Ducati has signed R.J. Hampshire to a multi-year contract with Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati Factory Racing. The American will compete on the Ducati Desmo 450MX as the factory-backed programme continues its premier-class campaign into 2027. The agreement brings a former 250SX West champion into a project that is still in its first season of competition but has already begun to establish itself in the American motocross paddock.

Hampshire, also known as Rick or Rick James, started his professional career at Unadilla on August 9, 2014. His strongest championship achievement came in 2024, when he won the Monster Energy AMA Supercross 250SX West Championship. His 250-class record also includes four AMA Pro Motocross victories and three Monster Energy AMA Supercross 250SX West wins. In 2023, he finished third in the 250SMX standings of the Monster Energy SuperMotocross World Championship.

From 250-class success to the 450 premier class

The move to Ducati follows two seasons in which Hampshire has strengthened his position in the premier 450 class. He has recorded 11 top-five finishes there, including two podium results, and finished fifth overall in the AMA Pro Motocross Championship in both 2025 and 2026. His 2026 campaign also included a podium at Ironman Raceway, giving the new Ducati partnership a rider with recent front-running experience rather than only a record from the smaller class.

His résumé also extends beyond domestic racing. Hampshire has represented the United States twice at the Motocross of Nations, competing once on a 250 and once on a 450. His most recent appearance came at the 2025 event, where he helped Team USA take the silver medal. That combination of 450-class results, championship experience and international racing is central to what he brings to Ducati’s developing effort.

A developing Ducati project

Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati Factory Racing is using its first competitive season to develop both the Desmo 450MX race bike and the wider programme. Its best result in the 2026 AMA Pro Motocross Championship was fourth overall at the Hangtown round. The team also finished 11th overall in Supercross, followed by seventh- and 10th-place overall results during the Motocross season. Hampshire’s arrival gives that work an experienced 450-class reference point as the team targets another step in 2027.

Hampshire said the opportunity immediately appealed to him and that team representatives Ziggy and Josh were his first calls. After completing his first day on the Ducati, he described the bike positively and called the move a refresh at this stage of his career. He also said that riding for Troy Lee had been a childhood ambition, adding that he was looking forward to building the relationship over the next couple of years and producing results.

Josh Wisenor, Troy Lee Designs Race Team Manager, said Hampshire was joining at a point when he was more established as a 450-class competitor and former champion. Wisenor also pointed to the progress made by the team and its motorcycle during 2026, arguing that a rider of Hampshire’s calibre could help take both to the next level. The signing therefore links Ducati’s still-developing race package with a rider whose career includes a 250SX title, proven 450-class consistency and two Motocross of Nations appearances.