| RJ Hampshire | |
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.jpg) RJ in 2021 | |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | (1996-01-26)26 January 1996 (age 29) |
| Motocross career | |
| Years active | 2014-Present |
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| Championships |
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RJ Hampshire (born 26 January 1996)[1] is an American professionalMotocross andSupercross racer. Hampshire has ridden professionally in theAMA Supercross Championship and theAMA Motocross Championship since 2014. He was the 2024 AMA Supercross 250cc West Champion.
He currently rides for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team and has represented his country twice at theMotocross des Nations.
Hampshire has one Grand Prix win in theFIM Motocross World Championship which he achieved at the 2017 MXGP of USA as a wildcard in the MX2 class.
R.J. was born and raised in Hudson, FL to parents Ricky and Robin. He has one sister. He grew up playing baseball but gave that up to pursue racing. R.J turned pro in 2014. He married wife Ashley (Murphy) in 2018. They welcomed daughters Ivy (2019) and Navy (2022). R.J. continues to live and train in Florida.
Hampshire worked his way up the ranks of the American amateur scene, winning the Amateur All-Stars race at the 2013 Monster Energy Cup supercross. Following this, he was signed by the Amsoil Factory Connection Honda team for 2014, where he won two titles at theAMA Amateur National Motocross Championship.[2]
Following his amateur successes, Hampshire was given the opportunity to race the final three rounds of the2014 AMA National Motocross Championship in the 250 class for the factory GEICO Honda team.[3] At the final round in Utah, Hampshire was able to finish tenth overall, with a best result of ninth in the opening race.
Hampshire made his professional Supercross debut in the2015 AMA Supercross Championship by competing in the 250SX East class. He was an immediate top-ten finisher in the opening round before recording his first podium inIndianapolis, on his way to fifth in the final standings for the class.[4] Hampshire rode the entire 2015 AMA National Motocross season in the 250 class, finishing tenth in the final standings, with fourth overall at the final round being his best result.
Hampshire finished eighth in the 250SX East class standings in 2016, with a best finish of fourth. This was coupled with finishing eleventh in the 250 class of that season's AMA National Motocross Championship.
His 2017 supercross season was curtailed after the third round due to fracturing histibia andfibula in a crash.[5] This caused him to also miss the opening three rounds of that season's AMA Motocross Championship but he was ultimately able to pick up his first two top three race finishes across the later season. In addition to this, Hampshire competed in the MX2 class of the MXGP of USA in his native Florida as a wildcard. He was able to pull off a breakout ride, winning both races and ultimately taking the Grand Prix overall.[6]
Hampshire's supercross season would be cut short after the third round for the second season running in 2018. He recovered sufficiently from a fractured back to line up for the entire AMA Motocross Championship for that season, picking up his first professional motocross race and overall wins at the penultimate round.[7]
This would be the final year in Hampshire's stint as a Honda rider. Competing in the 250SX West class for the first time, he managed to race a full supercross season finishing fourth overall and getting two podiums. He was able to match this final position in the2019 AMA National Motocross Championship, picking up three top-three race finishes along the way but missing out on a podium finish.
After five and a half years aboardHonda motorcycles, Hampshire signed for theHusqvarna's factory team for the 2020 season.[8] This switch saw Hampshire pick up two podium finishes across the first four rounds of the2020 AMA Supercross Championship in the 250SX East class. After missing the remaining supercross rounds due to surgery on his knee, Hampshire began the2020 AMA National Motocross Championship with second overall in the 250 class at the opening round. After winning a race at the second round, he would go on to take the overall win three rounds later inRed Bud. After breaking his hand at the penultimate round, he eventually finished seventh in the final standings.[9]
Hampshire's2021 AMA Supercross Championship was cut short after just two rounds due to injury. He was able to return in time for the AMA Motocross Championship, finishing fourth in the final standings with three overall podiums including an overall win again atRed Bud.
