Honda HRC Progressive Rebounds with Positive Home SMX Round
· With second overall, Hunter Lawrence moves into tie for second in 450 standings
· Jo Shimoda, Chance Hymas show good speed with 250-class charges
Competing just minutes from their Southern California race shop, Honda HRC Progressive bounced back from last weekend’s challenging SMX Playoffs opener, with Hunter Lawrence earning second overall in the premier class and Jo Shimoda finishing just off the overall podium in the 250 class.
The first 450 moto saw Lawrence get run into and tangled up in the first turn, causing him to emerge outside the top 10, but he worked his way forward to finish a respectable fourth. In moto 2, the Australian launched his CRF450RWE to the holeshot and led to the finish, briefly trading the lead with Jorge Prado in the opening laps before quickly reclaiming the top spot and pulling clear. His 4-1 results earned him second overall.
Shimoda and Hymas both started mid-pack in the opening 250 moto and worked their way forward together. Hymas went down in the sand section at the halfway point and ultimately finished 15th, while Shimoda continued forward to post a sixth-place result. Shimoda delivered an even stronger charge in moto 2, moving from outside the top 10 to fourth within just the opening five minutes, then continuing his push. The Japanese rider made late passes on Landen Gordon and Julien Beaumer to finish second in the moto and secure fourth overall, while a bad start and a subsequent crash limited Hymas to 10th in the moto and 13th overall.
NOTES
· On Thursday, Honda HRC Progressive hosted a private autograph session for associates at American Honda’s campus in Torrance, California, with the full factory squad in attendance.
· As they have done at a selected SMX round for the past two years, Honda HRC Progressive collaborated with the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation for the Carson event, with special SKDA bike graphics and riding gear showcasing the Imaginary Friend Society, a cast of cartoon characters who help children better understand complicated cancer topics. PBTF families were also welcomed behind the scenes during the weekend, including visits to the team’s technical and hospitality trucks and a Friday-night dinner hosted under the hospitality canopy. The special bodywork will be auctioned off, with proceeds benefiting PBTF. Honda and the PBTF have partnered for more than 35 years to support children and families affected by brain tumors.
· On Friday, Hunter Lawrence represented Honda HRC Progressive at the pre-race press conference before all three of the team’s active riders took to the track for a pair of 10-minute practice sessions.
· Aboard a CRF450RWE, Justin Brayton accompanied Adam Cianciarulo on the track Friday for the Track Preview segment featured on the broadcast.
· Hunter Lawrence was interviewed by Katie Osborne during the pre-race show.
· Langston Motorsports, a dealership located approximately 90 minutes east of the race venue, joined Honda HRC Progressive in the paddock with a pop-up display, engaging with fans and showcasing a pair of CRF50F mini dirt bikes customized with special Hunter and Jett Lawrence graphics.
· Between qualifying sessions, all three active Honda HRC Progressive factory riders participated in a Progressive FanFest autograph session, giving attendees an opportunity to meet the riders.
· Hunter Lawrence set the fastest lap in combined 450 qualifying, while Quad Lock Honda riders Christian Craig and Joey Savatgy qualified 16th and 18th, respectively.
· Jo Shimoda led the Honda HRC Progressive 250 effort in qualifying, earning third overall, with Chance Hymas close behind in fourth.
· Hunter Lawrence set the fastest lap in 450 moto 2.
· The second SMX Playoff round also marked the finale of the SMX Next World All-Stars, featuring 25 of the sport’s top amateur prospects competing for a championship. SLR Honda riders Jace Williams and Cade Bradley finished 14th and 20th, respectively, in the series standings, while GDR Honda’s Dylan Rempel was 19th.
· The SMX World Championship concludes this Saturday in Ridgedale, Missouri, with triple points up for grabs at the final round. Hunter Lawrence is tied for second in the 450 title chase, 16 points behind the leader, while Shimoda and Hymas are sixth and eighth in the 250 standings.
Media contact:
Zoe Vargas // Jonnum Media // zoe@jonnummedia.com // 619-971-6440
“On the start in the first moto, I got tangled up and hit from behind and pushed into Coop [Cooper Webb]. I was fortunate to not go down, and I reevaluated to get back to the highest position possible. I was just chipping away, but I wasn’t able to take out 15 seconds or whatever. In the second moto, I was just focusing on myself, hitting my marks. I saw who was in the train behind me, and then when it was like three minutes left, I was like, ‘Okay, it’s just [Jorge] Prado.’ I wasn’t aware of the points and stuff—I just wanted to have a better race than the first one. It’s been a long year, with a lot of wear and tear on the body; me and Cooper [Webb] are the only guys that have done every single race. Championship drain is a real thing, but I’m doing what I can during the week to make sure I’m ready when I show up.”
