Jett Lawrence Retakes Championship Lead at Glendale Supercross

・ Come-from-behind performance delivers podium finish
・ Fifth for Hunter Lawrence, his best-ever 450SX finish
・ Jo Shimoda notches first podium of the season in 250SX West

Team Honda HRC had a strong showing in Glendale, Arizona, for round 6 of the AMA Supercross championship, which saw both Jett Lawrence and Jo Shimoda land on the podiums in their respective classes. Meanwhile, Hunter Lawrence notched a career-best result in the premier division with a solid fifth-place finish. Most notably, Jett leaves Glendale with the red plate, which has eluded him since he relinquished it at round 2.

The Glendale track is known for its slippery surface and long rhythm sections, requiring high levels of patience and precision. Jett was shuffled back off the start of the 450SX main event and faced challenges early in the race, including being pushed off the track by another rider. Motivated to gain critical championship points, the young Australian worked his way through the pack, passing many of his rivals to finish the race in third and regain the championship lead, with a six-point advantage over second place. Meanwhile, Hunter had a steady ride, showing that he has the pace to run with the lead group and earning his first top-five showing. Phoenix Racing Honda’s Dylan Ferrandis finished just behind Hunter in sixth place.

The 250SX main event saw Shimoda round the first turn just inside the top 10. The Japanese racer steadily worked his way forward to fourth place, and near the race’s midpoint, he took over third, which is where he would finish. This result marked his first podium with Team Honda HRC. SmarTop/MotoConcepts Honda’s Mitchell Oldenburg put in a great ride for sixth. Meanwhile, Oldenburg’s teammate Carson Mumford showed impressive speed all night, running in the top five for much of the race before eventually crossing the line in 11^th.

NOTES

・ After a weekend off for the 250SX East opener, Team Honda HRC 250SX West rider Jo Shimoda was back in Glendale, and he took part in Friday’s media-day activities, getting in some time on the track.
・ Ahead of Valentine’s Day, Hunter Lawrence wore special white-and-red Alpinestars gear that was a colab with Daniel Riccardo, celebrating a new capsule collection from Enchanté, the Formula 1 driver’s clothing brand.
・ After topping the free-practice and first qualifying-practice sessions, Jett Lawrence ended up second in the combined 450SX times. Hunter was 15^th quickest, and Shimoda was fifth-best in the 250SX West division.
・ For the second week in a row, the 450SX heat races ran first, before the 250s. In the first one, Jett completed lap 1 in fifth place and moved up to third by lap 4, then stayed there through the second half of the race. SmarTop/MotoConcepts Honda rider Vince Friese was two spots behind, and Phoenix Racing Honda’s Dylan Ferrandis was another two spots back. The second heat saw Hunter Lawrence enjoy a decent start and end up fourth, with Fire Power Honda’s Dean Wilson taking eighth.
・ The first 250SX West heat race saw SmarTop/MotoConcepts Honda riders Carson Mumford and Mitchell Oldenburg race in second and third for the entire seven laps, qualifying directly into the main. Following a heat 2 red flag, Shimoda got a strong start and ran in second for the entire race.
・ Jett Lawrence is still the only 450SX rider to have scored more than one win so far this year.
・ Supercross Live reporter Broc Bridges pointed out that Jett and Hunter Lawrence’s 3/5 results at Glendale marked the first time that brothers have ever both finished in the top five in the premier class of an AMA Supercross event.
・ By finishing third, Jett went from one point down in the title chase to a six-point advantage. The young Australian will run the red number-plate background at the next round.
・ AMA Supercross now gets its first off weekend of the year before resuming in Arlington, Texas, on February 24.