Sexton Dominates Inaugural SuperMotocross Race

・ Reigning AMA Supercross champ wins both motos in Charlotte

・ Jett Lawrence posts a runner-up finish in 450 moto 2 for fourth overall

・ Eighth overall for Hunter Lawrence in 250 class 

With Chase Sexton and Jett Lawrence having taken the 2023 450 titles in AMA Supercross and AMA Pro Motocross, respectively, Team Honda HRC seemed to have its bases covered heading into the inaugural SuperMotocross race, held at Charlotte’s zMax Dragway. That’s the way it played out, as Sexton returned to his winning ways, taking the overall victory with impressive 1-1 moto scores. Although Lawrence struggled with his settings in moto 1, he rode impressively in the second outing, and his 7-2 moto scores earned him fourth overall. In the 250 class, Hunter Lawrence suffered from poor starts and inopportune falls, tallying 9-7 moto scores for eighth overall.

Sexton nailed a strong moto 1 start aboard his CRF450RWE and secured the lead on lap 2, then rode smoothly to secure the win. Meanwhile, Jett Lawrence started sixth and lost a position before a lap-6 fall dropped him back to 10^th. He was able to reach seventh by the finish. In moto 2, Sexton was in third place by the completion of lap 1, and he took over the second spot a few laps in, then set about tracking down the leading Ken Roczen. Sexton took over the top spot with six laps remaining and never looked back, earning the overall victory and establishing a healthy points lead. Jett was only eighth one lap in, but he was much faster than in moto 1, moving into the top five with just five laps gone. He was into podium position two laps later, and with three laps remaining, he put an amazing pass on Roczen to secure second place, which he held to the finish.

An 11th-place start presented a challenge for Hunter Lawrence in the first 250 moto, and an early crash made things even worse, with the newly crowned AMA Pro Motocross 250 Champion sitting 21^st after lap 2. He was up to 15th by lap 6, and a burst of speed on the penultimate lap helped him to reach his finishing position of ninth. A turn 1 fall left Hunter in 19^th place in moto 2, but he was up to 15^th by the end of lap 1. He broke into the top 10 on lap 10, and he crossed the finish line in seventh place.

NOTES

All three active Team Honda HRC riders participated in Friday’s activities, including free practice and a press conference. Chase Sexton and Jett Lawrence notched the top two times in the 450 class, while Hunter Lawrence was second-quickest in the 250 ranks.

Honda of North Carolina worked a pop-up activation booth in the Team Honda HRC pits at zMax Dragway, where they displayed Honda powersports models and engaged with fans and customers.

In Saturday qualifying, Jett and Chase went 1-2 in the 450 class, while Hunter was again second-fastest in the 250 ranks.

On Saturday, Chase Sexton was presented with the ring that goes to the AMA Supercross 450 Champion.

Sexton turned the fastest lap times in both 450 motos.

While this was the first-ever SuperMotocross race, several Supercross races have been held in Charlotte in the past, and Honda has the most premier-class victories (now six, including Chase’s win this weekend). At Memorial Stadium, Jean-Michel Bayle and Jeremy McGrath both won twice while riding red, and McGrath also notched a win at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1996.

After his win, Chase Sexton participated in the post-race press conference.

Riders carried points into the first round based on their performance in AMA Supercross and AMA Pro Motocross, and Chase Sexton sat in first place in the 450 title chase coming in. Following his win at the opener, he now has a 12-point lead over Jett Lawrence, in second. In the 250 ranks, Hunter is three points behind co-leaders Joe Shimoda and Haiden Deegan. The unique SuperMotocross format pays double points at next week’s race near Chicago, and triple points are awarded at the Los Angeles finale.