• Consistent 2-2 moto scores secure milestone victory for the Australian
• Jo Shimoda takes second overall in 250 class with 2-2 finishes
• Jett Lawrence rebounds from moto 1 penalty to win second moto and finish sixth overall

Following a two-week break, AMA Pro Motocross resumed with round 9 at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana, where Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence captured the first 450 class overall win of his career with consistent 2-2 finishes. Jo Shimoda matched the moto results in the 250 class, taking second overall. Jett Lawrence overcame a challenging opening moto that included what officials declared was a start infraction, to win the second race and finish sixth overall.

Hunter started 450 moto 1 in second position and took over the lead on lap 6. He maintained it until Chase Sexton got by three laps from the end, but Hunter held on to finish a solid second. Meanwhile, Jett had jumped early and slammed the start gate, resulting in a start position outside the top 20, but he mounted an incredible charge that carried him to ninth by lap 3 and third by lap 11. The series leader crossed the line in that position but was later docked one lap by officials for what they determined to be a start infraction, relegating him to 17^th.

Hunter got a second-place moto-2 start and took over the lead by the end of lap 1, while Jett rebounded from his first-moto issues to sit third. Jett passed his brother on lap 2 to assume the lead. A lap-5 tip-over dropped Hunter to fourth, but he quickly remounted and regained third, then passed for second four laps from the end. Jett took the moto win, with Hunter six-and-a-half seconds behind, giving the brothers a 1-2 result. Hunter’s consistent 2-2 scores earned him his career-first 450 Pro Motocross overall win, while Jett was sixth overall.

Shimoda powered his CRF250RWE to the 250 moto-1 holeshot and quickly established a comfortable lead, holding the front position for much of the race. He was overtaken by Haiden Deegan five laps from the end, but the Japanese rider finished nearly 50 seconds ahead of third place. Shimoda started moto 2 in fourth place and quickly slotted into second behind Deegan. The duo pulled away from the field, with Shimoda eventually finishing 20 seconds ahead of third place, securing second overall on the day.

NOTES

• M&E Honda, based in Bedford, Indiana, joined Honda HRC Progressive in the team pits at Ironman, showcasing a CRF110F and engaging with fans and customers throughout the day.
• As was the case at the High Point and RedBud Nationals, Jamie and Kayla Irvine cooked for the crew on race day. The couple, which owns several restaurants in Pennsylvania, are longtime friends of the Honda HRC Progressive team.
• In 450 combined qualifying, Jett posted the fastest time, with Hunter Lawrence fifth. Other Red Riders to qualify were Dylan Ferrandis (Phoenix Racing Honda) in ninth, Kyle Webster (Quad Lock Honda) in 12^th, Jeremy Hand (Valley Motorsports) in 15^th, Henry Miller (MX6 Racing) in 18^th, Shane McElrath (Quad Lock Honda Racing) in 22^nd, John Short (The McGinley Clinic Privateer Support Program) in 26^th, Brandon Ray (Raylentless Racing) in 28^th and Zack Williams (Williams Racing) in 35^th. Brad Todd (Ace Motorcycles) claimed his spot in the motos with a third-place finish in the consolation race.
• In 250 combined qualifying, Shimoda was 10^th, with Brodie Connolly (Quad Lock Honda) 22^nd, Izaih Clark (TiLube Honda Racing) 26^th and Cullin Park (Phoenix Racing Honda) 28^th. Mark Fineis (TiLube Honda Racing) secured his spot in the motos with a fourth-place finish in the consolation race.
• After a break during the middle portion of AMA Pro Motocross, the WMX series resumed racing at the Ironman National, with Red Riders making up seven of the 21 entries. Quad Lock Honda Racing’s Charli Cannon went 2-2 for second overall, while SLR Honda Racing’s Mikayla Nielsen was fifth overall with 3-6 finishes. Other Red Riders included Jaylie Gallacher (MotoSport Hillsboro) in 11^th overall with 11-11 scores, Kaitlyn Jacobs in 12^th (12-12), Sydney Plath in 16^th (17-16), Kayla Alexander in 18^th (19-18) and Addi Clouse in 21^st (20-19).
• The Ironman race also hosted a Moto Combine for up-and-coming amateur riders, with Quad Lock Honda’s Kayd Kingsford leading the Red Riders in 11^th overall via 12-12 moto finishes. SLR Honda’s Grayson Townsend was 19^th overall (17-19), followed by Phoenix Racing Honda’s Tiger Wood in 20^th (21-16) and SLR’s Alvin Hillan in 22^nd (20-25).
• Jett once again recorded the fastest lap times in both 450 motos, showcasing his pace despite a challenging day. In the 250 class, Shimoda set the quickest time in moto 1 during his run to second overall.
• Jett leads the 450 class standings by 47 points over brother and teammate Hunter, who is second. In the 250 class, Shimoda remains second, 51 points behind the leader.
• Next, AMA Pro Motocross heads to Unadilla MX in New Berlin, New York, for the penultimate round of the series, set to take place August 16.

Jett Lawrence 18 “Ups and downs today. I tried some new things with my stomach because I’ve been struggling to digest food between motos, and I think the tablets I took kept digesting everything so quickly that by halfway, I had no energy—bit of a bummer there. Obviously, there was the incident in the first moto, which in my mind is kind of silly because I feel like AMA has double standards; we’ve got guys cutting the track and they don’t do anything. I guess this is what we have to deal with, but they might need to get better at realizing who they need to penalize. I came back and won the second moto, so we’ll leave with that.”

Hunter Lawrence 96 “There was a lot of wild stuff that went on today, which worked out in my favor—what happened to Jett in the first moto with being penalized a lap, and then I’m not sure what happened with Chase in the second moto. It was a wild day in that aspect, but I’m happy to be there and able to capitalize on it. It was hot, with no breeze—a really tough, physically demanding day.”

Jo Shimoda 30 “I got 2-2 today and had good starts, so that’s positive; I just need to pick up the pace a little bit more. There’s nothing that I can’t do; we’re very close. Hopefully over the next two rounds we can make a few bike changes—maybe stiffen it up—to make that part better. There are two rounds left, and I’m ready to go.”

Lars Lindstrom Team Manager “This rollercoaster that we call racing always surprises you with something new, and today was no different. Jett rode unbelievable today, but it was overshadowed by a penalty that we did not agree with at all. The fact that he went from 25th to almost winning the first moto was incredible, and his first two laps of the second moto were absolutely insane. I wish there was an onboard camera on Jett for that; I would love to watch the way he blitzed his way from seventh to third in a half-lap, and then the lead a lap later. Jo continues to make us proud; the consistency that he has found with starts and his riding have been so much fun to watch. The day really belonged to Hunter, though, and everyone on the team and at Honda around the globe is so happy for him to get his first win, after getting so close so many times. He definitely deserved it, and hopefully there will be many more to come.”