One side of the Red Bud track
Red Bud is split into two sections spread over a hillside. However you can only see one side at a time unfortunately. Basically you either watch the whoop section and LaRocco's Leap or you watch the majority of the track (see picture above). The grandstand by LaRocco's Leap gets full very quickly so if you do fancy it, make sure you get there early in the morning. It's the biggest jump on the tour at about 120ft giving the riders a chance to test out there whip skills... if they manage to jump it.
Probably the best spot on the track is the top row of the grandstand facing away from the start gate. If you get the top row, you can not only turn around and see the start (see bottom picture), but also see the riders when they are doing LaRocco's Leap, which is pretty cool.
Rides to watch:
MX Class - Sean Hamblin #105
After struggling in the GPs last year, Sean has come home and put in some really impressive performances. Starting the year as a privateer, he has worked himself into the Factory Yamaha camp and is repaying their faith by continuing to place in the Top 10. He's one of the nicest guys in the pits and really enjoys his racing and everything that entails.
Lites Class - Josh Grant #24
Missing the first few rounds due to injury, Josh came back to Thunder Valley with a bang. After the Saturday practice session him and Ryan Villopoto got into a little scuffle after some on-track incidents. It was much-ado-about-nothing but it seemed to inspire Josh to put in a couple of solid first moto and almost break RV's win-streak in the second moto after an epic struggle. With a week's more training, look for Grant to push RV even more.
The whoop section with LaRocco's Leap in the background. It's massive!
Accommodation:
If you make all the effort to get here, there really is only one place to stay - the track. It's more like a rock concert camping area than a typical MX crowd. The security do keep a close eye on the festivities but don't expect to get much sleep. Even when the music gets shutdown, the REEEDDDDD BUUUUUDD chants will continue long into the night. Definitely a case of, if you can't beat them - join them.
If you dont fancy any of that, the town of Buchanan does offer some hotels but they fill up fast. A little bit further afield is Chicago which should have plenty of hotels.
Weather:
Like most years, it should be another scorcher with temperatures up around the 30C mark. There are shady spots around the place but the majority of the track has no shelter. They do have a couple of big tented areas which provide some relief from the sun but you can't see any of the track from them. Still, at least it won't be the hot/cold problem like there was at Denver.
Alcohol Rules:
Sorry no alcohol allowed in the facility..... yea right. As long as it's not in a glass bottle, you're all set. Kegs, coolers, cases, barrels... anything that can hold liquid can (and will) be used as a vessel to store alcohol. Just make sure you enough.
Other things to do:
Chicago isn't too far away and is well worth a visit. Probably the best way to sight-see is by the many boat tours they offer however you have to be careful with the weather. When I was last there a couple of years back, one day the temperature was 31C and the next day was 8C... they don't call it the Windy City for nothing.
It was a struggle, but I'm glad I made the effort to get his view.
Overall:
This was one of my favourite tracks last year for a variety of reasons and if you ever get to attend, you won't be disappointed. It is everything you've heard about and more. Not only is the atmosphere awesome, you will get to see the riders tested to the extremes of their ability. There aren't many tracks that have a jump that only the top 5% will jump (LaRocco's Leap) and TV really doesn't do it justice. Just go... seriously.
David Bulmer
http://www.ayearinmx.com
Send this article to a friend
