Hunter Lawrence Takes Career-First AMA 250SX Win at Arlington 2 Supercross

In just the sixth supercross race of his career, Team Honda HRC’s Hunter Lawrence scored his first 250SX win in convincing fashion, at the Arlington 2 round. The young Australian started in fifth and quickly advanced a spot, then made a block pass for third. On lap six, he capitalized when the leading duo lost momentum, passing them both to put his CRF250R in the lead. At that point, Lawrence set sail, setting the fastest time of the race on the next lap and pulling ahead to score an emotional victory by over five seconds. With erstwhile title-chase leader Cameron McAdoo earning a penalty, Lawrence took over the red plate, by a one-point margin. Also impressive was Phoenix Racing Honda’s newly recrowned AMA Arenacross Champion Kyle Peters, who notched a solid third-place finish, his first supercross podium since 2018.

In 450SX racing, Ken Roczen put together a podium finish. He and teammate Chase Sexton put their CRF450R race machines in third and fourth off the start and rode relatively uneventful races, with Sexton relinquishing just one position in the latter stages of the race.

NOTES                                                                                                                                              

• With just three days between the Arlington 1 and Arlington 2 rounds, Team Honda HRC spent most of the time at the stadium prepping the bikes for Tuesday’s race. The Showa technicians also serviced the suspension components.
• Arlington experienced warm weather conditions on Tuesday, with temperatures around 81º F at the time the evening program began.
• During qualifying for the 250SX West class, Lawrence was fourth-fastest in the combined times, with a best of 52.591”. Muc-Off Honda’s Mitchell Harrison was 15th, Phoenix Racing Honda’s Kyle Peters and Enzo Lopes were eighth and 30th, respectively, and FXR Chaparral Honda riders Carson Mumford and Coty Shock were 12th and 20th.
• The 450SX class’s qualifying sessions saw Ken Roczen post the fourth-best time at 51.434”, with Sexton two spots back at 51.996”. Other Red Riders included SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts racers Vince Friese (11th) and Benny Bloss (12th), Muc-Off Honda’s Justin Brayton (14th) and MotoConcepts rider Broc Tickle (15th).
• Sexton posted a solid runner-up result in the first 450SX heat race, threatening for the win and finishing just over a second behind the winner, while Roczen was fourth. In heat 2, Tickle and Friese were sixth and seventh, respectively. During 250SX West racing, Lawrence was second-best in the first heat, with Mumford, Peters and Lopes seventh through ninth. Heat 2 saw Harrison advance to the main via a sixth-place result. Schock made it in with a runner-up finish in the 250SX West LCQ after leading much of the race.
• Brayton crashed in the first 450SX heat race and withdrew from the remainder of the event with injuries to his hands.
• Lawrence’s breakthrough win came just under two months after his younger brother Jett took his first, in the Houston 2 250SX East main. It also came on the 25^th anniversary of his parents, Darren and Emma.
• As podium finishers, both Lawrence and Roczen took part in the post-race virtual press conference after the race.
• With 11 AMA Supercross races in the books, the riders and teams will remain in Arlington a few more days, as round 12 takes place Saturday for the final round at AT&T Stadium.

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