With an unprecedented 102 career wins and a record 10 career titles in the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, Ricky Carmichael remains the standard bearer of success in American motocross, and it's why he's affectionately known as "The G.O.A.T." (Greatest of All Time). In honor of Carmichael's legacy, the Pro Motocross Championship has made an effort to recognized the most determined rider at each respective National for more than a decade with the Ricky Carmichael Hard Charger Award. This accolade rewards the one competitor at each of the 12 rounds on the schedule  who overtakes the highest number of his fellow racers in either 450 Class moto.

With a rich heritage of its own that now spans nearly three decades, INTENSE CYCLES has long been a standard bearer of its own in downhill mountain bike racing. The California company has long held a crossover connection to the sport of motocross, with a who's who of team athletes that also became familiar figures within motorcycle racing. Passion and ingenuity was the driving force behind INTENSE's ascension in mountain biking, and those same traits became integral to the brand's development of its first electric bike, the TAZER MX. When it debuted in 2018, the TAZER integrated the refinements of traditional downhill mountain bikes with emerging electric technology, and even some elements of motocross, for an innovative design that remained true to the man-powered nature of the experience. The seamless transition into the e-bike segment further cemented INTENSE's status as an elite manufacturer, much like how Carmichael's sustained decade of dominance competing aboard three different brands of motorcycles proved he's simply the best there's ever been.

Each recipient of the INTENSE RC HARD CHARGER AWARD is recognized during the riders meeting at the following National and is awarded with a custom-designed trophy.

Veteran racer Christian Craig is off the best start of his career in the 2022 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, but the Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing rider's early momentum took a major hit when he found himself on the ground to start the opening 450 Class moto at the Toyota Thunder Valley National. No worse for wear, Craig remounted at the tail end of the field and immediately went to work, surpassing several riders before the completion of the opening lap to officially begin his journey in 32nd place. Despite hot conditions and the always challenging high altitude of Colorado, Craig never wavered and took advantage of his wealth of experience and surging confidence to easily move into the top 20 and continue his charge forward. By the completion of the moto, Craig had managed to defy the odds and broke into the top 10 with an incredible 10th-place result. Unfortunately, lady luck wasn't on Craig's side in the second moto either as he went down while battling inside the top five. Despite the adversity, Craig showed his resilience with a 12th-place finish to give him 10-12 moto scores for the afternoon and finish of 12th overall.

Thunder Valley National: 
#28 Christian Craig / El Cajon, California / Yamaha
+22 positions in 450 Moto 1 (32nd to 10th)

2022 INTENSE RC HARD CHARGER AWARD Recipients

Fox Raceway I National:
#61 Fredrik Noren / Lidköping, Sweden / Suzuki
+26 positions in 450 Moto 1 (40th to 14th)

Hangtown Motocross Classic: 
#73 Benny Bloss / Oak Grove, Missouri / KTM
+18 positions in 450 Moto 1 (35th to 17th)