Saturday Night Live: High Point

The best part about the day for the Lawrence brothers had already happened by 11:30 a.m. local time. Well, that was until the gates dropped on the motos!

It was Seth Hammaker who struck first when the first 250 Class moto exited turn one. In his first professional race at the venue, the Keystone State native pulled the holeshot and clicked off a handful of laps out front. Hammaker was running solid, but he was caught and passed by Michael Mosiman. Mosiman had a solid start and was running strong, but he coughed up the lead by tipping over in a turn in the finish line turn, and second-place Hunter Lawrence inherited the lead. Mosiman had caught and passed Hunter, and it appears he might be set to take off for his second career moto win. But then the mistake cost him. Hunter got into the lead and did not look back, taking his second consecutive moto win in a row as Jett finished second. Hunter broke out at this track in 2019 and earned his first ever U.S. AMA Motocross moto win at this circuit that day, and obviously, he has come a long way since then. In his breakout day here in ‘19 Hunter finished 1-3 for second overall. Today he wanted more, and it appeared he might pull off his second career 1-1 Pro Motocross day.

The gate dropped on the second moto, and it was Hammaker once again making moves and exiting turn one first! Unfortunately for Hammaker, he lost the lead when he tipped over in the long, rutted section in the shade on the far side of the track that sent riders towards what used to be the old Bradshaw Boulevard section on top of the hill. Hammaker dropped to the back of the top ten, although he would eventually finish sixth, going 4-6 for sixth overall. Despite the mistake, otherwise the #47 rode solid en route to a new career best overall finish.

“This race was much better but a few mistakes really did cost me,” said Hammaker. “Getting both holeshots was awesome. I’m happy with the progress and we get some time to continue to make improvements. The crowd was so awesome this weekend and it really does help you push through - especially when I went down.”

Out front in moto two, Hunter led as Jett positioned himself into second. Suddenly, Jett’s championship foe from 2021, Justin Cooper, appeared ready for battle. The two traded positions back and forth a handful of times, and their constant pushing allowed them to catch up to Hunter out front. The #96 was about a second ahead of the Jettson vs J-Coop battle, but the #1 eventually dropped the hammer, leaving Cooper in the dust as it became a the battle everyone wanted to see: brother vs brother. These one on one brother battles do not come often. We have seen the Martins–Alex and Jeremy–battling  for moto and overall wins a couple of times, and while Jett and Hunter have both been near the front of the pack this year each race, this was our first big battle between the two. Jett came out on top–just barely, 0.553 seconds–for the moto and the overall. 

“I didn’t realize it was that close,” Jett said on their finish. “…It’s cool cause you like having that race that is just the whole time 100 percent and having that guy push you. It was fun.”

“It was a coin toss in that last one, it was so close,” Hunter said in the post-race press conference.

“With us, we know that we don’t want to let each other pass, but we do it in a respectful way where we’re never going to come off the going, ‘Why the hell did you do this?!’ or getting into a fist fight,” Jett said. “…We just like having fun racing, being close.”

Their battle opened up a gap on Cooper by over 35 seconds at the checkered flag. On a day when Hunter landed a big contract, when the gate dropped, the Lawrence brothers proved they are the future of the sport—and Honda HRC—and are not going anywhere soon. They finished first and second overall for the fourth time this season! And something even crazier, of the eight motos raced so far in the 250 class, hunter and jett have finished 1-2 six times. SIX times they have taken both first and second place. You may say they are “overhyped” or “overrated” but this duo deserves to be talked about: their results on the track speak for themselves.

Through the first four rounds, Jett has claimed all four overall wins and Hunter has taken second overall three of the four times. Jett leaves Pennsylvania with a 12-point advantage over his brother, and a 49-point gap over third place Jo Shimoda.

Shimoda’s solid starts and laps allowed the Japanese rider to claim the final spot on the overall podium. The Kawasaki rider finished third in the first moto and was passed late in moto two by his teammate Hammaker and Mosiman, and he was dealing with a sickness (as a lot of the paddock is) so he was excited about a podium finish after a long day.

“Having a good start is a big thing to me,” Shimoda said. “I think it helped me get to here [podium].”

Mosiman’s 5-4 was frustrating for the California native, as he had the speed to be a podium threat but fell both motos in the same exact spot, in the left-hander before the finish line.

