Lawrence brothers, Honda cap off historic MX season in Indiana
A multitude of history was made at Indiana’s Ironman Raceway on Saturday, Aug. 26, as the 2023 Pro Motocross Championship came to a close at Indiana’s Ironman National. Jett Lawrence headlined the final round with the completion of the fourth perfect season in American motocross history, capping off what will be one of the most memorable championship campaigns the sport has ever witnessed.
In the 250 Class, Team Honda HRC’s Hunter Lawrence completed his own championship journey to cap off a historic feat for the Australian duo as the first-ever siblings to sweep each respective title. To top it all off, Honda became the first manufacturer to successfully claim every championship in a single season following a sweep of the trio of titles up for grabs in Monster Energy Supercross earlier this year.
Jett dominates 450 Class
The most dominant and impressive rookie season in 450 Class history saw Lawrence join elite company with the sport’s rarest feat. He becomes just the third rider in 52 seasons to go undefeated, joining AMA Hall of Famers Ricky Carmichael, who compiled two perfect seasons, and James Stewart. Lawrence’s 11 career wins already place him into a tie for 15th all-time after just one season of competition.
Sexton’s sixth runner-up finish (2-2) of the season capped off an impressive summer for the Supercross Champion despite missing three races with injury. He failed to finish off the podium just once in eight starts. Plessinger rounded out the overall podium in third (5-3) for his third podium result of the season.
Lawrence’s final margin in the 450 Class standings is 151 points over Ferrandis, while Plessinger earned his best-career championship finish in the premier class in third.
Hunter takes 250 Class ring
Jo Shimoda’s maiden 1-1 performance and third career win proved significant for Kawasaki, which had yet to win throughout Monster Energy Supercross and the first 10 rounds of Pro Motocross, and helped the manufacturer avoid its first winless season since 1981. Deegan’s late pass for third in Moto 2 allowed the newly crowned Rookie of the Year to finish in the runner-up spot (2-3), while Vialle ended his first year on American soil with his third podium result in third (3-4).
While Shimoda enjoyed the spoils of victory, it was Lawrence who savored the celebration of a championship. The veteran Australian captured seven victories over the course of the summer and eight podium finishes to finish the season with a final margin of 20 points over Cooper, who earned his fourth career championship podium result, while Shimoda earned a second straight championship podium finish in third.
Team Honda HRC is now in the midst of a three-year winning streak for 250 Class titles following back-to-back crowns by Jett Lawrence in 2021 and 2022.
While the sport’s regular season has drawn to a close, its first-ever postseason awaits as the inaugural SuperMotocross World Championship Playoffs will commence with three rounds of postseason competition, beginning on Saturday, September 9, with Playoff 1 from Charlotte’s zMAX Dragway.
Playoff 2 will take place one week later, on Saturday, September 16, from Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois, before the SMX Finale on Saturday, September 23, from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.