This Week in Powersports Racing – The week of July 16, 2023

MORE CONSISTENCY FROM RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING AT SPRING CREEK NATIONAL

MILLVILLE, Minn. – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Aaron Plessinger raced his way to fourth overall in the 450MX Class at Round 7 of the 2023 Pro Motocross Championship in Millville, with 250MX pairing Tom Vialle and Maximus Vohland claiming consistent sixth and eighth-place results.

In the morning’s qualifying sessions, Plessinger powered his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to the seventh-fastest time at the Spring Creek National, setting up a strong foundation for the afternoon’s two-moto format.

Engaged in tight, intense battles throughout both motos, Plessinger charged all day long to finish with dual fourth-place finishes, further solidifying his third place position in this year’s 450MX Championship with four rounds remaining in the 2023 series.

Aaron Plessinger: “4-4 today in Millville, similar on paper to the last few weeks, although we’re making good progress. Closed the gap to the lead riders this weekend, so I’m happy with the small gains we’ve made! We were better throughout the week too, so we’ll just keep our heads down and work hard. I need to work on my opening lap pace, because later in the moto I’m strong, but just need to improve on a bit of that sprint speed to get into position quicker early on.”

In 250MX, previous round winner Vialle entered with strong momentum as he finished with the fourth-fastest lap time in qualifying. A consistent day of racing hampered only by poor starts would see the two-time world champion race his 250 SX-F to a 6-5 moto scorecard, which resulted in sixth overall for the day, and he’s seventh in the standings.

Tom Vialle: “I started the day well with qualifying P4 in the class – this track was really cool. In moto one, I battled hard with [Haiden] Deegan all moto, though made a small mistake and went down, then finished in sixth. Second moto, I didn’t start great, so I charged my way up to fifth place there. The speed was good today, just the starts made it really challenging as you need to pull good starts in this class for a chance at the podium. Washougal is up next, the track looks really nice also, so I can’t wait to be there.”

Fellow Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 250MX racer Vohland shadowed his teammate in qualifying with the fifth fastest time, before being caught in a first turn pile-up in the opening moto and that saw him put on an impressive charge back to 10th place. A poor start in the second moto resulted in another come-from-behind ride with a P7, which capped off his Millville race day in eighth overall, and sees him maintain eighth in the series.

Maximus Vohland: “We were competitive today and my pace was good, but bad starts and that first turn pile-up were costly for us. The weekend was better for us though, we are making steps forward, and it is a matter of putting it all together now – I’m confident that we can get some strong results in these final four rounds of the outdoor season.”

Next Race: July 22 – Washougal, Washington

Results 450MX Class – Spring Creek National
1. Jett Lawrence (AUS), Honda, 1-1
2. Chase Sexton (USA), Honda, 2-2
3. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA), Yamaha, 5-3
4. Aaron Plessinger (USA), KTM, 4-4
OTHER KTM
21. Kevin Moranz (USA), KTM
23. Max Miller (USA), KTM
30. Zack Williams (USA), KTM
31. Dawson Draycott (USA), KTM
32. Christopher Prebula (USA), KTM
35. Jeffrey Walker (USA), KTM
37. Crockett Myers (USA), KTM
39. Brandon Scharer (USA), KTM

Results 250MX Class – Spring Creek National
1. Hunter Lawrence (AUS), Honda, 1-2
2. Justin Cooper (USA), Yamaha, 4-1
3. Jo Shimoda (JPN), Kawasaki, 2-3
OTHER KTM
6. Tom Vialle (FRA), KTM
8. Maximus Vohland (USA), KTM
19. Derek Kelley (USA), KTM
21. Josh Varize (USA), KTM
22. Slade Smith (RSA), KTM
25. Marcus Phelps (USA), KTM
28. Hunter Cross (USA), KTM
30. Ethan Lane (GBR), KTM
35. Cameron Skaalerud (USA), KTM
37. Jesse Jacobsen (USA), KTM
38. James Cottrell (GBR), KTM
39. Bailey Kroone (USA), KTM
41. Bryson Raymond (USA), KTM

