BUCHANAN — Niles natives will be taking the track close to home this weekend.

The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship returns to RedBud MX, 13638 Red Bud Trail N, Buchanan with local competitors in both the 250 class and 125 All Star Series, a new addition to RedBud after Lucas Oil Pro Motocross announced the race as part of its national race day program.

Austin Wagner, of Niles, has been riding on the track since he was five years old and is no stranger to the new track renovations.

“The tracks always good, I’m just happy to be here,” Wagner said. “I actually like [the changes] a lot, I rode [the track] last year for the grass race. They had another race here this spring, and I rode it then too.”

Wagner, who is competing in the 250 class this year, finished 35th at Redbud back in 2015 in the 450 class. Last year, he finished the last race of the season at 14th place overall in the 250 class at Ironman. This year, he is aiming for the top 20.

“I hope I finish better than last year, that’s always the goal,” Wagner said.

The first round of the Pro Motocross Championship that Wagner competed in this year, resulted in him suffering a severe injury. He cracked both his ribs and this will be his first time back racing since then, he said. As far as the course goes, he is ready to put his practice to the test.

“I like this track better than last year,” Wagner said. “It’s more of a drag race and less crashing. LaRocco’s Leap is my favorite jump I’ve ever hit. I haven’t hit it in the last year because I’ve been on a slower bike. I always try to hit it every year, so we’ll see.”

Another rider from Niles, Tim Snyder will be competing in the 125 All Star Series, with Saturday being the event’s debut on the Redbud track.

Snyder, who has lived in Niles his whole life, feels good about competing in his hometown. At 12 years old, Snyder started racing with his family at local events, racing at Redbud, Dutch and Log Road.

“We just kept doing it. It’s fun,” Snyder said. “It’s kind of a family sport. We’re all weekend families. You see everyone so much, it’s kind of one big family.”

Snyder has seen the course change throughout the years, but enjoys the new starting gate location on the west side of the track, instead of on the north, he said. After practice runs he found the back section the most challenging because it is a deep, rutted up section.

Having already looked up the lineup, Snyder is excited, but also nervous, he said, because of who he will be lining up next to.

“Some of them I have always looked up to they’ve been doing it longer than me, Snyder said. “There’s three guys who were kind of my idols growing up: Nick Wey, Todd DeHoop and Nick Vaughn. They’ve always rode so fast and smooth.”

Even after all these years spent racing, Snyder still prefers a two-stroke bike, he said, because it reminds him of growing up.

“To me, it brings me back to when I first started racing, there wasn’t four strokes back,” Snyder said. “I started on 60, then went to 85, then 125. Growing up, there was always two strokes for as long as I can remember. When the four strokes came out they were expensive, my family stuck to the two strokes.”

Snyder hopes the 125 All Star Series will continue to be a part of the Lucas Oil Motocross National race day program.

“Hopefully, they will do it again,” Snyder said. “It’s exciting to race against people you actually looked up to.”