Australia's Chad Reed continues to head at 450 Class after three rounds contested to date. Image: Alex Gobert.

With three rounds complete in the 2011 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, a trio of riders are shaping the battle for the premier 450 Class title, TwoTwo Motorsports/Bel-Ray Racing’s Chad Reed, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto and Rockstar/Makita Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey.

This weekend, these three former champions and the rest of the world’s fastest riders travel to Budds Creek MX Park for Saturday’s MotoTees Budds Creek National.

Reed secured the early advantage in the championship this summer, grabbing the overall victory through the first two rounds of competition.

Behind him, Dungey kicked off his title defense with a pair of strong runs, and despite some misfortune at the second round from Freestone Raceway, has remained a player in the title fight.

However, this past weekend at High Point Raceway, in Mt. Morris, Villopoto solidified himself as a third contender, breaking through with his best outing of the young season, and capturing his first overall win since his 450 Class debut in 2009.

Now, both Reed and Villopoto hold the distinction of landing on the overall podium through each of the first three rounds this season and as a result, they occupy the top two positions in the standings, just 15 points apart.

With a strong runner-up effort at High Point to bounce back from the heartbreak he experienced at Freestone, Dungey sits third, 27 points behind Reed.

From top to bottom, the competition in the 450 Class has been tight, with other challengers like Muscle Milk/Toyota/JGR’s Davi Millsaps, Red Bull KTM’s Mike Alessi, American Honda’s Kevin Windham and Rockstar/Makita Suzuki’s Brett Metcalfe, all taking their shots at the front of the field.

This Saturday, it will surely be more of the same, as Budds Creek serves as a favorite for many of the riders in the championship.

Through three rounds of action in the 250 Class, one thing has remained consistent at the head of the class – the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team.

Current points leader Tyla Rattray, Dean Wilson, and last weekend’s winner Blake Baggett, have all been perennial contenders for the podium in six motos this year.

While each rider has been forced to work through his own hardship at various points of the young season, all three have displayed a resiliency and determination that through this point in the championship, has been unmatched.

Stay tuned for the report right here on MotoOnline.com.au come Sunday afternoon AEST.