BUCHANAN — RedBud MX unveiled its new track Sept. 8 at RedBud’s fifth running of the Thor Edge of Summer MX race, the one specifically designed and constructed for the upcoming Monster Energy Motocross of Nations.

RedBud’s world-renowned 1.25 mile AMA Pro MX National track was radically changed over the past two months (since the July 4th weekend event), de-tuning some of the technical sections and making it more wide open and flowing, like the classic European GP motocross track. This, in accordance with MXGP guidelines, the international counterpart to America’s Lucas Oil MX Championship Series.

In addition to wholesale changes in the course’s geography, RedBud owner Tim Ritchie uprooted and moved the existing starting gate, while adding a completely new start line so RedBud could accommodate a massive factory race team and VIP structure when the course hosts motocross fans from around the world at the Des Nations.

The “new RedBud” motocross course — as locals know it — will look vastly different from the course they’re used to seeing at the annual AMA Pro MX National weekend race.

Ritchie, who allowed amateur racers from all over the region the first shot at the newly-designed course by advertising “Race it before the rest of the world,” was pleased with the results and feedback from the Edge of Summer MX event.

“This past weekend’s race was, likely, the only time the Motocross of Nations track at RedBud will ever be run for amateurs,” Ritchie said. “The track worked well, for the most part, for the amateurs. Our new, Super Off-Camber (turn) was a bit gnarly for them, so it’ll be interesting to see how the rest of the world’s top racers handle it. We also re-designed the in-run to the Leap (famed LaRocco’s Leap, one of the biggest pro jumps in the U.S.), adding a bump as the racers make the run towards the uphill. A few racers managed to jump in this weekend, so now I know that’s doable (for the MXoN pros).”

The Thor Edge of Summer MX event at RedBud featured more than 30 classes of both motocross (dirt bike) and ATV racers. One of the racers, well-known local professional Austin Wager (Niles), certainly liked what he saw — and experienced firsthand — racing the MXoN track this past weekend at RedBud.

“Right out of the gate the new start is the most noticeable change,” said Wagner, a 2014 Edwardsburg High School graduate who has been racing at RedBud since he was 5. “They moved it from the north to the west side of the track, by a couple hundred feet. This makes the start a shorter ‘drag race’ to the first corner, unlike in the past where you had to turn left. So, it’s just a straight shot to a right hander, then into a long straight before a sharp left hander and a right hander — before you set up for the ski jump. I like the start a lot, and think it’ll make things fair for all the racers.”

Other features that Wagner said stood out were, basically, the removal of the section after the “Hammer of Thor” pro jump, which now leads into a “really rough and technical” off-camber hill (Super Off-Camber, according to Ritchie).

And as for LaRocco’s Leap and the new jump leading into it?

“There was a few guys there doing it this weekend, but I wasn’t one of them,” Wagner laughed.

The Motocross of Nations, which is being run for the first time in the Midwest, will be Oct. 6-7 at RedBud.

the Monster Energy Motocross of Nations, founded in 1947, will feature upwards of 40 countries, each comprised of three-man teams, each representing one of three classes (MXGP, MX2 and Open). Points are assigned in the order of finish (one point for first, two points for second, etc.) in the three-moto (race) format over two days. The worst score of three races is dropped, and the lowest combined score for a nation wins the Chamberlain Trophy.

Team USA has a record 22 MXoN wins since 1981 (Team USA’s first MXoN victory). At RedBud, the 72nd MXoN, Team USA will look to snap Team France’s four-year winning streak.

The MXoN will be significant to the South Bend/Mishawaka region in that people truly travel in from all points on the globe for the event. Area hotels are expected to be filled to capacity, in addition to local restaurants and businesses benefiting from the flag-flying international crowd — one that is expected to considerably top RedBud’s annual Fourth of July event in terms of attendance.

Pat Shutte is the local an national press officer for RedBud MX.