With Chase Sexton and Jett Lawrence having taken the 2023 450 titles in AMA Supercross and AMA Pro Motocross, respectively, Team Honda HRC seemed to have its bases covered heading into the inaugural SuperMotocross race, held at Charlotte’s zMax Dragway. That’s the way it played out, as Sexton returned to his winning ways, taking the overall victory with impressive 1-1 moto scores. Although Lawrence struggled with his settings in moto 1, he rode impressively in the second outing, and his 7-2 moto scores earned him fourth overall. In the 250 class, Hunter Lawrence suffered from poor starts and inopportune falls, tallying 9-7 moto scores for eighth overall.
Jett Lawrence: The first SMX didn’t go the best. I just didn’t have my starts down and need to go back to working on that. It was a tricky start, and I didn’t execute all day. The start was so key, since this track was so one-lined. The first race I didn’t have the best setup, but we made some changes before the second race and I was able to ride a lot better. I just have to put myself in a better position off the start in Chicago.”
Hunter Lawrence: “It was a rough day in the office–we sucked. Two crashes today wasn’t ideal, especially one in each moto. It was a sub-par day. We need to go back and be perfect in the next two.”
Chase Sexton: “I definitely had a point to prove after the outdoor season; I was pretty disappointed with it. I was really happy when I got back on supercross testing because I felt like I picked up right where I left off. It calmed my nerves and let me focus on my riding. My preparation was good, and I was confident coming into today that I was going to be good. I know when I’m comfortable that I should be winning races. We’re not done yet–two more races to go, so let’s keep this thing rolling.”
Words and image: Honda