Australian pair Jett and Hunter Lawrence made up lost ground at the second of three stops in the SuperMotocross Playoffs at the weekend, this one at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois.
The brothers posted overall wins in their respective classes (Jett in 450SMX, Hunter in 250SMX), and since the event paid double points, they also improved their positions in the title chases.
Meanwhile, round one winner Chase Sexton posted a solid third-place result in the 450SMX division at what was his home race, maintaining the lead in the points standings.
Honda’s Jett Lawrence nailed the holeshot in the first 450SMX moto, with fellow Honda man Sexton sitting third out of turn one.
Sexton powered past Gas Gas rider Justin Barcia on lap one and pressured Jett, the two Honda riders pulling ahead of the field.
Sexton eventually backed off but held off German Suzuki star Ken Roczen to finish second.
Jett Lawrence and Sexton started well in race two and – following an action-packed first lap – were first and third respectively. Jett fought off the advances of Roczen lap after lap, then decided to allow the German past with three laps remaining, knowing that a second-place finish would still earn him the overall win.
The first 250SMX moto saw Hunter Lawrence emerge from turn one in third place, and he overtook French KTM rider Tom Vialle on the first lap.
The Australian then hunted down American teenager Haiden Deegan for the first seven laps before moving by just after the finish line.
Hunter Lawrence then rode mistake-free for the final five laps to take the moto win. The next time out, Hunter sat in third in the early going, locked in a battle for the lead with Justin Cooper and erstwhile points leader Jo Shimoda, from Japan.
He made a pass stick on Cooper at the one-third mark, and took over the lead at the two-thirds mark when Shimoda appeared to suffer a mechanical issue. From there, Lawrence was able to cruise to a comfortable win and take over the points lead.
Photo courtesy Honda
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RESULTS & STANDINGS:
450SMX Overall Results:
- Jett Lawrence (Hon)
- Ken Roczen (Suz)
- Chase Sexton (Hon)
- Aaron Plessinger (KTM)
- Dylan Ferrandis (Yam)
- Justin Barcia (Gas)
- Cooper Webb (Yam)
- Phil Nicoletti
- Jason Anderson (Kaw)
- Colt Nichols (Kaw)
450SMX Championship Points (after 2 of 3 rounds):
- Chase Sexton: 90
- Jett Lawrence: 88
- Ken Roczen: 80
- Aaron Plessinger: 74
- Dylan Ferrandis: 71
- Cooper Webb: 60
- Justin Barcia: 59
- Jason Anderson: 58
- Garrett Marchbanks: 44
- Adam Cianciarulo: 42
250SMX Overall Results:
- Hunter Lawrence (Hon)
- Jo Shimoda (Kaw)
- Haiden Deegan (Yam)
- R.J. Hampshire (Hus)
- Max Vohland (KTM)
- Jordon Smith (Yam)
- Seth Hammaker (Kaw)
- Levi Kitchen (Yam)
- Ryder DiFrancesco (Kaw)
- Jalek Swoll (Hus)
250SMX Championship Points (after 2 of 3 rounds):
- Hunter Lawrence: 89
- Jo Shimoda: 86
- Haiden Deegan: 82
- Levi Kitchen: 63
- R.J. Hampshire: 62
- Jordon Smith: 62
- Max Vohland: 59
- Tom Vialle: 54
- Ryder DiFrancesco: 54
- Seth Hammaker: 49