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.

With his championship hopes potentially on the line, Team Honda HRC's Chase Sexton dug deep and put forth one of the most memorable performances of the season in Moto 1 of the GEICO Motorcycle Budds Creek National. Sexton has been neck and neck with Eli Tomac all season long at the head of the 450 Class field, which made for a tenuous situation when he crashed twice in the early stages of the first moto. Sexton officially began his moto journey in 29th place and appeared as though he'd have a tall task to climb through the field on a Budds Creek track littered with off-camber corners. What followed was a showcase of why Sexton is on the cusp of capturing his first premier class title. The Honda rider made savvy moves through the pack and clawed his way up to seventh by the end of the moto, passing 22 riders in a salvage ride that when combined with his triumph in Moto 2 left him just off the overall podium in fourth and one point out of the championship lead. It was a ride that personified the creation of the RC Hard Charger Award.

Budds Creek National: 
#23 Chase Sexton / La Moille, Illinois / Honda
+22 positions in 450 Moto 1 (29th to 7th)

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)

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

High Point National: 
#82 Chris Canning / Coventry, Connecticut / GASGAS
+17 positions in 450 Moto 2 (34th to 17th)

RedBud National: 
#12 Shane McElrath / Canton, North Carolina / Husqvarna
+26 positions in 450 Moto 1 (40th to 14th)

Southwick National: 
#21 Jason Anderson / Edgewood, New Mexico / Kawasaki
+25 positions in 450 Moto 1 (33rd to 8th)

Spring Creek National: 
#7 Aaron Plessinger / Hamilton, Ohio / KTM
+11 positions in 450 Moto 2 (18th to 7th)

Washougal National: 
#12 Shane McElrath / Canton, North Carolina / Husqvarna
+16 positions in 450 Moto 1 (30th to 14th)

Unadilla National: 
#82 Chris Canning / Coventry, Connecticut / GASGAS
+16 positions in 450 Moto 2 (35th to 19th)