Podium Overall Finish for Jett Lawrence at High Point AMA Pro MX

Following the first break in the 2021 AMA Pro Motocross series, round 3 took place this weekend at High Point Raceway in Mount Morris, Pennsylvania, where Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence scored his third straight top-two overall finish in the 250MX class, with a 3-2 moto tally giving him second overall and extending his lead in the title chase. Meanwhile, 8-11 finishes put his teammate and older brother, Hunter Lawrence, eighth overall in the same class. The fierce competition in the 450MX division saw a tiebreaker place Ken Roczen fourth overall with 3-3 finishes, and Chase Sexton was fifth overall via a 4-5 moto tally.

After showing good speed in qualifying first and third, Roczen and Sexton carried that momentum into the first 450MX moto, with great starts putting Sexton in second, with Roczen close behind. The top three initially built a considerable gap on the rest of the pack, only for falls to cost both Honda riders positions. In the end, Roczen finished third, with Sexton just a second back in fourth. Moto 2 saw Roczen quickly make aggressive moves after a poor start, climbing to fourth by lap 4. By the 20-minute mark, the German was third, where he remained at the finish for fourth overall. Sexton ran in the top five for the majority of the race and finished fifth for fifth overall.

Hunter grabbed the first 250MX moto 1 holeshot but went off-track while negotiating a tricky downhill section, dropping him back to 28^th. He forced his way through the pack to eventually finish with eighth. Meanwhile, Jett completed lap 1 in sixth place and steadily advanced to finish third. Jett got a much better start in the second moto and advanced to third by lap 2, then took over second two laps later, whee he stayed to the end and earned second overall. Hunter suffered an early crash and finished 11^th.

NOTES

• Round three of the 2021 AMA Pro Motocross Championship marked the series’ Eastern debut and a return to Pennsylvania’s High Point Raceway after missing the venue last year due to the pandemic.
• Though a forecast of rain and thunderstorms threatened the High Point National, the event experienced partly cloudy skies and light rain throughout the day, creating excellent track conditions.
• As had been the case at the first two rounds, tickets were available for the High Point National, and though spectator access was limited to public areas (paddock access and autograph signings remained suspended), the huge fan turnout made for a packed venue and highly energetic race day.
• Jett Lawrence had an evident fan base in attendance after he posted a competition alert via social media earlier in the week. The young Australian promised to sign his moto-two jersey and personally hand it to the fan who displayed the best poster at the race. The winner was 14-year-old Karley Mullinax from Forest City, North Carolina.
• Roczen opted to run Cycra handguards at the High Point National.
• For the first time this season, Jett, Hunter, and Chase all wore matching camouflaged Alpinestars gear.
• Team Honda HRC riders participated in media interviews and video shoots leading up to race day. Ken Roczen had a virtual interview with Pittsburgh Today Live on Thursday morning, while the Lawrence brothers took part in a video shoot for NBC Sports Network’s show “Off The Grid”–a behind the scenes, insider program that primarily follows the IndyCar Series but in the past has also profiled Formula 1, NASCAR, MotoGP and other racing series. This year, an introduction to AMA Pro MX is being included, and Jett and Hunter were the focal point for the 250 Class, which included interviews and a riding component in which the brothers were followed by a drone.
• Hunter Lawrence posted the second-fastest time in 250MX qualifying, with a 2’02.022” in the final session, two ahead of Jett Lawrence’s 2’02.567”. FXR/Chaparral Honda rider Carson Mumford posted the 11th-best time, and TiLube Honda’s Maxwell Sanford finished 31^st.
• Roczen was fastest in qualifying for the 450MX class, posting an impressive 1’59.440” in the first session and a 2’01.253’ in the final. Sexton also showed speed and posted the third-fastest lap time at 2’01.426”. FXR/Chaparral Honda’s Coty Schock was 14th-best.
• In the 450MX title chase, Roczen now sits second, a mere three points behind Dylan Ferrandis, while Sexton is tied for fourth with Adam Cianciarulo. Jett Lawrence extended his 250MX advantage over Justin Cooper to 11 points and retains the red plate, while Hunter Lawrence advanced to third.
• The top three overall finishers in each class, including Jett Lawrence, participated in a virtual post-race press conference Saturday evening via Zoom.
• The series will now take its second break of the season before returning in Buchanan, Michigan, with American motocross’ Independence Day tradition on July 3 for the RedBud National.

Media contact:

Kayla Mead // Jonnum Media // kayla@jonnummedia.com // +1 (760) 822-4786