Thunder Valley delivers AMA Pro Motocross Drama
By Team TMX on 15th Jun 26
The Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, headed to the Rocky Mountains for its third stop of the summer, where the mile-high altitude of Thunder Valley Motocross Park provided one of the season’s toughest and most distinctive challenges. The Toyota Thunder Valley National delivered another compelling afternoon of racing, headlined by a statement performance from Honda HRC Progressive’s Jett Lawrence, who swept both motos to secure back-to-back overall wins and take control of the 450 Class points lead.
In the 250 Class, unpredictability remained the theme for a third straight round as Honda HRC Progressive’s Jo Shimoda became the third different winner in as many races—despite not winning a moto. The result also marked Honda’s first sweep of both classes this season.
Adding further intrigue, Belgian twins Lucas and Sacha Coenen - respective leaders of the MXGP and MX2 World Championships - made their AMA Pro Motocross debut in Colorado.
The opening 450 moto saw Jett Lawrence grab the holeshot ahead of Cooper Webb and championship leader Hunter Lawrence. Jett quickly asserted control, fending off early pressure from his brother while Haiden Deegan worked his way into contention to form a three-rider battle at the front.
Hunter briefly threatened to make a move stick, but Jett responded immediately to maintain the lead. Deegan then surged into second and began applying pressure, setting up a highly anticipated showdown. However, despite closing the gap at times, the Yamaha rider couldn’t sustain the charge. Two late crashes ultimately cost him ground, allowing Lucas Coenen to move into podium contention.
The closing stages became a Lawrence-versus-Lawrence duel, with Coenen edging closer from third. As the clock wound down, Jett stretched his advantage, while Hunter suffered a late fall that dropped him into a final-lap fight with Deegan. Out front, Jett held firm under pressure from Coenen to secure the win by 1.4 seconds, with Hunter crossing the line third ahead of Deegan and Jorge Prado.
Post-race penalties for exceeding track limits reshuffled the order, with Hunter demoted one position, Deegan dropping seven places, and Prado losing two spots.
Moto 2 followed a similar script. Jett Lawrence again took the holeshot and quickly established control, while Hunter went down early and was forced into recovery mode. Coenen moved into second, with Aaron Plessinger initially holding third before Deegan and Hunter worked their way forward.
Jett managed the race from the front, maintaining a steady gap as the battle for third intensified behind him. Hunter briefly reclaimed a podium position late on, only to fall again and surrender the spot back to Deegan. Up front, Jett remained unchallenged, taking the win by 9.6 seconds to complete a dominant 1-1 performance.
The result marked the 20th 1-1 finish of Lawrence’s career and his 26th win in just 30 premier class starts. It also extended his unbeaten streak at Thunder Valley to four races and secured Honda’s sixth consecutive victory at the venue. A 14-point swing moves him into the championship lead, eight points clear of Hunter, with Deegan third overall.
Coenen impressed on debut with a 2-2 finish for second overall, while Hunter salvaged a podium (4-4) despite crashes and a penalty.
In the 250 Class, Seth Hammaker claimed the holeshot in Moto 1 and led early ahead of Julien Beaumer, with Nick Romano and Levi Kitchen close behind. As the race developed, Kitchen surged forward, eventually passing Hammaker in the closing stages to take the win, while Shimoda moved into third late on.
Moto 2 saw Sacha Coenen take the holeshot, while early contact between Hammaker and Kitchen dropped both contenders down the order. Coenen controlled the race from the front, building a comfortable lead as battles unfolded behind him.
Shimoda’s patience proved decisive, as he worked his way into contention and secured second late in the race—enough to claim the overall victory with 3-2 finishes. Coenen took the moto win, with Ryder DiFrancesco completing the podium.
Kitchen recovered to eighth after his first-turn crash to secure second overall, while Romano’s consistent 4-5 finishes earned him a career-first overall podium. Hammaker, meanwhile, finished seventh overall after a difficult second moto.
The 250 Class standings now see Hammaker and Kitchen tied for the points lead, with Shimoda closing to within six points.
The 2026 Pro Motocross Championship continues next Saturday, June 20, at High Point Raceway in Pennsylvania.
