MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The world’s fastest riders and the world’s most prestigious motocross championship are in full swing this summer and this weekend, the series makes its return to the legendary Red Bud facility in Buchanan.

The Fourth of July tradition that is the Rockstar Energy Red Bud National will commence Saturday, marking the halfway point of the 2011 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship.

The Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship features the world’s fastest professional motocross racers, competing aboard state-of-the-art motorcycles on the roughest, toughest racetracks in the world. Motocross racing is the original extreme action sport; it’s where champions such as Ricky Carmichael, Jeremy McGrath and Travis Pastrana made their mark on the sport of motocross.

The 12-round series, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, begins in California with the Hangtown Motocross Classic in mid-May. The championship includes stops at the premier motocross racing facilities in America, with events in Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington.

Professional competition is divided into two classes: the 450 Class for 251-450cc machines, and the 250 Class for 150-250cc machines.

Additionally, a women’s class serves as a showcase for the fastest female riders in the world, with this weekend marking the Motorcycle-Superstore.com Women’s Motocross Championship second appearance in the illustrious history of Red Bud.

Competitions are conducted on natural-terrain courses that feature a variety of obstacles, which include a unique blend of jumps, hills, berms and various other challenges. The race format for each class consists of two 35-minute races “motos,” with the scores from each moto combined to determine the overall winner. Motocross has been recognized as one of the most physically demanding sports in the world.

Red Bud has been a staple of American motocross since 1974. Thanks to the event’s tie to the Independence Day holiday, it has become one of the most popular venues for riders and fans alike. As the site of some of the sports greatest moments, Red Bud features one of the most notorious obstacles in the sport in LaRocco’s Leap — a massive uphill triple jump that serves as the biggest obstacle in the sport. Boasting a great location for the Detroit, Chicago and Indianapolis markets, the RedBud regularly attracts over 20,000 spectators and will bring approximately $3 million in revenue to the local economy.

For tickets, fan and racing information on the 2011 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, log onto www.allisports.com/motocross.