Quest for Perfection: Motocross Season in Review
As the sun sets on the Pro Motocross season, the 450 Champion has already been decided with two rounds remaining. Jett Lawrence clinched the championship at the Unadilla National after winning 18 straight motos in his rookie season.
He’s now chasing a bigger accomplishment as he’s two motos away from being the first rookie to record a perfect season in 450s and only the third rider to do so in the series’ 51-year history.
Last week’s two moto wins at Budds Creek gave him the 19th and 20th of 22 wins needed. Saturday night at the Ironman National series finale will be the final chance for his competitors to ruin that perfect run.
“I never spoke much about it to other people about what my goal was at that point in time,” Lawrence said in the season finale press conference. “I knew I was more capable of winning races and going for a championship. I just needed to get that first round out of the way and kind of see where it's at.
“Once we had that first round, I had my mind set on the title. I didn't really have my mind set on winning every single race, that's for sure, because I didn't think that would be possible. I always knew I’d rise above the occasion and always felt like I’d find my way eventually to the top, it might not be right away, but (I was) eventually going to get there.”
Pundits, teams and competitors also didn’t know what to expect from Lawrence’s move to 450s in the outdoor season. It was widely speculated he would be good but, like most rookies, would have to deal with growing pains at Round 1. At Fox Raceway in Pala California, he quickly proved he needed no acclimation time by winning Moto 1 with a margin of 10.082 and Moto 2 by 1.001 seconds over the recently crowned Supercross champion Chase Sexton.
After Pala, where Sexton finished second behind his teammate Lawrence in both motos, Lawrence’s Honda teammate suffered a concussion in a midweek practice crash and Lawrence lost his main sparring partner for three rounds. By the time Sexton returned at the RedBud National, the story had already shifted from if Lawrence had a chance to win the championship to his perfect season. Since his return Sexton has been the rider to consistently apply pressure on Lawrence, albeit not enough.
Pressure in the Penultimate Round
Last week at the Budds Creek National, across both motos, Lawrence faced the highest amount of adversity so far this season. He had to overcome a bad start in Moto 1 that placed him near the back of the top 10 on the first lap. It took several minutes to make it up to the top five and half the race to get to a podium position. This is partially attributable to riders such as Justin Barcia coming back and the strength of the field improving. There’s more competition for the top spots, but once Lawrence was able to battle through he took the lead from Aaron Plessinger with 14 minutes remaining before sailing to a 4.377 lead over Jason Anderson.
In Moto 2, Lawrence had a clearer start but nearly lost the lead, and his perfect season to date, on the final lap. Coming to the checkers, he made a small mistake and Sexton was within striking distance. This would be Lawrence’s smallest margin of victory season so far. His largest margin of victory came at Thunder Valley in Moto 1 when he beat Cooper Webb to the line by 31.609 seconds.
Chase Sexton. Photo: Align Media.
Strongest Competition
With Sexton’s Supercross championship coming in a season marred with attrition, his superb record in the outdoor season and untimely injuries this season, and a rumored move next season, it’s clear that he’s the one with the highest possibility to play the heel to Lawrence’s hero. The Supercross champion, Sexton has locked into the top spot to start the SuperMotocross World Championship when the inaugural three-race playoff blasts off September 9th at zMax Dragway in Concord, North Carolina.
With Sexton’s lost rounds, Dylan Ferrandis sits second in the Motocross points, running consistently in the top three from round to round. Ferrandis, who also won the 450 championship in his rookie year of 2021, would’ve loved to secure some wins this year and put more pressure on the champion but feels secure in his probable second-place finish as he leads Plessinger by 29 points.
“Being second after the best rider in the world would be – not too bad.” Ferrandis said cheerfully.
As the world stands in awe of what Lawrence has accomplished this season, most riders still want to be the one to spoil the perfect season. Ironman is their last chance. If they cannot, Lawrence is just two motos away from the record books, writing his name next to the likes of James Stewart and Ricky Carmichael as the only other riders with perfect record. He will be the first rookie to claim the honors.