It felt like a passing of the generational torch moment between legends as Jett Lawrence put an awesome pass on Eli Tomac late in moto one to win a key race that put him in control of the 2024 SMX title going into race two. Lawrence would end up going 1-1 but this pass was crucial and he spent the entire race behind Tomac looking for a way by before expertly finding a spot on the track then executing perfectly with oodles of style points on top.
Tomac will be racing again in 2025 and is one of the very few to challenge Jett on speed but even he had to admit Jett had a bit more, saying, “I did what I could,” after the race. Not many have been able to run down Tomac in his career, but Jett is simply that good.
“Honestly, the track is very difficult to pass,” said Jett. “When I was behind him I was thinking for a bit maybe I’ll have to stick with second because there was no real openings I could find. You just have to rely on a mistake or breathing down his neck.”
Jett to the lead!
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“It means a lot to the team and my family,” commented Jett on his second SMX title win. “It makes it extra special with Hunter getting second—I always want to see him do good. I got a good start, and he was right there—I couldn’t make any mistakes. The injury in the outdoor season wasn’t ideal, but I think I actually needed it for a little break. It’s great to get the ’25 bike its first championship; I think this just shows how much input we had in developing the bike and how good it is to race.”
