The 2025 Pro Motocross Championship ventured out of California for the first time this season, heading to the elevated terrain of Colorado’s Thunder Valley Motocross Park for round three.
Near-perfect track conditions – thanks to extended rainfall in the region – set the stage for a thrilling day of racing. The event delivered standout performances from Jett Lawrence, who kept his winning streak alive in the 450 Class, and Chance Hymas, who broke through for his maiden victory in the 250 Class with a flawless day
450 CLASS
The opening 450 moto saw the championship’s top five out front from the start, with Hunter Lawrence grabbing the holeshot before handing the lead to his younger brother, Jett Lawrence. Behind them, Aaron Plessinger slotted into second, trailed by Hunter Lawrence, Eli Tomac and Justin Cooper.
Jett Lawrence looked to control the race early on, though Plessinger applied steady pressure, keeping within striking distance. A tense battle for third unfolded as Hunter Lawrence and Tomac went bar-to-bar, allowing Hunter to eventually slip past Plessinger and set his sights on Jett. With all four riders bunched within four seconds halfway through, the racing was intense.
Approaching the final 10 minutes, the Lawrence brothers were locked in a close duel, with Hunter narrowing the gap to just a second. However, Jett responded, rebuilding a small buffer. The intensity ramped up again when Plessinger found a second wind, reclaiming second from Hunter and then launching a late-race assault on Jett.
Plessinger briefly took the lead with three minutes to go, but Jett Lawrence struck back. Lapped traffic nearly opened the door again, but Jett Lawrence fended off the attack and pulled clear on the final lap for his fourth moto win of the year, 3.3 seconds ahead of Plessinger.
A late crash from Hunter dropped him to fourth, with Tomac inheriting third and Cooper a distant fifth.
Moto two began with Coty Schock taking the holeshot ahead of Cooper Webb and Hunter Lawrence. Jett Lawrence, Plessinger and Tomac all started outside the top five, forcing them to charge forward. Schock initially held strong at the front as Hunter and Cooper shuffled into second and third, with Jett and Plessinger in tow.
Hunter muscled into the lead, and Cooper followed him through, igniting a battle for the top spot. Jett made his way into third and quickly overtook his brother.
Soon after, Tomac stormed into third. With just over 10 minutes to go, Jett launched his attack, slipping past Cooper to take the lead. Tomac followed suit and began closing in on the Honda rider, but a small tip-over dashed his hopes of a late charge.
Jett Lawrence controlled the remaining laps to secure his fifth moto win of the season, 11.1 seconds ahead of Tomac, with Cooper in third.
The dominant 1-1 performance gave Jett Lawrence his third straight overall victory to start the season—his 15th career 1-1 and 18th win in 19 premier class starts, tying him for 10th on the all-time list. Tomac’s (3-2) consistency earned him second overall, while Plessinger (2-5) secured a second consecutive podium in third.
Jett now leads the championship by 25 points over Tomac, with Plessinger dropping to third, 27 points back. In the overall SMX regular season standings, Webb retains the top seed, 47 points ahead of Cooper, who in turn leads Plessinger by 21 points.
“It was a combination of working hard and being patient,” said Jett Lawrence. “Justin Cooper and Eli Tomac were riding well [in Moto 2], and I was able to capitalise on mistakes from everyone else while not making many of my own … I could hear Eli behind me, but then I heard the fans and knew something had to have happened. They made it tough on me today, but happy to be back on top.”
Tomac admitted he saw his opportunity before the crash: “It was back and forth. We [Lawrence and I] had our spots on the track to gain time and lose time … The turn after I went down was the spot where I thought I could get him, but I rushed the prior corner. It’s a bummer, but it was a good race.”
Plessinger was upbeat despite a less-than-ideal second moto: “I had a great first moto, luckily, because I didn’t do too good in the second moto. I made some changes to the bike and should have just left it alone … I’m happy with our progress and always glad to be on the podium.”
The 2025 Pro Motocross Championship resumes next Saturday, June 14, as the series heads east for Round 21 and the 48th annual High Point National in Pennsylvania, continuing the sport’s Father’s Day tradition.
Photo courtesy Honda
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RESULTS & STANDINGS
Results 450MX Class – Thunder Valley National
- Jett Lawrence (Honda)
- Eli Tomac (Yamaha)
- Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
Standings 450MX Class 2025 after 3 of 11 rounds
- Jett Lawrence, 145 points
- Eli Tomac, 120
- Aaron Plessinger, 118
Results 250MX Class – Thunder Valley National
- Chance Hymas (Honda)
- Haiden Deegan (Yamaha)
- Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki)
Standings 250MX Class 2025 after 3 of 11 rounds
- Haiden Deegan, 144 points
- Jo Shimoda, 119
- Chance Hymas, 95