Standings 450MX Class 2023 after 7 of 11 rounds
1. Jett Lawrence, 350 points
2. Dylan Ferrandis, 269
3. Aaron Plessinger, 246
OTHER KTM
8. Cooper Webb, 147
31. Dante Oliveira, 15
32. Max Miller, 15
34. Christopher Prebula, 12
35. Tyler Stepek, 11
39. Brandon Scharer, 7
40. Kevin Moranz, 5
42. Trevor Schmidt, 4
54. Jeffrey Walker, 1

Standings 250MX Class 2023 after 7 of 11 rounds
1. Hunter Lawrence, 260 points
2. Haiden Deegan, 247
3. RJ Hampshire, 240
OTHER KTM
7. Tom Vialle, 210
8. Maximus Vohland, 190
20. Derek Kelley, 33
23. Slade Smith, 27
32. Jimmy Decotis, 13
35. Lux Turner, 7
36. Matti Jorgensen, 7
38. Josh Varize, 6
42. Marcus Phelps, 2

Win Number Seven for Jett Lawrence as Aussie’s Perfection Continues in 2023 Pro Motocross Championship at Spring Creek

The second half of the 2023 Pro Motocross Championship sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, got underway on Saturday with the series’ annual visit to the Land of 10,000 Lakes and Minnesota’s famed Spring Creek MX Park. The FXR Spring Creek National, presented by Frescados Tortillas, featured partly cloudy skies and balmy temperatures, which set the tone for a highly competitive afternoon of racing at one of the sport’s most dynamic venues. After four captivating motos Team Honda HRC’s Lawrence brothers prevailed with a sweep of the overall victories for the fifth time this season, as Jett extended his perfect season to 14 moto wins and a seventh overall victory in the 450 Class while Hunter returned to the top step of the podium in the 250 Class with his fifth win.

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Moto 1

The premier class stormed out the gate for the first time with Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo leading the field through the first turn and to the MotoSport.com Holeshot, with Lawrence on his rear fender. Lawrence applied pressure immediately and was able to take control of the moto before the completion of the opening lap. Lawrence’s Team Honda HRC teammate Chase Sexton started up front as well but went down and lost several positions. He remounted quickly and started to claw his way back into contention. He passed Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Aaron Plessinger for third and then tracked down Cianciarulo for second, making the pass with ease. Nearly five seconds separated the teammates as the moto completed its opening 10 minutes.

It didn’t take long for the Honda’s to gap the field and pull away by double digits, which left the battle for third to be decided between Cianciarulo and Plessinger, while Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson looked to close in from fifth. As the moto reached its halfway point the battle for third became a three-rider affair as Anderson passed both Plessinger and Cianciarulo.

Back up front, Sexton slowly inched closer and closer to his teammate and soon less than two seconds separated Lawrence from Sexton. For the first time all season Lawrence faced a threat from behind as Sexton moved to within striking distance of the lead. As they approached lapped riders Sexton started to look for an opportunity to make a pass. Lawrence responded and picked up his pace to put the lead back over a second.

Sexton kept Lawrence honest for several laps as the teammates traded momentum, but Lawrence capitalized on a slower rider that held up Sexton and opened the lead to more than 2.5 seconds. The lead briefly grew to more than three seconds, but Sexton gained a second and looked to make one last push in the closing minutes. On the final lap Sexton got within two seconds of Lawrence, but he slid out on a downhill and ended the threat.

Lawrence took his 13th moto win by 11.9 seconds over Sexton, while the battle for third stayed intense all the way to the finish. Anderson fended off heavy pressure from both Plessinger and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis to secure third, while Plessinger settled four fourth and Ferrandis fifth.

Jett Lawrence’s perfect season extended to 14 moto wins and seven overall victories.
Photo: Align Media

Moto 2

The final moto of the afternoon got underway with the Hondas of Sexton and Lawrence leading the way, running side-by-side all the way to the MotoSport.com Holeshot, which went to Sexton. After pinching off his teammate Sexton had control of the position but applied too much throttle exiting a corner and lost traction with his rear tire, which allowed Lawrence to assume the lead as Sexton resumed in second. Cianciarulo grabbed another strong start in third, just ahead of Ferrandis. After a third in Moto 1, Anderson was collected in a crash off the start and retired from the moto.

