For the second time in as many weekends, Team Honda HRC rider Jett Lawrence rode to a flawless 1-1 moto sweep in the 250MX class, this time at Pala, California’s Fox Raceway, during the penultimate round of the 2021 AMA Pro Motocross Championship. The performance extended the 18-year-old’s perfect record of overall wins at the venue to three, and grew his lead in the championship standings to 23 points. Teammate and older brother Hunter Lawrence took sixth overall in the class. In the 450MX category, Ken Roczen showed good speed, finishing fourth overall via 3-6 moto scores.

The first 450MX moto saw Roczen secure the holeshot and build a three-second gap over his rivals. Toward the halfway mark of the 30-minute-plus-two-laps moto, he was overtaken by Dylan Ferrandis, and later by Eli Tomac, with the German finishing in third.  When the gate dropped in the final 450MX moto, Roczen charged into second and then took the lead on the opening lap. He was soon passed by Ferrandis and eventually slipped to sixth.

In the first 250MX moto, Jett Lawrence got underway in third, then made a calculated pass on Maximus Vohland several minutes into the first moto. At the halfway point, Michael Mosiman crashed out of the lead, with Jett taking over. He cruised to the finish to secure his seventh moto win of the season, with a 9.2 second margin. Hunter Lawrence started inside the top 10 and made solid passes to finish sixth. The second moto saw Jett secure his first holeshot of the season and establish a gap on his pursuers. At the checkered flag, Jett was 14.2 seconds ahead of second place. Hunter was sixth for fifth overall.

NOTES

• In the days since the previous round, Team Honda HRC spent time preparing for the Fox Raceway National, testing in Southern California at both Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino and Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park.
• After feeling under the weather at last weekend’s Ironman Raceway round, Team Honda HRC rider Chase Sexton was diagnosed with an enlarged spleen, prompting him to sit out the trip to Fox Raceway. He still hopes to attend the final round.
• Located in northern San Diego County, Fox Raceway featured the hottest conditions of the schedule so far, with temperatures hitting 84º Fahrenheit when practice started and reaching the triple-digit range by the afternoon.
• This was AMA Pro Motocross’s second trip to Fox Raceway this season, though this round saw the track layout reversed from that of May, with its uphill start into a right-hand turn.
• The second phase of the inaugural MX Sports Pro Racing Scouting Moto Combine took place at Fox Raceway, with the West Region portion taking place on Friday, September 3. Another contingent of elite prospects were invited to take part in the pioneering program, including Honda riders Hunter Yoder, Evan Stice, Luke Kalaitzian and Preston Boespflug.
• Jett Lawrence had an impressive fan base in attendance after he posted a “Jett Lawrence Fan Experience” announcement on social media earlier in the week. The young Australian, in collaboration with personal sponsor Red Bull, offered fans a special opportunity that included a general-admission ticket, admission to a VIP trackside-viewing area, private grandstand access, special Jett gift, complimentary lunch, Red Bull energy drinks, donuts for the first arrivals and an appearance by Jett himself. All 150 tickets were sold out prior to the weekend.
• Ken Roczen posted the second-fastest time in the 450MX class, with a 2’05.207” lap in the final session. FXR/Chaparral Honda’s Coty Schock was 10th best. Privateers Bryson Gardner, Dominic DeSimone and Justin Jones were 19th, 32nd and 34th, respectively.
• Jett Lawrence posted the second-fastest time in 250MX qualifying, a 2’07.296” in the final session, with Hunter Lawrence ninth fastest. FXR/Chaparral Honda rider Carson Mumford posted the 13th-best time.
• ​​Lawrence’s second-consecutive 1-1 moto sweep maintained his perfect overall-win record at Fox Raceway. After taking his first career professional victory at the track last October, Lawrence notched a season-opening win there this summer, and his win this weekend makes him the winningest rider in Fox Raceway history. So far this season, Jett has eight moto wins (including five of the last seven), the most of any rider in the class.
• American Honda and Team HRC congratulate Dylan Ferrandis and Star Racing Yamaha on their clinching of the 450MX National Championship. With one round remaining, Roczen and Eli Tomac will battle for second in the final standings.
• Jett Lawrence’s overall win boosted his advantage over Justin Cooper to 23 points, with one round remaining. The championship is down to just those two riders. Hunter Lawrence is third.
• With 11 of the 12 rounds in the books, the 2021 AMA Pro Motocross Championship concludes this Saturday, September 11, with the legendary Hangtown National in Rancho Cordova, California.

Ken Roczen 94 "This weekend at Fox Raceway was tough. I haven't really been feeling like myself with my energy level the last couple of weekends, which have been the hottest rounds of the year. Those two things together don't mix well. After a tough first moto, I really just tried to maintain and not override anything, because I knew I was super fatigued from the beginning. I ended up throwing up trying to make a late-race charge past [Eli] Tomac, which definitely depleted me even more. I have a history of fainting when I throw up, so it was a little scary for a second, but we picked it back up in the last lap to secure third in that moto. In the second moto, I had absolutely nothing left, so we finished sixth. Not an ideal weekend, but I'm just glad we made it through the day."

Chase Sexton 23 Did Not Attend Race

Hunter Lawrence 41 "Today was a tough day, but we managed to get fifth overall. Being sick the past two weeks hasn't helped. I was in the ‘hurt locker' all day, so happy to be walking away in one piece. Nothing really to jump up and down about, but we're third in the championship still, which is good. Looking to finish it off."

Jett Lawrence 18 "So Pala was another really good weekend. We ended up taking another 1-1, so that's good. It was definitely really hot today, but luckily I had two really good starts, including finally getting my first holeshot. From there, I was able to flow and get myself into a comfortable gap from second and then I just cruised and rode my own race. It was a very good day -- got some more points, and feeling really good for Hangtown."

Erik Kehoe - Team Manager “Hunter was still feeling the effects of being sick last week but managed to dig deep to finish fifth overall for the day, earning valuable points for his goal of third overall in the 250MX championship. Jett’s starts were consistent this week, as he put himself in good position up front early in both motos. He managed his effort well in the high-temperature conditions for a strong 1-1 overall victory! Ken showed again this week that he has amazing speed early in the race. His starts were right on point, as he was battling up front early in both motos. Unfortunately, he had a tough time with the heat and had to manage his efforts in the latter half of the motos. His fourth-overall finish for the day captured valuable points in his quest to retain second overall in the 450MX championship. Unfortunately, Chase wasn’t able to race at Pala, but we hope he’s feeling better this week and that he’ll be able to be back racing at Hangtown next weekend.”