Sexton claims the 450SX Supercross title, while Jett and Hunter Lawrence win 250SX titles
Team Honda HRC swept the titles in this year’s Monster Energy AMA Supercross indoor season, with Chase Sexton wrapping up the 450SX title and Aussie brothers Jett and Hunter Lawrence claiming the Western Regional and Eastern Regional titles respectively, before a sold out crowd of nearly 50,000 at Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium. Jett also snagged the coveted East/West Showdown race, making it a perfect weekend for Honda HRC. Chase’s championship gave Honda its first Supercross title since 2003, and with the Lawrence brothers’ wins, the weekend was truly historic, marking only the 3rd time ever, and only the 2nd for Honda, that a single manufacturer has captured all three Supercross titles in the same season. And appropriately, they come in the 50th anniversary year of Supercross racing in America.
450SX
Chase Sexton entered the stadium with the 2023 450SX title mathematically sewn up for the season, having won six races and snagged numerous podiums across the indoor series, but he still wanted to cap off the title with a win in Rice-Eccles. At the gate drop Sexton grabbed the holeshot ahead of Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo, GASGAS rider Justin Starling, Suzuki rider Kyle Chisholm and ECSTAR Suzuki’s legendary Ken Roczen. Roczen was on the move early but just a few turns in he injured his knee in a rutted corner. This took him out of the race and he lost a chance to earn the points needed to secure 3rd overall in the championship.
Cianciarulo was into 2nd place just a few laps into the race with Chisholm right behind. Just over 3 minutes into the 20-minute plus one lap race Aaron Plessinger took over 3rd and set his sights on Cianciarulo while Justin Hill was into 4th and on a charge. As the race clock ticked past 12 minutes, Plessinger moved past Cianciarulo to take over 2nd, and a lap and a half later Justin Hill was around Cianciarulo and into 3rd. As Sexton stretched out his lead up front, Cianciarulo mounted a charge to take back 3rd, with 5 minutes left on the race clock the final positions appeared settled. Honda’s Sexton claimed the top rung, with KTM’s Plessinger and Hill rounding out the podium respectively.
250SX
The battle in 250SX was equally as crowd pleasing, with Phoenix Racing Honda’s Coty Schock grabbing the holeshot ahead of Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire, KTM Tom Vialle, Jett Lawrence, Yamaha rider Levi Kitchen and Max Anstie, in a soaking rain shower. Hunter Lawrence found himself with a mid-pack start and then got tangled up when Yamaha’s Enzo Lopes crashed. As Hampshire, Jett Lawrence and Kitchen slotted into the top three spots, Hunter and Monster Energy Yamaha Haiden Deegan worked their way up from outside the top ten.
Three minutes into the 15-minute plus one lap race Jett Lawrence was pressuring Hampshire for the lead. Two minutes later Jett was in striking distance of the front spot as his brother Hunter climbed into the top ten further back. As the race clock ticked down to 8.5 minutes Jett Lawrence charged through the whoops and cut under Hampshire in the following corner. The riders made contact- Lawrence accelerated away clean but the disturbance led to a Hampshire mistake down the next rhythm lane. From there Jett Lawrence rode unchallenged to the finish. Hampshire held 2nd to the checkered, and Kitchen took the final 250SX Class podium of the season.
Hunter Lawrence rounded out the weekend for Honda HRC by earning enough points to win the 250SX Eastern Regional title for 2023.
The Salt Lake City podiums: 450SX class, and 250SX.
With the 2023 Monster Energy AMA Supercross indoor stadium season wrapped up, the racers have a two week break before the start of the 11-round AMA Pro Motocross outdoor season. Points earned from this Supercross season will combine with points earned in the Motocross season to determine the top 20 riders who will gain entry into the all-new SuperMotocross World Championship. Riders in spots 21-30 in overall points, as well as single event winners not in the top 20, will get a spot on the line in the Last Chance Qualifier to battle for the final two spots on the 22-rider starting gate. In September, two Playoff races and one Final, with increasing points payouts, will determine the first SuperMotocross World Champion and deliver a $1,000,000 win bonus to that rider. The 250 class racers will battle for a $500,000 win bonus. It’s the first ever playoff season for the sport and delivers a 3-race postseason that will be all new for the fans, teams, and racers.
For more on the 2023 Supercross season, click here:
*Photos courtesy Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
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