Jett and Hunter Lawrence became the latest in a long legacy of stars to head to the Paris Supercross and show the French fans what they’ve become, and the brothers didn’t fail to put on a show. Jett Lawrence went 1-1-1 on Saturday and then overcame bad starts on Sunday to win the King of Paris honors. Hunter, in his first-ever 450 race, was also quite fast, but there was some fun action and battles between the brothers throughout the weekend.
On Saturday, Jett pulled a last-turn pass on Hunter to steal a win. On Sunday, Hunter led Jett into the last turn again, but this time Hunter slammed on the brakes to block his brother and stop it from happening for a second time. Then, in the final race of the weekend, Jett was putting pressure on Hunter in the whoops, got kicked, and bumped into his brother, knocking him down. Drama! In the end, it wasn’t a big deal because the boys ended up first and second overall, anyway.
Steve Matthes caught up with Jett and Hunter after the race. Not surprisingly, they had a good time and there were no hard feelings despite the close racing.
Hunter Lawrence
Racer X: Hunter Lawrence, Paris. Hey, you provided some real highlights this weekend with a win, first of all, which was great. The crash on the whoops, that could have been nasty if that inflatable Tuff Block wasn't there. And then of course your brother doing what he did. So you had a really eventful weekend. Let's start with your brother doing what he did. I mean, were you seriously mad or was that like whatever, you idiot, you just went too hard.
Hunter Lawrence: No, I wasn't mad because it's in the race situation you don't have time to do be mad. So get up, whatever, you know, get up, get back in, try to get my breathing under control and get going. It's tough whenever you crash, pick the bike up on an up slope, it takes a lot of energy. After [the race], was pissed at himself because he said he got kicked out of the whoops and kind of [messed] up. So, he said that's what happened. I haven't seen it yet, but that's what happened. We're good enough to know that we're not gonna lie to each other, you know? So, yeah, it is what it is, whatever. I'm sure he'll be on the the short end of the stick sometimes somewhere in the future. That's racing.
The crash in the whoops, you're on the left. Was it [Jordi] Tixier? Did Tixier being down cause that or did something else? Like it was take us through that a little bit.
Yeah. Honestly, like I saw he was down and before I made the decision to either go left or right, it [the crash] had already had started. So it was like before I even made the decision to commit to go, it already kind of somewhat started. And you know, [on this bike] we've had one week of media stuff and then one week of testing and then one week of laps. So we're still figuring things out. We're still adapting. It's a lot of motorcycle to handle out there. So there's things we're figuring out improving on and stuff and, yeah it caught me and, thankfully, it wasn't too serious. I even crossed over onto the freestyle mesh! Then I picked it up to go and then some dude was dragging the Tuff Block back in front of me and like walked back in front of me as I was going to turn around and I crashed again. [Laughs] Mirtl [agent, Lucas] was there to save the day and help pick the bike up. So I'm glad no one protested that because, you know, when you have a big crash like that, you're a little flustered and then you fall again. You're just like, oh, can I just get back in the race?
Look, you're, you're an older rookie in the 450 class. So it's not like you're a kid, but Ken Roczen and Cooper Webb, your brother who just went 22-0… on a 450, did getting the win surprise you or did you like come in and think, yeah, I can definitely win? We all knew you'd be in the mix, but I think I was a little surprised with how good you were right away.
Easy on the older guy. I'm only 24!
But like, you raced the world championship. I just feel like you're an experienced, seasoned rider. You're not a kid.
No, I'm not a kid. I'm not a kid.
I mean, first time out, you know, you're beating your brother who just went 22 to 0 and you're beating Ken Roczen at Cooper Webb. I mean, you know, like pretty much Webb rode okay, but you had him [covered] all weekend and this is where you're at, you know, as a first time for, for the 450
Yeah, it's cool, you know, it's still early, man, still early. Doesn't mean the world, but I'm happy where the speed's at already for now, for like I said, just under three weeks on the bike and adapting to the motorcycle, building strength still and figuring it all out. You know, there's a lot of things that are completely different to riding a 250. So it's good, man. I'm happy. Yeah, got one over Jettson and yeah, not doing that move on me again, bro. He ain't doing it again! I say we're going down on the ground and getting second and third before I let you pull that one again. It was a fun event.