Much like the first moto the Honda teammates easily gapped the rest of the field to set the stage for a head-to-head showdown. Lawrence established a lead of just over a second on Sexton, who bided his time and settled into the moto with no threat from behind. As he gave pursuit Sexton made a costly error that took him to the ground and allowed Cianciarulo to move into second as Sexton remounted in third.

Lawrence enjoyed a double-digit margin following Sexton’s misfortune as Sexton looked to battle back. The Honda rider closed in on Cianciarulo and made quick work of the Kawasaki to reclaim second. A battle for third then started to take shape between Cianciarulo and Ferrandis. As the moto reached its halfway point Ferrandis mounted an attack on Cianciarulo and wasted little time in making the pass for third. Plessinger was able to close in from fifth and also made a quick pass on Cianciarulo for fourth.

It was another uneventful moto for Lawrence out front as he wrapped up his 14th win to extend his perfect season, 16.7 seconds ahead of Sexton. The battle for third came down to the wire between Ferrandis and Plessinger, with the Frenchman able to fend off the pressure for the final spot on the moto podium.

Chase Sexton’s misfortune in both motos resulted in another runner-up effort (2-2).
Photo: Align Media

Overall

For the sixth time this summer Lawrence led every lap of competition en route to his seventh straight 1-1 performance. His seven 450 Class wins have allowed him to break into the top 20 on the all-time wins list, where he now sits in a tie with three other riders for 20th. Sexton’s runner-up effort (2-2) will lead him to wonder what could have been with crashes in each moto, while Ferrandis earned his fifth podium result of the season in third (5-3).

Lawrence’s lead in the championship standings has grown to 81 points over Ferrandis, while Plessinger further strengthened his hold of third with a fourth-place result (4-4), 104 points out of the lead.

Dylan Ferrandis rounded out the overall podium in third (5-3).
Photo: Align Media

Jett Lawrence, Team Honda HRC
“It’s a bummer for Chase in that one [Moto 2]. He got the start on me and I know he can run my speed, so it’s unfortunate for him to have that bad luck. It was another good weekend [for me] and now we’re on to Washougal, where I know Chase will be fast again.”

Chase Sexton, Team Honda HRC
“We’re close, but I’m sick and tired of getting second place. I’m disappointed going down in both motos. I kind of blew it. That’s not acceptable and I’m going to throw everything I have at it for the final four rounds. I’m going to get one of these [a win] before the season’s over.”

Dylan Ferrandis, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing
“Tough day for me, but I’m glad to be on the box. It’s tough to accept, but it is what it is. I gave it everything I had and third was the best for me today.”

450 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish // Points)

1. Jett Lawrence, Landsborough, Qld., Australia, Honda (1-1 // 50)
2. Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill., Honda (2-2, 44)
3. Dylan Ferrandis, Avignon, France, Yamaha (5-3 // 36)
4. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, KTM (4-4 // 36)
5. Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki (7-5 // 30)
6. Ty Masterpool, Fallon, Nev., Kawasaki (8-6 // 28)
7. Garrett Marchbanks, Coalville, Utah, Yamaha (6-8 // 28)
8. Grant Harlan, Justin, Texas, Yamaha (9-7 // 26)
9. Fredrik Noren, Lidköping, Sweden, Suzuki (10-9 // 23)
10. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Kawasaki (3-38 // 20)

450 Class Championship Standings (Round 7 of 11)

1. Jett Lawrence, Landsborough, Qld., Australia, Honda – 350
2. Dylan Ferrandis, Avignon, France, Yamaha – 269
3. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, KTM – 246
4. Adam Cianciarulo, Port Orange, Fla., Kawasaki – 206
5. Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill., Honda – 174
6. Ty Masterpool, Fallon, Nev., Kawasaki – 162
7. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM – 147
8. Fredrik Noren, Lidköping, Sweden, Suzuki – 147
9. Garrett Marchbanks, Coalville, Utah, Yamaha – 146
10. Grant Harlan, Justin, Texas, Yamaha – 116

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Moto 1

The opening 250 Class moto of the afternoon began with the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki of Jo Shimoda at the head of the pack for the MotoSport.com Holeshot ahead of the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing trio of Haiden Deegan, Justin Cooper and Levi Kitchen. Shimoda looked to sprint away and solidify his hold of the lead while Deegan, the new points leader, tried to do the same in second. Kitchen was able to pass Cooper and move into third, while behind the leaders Lawrence, the class’ winningest rider and previous points leader, started to fight his way towards the top five after a start deep inside the top 10.

