Aussie Jett Lawrence makes motocross history

Jett Lawrence recently became just the third Australian to win an AMA Pro Motocross event, and only the second to win in the 250MX class. The last time an Australian stood atop of the podium in either class was August, 2011.

The 17-year-old Geico Honda pilot went 1-2 in the 250MX class finale at Fox Raceway (aka Pala) to secure his first professional win ahead of teammate Jeremy Martin (4-1) and Yamaha Frenchman Dylan Ferranidis (2-5).

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Jetting to victory

Lawrence battled Justin Cooper (Yamaha) early on in the first moto, but managed a pass for the lead halfway through the race. He was then challenged by Ferrandis, but managed to hold off the title leader to take his first ever moto win.

In the second moto, Martin took an early lead, with Lawrence moving into second place. Both riders finished in those positions for a Geico Honda 1-2. Meanwhile, an early crash for Ferrandis put his championship hopes in jeopardy, but he recovered quickly to fourth position, which was enough to clinch the title.

Big bike business

The 450MX class was won by another Honda rider, Chase Sexton, who finished with a 3-1 result. Kawasaki's reining champion, Eli Tomac, finished second with a 1-4 result, while another Kawasaki pilot, Adam Cianciarulo (2-3), rounded out the podium.

Husqvarna's Zach Osborne (5-7) finished fifth, but that was enough to clinch his maiden 450MX title. Cianciarulo finished second in the title race, with Eli Tomac third. KTM's Marvin Musquin and Sexton rounded out the top 3.

Australia's new hope

Lawrence’s win at Pala capped off an impressive rookie season, with the Queenslander finishing fourth in the championship standings. He was also awarded Rookie of the Year honours.

Brett Metcalfe was the last Australian winner in AMA Pro Motocross, when he topped the 450MX podium at Southwick in 2011. The last 250MX winner was Chad Reed in 2002, when it was called the 125MX class. Lawrence joins Metcalfe and Reed as the only Australians to win an outdoor national on American soil.

Brotherly love

Lawrence made his professional debut at the AUS-X Open in Melbourne last year, before joining his older brother Hunter in American professional ranks for 2020. Hunter had a much more difficult season, and didn’t race in the finale due to a reoccurring shoulder injury. The 21-year-old has experienced a couple of injury-plagued seasons since making his American debut in 2019.

He previously showed great promise during two seasons in the MX2 World Championship, where he finished 9th on both occasions. But his injury woes in America have shifted the limelight to the younger Lawrence brother, who is quickly becoming a star of the sport.

Looking ahead

Both riders will now look to the AMA Supercross series, which is due to start in January, 2021. The Aussie brothers both struggled with injury in the COVID-affected 2020 supercross series – Jett finished 10th, while Hunter finished 23rd, having only completed two races.

With the Geico Honda team set to undergo major changes, it’s expected that both Lawrence brothers will find new homes for 2021. Rumours suggest they could join a factory HRC Honda effort for the 250 class, while Jett has also been linked to a Pro Circuit Kawasaki seat.