Young Australian rider Hunter Lawrence had the best moto finish of his career at the weekend’s United States MXGP in Florida.

Lawrence finished runner-up in the second moto in Florida, just over one second behind race winner RJ Hampshire and, combined with his third place in the first moto, it gave him second overall for the weekend, his best points tally from a GP so far, in what is his rookie MX2 campaign.

American rider Thomas Covington finished the weekend third overall.

Behind him, Jeremy Seewer overcame illness to get fourth overall and close the gap at the top of the MX2 championship by another five points, with two GPs remaining.

When the MX2 world championship season wraps up, he’ll be off to England to compete for Team Australia at the Motocross of Nations, where, among others, he will go head-to-head with New Zealand MX2 hero Josiah Natzke.

It was a really impressive display from Lawrence in what were extremely hot and humid conditions at the WW Motocross Park in Jacksonville, Florida.

He had this to say about his races: “In the first moto I got quite a good start on my RM-Z250, inside the top 10 I’d say. I made some passes in the first couple of corners and got myself into fourth place just behind Mitchell Harrison where I stayed for about 10 minutes.

“RJ Hampshire and Thomas Covington were gone when I got my way into third, so I stayed there until the end. They both crashed but were still too far in front although I did close right up on both of them. In the second start I drifted a bit wide and a couple of guys passed me up the inside. I fought to make those passes back and got myself into third after passing (championship leader) Pauls Jonass.

“Covington was the next person I passed and after that I just got my head down, kept working and plugging away and I caught up to Hampshire in first but we just ran out of time so I couldn’t pass him for the win. I’m really happy with my second overall, in my first time at an American GP. I’m just super happy with how the day went.”

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Photos courtesy Suzuki Europe

MX2 CLASS RESULTS & STANDINGS

MX2 Race 1 Top Ten:

1. RJ Hampshire (USA, Honda), 36:18.487; 2. Thomas Covington (USA, Husqvarna), +0:03.630; 3. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, Suzuki), +0:04.689; 4. Mitchell Harrison (USA, Yamaha), +0:06.477; 5. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:16.340; 6. Chase Sexton (USA, Honda), +0:21.813; 7. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), +0:25.789; 8. Justin Cooper (USA, Yamaha), +0:28.740; 9. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +0:40.481; 10. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +0:49.613.

MX2 Race 2 Top Ten:

1. RJ Hampshire (USA, Honda), 34:28.589; 2. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, Suzuki), +0:01.190; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +0:02.826; 4. Thomas Covington (USA, Husqvarna), +0:15.486; 5. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), +0:23.499; 6. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Yamaha), +0:25.316; 7. Julien Lieber (BEL, KTM), +0:29.345; 8. Chase Sexton (USA, Honda), +0:32.742; 9. Mitchell Harrison (USA, Yamaha), +0:34.681; 10. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), +0:39.847.

MX2 Overall Top Ten:

1. RJ Hampshire (USA, HON), 50 points; 2. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, SUZ), 42 p.; 3. Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 40 p.; 4. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 32 p.; 5. Mitchell Harrison (USA, YAM), 30 p.; 6. Chase Sexton (USA, HON), 28 p.; 7. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 27 p.; 8. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 26 p.; 9. Brent Van doninck (BEL, YAM), 25 p.; 10. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), 25 p.

MX2 Championship Top Ten:

1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 696 points; 2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 656 p.; 3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 523 p.; 4. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 504 p.; 5. Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 457 p.; 6. Julien Lieber (BEL, KTM), 450 p.; 7. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), 392 p.; 8. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), 356 p.; 9. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, SUZ), 326 p.; 10. Brent Van doninck (BEL, YAM), 298 p.