Shimoda opened up an advantage of 4.5 seconds through the opening 10 minutes of the moto, while the rest of his rivals continued to wage battle with multiple riders jockeying for a spot inside the top three. Cooper amped up his aggression to reclaim third from Kitchen while Lawrence looked to follow through after passing Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire for fifth. Lawrence was persistent and made his way around Kitchen for fourth. The Aussie’s charge forward wasn’t finished. He bided his time and set up an impressive pass on Cooper to move into third and set his sights on his championship rival in second.

A miscue by Deegan navigating infamous Mt. Martin took the Yamaha rider off track briefly, which handed second to Lawrence and also allowed Cooper to make the pass for third. Lawrence faced a six-second deficit to Shimoda when he assumed the position, with a little more than half of the moto to go. Behind him, Deegan lost another position to Hampshire, which dropped the rookie to fifth.

With no one to contend with, Lawrence was able to log the fastest laps on the track and started to take chunks out of his deficit to Shimoda. The battle for third also heated up as Hampshire mounted an attack on Cooper and took control of the position with a little more than 10 minutes remaining. Back up front, mere bike lengths separated Shimoda and Lawrence as they both navigated lapped riders.

With a handful of minutes left in the moto the battle for the lead was on between Shimoda and Lawrence. The Honda rider had more pace, but Shimoda’s ability to control the preferred lines kept the Kawasaki out front. After some minor miscues Lawrence dropped back and prepared for another push in the waning minutes of the moto. The battle raged on as the gap between the duo was like a yo-yo, with lappers impacting portions of their duel. As time ran out, Shimoda and Lawrence were closer than they had been all moto. Lawrence’s aggression amped up as he hounded Shimoda in every corner with alternate lines.

With two laps to go Lawrence was able to position himself alongside Shimoda and out-accelerated the Kawasaki to seize control of the moto. The Honda rider’s lead grew quickly to about 1.5 seconds and he closed it out with his sixth moto win of the season. He took the checkered flag 2.2 seconds ahead of Shimoda while Hampshire followed in third. Cooper finished in fourth, with Deegan completing the top five.

Hunter Lawrence returned to the top step of the podium with his fifth victory (1-2).
Photo: Align Media

Moto 2

The second and deciding moto got underway with Lawrence edging out Kitchen and Shimoda for the MotoSport.com Holeshot to grab control of the moto as Kitchen slotted into second and Cooper in third, just ahead of Shimoda, who was then passed by his Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rookie teammate Ryder DiFrancesco. Point leader Deegan started outside the top 10.

The clear track allowed Lawrence to sprint through the opening minutes of the moto and build a lead of nearly four seconds over Kitchen and the rest of the field. The Honda rider continued to add to his advantage as Kitchen lost ground to Cooper and eventually lost the hold of second to his teammate. Behind them, Shimoda made the pass on DiFrancesco to take over fourth. The Japanese rider continued his forward push and was able to close in on Kitchen to initiate a battle for third. The pair engaged in a spirited fight for the final spot on the moto podium before Shimoda used an off-camber outside line to slip around Kitchen and take over the position.

Back out front, Lawrence was in a class of his own out front and was able to pull out a double-digit margin on Cooper, who easily controlled the runner-up spot from the moment he made the pass for the position. Shimoda enjoyed a firm hold of third, but Kitchen continued to lurk in fourth.