“First moto, got off to a decent start, I was like fifth or so and just started making moves through the pack, and honestly, I can’t wait to watch it back cause I was going pretty good,” Mosiman said afterwards with a laugh. “Proud of the team, proud of the bike. Made a mistake right around halfway and was really struggling a little bit with my line selection. Just really need to stay engaged. When you get out front, it’s so easy to let the mind wander. In this day and age, it’s hard to hold attention for 30 seconds, let alone 30 plus minutes. It’s not easy but we’re gonna learn and grow from it.”

“Didn’t make a whole lot of great passes early on and started laying down good laps, started getting faster, faster and then I had another little tip over in the same exact corner,” Mosiman continued about moto two. “So that was frustrating. Then I mounted another charge and managed to pass Hammaker and Shimoda and found some really good lines. Can’t argue with the speed, can’t argue with the fitness, can’t argue with the bike setup, can’t argue with a whole lot, but it’s tough when I feel like I could have won, potentially, the last three races and between bike issues and Mike issues, it’s been tough. So we’re gonna keep it moving though cause we have too many positives to focus on the negatives. So that’s it. mic drop.”

Cooper did not ride bad himself, however, he was unable to move forward in either moto. He started and finished eight in moto one, then started and finished third in moto two. After battling with Jett, he was dropped by the Honda HRC duo in the later stages of the race. The #32 currently sits fourth in the standings, four points behind Shimoda.

Another rider worth mentioning: Max Vohland. The Red Bull KTM rider was outside the top ten early, but was riding well and charging hard both motos. His line choice down the tricky staircase rollers was good and he was picking off rider after rider lap after lap. He went down in the first turn of moto two and his 6-9 race finishes do not stand out on paper but by the time he came around and completed one full lap, Vohland had made his way to 20th place. He told our Tom Journet afterwards everything was clicking for him.

“Today went pretty well,” Vohland said. “ I went 6-9 for eighth. Definitely doesn’t show how good my riding was today—I feel like my riding was on point. Bike setup, we changed some stuff before the first moto. I feel like we hit it out of the ballpark, hit it spot on. I felt comfortable, I could charge, had great lines all day. Just need to work on my starts. Being down in the first turn does not help you when you’re riding good. [Laughs] So I had to pass a lot of dudes that second moto to get up to ninth and getting a lot of lappers when you’re back there, too.” 

“I would say I was back to how I feel like I am able to ride, feel like I am able to do what I want to do. I really was just feeling good. I don’t know what it was, if it was the track or just the weather being nice. It just really clicked today. and that’s always a relief. So I feel we made a good, big step today and now I’m in a solid spot and I’m comfortable with the bike, I don’t feel like I have to go chase it now and really just been building every week. And I’ve just continued to get that build but I feel like the step we made today was great.”

After his maiden moto win last weekend, eyes were on Levi Kitchen to see if he could back it up. He started inside the top five and on a rough and rutted track that might work well with his riding style and skillset, he went down on the second lap and came around dead last without a visor. He charged all moto, fighting through the field. Second moto he was buried of the start. His 15-12 finishes were not ideal. 

RJ Hampshire made his return to racing after suffering an injury at the Hangtown Motocross Classic. Hampshire gave it his all but he was still not at full go and being rather banged up was tough on the brutal, broken down course.

“Today was a tough day but we battled through it,” Hampshire said. “Did what we could, showed up and gave it all I had today. That was probably the hardest 7-7 I’ve ever had in my life. I’m glad we showed up and went racing today, though. We’ll have a good weekend off now and we’re headed to my favorite track. I’m looking forward to RedBud.”

In the 450 Class, it was all Chase Sexton in the first moto. The Honda HRC rider got out to the lead and was untouched for the entire moto, leading all 17 laps to take his third moto win of the 2022 season. Behind him, Kawasaki teammates Joey Savatgy and Jason Anderson were split by Justin Barcia. Anderson got around the #51 and the teammates began fighting over second place as Christian Craig, Eli Tomac, Antionio Cairoli, Aaron Plessinger, Benny Bloss, and privateer Vincent Luhovey rounded the top ten. Ken Roczen and Ryan Dungey were outside of the top ten, but managed to break into the action. A three-way KTM freight train was rolling single file as Dungey, Cairoli, and Plessinger were trailing Roczen. Cairoli’s day was over when a pass attempt on Craig at the first-turn wall section went wrong. The #222 went to the inside of Craig but went down, twisting both the front of his KTM and his left knee. His moto was over, and unfortunately, the knee would take him out of moto two early as well. His 40-39 overall officially gave him 40th place in what might possibly be his last showing in AMA Motocross this summer.

