Podium for Lawrence on Difficult Evening for Team Honda at Arlington SX

In the 450SX class, Chase Sexton finished fourth overall, with 4-3-5 finishes, while teammate Roczen finished 13^th overall in the premier class.

Lawrence was impressive all day, topping daytime qualifying and charging hard in the night program. The young Australian grabbed the holeshot in the first 250SX East race before falling in the second corner, dropping him to the back of the field. He made an aggressive charge through the pack to finish fourth. In the second race, Lawrence was up front at the start and maintained the lead to take the checkered flag first. The final race saw Lawrence slide out in the first turn and again resume the race in last place. Determined for redemption, he made impressive passes and climbed as high as third before clipping a Tuffblox cushion on the face of the finish-line jump, sending him into the path of Austin Forkner, with both riders going down. Lawrence remounted to finish 10th for third overall.

In the first 450SX race, Sexton rode well after a bad start, overtaking much of the pack to finish fourth. Meanwhile, Roczen was held up by carnage in the field, then went down in the whoop section before the finish and turned in a 16^th-place result. Sexton took the holeshot in Race 2, but he slipped two positions in the race’s second half to take third. Roczen was ninth at the finish. In the final race, Sexton crashed late but secured fifth at the finish for fourth overall, while Roczen was involved in a first-turn crash and finished 16^th.

NOTES

• The 2022 Arlington race marked the 42nd consecutive season of supercross racing in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, where Honda has the most wins of any manufacturer, at 13.

• This race marked the second Triple Crown event of the season. The unique format combines results from three races to decide overall positions and award championship points.

• Arlington experienced chilly weather conditions over the weekend, with light rain in the afternoon and temperatures around 35º F at the time the evening program began.

• This was Jett Lawrence’s first Triple Crown event, and it marked the eighth indoor podium result of his career.

• Prior to the Arlington race, Hunter and Jett Lawrence were invited to participate in a Zoom interview for a supercross feature story in the AMA’s American Motorcyclist

• After suffering a hard crash in Minneapolis, Sexton underwent concussion protocol and impact testing prior to the Arlington race.

• With Arlington being a Futures round, Honda’s Chance Hymas debuted aboard his CRF250R, finishing second overall in the class’s main event.

• FanFest resumed at Arlington, giving spectators a behind-the-scenes look at the teams and riders as they worked in the pits. There were no scheduled autograph signings, however attendees were permitted to take photos, visit sponsor displays and take home pre-signed posters.

• With Lars Lindstrom missing Arlington due to sickness, the Team Honda HRC manager’s role was filled by 450 and 250 Crew Chiefs Shane Drew and Grant Hutcheson. Lindstrom is expected to be in Daytona for round 9.

• In morning qualifying, Ken Roczen turned the second-fastest 450SX time, a 48.187” lap in the final session. Chase Sexton was third-quickest, three ahead of SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts Honda rider Justin Brayton. Brayton’s teammate Vince Friese was 10th-best, with SGB Unlimited Honda’s Cade Clason 19^th.

• Jett Lawrence notched the fastest lap times in both 250SX East Region timed qualifying sessions, with a best of 48.513” in the final session–seven-tenths faster than the rest of the field. SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts Honda’s Mitchell Oldenburg was seventh, Fire Power Honda’s Jordon Smith 10th, Phoenix Racing Honda’s Kyle Peters 16th, SGB Unlimited Honda’s Jeremy Hand 20th and Phoenix Racing Honda’s Josh Osby 26th.

• Lawrence turned the fastest lap times in all three 250SX East races, despite having to battle through traffic in two of them. He was the only rider to dip into the 48-second range, which he did in both the first and last race.

• The top three overall finishers from each class, including Lawrence, participated in the post-race press conference on Saturday evening.

• Lawrence and Cameron McAdoo are now tied for the points lead in the 250SX East class, while Lawrence’s teammates Sexton and Rozcen sit sixth and ninth in the 450SX class, respectively.

• ​​Team Honda HRC will now travel to Daytona International Speedway for round 9 of the premier class racing and round 3 of the 250SX East Region class. The race will mark the first of two speedway venues for the season.

250SX East Standings