Slaw
Another week, another Lawrence brother showdown. And for the second straight round, the red plate has changed hands.
Through six rounds of the Pro Motocross Championship, Hunter and Jett Lawrence have been nearly inseparable. Entering Spring Creek, each had three overall wins, with Jett holding a slim one-point advantage in the championship.
At the Spring Creek National on Saturday, round 7 of the championship, moto 1 belonged to Hunter. He was untouchable, pulling away for a commanding 16-second victory over his younger brother and looking poised to leave Millville with the red plate.
But Jett responded in moto 2, digging into his bag of tricks to open a gap on Hunter and take control of the race. Just as it looked like he was on his way to salvaging the overall, another costly mistake changed everything.
Jett crashed while leading, handing Hunter the moto win, the overall victory, and the championship lead after Jett finished fifth in the moto.
“I actually didn’t know that he crashed, I was like, ‘Damn, he’s on one.’ Like he was up there inching away and then all of a sudden, I couldn’t see him like, ‘Damn.’ My lap wasn’t great that lap, I had some lappers and I was like, ‘Far out, he’s on another level this moto.’ It wasn’t until I got back to the tent that, I had no idea he had crashed,” Hunter said post-race.
“Rough day in the office for sure,” said Jett. “We spoke about it with my dad after and the team. I think it’s like throughout the day I’m building more and more because I’m not riding much during the week. I’m trying to save my ankle as much as I can. I think after a little bit it was okay, but now it’s starting to like just when we’re changing settings, I’m just not knowing the bike as well. And then when I get to the race weekend, the first qualifying, you’re obviously trying to send it on a track that you haven’t really rode since the previous year. So, you’re trying to ride yourself in, but also get a good lap in. I was not thinking of the soil and in the first one that just kind of really I leaned over to kind of go across to jump to the inside rut and I wasn’t looking really I didn’t look that well at the rut. I was looking up ahead, you know, and yeah, just it was all slop and just slowed my momentum down and washed the front and I gave my head a good whack, you know. I whacked the front of my head pretty good and tweaked my neck pretty bad. The second one was just a weird one.. It was a lot of hard base into sand and when I landed the rear went in, then the front kind of hit bottom. So, we’re able to pick up on it and make an adjustment for the uh first moto. Um, and then yeah, obviously that last one was a was a bummer, man.
“I was feeling good. I had the first one, I just didn’t quite have it for HJ and I tried picking the smarter line, ‘You know what? He can have this one.’ And I had to change a few things on the suspension side of things and then it felt better for the second one. I’m like, ‘You know what? I feel good. I feel like Superman.’ And Hunter’s in front of me. I’m like, ‘No, you’re not getting it this time.’ And I was able to pass them, I felt good,” he continued. “I had good lines and just went through that section and I’ve been struggling with the bike. And I think it’s that new style I’ve created almost with my foot and kind of being a little forward and most of my weight’s there instead of just my head. And I think it just put that little bit too much weight and it pressured the front into that soft stuff and it was enough just to kind of carve it and then flipped me over and I was okay. I got very lucky out of that thankfully. And then yeah, I look like I got hit by a shotgun because of the bike got me and got the back of my knee and it collapsed me. So not ideal. It was a bummer, but I’m thankful I’m okay after a rough weekend.”
“I think it comes down to such a small thing that makes such a big difference,” Hunter said. “Like first moto went my way, can’t argue the momentum wasn’t going my way. And same with the second moto, it went his way. Last weekend felt like it was going my way and then I went down, same thing with him. It’s been just kind of back and forth, I think. We are at a very similar level and that level is so high so it’s just kind of, ‘Which brother is it going to be this weekend?’ I guess.”
While the win gives Hunter a 10-point lead–his largest of the season–heading into Washougal, Jett isn’t concerned about points just yet.
“I’m not worried about the points,” Jett said. “I was six back or three back at Southwick and then I left with red plat and obviously I lost it again. So, it’ll take its toll and whatever happens happens, you know? I mean, I’m either going to win it or I’m not. It’s pretty simple. I’m going to try my best to win the races and get the points back, but HJ’s riding really well and smart. So, yeah, we’ll see. I’ll either be a red number one plate or not.”
Photos: octopi.media
