Chase Sexton wins 2025 Washougal MX National
By Team TMX on 21st Jul 25
The 2025 AMA Pro Motocross Championship hit Washougal MX Park for the eighth race of the summer campaign. Clear skies and balmy temperatures set the stage for the Military Appreciation Race at the FLY Racing Washougal National Presented by Peterson CAT where the 450 Class dominance by Honda HRC Progressive’s Jett Lawrence came to an end at the hands of defending champion and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Chase Sexton, who impressed on his way to a fourth win at the venue in five years.
The first moto of the afternoon began with the Monster Energy Kawasaki of Jorge Prado edging out Jett Lawrence for the Pro Motocross Holeshot. As Prado pushed wide to close off Lawrence’s advance, it allowed Sexton, the defending class champion, to slip under both riders and grab the lead. As Sexton dropped the hammer and looked to pull away, Lawrence pressured Prado and was patient before he made the pass for second. Prado then lost his hold of third to Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac.
The lead trio settled into their respective spots through the opening 10 minutes of the moto, with Sexton managing a lead between one to two seconds. As they approached the halfway point of the moto Lawrence was able to pressure Sexton and got alongside the KTM rider, but Sexton fended off the challenge and reestablished his advantage. The pair moved out nearly 10 seconds ahead of Tomac in third.
As he made another run on Sexton, Lawrence lost traction and went down. As he remounted, Tomac rode past for second as Lawrence was forced to regroup in third. Without the pursuit from Lawrence, Sexton built a lead of nearly 10 seconds while Tomac looked to keep a resurgent Lawrence at bay. The Honda rider moved to within striking distance, but lapped riders allowed Tomac to inch away in the closing stages of the moto.
Sexton backed it down on the final lap and cruised to his first moto win of the season, 3.4 seconds ahead of Tomac, while Lawrence settled for third. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire finished fourth, with Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence in fifth.
The second and deciding moto started with Hunter Lawrence leading the field to the Pro Motocross Holeshot with his brother Jett in tow. Prado slotted into third initially, but Sexton made the move and gave chase to the Honda duo. Tomac started just outside the top five in seventh but made quick passes to move up into fourth and make it a four-rider lead group.
The intensity up front ramped up five minutes into the moto as Jett Lawrence had to fend off a pass attempt from Sexton, which then pushed the championship leader onto the rear fender of his older brother. Jett amped up the aggression to get alongside Hunter and took the lead. Not long after, Sexton made the pass for second, but Hunter Lawrence fought back to reclaim the position. Sexton then went on the attack again and moved back into second. Moments later, the red flag was waved for a downed rider, which brought a halt to the race with 21:22 left in the moto.
The first-ever staggered restart in Pro Motocross saw the race resume with the field launching out the starting gate individually, in sequential running order from the previously completed lap. Jett Lawrence started first, followed by Hunter Lawrence, Sexton, and Tomac. Sexton was able to make the pass on Hunter Lawrence for second and brought Tomac along into third to drop Lawrence outside the top three.
The lead trio settled in through the halfway point of the moto, with just three seconds between them. As the moto wore on, Jett Lawrence managed a lead of just over two seconds on Sexton, as Tomac slowly lost touch in third. Lawrence’s margin continued to grow and eventually surpassed five seconds as the Honda rider completed his 12th moto win of the season by 8.7 seconds over Sexton, with Tomac in third.
In just his third race back after a crash took him out of action at the opening round, Sexton’s 1-2 finishes bettered Lawrence’s 3-1 effort to end an eight-race win streak for the Australian. It signified the 14th win of Sexton’s career and his fourth in five years at Washougal. He also remains the only rider to defeat Jett Lawrence in the Pro Motocross Championship, with two wins across the 24 races Lawrence has entered. The Honda rider’s second ever non-win still produced a runner-up effort, while Tomac finished overall podium (2-3) for the fifth time this season and the 77th time in his career.
Lawrence’s lead in the championship standings increased to 61 points over Hunter Lawrence, who finished fourth (3-5), with Tomac third, 94 points out of the lead.