Lawrence was in full control of the moto until the final lap when he crashed out of the lead and lost the top spot to Cooper after an apparent incident with a lapped rider. Lawrence remounted in second, just ahead of Shimoda. Cooper carried on to a surprise moto win, his second of the season, four seconds ahead of Lawrence, who crossed the line just ahead of Shimoda in third.

A Moto 2 win vaulted Justin Cooper into the runner-up spot (4-1).
Photo: Align Media

Overall

Despite the misfortune late in Moto 2, Lawrence still secured his fifth overall win of the season (1-2) to rebound from back-to-back races in which he recorded a DNF. Cooper’s triumph in the final moto vaulted him into the runner-up spot (4-1) for his fifth podium finish in a row, while Shimoda secured back-to-back third-place finishes (2-3).

The victory allowed Lawrence to return to the top of the championship standings, where he now enjoys a 13-point lead over Deegan, who finished seventh (5-8). Shimoda and Hampshire, who finished fourth (3-6), are now tied for third, 20 points behind Lawrence

Jo Shimoda finished third overall (2-3) for the second straight weekend.
Photo: Align Media

Hunter Lawrence, Team Honda HRC
“We came here with a job to do [win the race] and we did it today. We were so close to being perfect [going 1-1] but I’ve got to be more careful around those lappers. I’m stoked. We’ve got four rounds to go with a little break.”

Justin Cooper, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing
“I wouldn’t say I settled [in Moto 2], but I wanted to maintain the gap in case something happened. That worked out in our favor. We’ll take it. Still have some work to do but we’re making progress and looking forward to next weekend.”

Jo Shimoda, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki
“I feel happy with my starts more than my riding. The riding is getting better too. I feel like the bike is getting pretty dialed in so I’m focusing on volume [practice riding] during the week and I think that will help me for the races coming up.”

250 Class Overall Results (Moto Finishes // Points)

1. Hunter Lawrence, Landsborough, Qld., Australia, Honda (1-2 // 47)
2. Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha (4-1 // 43)
3. Jo Shimoda, Suzuka, Japan, Kawasaki (2-3 // 42)
4. RJ Hampshire, Hudson, Fla., Husqvarna (3-6 // 35)
5. Levi Kitchen, Washougal, Wash., Yamaha (7-4 // 32)
6. Tom Vialle, Avignon, France, KTM (6-5 // 31)
7. Haiden Deegan, Temecula, Calif., Yamaha (5-8 // 29)
8. Max Vohland, Sacramento, Calif., KTM (10-7 // 25)
9. Austin Forkner, Richards, Mo., Kawasaki (11-9 // 22)
10. Jalek Swoll, Belleview, Fla., Husqvarna (8-14 // 20)

250 Class Championship Standings (Round 7 of 11)

1. Hunter Lawrence, Landsborough, Qld., Australia, Honda – 260
2. Haiden Deegan, Temecula, Calif., Yamaha – 247
3. RJ Hampshire, Hudson, Fla., Husqvarna – 240
4. Jo Shimoda, Suzuka, Japan, Kawasaki – 240
5. Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha – 239
6. Levi Kitchen, Washougal, Wash., Yamaha – 214
7. Tom Vialle, Avignon, France, KTM – 210
8. Max Vohland, Sacramento, Calif., KTM – 190
9. Ryder DiFrancesco, Bakersfield, Calif., Kawasaki – 137
10. Jalek Swoll, Belleview, Fla., Husqvarna – 130

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The 2023 Pro Motocross Championship continues next weekend with its final visit to the West Coast, where the Pacific Northwest’s scenic Washougal MX Park in Washougal, Washington, awaits. The MotoSport.com Washougal National, presented by Peterson CAT, will take place on Saturday, July 22, for the eighth round of the summer season. A total of 4.5 hours of uninterrupted moto coverage from Washougal will be streamed live on Peacock and will kick off with Race Day Live, presented by MotoSport.com, at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET, followed by race coverage beginning at 1 p.m. PT / 4 p.m. ET. An encore presentation of the final motos will air on USA Network on Sunday, July 23, at 9 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. ET.

