Even the great Jett Lawrence crashes sometimes but lately it’s been more than the odd occasion. With Jett crashing at RedBud, Southwick and then three times at Millville and it meant a conversation with his dad and team to diagnose the issue!
Jett explained the situation in the press conference: “We spoke about it with my dad afterwards and the team. And I think it’s throughout the day I am building more and more because during the weeks I’m not riding much because I am trying to save my ankle as much as I can. I think for a little bit it was okay but now, when we are changing settings, it’s not knowing the bike as well. And then when we get to the race weekend, the first qualifying you are obviously trying to send it on a track you haven’t rode since the previous year. So, you are trying to ride yourself in, but obviously get a good lap in.
“And I think I was just not thinking of the soil in the first one. I leaned over to kind of jump across to the inside rut, and I wasn’t looking at the rut, I was looking up ahead. And it just was all slop and it slowed my momentum down and pushed the front end. I gave my head a good wack, you know. Wacked the front of my head and tweaked my neck pretty bad. And the second one was just a weird one. Today was a lot of a hard base into a sand berm and when I landed the rear went in and the front kind of hit bottom.
Two crashes for Jett this morning 😳 #ProMotocross #SMX pic.twitter.com/ikvYENotgH
— Pro Motocross (@ProMotocross) July 18, 2026
“The first (moto) one , I just didn’t have it for HJ. I picked the smarter route and said ‘Alright, he can have this one.’ And I changed a few things on the suspension, and it felt better for the second one. I was like, ‘Okay I feel good, I feel like Superman.’ Hunter was in front of me and I’m like, ‘You’re not getting it this time!’ I was able to pass him, felt good, I had good lines. I just went through that section, and I have been struggling a little bit with the bike I think it’s the new style I have created almost with my foot and kind of being, sometimes a little, almost forward. And most of my weight is there, and I think it put just a little bit too much weight and it pressured the front end going into that soft stuff and it was enough just carve it and then flick me over. I was okay, I got very lucky out of that thing. And then I looked like I got hit by a shotgun because the bike got me in the back of my knee and it collapsed me. So, not ideal, it was a bummer, but I just got to be thankful I’m okay after a rough weekend.”
“I think I just need to suck it up during the week because, I need the time during the week because being familiar with your bike and being with it is a big thing. And I think that’s why, today especially why I crashed a lot because I can’t really get into the positions I want to to begin with, and then I’m not ready for them as much. Because when I ride during the week I am not pushing hard. We just need to get some ride time and be careful of my foot and just make it to the weekend. That’s the biggest thing. And I think a little bit each week is kind of taken its toll on me. So, I just need to get back and get to, a little bit closer to the regular schedule I normally do.”
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Jett also spoke about his anger at Red Bud despite winning the first moto, explaining it was a few factors that played into his outburst of frustration in front of the cameras that reminded everyone just hiw badly he wanted to win!
“I was just really frustrated,” explained Jett. “because normally those conditions at RedBud I love. Normally those are my conditions where I would really show my technique, and I could find my way around a track that’s normally so difficult very easily. So, I think I had a spoonful of reality of what it’s normally like and I didn’t like it very much. I was pissed off because I couldn’t do what I wanted to do on the track. Obviously after that I kind of lost my cool and during the week I was still bummed because I was not able to do what I wanted to do. I know what is needed to win a championship and I know what I need to do to get that Jett Lawrence that everyone knows, but I physically can’t right now because of my ankle and the limitation I have.
After RedBud Jett even got in touch with the doctor who did his surgery to make sure everything was okay! “I got X-rays and I got to meet up with the doctor who did my surgery and I got a step by step, basically where the screws are he put in, everything like that. And obviously asked him a bunch of questions about what I am going through. And he gave me some good hope, he just said, ‘Be patient with it, it’s going to get better.’ I asked him, ‘What I’m doing right now is that good?’ He’s like, ‘In the doctor’s world, no! You shouldn’t be racing. But it’s going to be pretty hard to convince you not to race.’ He’s happy with it because I have done a good job of keeping it from being really badly hurt.
“But also, just the day to day of is is probably another reason why I lost my crap at RedBud is, since December 19th I’ve been in pain every single day. Waking up, going to the bathroom when I first wake up, going to brush my teeth, getting food, going to the truck, just having constant pain with walking. So, I think those months and days and days, it kind of takes a toll on you a little bit. So, I think I was allowed to lose my crap a little bit at that stage but obviously got to tune it back a little bit.”
He might be smooth and incredibly fast but don’t dismiss just how tough and gritty Jett Lawrence is too. He can deal with pain just like any of the toughest riders in the sport and still find a way to win when things aren’t perfect.
