Pressure Void
As expected, Jett Lawrence wrapped up the AMA Pro Motocross 450 Class Championship last week at Unadilla. He also kept his perfect streak alive too by withstanding some pretty heavy pressure from Chase Sexton at one point. You’ve got to wonder how much he was balancing not doing anything to damage his championship, and the perfect season, but at Budds Creek, that won’t be an issue. Will Jett Lawrence ride exactly the same without the pressure of a title, or will he have even more in the tank this weekend at Budds Creek? -Aaron Hansel
![Jett Lawrence]()
Jett Lawrence Align Media ![Jett Lawrence and Chase Sexton]()
Jett Lawrence and Chase Sexton Align Media
Keep it Moving
Unadilla proved to be a rough one for Justin Barcia, who was racing for the first time since breaking his collarbone in Nashville. The Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GasGas rider was involved in a first turn crash that ultimately resulted in Barcia having no clutch, and he ended up 40th. He was 14th in the second moto, which delivered him 19th overall, and showed just how difficult it is to jump back into a series after not racing for months. Expect more from Barcia at Budds Creek. -Hansel
Foreign Flavor
Unless you stay up on Finnish-born Estonian motocross racers (and really, who doesn’t?), you might not know who Harri Kullas is. But if you follow international motocross, you’re definitely aware of Kullas. He’s been in a ton of MXoN’s, he’s raced in different series’ all over Europe, and last weekend he jumped into AMA Pro Motocross at Unadilla, where he turned in excellent 7-7 moto scores for sixth overall. That’s impressive! Was it a fluke, or will Kullas be in the mix yet again this weekend? -Hansel
Always Building
The summer hasn’t been all roses for former champ Dylan Ferrandis, who’s had his struggles with getting his bike set up the way he likes it. But he was noticeably better at Unadilla, where he went 2-3 for third overall. His charge late in the first moto was especially impressive, and afterward, he said he’d made a lot of progress with the bike during the break. Ferrandis was stiflingly dominant just a couple years ago, and if he’s getting close to regaining that form, things could get interesting this Saturday afternoon! -Hansel
Championship Deflation
Haiden Deegan, who went into Unadilla just three points out of the 250 Class championship lead, saw his championship hopes get all but deflated when his bike broke in the first moto. That handed a horrible gate pick for the second moto, and Deegan struggled for the rest of the day, eventually going 38-10 for 17th. It was the worst day of Deegan’s summer, and he now trails Hunter Lawrence by 36 points with just four motos remaining. He’s far from out of this thing, but it’s going to be hard to make that many points up in such a short period of time. We’ll see if Deegan can claw his way back into this thing again at Budds Creek. -Hansel
Mr. Podium
Justin Cooper, who took fifth in the first moto while trying out a new electronic steering assist/stabilizer unit, ditched the tech for the second moto and had one of the best rides of his season to take his third moto win of the summer. He now sits 22 points back of Hunter Lawrence, which means he’s going to need Lawrence to have an off moto or two at the final two races, but going 1-1 at Budds Creek would be a good start for Cooper. -Hansel
Shimoda vs. Deegan
Shimoda had a great day at Unadilla, going 3-3 for fourth overall, while Deegan, as mentioned above, suffered a mechanical failure in moto one and struggled in moto two. The result? Shimoda, now third in points, is a single point ahead of Deegan heading into Budds Creek. Who will hold the advantage when the dust settles on Saturday? -Hansel
Local Talent
With all of the foreigners joining the series this summer the local boys are trying to swing things their way at Budds Creek. Justin Rodbell, Cody Groves, Max Sanford, and Tyler Stepek are all Maryland natives. You can bet they have ridden thousands of laps around the Budds Creek track and probably know of a few lines that only the locals use. Will these local boys score their best motos of the season this weekend? -Sarah Whitmore
Read: Getting to Know Maryland Pro Motocross Privateer Tyler Stepek
The Chase Is On
There are only four motos left this outdoor season. Only four motos for Chase Sexton to stop Jett Lawrence from having an undefeated season. He was the closest he has been all season at Unadilla after some bike changes made during the break. Will he be able to end the streak at Budds Creek? -Whitmore
The Race (For SMX) Is On
With the season winding to a close, the opportunity to score points for the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) is also winding down. Right now, Jose Butron sits in 22nd, only 15 points back from Josh Hill in 20th in 450 overall points. Since the top 20 automatically make it to the mains every weekend and 21-30 have to race the LCQ, 20th place could mean a guaranteed payday for the Spaniard. He will have to do a little better than his 17-19 moto scores at Unadilla, but another ride like he had at Southwick where he got sixth overall should do the trick. -Whitmore
