To say Westville’s Travis Sewell is pumped and excited for RedBud on Saturday in Buchanan is an understatement.

A year ago, Sewell was starting next to the star of motocross--James Stewart after a fantastic day of qualifying.

However, Sewell’s engine blew up at the end of qualifying and he had to use a backup engine. That proved to be disastrous. With a lap and half left in the RedBud National, the backup engine failed and Sewell ran out of gas.

"Oh it’s terrible,” Sewell said after the race a year ago. “I expected to be in the top 10, but the way my bike is running, it was not even possible."

This year, meanwhile, has been difficult for Travis. In January, he had knee surgery.

"it was tough definitely,” Sewell said on Thursday after practicing on his hometrack. “When I started riding again, I was so weak. I lost all the fitness that I had."

Along with his brother Shane who races in Motocross Lites, Travis made his return to the AMA circuit last weekend, finishing in the top 20. He couldn't be happier with where he stands heading into Saturday.

"I feel great,” he explains. “Right now I have been training my butt off. Me and my brother have been riding together everyday and I feel great--definitely the best I have felt all year."

For the first time in a long time, this year’s field is wide open, with new clear favorite in sight. For many years, it was Ricky Carmichael at the top of the RedBud results. When he retired in 2007, James Stewart took the reigns last year.

Stewart has moved up in the racing world and this year, there have been many different winners on the circuit. And a number of those winners aren’t competing this weekend due to injuries.

Travis isn't sure he could can get to first, but he does think he has a legit shot to be in the top 10 for the first time in his career. And there is no no better spot for that to happen then at RedBud.

"RedBud is definitely the best track out there,” Sewell says. “I'd be pumped and ready to go and all the work would be paying off.”

My first race was here and I think I barely made one lap so to be where I'm at, it’s awesome."

Tickets for Saturday are $35 for adults and $15 for kids. Gates open at 6am with practices and qualifying beginning at 8:30am. The championship races will be in the afternoon.

If you can’t make it up to RedBud, but still want to catch the race, the finals will be broadcasted live here on Channel 16 at 3:30 on Saturday.