Jett Lawrence has claimed the 2023 AMA 450cc season championship with wins in both motos at the ninth round of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship at Unadilla in New Berlin.
Lawrence now has a perfect 450 points with two rounds remaining.
“This is unreal. I never even dreamed of this because we never thought it was possible to be in this position and be where we are today. Even with the undefeated season, it’s unbelievable with all the hard times we’ve faced [as a family].
“I’ve done my best to keep it together and stay focused on the task at hand, but when I crossed the finish line, I was finally able to let it all out. Honda took a risk on us [with brother Hunter] after 2020 and I’m grateful for that, and I’m glad I was able to return the favour.”
Lawrence was fastest in qualifying with a 2:09.109. The Australian was over a second faster than second place qualifier Chase Sexton.
Lawrence got the hole shots in both motos and never trailed
Chase Sexton gave Lawrence the only serious challenge of the day.
In the first moto, Sexton closed to within a second and a half of Lawrence in the late stages of the race but went down with three laps to go. Ferrandis finished second, and Sexton finished third.
In Moto #2 Lawrence dominates the field and tallied an almost ten second victory over Sexton. Ferrandis finished third.
In the second moto, Australian Jay Wilson finished 15th. He finished 23rd in the first moto.
Earlier in the week, Monster Energy Yamaha announced that the 29-year-old Palm Beach, Australia native would fill in for an injured Eli Tomac for the remaining three rounds of the Pro Motocross Championship.
The moto wins were Lawrence’s seventeenth and eighteenth straight wins and ninth straight round win.
Along with giving Lawrence the season championship, the moto victories break a fifth-place tie with Ryan Villopoto for consecutive round wins.
Like his younger brother, Hunter Lawrence was fastest in 250cc qualifying with a 2:13.018.
“Today was good, but it’s more about my brother [winning the championship]. I’m so proud of him. We were never meant to be here, but we trusted the process and it’s amazing to be in the position we’re in,” said Hunter.
Lawrence claimed the round win with second place finishes in Moto#1 and #2.
Levi Kitchen was victorious in the first moto race, while Jason Cooper took the chequered flag in the second moto.
Haide Deegan, second in 250cc class points coming in to the round, retired from the first moto with bike trouble.
Deegan finished tenth in the second moto and finished with a seventeenth place round finish.
Lawrence now holds a 22-point lead over Jason Cooper in the 250cc class.
The series heads to Budds Creek Motocross Park in Mechanicsville, VA on 19 August.
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