One thing about the 450, like in your whoops crash, when it goes, it's going.
Oh, it goes, it goes hard. You gotta be a slick cat to pull it back.
I was going to ask your brother this question, but I don't think he really appreciate it. I'll ask you, you know, the history of the sport a little more than he does. Bercy, Paris. You know, I don't think you've ever done this thing before, but you've certainly read about it and heard about it and you got to do it an iconic event.
Yeah, it's unbelievable to finally be at a point in our career where, you know, Jett and I are somewhat the stars of the show, you know, stars of the event, which is really, really special because there's so many years here where people come to watch the top stars. So it's pretty cool. We did a lap at the end to thank all the people because it is special that they all come out to watch and we do our best to give them the best show they want to see.
Does Jett realize that?
No! [Laughs]
Jett Lawrence
Jett Lawrence, thank you, man. Appreciate doing this. The Paris race, you're young and I don't know how much you follow the history. For 40 years, this place has been the best off season supercross forever, whether it's Paris, whether it's Bercy or whatever. Do you have an appreciation of that?
Jett Lawrence: No, for sure. Definitely it's cool. I heard Johnny [trainer, O’Mara], I think O’ Show was at the first one they did.
Yeah O’Show was at the first two, the first two they did the first year.
So it's kind of cool to be racing at not the same stadi but the same race event as our trainer did. It's always cool to do that. I mean, it's, it's just cool. The history that's kind of comes with it, the supercross in Paris
Starts today. That was your real, real problem. Anything happen, any reason anything going on?
I think I'm definitely going off of being tired as hell! [Laughs] I had like naps in between each break. I was so tired from the night before. I'm not very used to it. But yeah, no excuses with that.
Your start in main one yesterday, it was phenomenal and then they were all good [yesterday]. But, you know, if you had started like that today, it would have made it a lot easier on yourself!
Definitely would have but, I mean, I'm tired and we're like, You know what, we didn't do a lot of passing yesterday. So, I mean, may as well try and get everything covered with a win, maybe fastest lap and maybe most passes! [Laughs]
I think that the takedown of your brother, I think really, you didn't mean to do it. You missed, you got kicked, you missed your brake and let's just go with that.
Yeah, no, for sure. I mean, to come in and scare him, that okay because it's fun to mess with him. But yeah, I just, as soon as I felt the rear end touch and get kicked, I'm like, “Oh, shit, sorry, Hunter, please, please, check up, please check up!” He did but he ended up just getting stuck. So I'm like, “Oh, great.” So after that, I'm like, well, either Hunter and Daz ["Dazzy," father] are gonna be smashing me, they'll punch me if I don't win this. So I better make sure I win this.
That's a good point. Right. Imagine if you threw it away after all that. Then I thought your best race was yesterday after your crash, Kenny was, I don't know, three seconds ahead or something and you had four laps or something to get it done. And dude, that was impressive. Like, I don't know how much effort you put into it. I don't know how much you did differently to soak stuff up and get to him. But that was impressive.
Yeah. I already went 1-1, so I had to get all three, at least one of them [one night]. So it was good. I just had not too bad a flow. It was hard to get going after the crash because it was such a small crash. But I have my my triple clamps, the tightness isn’t as tight because I want a softer feel. So they got bent really badly. So I was riding with very bent bars so I had to get adapt quickly and somehow I was able to keep going and was able to pull Kenny in and was able to get him. Thankfully.
You remember anywhere where you were crushing it on him?
I feel like the sand. I was really good there and maybe a little bit of the whoops for sure.
Well, hey, good job another win, man. It's quite a year for you and you're keeping this thing rolling. So, thanks for doing this and good job.
Thank you. I can't wait for next year to come back.