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HAMPSHIRE JUST MISSED SCORING A SPRING CREEK PODIUM

This week’s Pro Motocross stop at Spring Creek MX in Millville, Minnesota, is a rider favorite, offering up everything from sand to hardpack, and an excellent challenge for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team trio of RJ Hampshire, Jalek Swoll, and Talon Hawkins.

250 MX

As usual, it was exciting to spot where RJ Hampshire was as he launches out of the gate, and then watch him go to work slicing through the pack. When he completed the first lap of moto one at Spring Creek, he was in sixth place. By the finish, he’d carved his way to third on his FC250, working past some very tough 250-class competition. In moto two, the story was much the same for RJ, except that he was 12^th, and came back to finish in sixth spot despite a crash. He picked up a fourth overall score for the weekend and currently sits in third overall in the 250 title chase.

“It was just another grind of a weekend. I feel like my riding has been really good. The first moto was decent, pretty solid. In the second moto, I got hung up on the start. I ended up going down about halfway. I got another fourth overall, but I just need to try and turn it around a bit in these second motos,” said Hampshire. “We have one more race, and then a bit of a break that I’m looking forward to. I’ll try to get some points back next weekend, then a break coming up.”

For Jalek Swoll, the day at Spring Creek ended with an eighth and a 14^th in the two motos, after a bit of a biomechanical issue. That gave him a tenth overall for the day.

“Today was a ‘whatever’ day for me. I felt good on the bike, so that was good. I didn’t get the best start in moto one, but my riding was decent. I feel like if I’d had a better start, I would have had a much better day. In moto two I had a weird incident and did something kind of funky to my arm…which gave me a weird feeling. So that was survival,” said Swoll. “For now, the plan is to get some normalcy back. Kind of figure out what’s going on, and what happened, and try to be more under control and ready to go for next time if this happens. All-in-all, I survived the day.”

For the third member of the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team, Talon Hawkins, he spent the first third of the first moto inside the top ten hanging with some of the fastest 250-class competitors before sliding back to 15^th. In moto two he finished 12^th, good enough for a 13^th overall finish.

“Today was another step in the right direction. It was cool to be coming back here to this race… it’s a good track. It’s tough, though, very tiring and taxing on the body. I ended up with a 13th overall. I’m happy with my second moto performance. I just need to improve on the first moto,” said Hawkins. “I’m looking forward to getting back to work. We’re heading back home to Cali, my hometown, and put some more work in.”

Next Event (Round Eight): July 22, 2023 – Washougal MX Park in Washougal, Wash.

Round Seven Results: Spring Creek

250 MX Results

1. Hunter Lawrence (Honda), 1-2
2. Justin Cooper (Yamaha), 4-1

3. Jo Shimoda (Kawasaki), 2-3

…

4. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 3-6

10. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 8-14

13. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 15-12

20. Jorgen Talviku (GASGAS) 18-40

450 MX Results

1. Jett Lawrence (Honda), 1-1
2. Chase Sexton (Honda), 2-2
3. Dylan Ferrandis (Yamaha), 5-3
…

18. Anton Gole (Husqvarna), 17-17
22. John Adamson (Husqvarna), 22-19
31. Charlie Putnam (Husqvarna), 31-27
32. Scott Meshey (Husqvarna), 21-29

250 MX Rider Point Standings
1. Hunter Lawrence – 260 points
2. Haiden Deegan – 247 points
3. RJ Hampshire – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 240 points
…
10. Jalek Swoll – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 130 points
13. Talon Hawkins – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 85 points
29. Jorgen Talviku – 15 points
43. Kai Aiello – 2 points

450 MX Rider Point Standings
1. Jett Lawrence – 350 points
2. Dylan Ferrandis – 269 points
3. Aaron Plessinger – 246 points
…
38. Anton Gole – 9 point
44. Luke Renzland – 4 points
45. John Adamson – 3 points
50. Scott Meshey – 3 points

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Commanding Performance by Team Honda HRC at Spring Creek

In what has become the norm this summer, Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence ruled the 450 class at the Spring Creek AMA Pro Motocross round, leading every lap of both motos and extending his points lead, while Chase Sexton went 2-2, earning second overall for the third time this season. Meanwhile, after experiencing misfortune at the previous two rounds, Hunter Lawrence was not to be denied in Millville, Minnesota, where he dominated the entire day and took the overall win with 1-2 moto scores in the 250 class.