Hampshire was one of the main protagonists of the 250SX East class during the2022 AMA Supercross Championship, finishing runner-up in the final standings and recording his first professional supercross win inSt Louis.[10] Despite missing the third round of the2022 AMA National Motocross Championship due to injury, Hampshire was able to bounce back by winning the Budds Creek round and finishing fifth in the final standings.
For the2023 AMA Supercross Championship, he opted to race in the 250SX West class for only the second time. This resulted in the second professional supercross win of his career inDenver and seven other podiums as be again finished runner-up in the series toJett Lawrence. In addition to this, Hampshire made his debut in the 450SX class atDaytona, finishing eighth. At the2023 AMA National Motocross Championship, Hampshire was able to win the opening race of the season, pick up a second race win at round 4 and take two overall podiums before missing the final two rounds of the championship. Following this, Hampshire made his debut at theMotocross des Nations for the US in the MX2 class, forming part of the team that would go on to finish eighth.
Staying in the 250SX West class, Hampshire was able to win the opening round of the2024 AMA Supercross Championship. After finishing ninth in the mud at the second round he lost the championship lead. At round five inGlendale, Arizona Hampshire took his second win of the season and with a second at the following round he moved up to second in the standings behindLevi Kitchen.[11] A third win came atNashville and saw him return to the championship lead after a bad night for Kitchen.[12] After finishing third behind Kitchen at the penultimate round, the pair went into the final level on points making it a straight shootout. Hampshire was able to finish second in the final three places ahead of Kitchen, ultimately becoming champion in the 250SX West class, his first title in his ten year professional career. At the press day before the opening round of the2024 AMA National Motocross Championship, Hampshire crashed and injured his wrist, which ruled him out of the championship until the penultimate round.[13] Despite missing the majority of the season, Hampshire was able to finish on the bottom step of the podium at the final round.
Hampshire had to have surgery on his injured wrist in the off season. The recovery period required for this meant that he missed out on the chance to defend his title in the 250SX West class.[14] Riding in the 250SX East class instead, Hampshire had five trips to the podium, including his first win at the famousDaytona round.[15] This consistency saw him in contention for the overall title in the final rounds of the series, eventually finishing third in the standings after an incident withSeth Hammaker at the season-ending event. Hampshire made his full-time debut in the 450 class during the2025 AMA National Motocross Championship, with the opening round taking place just two weeks after further surgery to his wrist.[16] Despite this, he surprised many with his strong performances in the class, getting stronger at the season progressed and scoring his first 450 class podium at the round atIronman. After finishing fifth in the final standings, Hampshire backed it up with seventh overall in the2025 SuperMotocross World Championship play off rounds. With two members of the original team getting injured at the final SuperMotocross round, Hampshire was drafted into the American team for the2025 Motocross des Nations.[17] Racing on home soil, the team finished second overall, with Hampshire finishing fourth in his qualifying race but crashing out of his second main race on the Sunday.
FIM Motocross World Championship
SuperMotocross World Championship
AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship
AMA Nicky Hayden Amateur Horizon Award
| Year | Rnd 1 | Rnd 2 | Rnd 3 | Rnd 4 | Rnd 5 | Rnd 6 | Rnd 7 | Rnd 8 | Rnd 9 | Rnd 10 | Rnd 11 | Rnd 12 | Rnd 13 | Rnd 14 | Rnd 15 | Rnd 16 | Rnd 17 | Average Finish | Podium Percent | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ~2023 250 SX-W | 2 | 2 | 2 | 11 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | 2 | - | 13 | - | 1 | 2 | 4.11 | 78% | 2nd |
| 2023 250 MX | 3 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 13 | OUT | OUT | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5.44 | 22% | 8th |
| 2024 250 SX-W | 1 | 9 | 6 | 2 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 4 | - | 1 | - | 3 | 2 | 3.10 | 70% | 1st |
| 2024 250 MX | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | OUT | 9 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.00 | 50% | 22nd |
| 2025 250 SX-E | - | - | - | - | 18 | 3 | - | 1 | 4 | 2 | - | 15 | 3 | 2 | 4 | - | 6 | 5.80 | 50% | 3rd |
| 2025 450 MX | 9 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5.64 | 9% | 5th |