Hunter Lawrence dominates AMA Pro MX Rd1
By Team TMX on 1st Jun 26
The 55th Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, roared into life at the Pala Casino Spa & Golf Resort Fox Raceway National Presented by Fox Racing, where one of the largest crowds in the venue’s history turned out for what was widely anticipated as a blockbuster season opener.
In the premier 450 class, Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence delivered a statement performance. Fresh off his Supercross runner-up finish, the Australian produced the most commanding outdoor ride of his career with a flawless 1-1 sweep.
Hunter Lawrence set the tone from the outset in Timed Qualifying, topping both sessions and posting a benchmark lap in Qualifying 2 - more than half a second clear of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado.
When the gate dropped for Moto 1, Mikkel Haarup who grabbed the holeshot in his and Triumph’s 450MX debut, with Lawrence quickly slotting into second ahead of Prado. Defending Pro Motocross and SMX World Champion Jett Lawrence endured an uncharacteristically poor start in 16th, ending his 91-lap streak of laps led at Fox Raceway, while premier class debutant Haiden Deegan found himself buried even deeper in 19th.
Up front, Hunter Lawrence wasted little time asserting control, moving past Haarup for the lead, with Prado following through into second soon after. As Haarup faded, Chase Sexton and Justin Cooper moved into podium contention behind the leaders, although Sexton’s charge was halted by a mistake that dropped him down the order.
Attention soon shifted to the recovery rides of Jett Lawrence and Deegan, who carved their way through the field in tandem. The pair briefly went head-to-head inside the top 10, with Deegan making a pass stick momentarily before the defending champion responded and edged clear.
Out front, Hunter Lawrence steadily stretched his advantage, building a near 10-second lead before managing the race to the finish. He took the chequered flag 8.7 seconds clear of Prado, who secured the best moto result of his Pro Motocross career. Cooper completed the top three, while Jett Lawrence charged through to fourth and Deegan rounded out the top five.
Moto 2 saw both Lawrence and Prado launch to the front, with Hunter grabbing the holeshot before Prado struck back to lead the opening lap. The lead exchange proved short-lived, however, as Lawrence regrouped and reclaimed control on the following lap—ironically at the same section of track where he’d lost it. From there, he quickly established a gap of more than five seconds.
With improved track position, Jett Lawrence wasted no time making his presence felt, climbing into third before the halfway mark. Deegan followed into fourth but was unable to match the pace of the leading trio.
The race settled in its latter stages, with Hunter Lawrence maintaining a comfortable margin to secure his second moto win of the afternoon by six seconds over Prado, while Jett Lawrence completed the podium in third.
A perfect 1-1 scorecard marked the most impressive premier class performance of Hunter Lawrence’s career. The result also extended Honda’s winning streak at Fox Raceway to four consecutive seasons.
Prado’s pair of second-place finishes earned the Spaniard his first Pro Motocross overall podium, while Jett Lawrence salvaged third overall (4-3) after an uncharacteristically difficult afternoon - gaining a combined 20 positions across the two motos.
In the early championship standings, Hunter Lawrence leaves Pala with a six-point advantage over Prado, with his younger brother Jett sitting 12 points adrift in third.
