Winning a 250 divisional championship can be a double-edged sword. As the 2024 250 West Championship, he has one season to defend his title and will be forced to advance into the 450 division but that is precisely how he envisioned his career path.
Still, the 2024 season was not as smooth as Hampshire would have liked.
It got off to a strong start with his victory in the season-opener at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, last January but the next two rounds were sloppy. Muddy conditions in Round 2 in San Francisco and Round 3 in San Diego threw the field a curveball. Hampshire finished 10th and sixth in those two races and left Round 3 sitting fourth in the standings.
In both Supercross and Motocross, Jo Shimoda improved in nearly every round.
With the exception of Jordon Smith, who swept the podium in the first three rounds, nearly everyone was caught with at least one mediocre result. Second-place Levi Kitchen was only one position ahead of Hampshire at San Diego and Garrett Marchbanks finished seventh in the first Anaheim race. The difference would come down to who could rebound best.
Hampshire took a deep breath and headed back up Interstate 5 for the second Anaheim round and never looked back. He finished second in that round and won his first race of the season in Glendale, Arizona, the following week. For the remainder of 2024, Hampshire would not finish worse than fourth in a 250 West race and when he won the Nashville, Tennessee, East/West Showdown, he took a slim two-point lead over Kitchen.
Kitchen seemed to be the rider to beat entering Nashville. In the four rounds prior to that race, he won three times and finished second once. Supercross is hard to predict, however, and a crash in Tennessee relegated Kitchen to 14th. The two riders finished near one another in the final two races, but Hampshire scored two podium finishes to Kitchen’s one and took the title by five points.
For most of his career Jordon Smith has been his best in Supercross and he needs to replicate that success in 2025.
Hampshire was riding high, but anyone who watches Motocross knows that what goes up has to come down. Hampshire’s season literally came crashing down before the outdoor season began. He suffered a heavy crash on Press Day ahead of the season opener at Fox Raceway in Pala, California and missed nearly the entire season.
Along with Eli Tomac in the 450 division, Hampshire returned to action with two rounds remaining at Budds Creek MX Park in Mechanicsville, Maryland. Hampshire knocked the rust off and earned a ninth-place finish. He stood on the podium with a third-place in the season finale at Ironman Raceway but he would fail to carry that momentum forward.
Pierce Brown got stronger as the SuperMotocross season progressed and ended the 2024 playoffs in third.
Seeded sixth in the SuperMotocross World Championship, Hampshire was apparently still feeling the effects of his injury. He finished ninth in the first playoff race and crashed in Round 2 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. Hampshire was unable to mount up for the series finale the following week in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Despite the regular season injuries, Hampshire’s career trajectory is still on track. He will defend his 250 title and has a pathway marked out for the 450 division in 2026.
There are two wildcards in the deck, however. Hampshire suffered a wrist injury during the offseason that kept him off the bike until a few days before Supercross Media Days, which were just little more than one month ago. There are also questions about the financial health of the KTM Group, of which Husqvarna is part.
After finishing second in the 250 division in 2023 and winning last year, Hampshire is capable of putting those distractions out of mind and will resume his place at the front of the pack.
2024 Statistics
Feature starts: 13
Average feature finish: 4.79
Wins: 3
Podiums: 8
Top-fives: 9
Top-10s: 13
Best finish: Won (Anaheim 1, Glendale, Nashville SX)
Won 250 West Championship
SMX Standings/payout: 16th/$9,000
2024 News
RJ Hampshire will miss SuperMotocross finale in Las Vegas
Hampshire returns for Budds Creek
Hampshire crashes on Press Day at Fox Raceway, will miss MX opener
Hampshire suggests changes to the Supercross 250 class
Hampshire: 2024 was the year of 24
Hampshire is first repeat 250 class winner in Glendale
450 Countdown
4. Eli Tomac
5. Aaron Plessinger
6. Hunter Lawrence
7. Jason Anderson
8. Ken Roczen
9. Justin Cooper
10. Justin Barcia
11. Malcolm Stewart
12. Dylan Ferrandis
13. Christian Craig
14. Shane McElrath
15. Dean Wilson
250 Countdown
5. Jo Shimoda
6. Jordon Smith
7. Pierce Brown
8. Cameron McAdoo
9. Ty Masterpool
10. Chance Hymas
11. Garrett Marchbanks
12. Max Anstie
13. Julien Beaumer
14. Coty Schock
15. Ryder DiFrancesco
More SuperMotocross News
2025 SX schedule | MX schedule | WMX Schedule
2025 Supercross tickets on sale | Pro Motocross tickets
2025 TV Schedule | Track Maps
Eli Tomac and one last shot at SMX glory
Jo Shimoda, Honda have high expectations
Aaron Plessinger brought the sunshine
SMX announces partnership to initiate sports betting
Hunter Lawrence shone brightest on 2024 outdoor tracks
WMX announces six-round schedule for 2025
Jason Anderson and the ticking clock
What might have been for Cameron McAdoo
Yamaha Star Racing announces seven rider team
Reid Taylor replaces injured Devin Simonson
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