Jett Lawrence continues to rule the game in the AMA Pro Motocross Championship, with an outstanding 14-straight moto wins to begin his 450 career. That’s ridiculous for anyone, let alone a rookie. The challenge is coming, though, as his Honda HRC teammate Chase Sexton was much better this weekend at the FXR Spring Creek National than he was at the first two races in his return to the series, at RedBud and Southwick. That should set up a nice battle over the final four rounds, as Jett looks to lock down the 450 title and even a potential perfect season, with Sexton determined to get a win.
The teammates talked about Spring Creek in the post-race press conference.
Round seven here at Spring Creek Raceway and Jett, same story—14-straight moto wins to start off the year, and an 81-point lead. So, tell us about what you thought of the track, it was a little different than last year's prep, and how your day went.
Jett Lawrence: Yeah, the track was, definitely a lot different from the previous years. I feel like it kind of favored a lot more of Chase’s kind of technique, that more muscle, bulldog kind of style. He just has a bit of extra strength, and he can push through a few more things than I can. I have to time it. But another good day, qualifying was good. Qualifying is always fun for me. The track is kind of the most best, you could say. And then, first moto Chase was, at the start [laughs] I didn’t have much for him! I just kind of like was just keeping it at my pace and I'm like, maybe we can flow a bit and keep him behind. And then second moto, I was looking forward to it, he got the start on me. We kind of went, not back and forth, but we were battling for those first few turns and that was fun and after we got through the rollers, it was kind of set like I was second. I'm like, all right, this one's gonna be a hard all-out battle through the whole time. So I was looking forward to it. He ended up just sliding it and losing traction in that one turn. I was able to capitalize on that and he ended up going down. So, I mean, I'm not, not mad about it. [Laughs] It made it a little bit easier on myself. [Laughs] I didn't have to go all the way to the end, but another good weekend. Looking forward to Washougal, got another first kind of race for me on a 450, so it's gonna be a fun one.
![Jett Lawrence]()
Jett Lawrence Align Media ![Jett Lawrence]()
Jett Lawrence Align Media
Chase obviously, you were right there a couple of times today and definitely in the wake of Jett and you got a good start in that second moto. So tell us how it went and then just a kind of a uncharacteristic tip over looks like the first time in at the end of the whoops, where actually you spun all the way around and almost fell down, then you saved it. And then, and then you did have a tip over later. So tell us how the race went, kind of assess your riding today and, and you feel like you're starting to come back into shape after missing so many rounds?
Chase Sexton: Yeah, for the second moto, the start was about perfect. It was a little bit of a drag race between Jett and I, and I got the lead and I just, yeah, I got on the gas a little bit too hard.
I was into that soft stuff and I kind of expected to get traction and…I did not get traction coming out. So I slid out and Jett got around me and then after the finish line, he made a big mistake. I thought he was almost going to crash, and then I ended up crashing two corners later. Just being behind him, the roost coming off the tire, I was wide open and could not see anything and just went right over the rut. So, was thankful that I didn't really crash that hard, I really just slid out. And from there, the race is pretty much over. So, the first moto, I had a really good charge. I fell three times today, which is not ideal, but I fell first lap and really put a good charge on it, got to the back of Jett and we went to battle. So, yeah, my riding is getting better, just a few mistakes. I'm not going to quit and I'm going to throw everything at it. So I'm looking forward to Washougal and the rest of these tracks. They’re kind of my style and I’m looking forward to some more battles.
Well, you mentioned that mistake that Jett made just after the finish line, that next tabletop, it looked like he clipped it a little bit, almost went off on the inside and then literally the left, the right and that's where you fell. It looked like after that mistake that you were gonna be right on him and battling for the pass, and then a corner later you were so close you couldn't see and then you buried the front.
Sexton: I just went over the rut and I was kind of on the rear fender just trying to get light a little bit and didn't have any weight on the front of the bike and just lost the front. So yeah, you live, and you learn.
Yeah, I mean, how is visibility when you're that close to the rear tire? That gets kind of tough.
Sexton: Yeah, I went through a lot of tear off the first moto, coming through the pack. Obviously had to pass a lot of guys and then got to the back of Jett and I ate a lot of dirt. So, went through a lot of tear offs today. I was looking forward to hopefully not to using a lot of tear offs in the second moto, and ended up going right back behind him. So yeah, just putting the pieces together is going to be the main thing, and I’m looking forward to the last four races.
Next week we go to Washougal, a high-speed track with a completely different style of dirt. Where does that rank for you?