In the first 450 moto, Jett and Sexton were third and fifth after the start, and both quickly began moving forward. Jett was in front after the first lap, while Sexton was sixth despite an early tip-over. Highly motivated, the AMA 450 Supercross champ went on a tear through the pack, taking him back up to third three laps in. He advanced another position on the next lap, then set about reeling in his young teammate. Sexton showed his MX form from 2022 and managed to pull up to Jett’s rear wheel about halfway through the moto. Jett was able to step it up, with the two riders routinely lapping about four to five seconds per lap faster than the riders behind them. Chase hounded Jett until he unfortunately dropped his bike again on the final lap. He ended up 12 seconds back, but nearly 40 seconds ahead of third place. The next race saw Sexton lead Jett out of turn 1, but Jett took advantage of a small slip by his teammate a few turns later to take over at the front. Sexton pressured his teammate for the first part of the race, but another fall allowed Jett to ride pressure-free to the end for the win, with Chase taking an easy second place.

The first 250 moto saw Hunter suffer a poor start and complete lap 1 in eighth place, but he rode impressively as he set about passing some of the class’s top riders, moving into the top five on lap 4 and taking second place two laps later. Even though he had a large gap to the leading Jo Shimoda, he was able to close the distance and, with two laps remaining, he moved into the lead, crossing the line with a two-second advantage. Hunter then made life easier on himself with a moto 2 holeshot, and he set about establishing an advantage. Unfortunately, an encounter with a lapped rider caused a last-lap crash, but a resulting second-place moto result wasn’t enough to rob Hunter of the overall win or the points lead.

NOTES

• Chase Sexton took part in media day on Friday at Millville, getting some track time and taking part in interviews.
• Moon Motorsports, a Honda dealership in Monticello, Minnesota, had a pop-up activation booth in the Team Honda HRC pits at Millville, where they exhibited a CRF450R and a CRF110F and engaged with customers.
• Team Honda HRC dominated morning qualifying, with Jett Lawrence topping the 450 times ahead of Sexton, while Hunter Lawrence was the fastest 250 rider.
• That trend held true in the motos as well, with Jett and Sexton going 1-2 on the 450 lap-time sheets in race 1 (the rider with the third-best time was another 3 seconds slower), and then reversing the order in moto 2. Hunter turned in the fastest lap times in both 250 motos.
• This was Jett’s second victory at Spring Creek, as he went 1-1 in the 250 class last year.
• Through Millville, Jett has led 206 of 222 laps in the 450 class this season, an astounding 92.8 percent. The only stop at which he didn’t lead every lap in both motos was round 4 at High Point Raceway. Since then, Jett has led the last 105 laps which, according to MX Reference, puts him second on the list of consecutive laps led since 2004. According to Fowler’s Facts, Jett and Sexton set 45 of the 50 fastest laps at Millville.
• With his success this weekend, Jett moved Honda into first place on Spring Creek’s all-time moto-win list in the 450 class (formerly 250).
• Jett joins other Red Riders to have won in that class at Spring Creek, including Bob Hannah (twice), Ron Lechien, Ricky Carmichael (twice) and Eli Tomac. In the 250 class (formerly 125), Hunter joins past Honda-mounted overall winners including Ron Lechien, Micky Dymond, Steve Lamson (twice), Andrew Short, Trey Canard, Eli Tomac (twice) and Jett Lawrence.
• In the 450 title chase, Jett’s points total is now at a maximum-possible 350, putting him a massive 81 up on second place. Sexton moved up two positions to fifth (despite missing three rounds due to injury), while Hunter engineered an impressive 18-point recovery in the 250 class, going from five points down to enjoying a 13-point lead. The Lawrence brothers will both run the red number plates at the next race.
• All three active Team Honda HRC riders participated in the post-race press conference at Millville.
• The Team Honda HRC semis now head west to Washougal, Washington, for the eighth round of the AMA Pro Motocross series, after which the squad will get a well-earned two-week break.

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