Round two of the 2023 AMA Pro Motocross Championship series took riders to Hangtown, but while the venue may have been totally different, the results were almost the same as round one.
Jett Lawrence (pictured here) continued his unbeaten record in premier 450cc class, while his brother Hunter Lawrence scored his second-straight 250 overall win, the two Australian youngsters in total command of the American motocross scene so far this season.
Just seven days after making history as the first brothers to take overall wins in both classes at an AMA Pro Motocross round, Team Honda HRC riders Jett and Hunter Lawrence repeated the feat—this time at Rancho Cordova, California’s Prairie City State Vehicle Recreation Area, where the Dirt Diggers MC hosted the Hangtown National.
Just like the previous Saturday about 500 miles south in Pala, Jett tallied perfect 1-1 moto scores in the 450cc class, while Hunter went 3-1 in the 250cc division.
Summarizing Jett Lawrence’s day is pretty simple: dominance. The 19-year-old Australian has led every lap of his young premier-class career so far. He nailed strong starts in both motos, quickly established advantages, and then expertly managed those to the finish, winning by four and five seconds. He now enjoys a perfect 100-point tally, already 18 more than his nearest rival.
In the 250 class, Hunter Lawrence was still dealing with painful ribs from a pre-season crash, but he again rode intelligently on what was a surprisingly treacherous track.
Race one saw him complete lap one in seventh place, but he advanced to third by the seven-lap mark. At that point, the gap to second was too large, so he wisely settled for a safe podium position.
A much better start made life easier for him in race two, as he completed lap one in second place and put his Honda in the lead a couple laps later, then rode to a comfortable three-second victory that was good for the overall win.
His title-fight lead is now 10 points.
Team Honda HRC had taken part in a multi-team test at Fox Raceway on the Tuesday between rounds one and two.
Unfortunately, newly-crowned AMA Supercross Champion Chase Sexton suffered a crash and was subsequently diagnosed with both a concussion and mono, so he and the team decided it was prudent to have him sit out the Hangtown race.
The team looks forward to his returning to action as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, Jett’s victory grew Honda’s premier-class Hangtown overall-win record to 19 (seven more than any other manufacturer), with past winners including Billy Grossi, Marty Smith, Bob Hannah, Alan King, Rick Johnson (three times), Jeff Stanton, Jeremy McGrath, Kevin Windham, Sebastian Tortelli, Ricky Carmichael (three times), Chad Reed, Eli Tomac and Ken Roczen.
Next up, the riders and their teams head to Colorado for the Thunder Valley National this coming Saturday.
Photo courtesy Honda
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RESULTS & STANDINGS:
450 Overall Results:
- Jett Lawrence (Hon)
- Dylan Ferrandis (Yam)
- Cooper Webb (KTM)
- Aaron Plessinger (KTM)
- Adam Cianciarulo (Kaw)
- Ty Masterpool (Kaw)
- Derek Drake (Suz)
- Jerry Robin (Yam)
- Lorenzo Locurcio (Gas)
- Jose Butron (Gas)
450 Championship Points (after 2 of 11 rounds):
- Jett Lawrence 100
- Dylan Ferrandis 82
- Cooper Webb 74
- Aaron Plessinger 69
- Adam Cianciarulo 63
- Lorenzo Locurcio 46
- Jose Butron 45
- Chase Sexton 44
- Jerry Robin 43
- Fredrik Noren 41
250 Overall Results:
- Hunter Lawrence (Hon)
- Justin Cooper (Yam)
- Haiden Deegan (Yam)
- Tom Vialle (KTM)
- RJ Hampshire (Hus)
- Jo Shimoda (Kaw)
- Guillem Farres (Yam)
- Levi Kitchen (Yam)
- Jalek Swoll (Hus)
- Ryder DiFrancesco (Kaw)
250 Championship Points (after 2 of 11 rounds)
- Hunter Lawrence 90
- Haiden Deegan 80
- Justin Cooper 78
- Tom Vialle 68
- RJ Hampshire 67
- Jo Shimoda 62
- Guillem Farres 57
- Max Vohland 53
- Levi Kitchen 50
- Ryder DiFrancesco 41