“On the start in the first moto, I got tangled up and hit from behind and pushed into Coop [Cooper Webb]. I was fortunate to not go down, and I reevaluated to get back to the highest position possible. I was just chipping away, but I wasn’t able to take out 15 seconds or whatever. In the second moto, I was just focusing on myself, hitting my marks. I saw who was in the train behind me, and then when it was like three minutes left, I was like, ‘Okay, it’s just [Jorge] Prado.’ I wasn’t aware of the points and stuff—I just wanted to have a better race than the first one. It’s been a long year, with a lot of wear and tear on the body; me and Cooper [Webb] are the only guys that have done every single race. Championship drain is a real thing, but I’m doing what I can during the week to make sure I’m ready when I show up.”
“It’s a good step forward. We found some big improvements on the bike, and just having normal racing conditions helped a lot too. We have only one more round left, but we’re going to see what we can do next week. It should be fun.”
“It’s a good step forward. We found some big improvements on the bike, and just having normal racing conditions helped a lot too. We have only one more round left, but we’re going to see what we can do next week. It should be fun.”
“Round 2 of SMX wasn’t the greatest. I didn’t ride very good in the race, but we made a bit of progress on the bike today, so I’m looking forward to coming out swinging for the last round.”
“Round 2 of SMX wasn’t the greatest. I didn’t ride very good in the race, but we made a bit of progress on the bike today, so I’m looking forward to coming out swinging for the last round.”
“It was nice to not have to get on a plane for this weekend’s race, and it was cool having it be 12 minutes away from the shop. Anything was going to be better than last weekend regarding the racing, weather and venue, and this one was a big improvement in all three. The unfortunate thing about a track like this, which is basically a very simple supercross track with no whoops, is that it doesn’t create much separation, so if you have a bad start, you’re really going to struggle to get back up to the front. Obviously, Hunter was the fastest guy today—he proved it in qualifying and in the second moto—but getting run into and tangled up in the first turn didn’t allow him to get the result he deserved, which is probably going to be the difference-maker in this championship. Same thing goes for the 250 boys; at one point I looked and saw that the top 12 riders were all doing about the same lap time, which is a bit of a shame when you don’t get a great start. Hopefully next weekend’s track is a bit more challenging and different, and I think the entire team is looking forward to the last race of the year.”
“It was nice to not have to get on a plane for this weekend’s race, and it was cool having it be 12 minutes away from the shop. Anything was going to be better than last weekend regarding the racing, weather and venue, and this one was a big improvement in all three. The unfortunate thing about a track like this, which is basically a very simple supercross track with no whoops, is that it doesn’t create much separation, so if you have a bad start, you’re really going to struggle to get back up to the front. Obviously, Hunter was the fastest guy today—he proved it in qualifying and in the second moto—but getting run into and tangled up in the first turn didn’t allow him to get the result he deserved, which is probably going to be the difference-maker in this championship. Same thing goes for the 250 boys; at one point I looked and saw that the top 12 riders were all doing about the same lap time, which is a bit of a shame when you don’t get a great start. Hopefully next weekend’s track is a bit more challenging and different, and I think the entire team is looking forward to the last race of the year.”
450SMX Overall Results
1. Jorge Prado (KTM)
2. Hunter Lawrence (Hon)
3. Ken Roczen (Suz)
4. Haiden Deegan (Yam)
5. Cooper Webb (Yam)
6. R.J. Hampshire (Hus)
7. Garrett Marchbanks (Kaw)
8. Malcolm Stewart (Hus)
9. Eli Tomac (KTM)
10. Jordon Smith (Tri)
—
14. Christian Craig (Hon)
22. Joey Savatgy (Hon)
450SMX Championship Points (after 2 of 3 rounds)
1. Jorge Prado: 92
2. Haiden Deegan: 76
3. Hunter Lawrence: 76
4. Ken Roczen: 74
5. Cooper Webb: 72
6. Garrett Marchbanks: 58
7. Dylan Ferrandis: 53
8. R.J. Hampshire: 51
9. Eli Tomac: 48
10. Jordon Smith: 45
—
14. Christian Craig: 25
16. Joey Savatgy: 20
17. Jett Lawrence: 18
250SMX Overall Results
1. Julien Beaumer (KTM)
2. Ryder DiFrancesco (Hus)
3. Levi Kitchen (Kaw)
4. Jo Shimoda (Hon)
5. Kayden Minear (Yam)
6. Pierce Brown (Yam)
7. Drew Adams (Kaw)
8. Landen Gordon (Yam
9. Dilan Schwartz (Yam)
10. Cameron Mcadoo (Kaw)
—
13. Chance Hymas (Hon)
250SMX Championship Points (after 2 of 3 rounds)
1. Levi Kitchen: 87
2. Ryder DiFrancesco: 84
3. Julien Beaumer: 71
4. Kayden Minear: 57
5. Daxton Bennick: 56
6. Jo Shimoda: 56
7. Cole Davies: 53
8. Chance Hymas: 51
9. Drew Adams: 48
10. Nate Trasher: 45
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