Lawrence: Um, that’s a hard one, because racing it kind of sucks. If you get a good start, it’s sick. But if you get a bad start, my gosh. I haven’t raced it on a 450 yet, but I know on a 250 that roost really hurts. So, we’re definitely going to try to get the starts, because I don’t want to feel that 450 roost going up that next hill! Riding the track, I feel like it’s pretty up there in the rankings, but racing it, I feel like it’s pretty low. [Laughs]
Chase, Jett mentioned that he feels Washougal is kind of more of your style track. So, tell us about what your personal thoughts on that, and do you think that Jett has some truth to that?
Sexton: I just think the dirt, I feel really comfortable on that kind of soil. That's what I kind of grew up riding on, coming from the Midwest. I mean, the traction kind of goes away during the day but it starts off super grippy, and it's a really good flow track if you get a good start and you're able to get out clean. So that's kind of the plan. You got to get a start there and try to break away and just ride your lines because it's going to be a hard track to pass on. But yeah, it's, it's a track I look forward to. It's definitely probably in my top five as far as favorites. Honestly, the last, probably, four tracks are some of my favorite ones, so I think, yeah, Washougal is a good track. It definitely has got a lot different, good scenery and it's just a cool venue.
Spring Creek - 450
July 15, 2023| Rider | Hometown | Motos | Bike | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Jett Lawrence | Landsborough, Australia  | 1 - 1 | Honda CRF450R |
| 2 |  Chase Sexton | La Moille, IL  | 2 - 2 | Honda CRF450R |
| 3 |  Dylan Ferrandis | Avignon, France  | 5 - 3 | Yamaha YZ450F |
| 4 |  Aaron Plessinger | Hamilton, OH | 4 - 4 | KTM 450 SX-F |
| 5 |  Adam Cianciarulo | Port Orange, FL | 7 - 5 | Kawasaki KX450SR |
Jett, I think you said in the podium after moto one you were going to make some changes, maybe get better for the second moto. Do you feel it worked? Do you feel you were better in moto two?
Lawrence: Yeah, we ended up just going with a tire change, and on the track it was really good. I felt like on the start I lost just that little bit because you ran a paddle, right? [Lawrence asks Sexton to confirm he ran a paddle]. Yeah, Chase, ran a paddle and you could just see on just those few spots where he just got that extra bit on that straight, like on the start. Things were pretty even but then, that—this extra bit where he just was able to get that extra wheel. So, just tire, and then Dazzy [Dad, Darren] told me to let go of the brakes earlier, that's why the suspension wasn't working as good.
That's all you changed?
[Laughs] Yeah, really.
And it worked it?
I definitely felt a lot better that second one than the first one. I felt like I had some better lines in that second one. So I think that helped also.
For Chase, we’re kind of tracking your comeback here. You actually told me you felt better after Southwick than RedBud, even though Southwick is rougher just because physically you’re getting back into racing. Do you feel you were better today and you’re still progressing?
Sexton: Yeah, definitely. I thought I had a lot to give that second moto and it ended up getting cut short because after I fell, I was pretty much in no man’s land. But I definitely feel a lot better as far as physical condition and my riding. That was the most aggressive I’ve been all year, that first moto and even in the beginning of the second moto. So, yeah, I think things are trending in the right direction. I ran the scoop tire in the second moto and the start. I was like, laughing going on the straightaway, it was like midway down, I just went by like—because I think [Aaron] Plessinger was right on the inside of us and we were all kind of even and then I hit the dirt and I kind of just rocketed out. But that probably wasn’t the greatest when I slid out there, and before the sand rollers! But yeah, we made a bike change for second moto as well with the shock. Just trying to find some little things, but I think I was better for the first moto, but overall, like I said, my physical is way better and I think I’m recovering a lot better as the season goes on, which is a good thing. So, looking forward to, like I said, these last few rounds and just overall getting better and better.
In the first moto, you went down, I think the first lap. What happened there real quick?
Sexton: I scrubbed that single and I caught the top of it with my front and I went the opposite way, and there were ruts down there. So I just cross-rutted when I landed. I got up, I'm like, “Not again, this is gonna be a lot of work and I think I'm gonna be able to get to the front.” So yeah, like I said, we, we fell a few times today. We've got a few dirt samples on the track and every kind of dirt. [Laughs] I was in the dirt and I was in the sand. So, yeah, we'll work on that for next weekend.
Did you actually surprise yourself a little bit? I mean, you go down the first lap of a race, the chances you’re gonna see the leader again, that doesn’t always happen. Were you surprised you were able to get back up there that quickly?
Sexton: I mean, I wasn't so much surprised. I just felt really good and I felt like I was being just more aggressive and that was really the key for me. I feel like I've been so flat the first few races coming back and not a lot of push. So, I feel like I was able to push and I was kind of just mad, honestly. I was just like, “I really don't care what happens, I'm going to the front.” So, that was kind of my mindset today.
