Jett Lawrence tops Hangtown podium
By Team TMX on 8th Jun 26
Jett Lawrence returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion at Hangtown, sweeping both 450 motos to claim a dominant overall victory at round two of the Pro Motocross Championship.
The reigning champion, still working his way back from an off-season ankle injury, looked back to his imperious best as he controlled both races at the iconic Californian circuit, fending off pressure from brother and series leader Hunter Lawrence.
Lawrence set the tone early, posting the fastest lap in qualifying and the only sub-1:50 time of the day, before grabbing the holeshot in race one and immediately taking charge.
Haiden Deegan slotted into second ahead of Hunter Lawrence, but the leading trio soon settled into position with Jett edging clear. As the race entered its closing stages, Hunter ramped up the pressure on Deegan and made the pass stick to move into second, but by then Jett was gone.
The Honda rider cruised to a comfortable win, 7.7 seconds clear of his brother, while Deegan secured his first 450 moto podium in third. Dylan Ferrandis and RJ Hampshire completed the top five, while Jorge Prado’s strong ride unravelled late on with a mechanical issue dropping him out of contention.
Race two was briefly halted by a red flag, but once restarted it quickly developed into another Lawrence showcase. Cooper Webb grabbed the holeshot, but Jett wasted no time hitting the front, with Hunter following him through into second soon after.
The siblings quickly broke clear of the field, leaving Chase Sexton and Webb to dispute the minor placings as Deegan charged forward from outside the top 10 to join the battle.
Out front, the Lawrences traded momentum through different sections of the track, with Hunter shadowing Jett and looking for an opportunity to strike. However, just as the pressure began to build, Jett responded—stretching his advantage from under a second to nearly four in a matter of laps.
From there, he controlled the race to the flag, completing a perfect 1-1 scorecard and securing his 25th premier class victory in just 29 starts.
Hunter Lawrence’s 2-2 finishes sealed second overall, giving Honda its first 1-2 result of the season, while Deegan impressed again with a consistent 3-3 for his first overall podium in only his second start in the class.
Despite Jett’s dominance, Hunter retains the championship lead, now reduced to just six points, with Deegan moving into third in the standings.
In the 250 class, Levi Kitchen returned to the top step for the first time since 2024 after a hard-fought and highly eventful afternoon at Hangtown.
Championship leader Seth Hammaker had laid down an early marker in qualifying, edging Ryder DiFrancesco for top spot, and carried that momentum straight into race one with the holeshot. From there, the Kawasaki rider looked in control, quickly building a multi-second advantage as Julien Beaumer slotted into second and Jo Shimoda fought his way into third.
While the leaders settled into position, Kitchen was the man on the move. Starting outside the top 10, he carved his way through the field with impressive pace, breaking into the top four by mid-race before turning his attention to the podium fight. A decisive late charge saw him pass both Shimoda and Beaumer to move into second, but Hammaker was too far up the road, taking the win by just over seven seconds.
Race two turned the standings on their head almost immediately. A first-turn pile-up wiped out Hammaker and several others, leaving the points leader with a mountain to climb from deep in the pack.
Out front, Cole Davies grabbed control of the race and never looked threatened, but once again Kitchen was charging. Starting eighth, he wasted little time slicing through the field, moving into second with more than 20 minutes still on the clock. Despite closing the gap, Davies had already done enough to stay clear and secure the moto win.
Behind them, the focus shifted to Hammaker’s recovery ride. The Kawasaki rider dug deep to claw his way back into the top 10, salvaging ninth by the flag in a ride that would prove crucial for the championship.
Kitchen’s consistency across the two motos (2-2) was enough to secure the overall victory -his first since Budds Creek in 2024 - while Beaumer’s solid 4-3 scores earned him a maiden overall podium in second.
Hammaker’s 1-9 results left him tied on points for second overall but credited third, although his determined ride ensured he retained the championship lead, now reduced to seven points over Kitchen heading into the next round.
