With the final round of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross wrapping up this past weekend at Fox Raceway 2, Hunter Lawrence was hoping to regain second overall in the championship. He closed the gap the first moto with a gutsy move over Jo Shimoda that ultimately left his competition on the ground. However, a bad start from Lawrence in the second moto, and a moto win from Shimoda, left Hunter with third overall. Still, a greatly improved season for the Honda HRC rider, who is trying to take the positives and build toward 2023.
Racer X: Alright, Hunter, up and down day obviously. Let’s talk about the heat a little bit. Everybody talked about it coming into the week, but how was it actually when you raced?
Hunter Lawrence: It’s hot dude, it's hot. I think what really kind of adds to it is this track, it never seems to have a nice flow and it's super physical so that on top just makes it tougher, and it's just like an oven. It's just like you’re cooking, you’re breathing, it's hot, it's pretty gnarly.
How hard was it to set up for the track today because it was super deep in the morning and then it got kind of hard and notchy at the end.
Yeah, it was hard, I knew I needed to have good starts, so I was on a paddle tire, scoop tire, and the second moto I sucked off the start. And then it was really like concrete, so it was tough, it was tough. In the morning they ripped it, man I don’t think I am exaggerating when I say like four feet. That’s an accurate measurement. So yeah, it was a tough one for sure.
Obviously like you said, the starts were the trouble point today, but speed-wise you seemed like you had it all day long. Were you pretty satisfied with that?
For sure when I look back at my season it's the second moto start I can’t… when Jett [Lawrence] and Jo [Shimoda] are out front and I am tenth, twelfth, it's hard to bridge that gap all of the time. So, I am not happy with the season but satisfied. It's a steppingstone, it's building, it's definitely better than last year. We were on the box way more and it's building in the right way where we want to be for sure.
Well like you said supercross was really good, outdoors ended up being pretty good as well. Do you look at this year as taking the positives and building toward next year?
For sure, like where I was last year, starting last year, how I finished outdoors last year, where my body was and stuff, there’s a lot of positives to take. Obviously, the racer in me is frustrated and bummed with how it went today. But overall, this season we had some good races, we had some unfortunate mechanicals and then on my behalf the crashes at Southwick and Budds Creek, I personally think are the ones I really cocked up. So just need to improve on that for next year.
Today we had a little bit of a mini MX2 MXoN preview because you had to get around Marv [Musquin] and Coop [Justin Cooper] and then eventually Jo [Shimoda]. What was it like trying to battle through those guys today?
It’s good, it was funny behind Marv, he kind of went off the track when I was behind him, and I got him there. I said to him on the start line (for the second moto), 'Hey, thanks bud.' I don’t think there will be any of that in a few weeks’ time. You got to like, mean-mug them a little, let them know what’s coming at RedBud you know. Team Australia, we gotta go full send there.
And then obviously the last time you were at RedBud and raced in the MX2 class (2018) it went pretty well for you. So, I am assuming same vibes for you coming up right?
I mean anytime, it's funny because now everyone else is finished so it's kind of a slug to keep training. But the week of, and while you are there, you’re like, 'this is awesome.' You know you’ve got your country colors on, and the vibe is awesome. We are looking forward to it.
I know you guys are Australian but is it kind of cool to have it at RedBud because Amercia is like your second home now, is it cool to go to a place that you are familiar with?
Yeah, it’s cool but I probably would have rather gone back to Europe. I haven’t been back in a while, it's a good excuse to go. I love going over there, see Cynthia’s family, my mate Jeremy.
Alright well we’ll see you at RedBud congrats on the great year.
Thank you.
