Ducati is heading stateside—and they’re taking a legend with them.
Nine-time MXGP World Champion Antonio Cairoli is set to race the all-new Desmo450 MX at two rounds of the 2025 AMA Pro Motocross Championship: RedBud (July 5) and Spring Creek (July 12). It’s the first time Ducati’s motocross weapon will line up behind the gate on American soil, and who better to pilot it than the Italian icon himself?
Cairoli’s U.S. campaign kicks off the weekend prior at Southwick National (June 28), where he’ll serve as Grand Marshal, meeting fans and waving the flag for Ducati’s push into American motocross.
Fresh off a solid seventh overall at the MXGP of Great Britain, Cairoli’s still sharp—and while he’s not gunning for titles in the States, his job’s no holiday. These races are a critical step in Ducati Corse Off-Road’s R&D process, putting the production-spec Desmo450 MX to the test under real AMA race conditions.
“This trip to the U.S. is exciting from both a racing and commercial point of view,” said Cairoli. “RedBud and Spring Creek are iconic tracks, and it’s the perfect stage to debut the Desmo450 MX to American fans. We’ll be racing the production bike as it heads to market, so it’s all about showing what it can do in the real world—and having a bit of fun while we’re at it.”
Ducati Corse Off-Road boss Paolo Ciabatti echoed the sentiment, emphasising that while results are great, the bigger picture is long-term performance.
“Racing in the AMA Pro Motocross Championship is a huge step forward for our off-road project,” Ciabatti said. “The competition level is world-class, and with Antonio on board, we can accelerate the development of our platform through real feedback, not just testing laps. This is about learning, refining, and preparing for what comes next.”
Race Schedule:
- Southwick National (As Grand Marshal) – June 28, 2025
- RedBud National – July 5, 2025 (Buchanan, MI)
- Spring Creek National – July 12, 2025 (Millville, MN)
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