Back to the action out front. Sexton clicked off lap after lap and avoided that last-minute mistake that cost him in Colorado. He claimed the race win by over ten seconds of Tomac, who managed to get to second around the halfway mark. Tomac was riding well, but by the time he moved into second, Sexton had too much of a gap to overcome without a mistake from the leader. Anderson held on for third, as a train of Barcia, Savatgy, Dungey, and Roczen came through the finish line in fourth through seventh–separated by under four seconds. 

Come moto two, Dungey and Roczen got much better starts and hoped to capitalize. Sexton was right behind his teammate but the front two were riding solid. Roczen, know for his first lap speed and line choice, was being bested by Dungey! Six years out of Pro Motocross and Dungey was managing to lead the top of the sport. It was unreal! Roczen took the lead and Sexton moved into second, as Tomac took third from Dungey. After five laps, Sexton jumped around Roczen to take the lead. As Hunter Lawrence was early in the 250 Class, it appeared Sexton might gap the field and go 1-1. But suddenly,  through the #3 Yamaha machine went from third to first! Tomac and Sexton swapped positions as Roczen remained in second. Dungey moved into third, not only eyeing a moto podium finish, but he was on par for the overall podium! The #5 was still in the thick of the battle as if it was 2015! Things changed when Plessinger’s right leg was ripped off the pegs by a rut and he began rolling around the track. This gave up fifth to Anderson. It was a bummer to see Plessinger holding his right knee/lower leg in pain, but the #21 moving up a spot would bump Dungey off the overall podium unless the KTM rider could pass Sexton to take over second. Tomac was too far gone for the #23 and the #23 was too far gone for Dungey. However, a moto podium was still in place–until a last-lap push from Roczen allowed the #94 to take third in the race.

Tomac claimed his third moto win of the season, as he and Sexton tied for the overall swapping firsts and seconds. But Tomac’s better finish in moto two officially gave him the win. Tomac’s ability to simply twist the throttle and his endurance over long motos was on full display in his maiden overall win with the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team. The #3 became the fourth different overall winner in the first four rounds. 

“Moto one, to be honest I was kinda caught off by quite a few lines,” Tomac said. “I was missing some lines in the far side of the track. I was missing an outside rut. …I felt like I was kinda fighting the ruts in moto one. Then moto two, I felt like I had the better lines on the track, and I was able to make things work and make the lines just feel right. Just had good riding in moto two. That was nice for us to finally come forward with the win.”

The 2022 450SX Champion’s 7-4 at the Pro Motocross opener led to some bike setup changes that left him more comfortable at the second round, as he clicked off the moto win at the Hangtown Motocross Classic. He said after the racing Saturday he has been satisfied with the setup since that second round and looks to build going forward. 

“I feel like we have been in a good spot since Hangtown,” Tomac said. “Since then I feel like have been able to do our normal thing. Not really searching for a whole lot right now. definitely in a good place.”

Tomac earned his 28th career 450 Class Pro Motocross overall win and moves into second place in the standings.

Sexton was perfect in the first race, but was overcome by an unstoppable ET3 in moto two. The Honda HRC rider continues to lead the points after round four. 

“First moto, I had the luxury of being able to ride my own lines,” Sexton said. “It felt like a practice moto for me. So that was obviously really good. And when you’re out front on a track like this, you’re able to be a little more creative and are able take your time on places that are rough and charge in spots that are not.”

“Second moto, didn’t really ride that great, I didn’t feel like,” he said. “Especially in the beginning, I was just kinda bulldogging it a little bit and not riding super smooth. That was a little bit difficult. Then I made a mistake by Kenny and he got me back and then Eli got me. I got sucked up. Then actually, I think Dunge almost got me, too. So I kinda had to kick it in gear there. Got Kenny, then Eli was pretty far ahead at that point so I just kinda tried to ride as hard as I could, but obviously it wasn’t enough to win. it was a good day for me. Obviously, first moto was a dream moto and then second moto was a good fight. Looking forward to going to the week off then my home race at RedBud.”

