Nashville win sees Hunter Lawrence extend SX points lead
By Team TMX on 13th Apr 26
Round 13 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship roared back into “Music City” for the first time since 2024, and with it came one of the tightest three-rider title fights the 450SMX class has ever seen. A packed Nissan Stadium crowd got exactly what they came for - high stakes, high speed, and a pivotal shift in the championship narrative.
When the gate dropped on the 20-minute + 1 lap Main Event, it was Shane McElrath with the holeshot, but early chaos quickly reshuffled the deck. Justin Hill emerged out front ahead of Ken Roczen and Jorge Prado, while Lawrence quietly positioned himself inside the top five.
Roczen wasted no time taking control, but Lawrence was on a different level. By mid-race, the Honda HRC Progressive rider had carved his way into second and was visibly the fastest man on track. The tension built as the leaders edged away - until a small mistake from Roczen opened the door. Lawrence pounced, taking over the lead with just over eight minutes remaining and never looking back.
From there, it was clinical. Lawrence stretched the gap, rode flawlessly, and crossed the line 7.1 seconds clear to secure his fourth win of the season - and more importantly, sole possession of the championship lead
Behind him, the fight was anything but settled.
Cooper Webb clawed his way through the pack after another poor start, eventually muscling past Hill for second - his first podium in four rounds and a much-needed confidence boost for the reigning champion. Roczen, despite a late fall, remounted to salvage third and extend his podium streak to four races.
Meanwhile, the night belonged to frustration for Eli Tomac. Entering Nashville tied atop the standings, Tomac’s race unraveled early. A poor start left him buried in the pack, and a late crash sealed a disappointing 12th-place finish - dropping him to third in the championship, now 15 points adrift.
Daxton Bennick grabbed the 250SX East holeshot, but it was Nate Thrasher who struck first, powering into the early lead. Lurking just behind, however, were the title contenders and once they got moving, the race changed instantly.
Cole Davies surged to the front less than five minutes in, showcasing blistering whoop speed that no one could match. From there, he checked out, building a commanding lead and ultimately cruising to a dominant 17.2-second victory – his fourth of the season.
Seth Hammaker looked poised to challenge but hit trouble twice – first with a crash after clipping a tuff block, then later in a dramatic collision with Bennick while battling for second. Both riders went down, opening the door for Thrasher to slip into second.
Hammaker initially recovered to third on track, but a post-race penalty for cutting the circuit dropped him down the order - handing Devin Simonson a breakthrough maiden podium in third.
Davies now holds a commanding 29-point lead with just three races remaining.