The #21 rode well throughout the day, taking the fastest qualifying spot, getting good starts, and pushing late in the motos. A tip over gave up a position to Tomac in moto one–which he fought back for–but otherwise the day was solid. 

“Three-five on the day, it’s not bad,” Anderson said. “Podiums nice but riding wise it was a little bit frustrating. But that’s how it is.”

“It was honestly kind of tough in that second moto for me,” he added. “Just trying to find my flow and everything like that. All in all, I tried my hardest and that’s all I could ask for. We’ll live to fight another day and try and problem solve this week and see how it ends up. …Back to the drawing board.”

Despite missing out on the podium, Dungey was pleased with his day. Bike changes translating to race day, plus good starts and fast pace resulted in a positive day for the veteran.

“I was really happy with the day, for sure,” he said. “Starting off in practice we were a little bit closer in times with the front guys, which was encouraging. First moto, got a terrible start. But the cool thing was I was able to work my way through the pack and times looked really good and the speed was good. So if I could clean up my start for the second moto—which I was able to, I got the holeshot and just run some clean laps.”

“Started off a little flat, those guys got some intensity you know, between Kenny and Chase and Eli and Jason they came around me in a hurry,” Dungey said on moto two. “So I was like, ‘Man, I gott pick up the pace!’ I settled into a good grove. Kinda hung right there with them. Eli broke away a little bit. And got passed by Kenny the last lap too, with a few corners to go. But overall, really positive. The one thing is we made progress with the bike this week which was really nice, and it translated to the race weekend. We’ve got a weekend off and get ready for RedBud.”

Roczen said afterwards he was not able to find a flow early but wanted to still push late in both motos. It paid off when he got Dungey in moto two for the final podium spot.

“Yeah, it was tough for me today. …With the way the track developed, I had a tough time today. What definitely didn’t help me was I got a really horrible start. And with a track like this, with how rutty it gets, how rough it gets, and a lot of these off cambers and whatnot, it was tough to get into a good flow. Me and Dunge were battling the whole way, which was super gnarly and super fun. I just wasn’t able to move forward and didn’t ride as loose as I wanted to. So every time I came up on some faster riders it was tough for me to make something and make a pass.”

“I grabbed a much better start in the second one. And was leading for a little bit. …

“I know we lost a bunch today, but I’m not gonna let that get me down, “Roczen added. “We’re going into an off weekend, and I’m gonna work hard, but have a little bit of a mixture and try to make the off weekend feel like an off weekend. I’m excited for the off weekend and we’re gonna continue working and hopefully get some points back at some point.”

An injury kept Savatgy out of the opener but his results have steadily improved since. The #17 Kawaskai positioned at the front of the field helped him get some clean air for the first time this season.

“It was definitely good improvements,” Savatgy said on his day. “First moto, great start. Tightened up a little, didn’t ride the best but we had a great start, so the result was good. Second moto, didn’t get the best start but felt good. made a late charge there at the end to try and get something with Christian and unfortunately, kind of made a stupid mistake and Barcia got around me on the second to last corner. But overall wise, seventh, a step in the right direction. We’ll go back to California and go back to work.”

“I do know what I’m missing: a lot of seat time and that little bit of speed,” he continued. “But it was nice to be up there. Didn’t ride the greatest but the advantages of getting a good start is you don’t have to ride perfect. If you get away in clean air you can afford to maybe make mistakes here or there. Would have loved a good start in the second moto. …But all in all, we can’t be too bummed.”

Plessinger looked more comfortable on the East Coast rutted course, but the ankle injury slowed his pace in moto two, finishing 15th (9-15 for 13th overall).

“The bike was feeling good in practice and I made some changes going into Moto 1 that didn’t really benefit me," Plessinger said. "I rode really tight in the first one and salvaged ninth. Second moto, I was feeling really good – ready to rumble – and I got a good start and was running really good laps, but I ended up twisting my ankle pretty bad with two laps to go. I’m pumped on the way I was riding all day, it’s unfortunate that that had to happen at the end but we’ll focus on RedBud and try to get up there on the podium.”

The Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship will have a weekend off before returning on July 2 for the RedBud National.