Lawrence vs. Lawrence for Historic Winner-Take-All Pro Motocross Championship Finale

“It’s hard to put into words how significant and historic this summer’s Pro Motocross Championship has been. While we expected to witness a memorable season unfold at the world’s most iconic venues, the action on the racetrack and the overwhelming support from our fans has far surpassed expectations,” said Davey Coombs, President, MX Sports Pro Racing. “This has truly been a banner year, not just for Pro Motocross, but also Supercross and the SMX World Championship as a whole. We’ve now had the sport’s two most prestigious series come down to the wire and you really can’t ask for anything more. We are incredibly excited to see how the 450SMX, 250SMX, and WMX championships conclude at Ironman and cannot think of a better way to welcome a new partner in the U.S. Army, with one of the most historic weekends in American motocross history.”

U.S. Army joined the SMX World Championship as a partner ahead of the 2027 season, with a presence at several Monster Energy Supercross events in addition to the upcoming Playoff rounds. The military branch’s maiden support as a title partner of Pro Motocross will be anchored by a prominent activation within the sponsor village at the Ironman National, showcasing their all-terrain vehicles and an interactive gaming system. Additionally, an Army guitarist will perform Saturday’s national anthem, to formally kick off the final race of the summer season.

Leading the championship storylines coming into Ironman is the history-making, winner-take-all showdown between Hunter and Jett Lawrence. The siblings have been the class of the field all summer long, trading moto wins, overall victories, and the points lead every step of the way. In 55 years, the sport has never witnessed two brothers compete at such a high level, setting the standard for speed and performance.

Over the course of the 10 races leading up to this milestone moment in the sport Hunter Lawrence has captured 12 moto wins, with Jett taking charge during the remaining eight. When it comes to overall victories, Hunter leads the way with six versus four for Jett. While Hunter has been the best starter in the class with an average of 2.1, compared to Jett at 4.8, it’s Jett who has been a better finisher, with a class leading average of 2.3 compared to 3.6 for Hunter. Arguably the biggest difference maker has been the adversity each rider has faced along the way, which both have continuously proven they can overcome, no matter how significant.

This all ultimately sets the stage for one of the most highly anticipated races in series history that can truly go in either direction, with the Edison Dye Cup hanging in the balance. It’s something no race fan will want to miss.

In the 250SMX Class, the penultimate race of the summer continued the chaotic trend that has defined the smaller displacement all summer. Consistency was destined to pay off in such a wide-open championship, and no rider has harnessed that better than Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies. The sophomore rider has shown tremendous poise this summer, getting stronger and more confident with each gate drop. He’s found a way to perform when it matters most, and it’s put him in a position to control his own destiny at the finale. The New Zealander will carry a 14-point lead into Ironman over Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen, who once again showed an unparalleled level of grit and determination at Budds Creek, but ultimately lost his control of the championship.
 
Kitchen may be the most resilient rider in the field, having overcome no shortage of adversity this summer. No matter what seems to come his way, Kitchen responds with resolve, digging deep and fighting for each and every position and championship point on the racetrack. It’s why he has a better start-to-finish ratio than anyone at +8.3, with a 4.9 finishing average despite an average start outside the top 10. However, that dynamic was destined to become unsustainable in terms of the championship and it caught up with Kitchen in the first moto at Budds Creek at the worst possible time, effectively tilting the championship into Davies’ favor. 

The smaller displacement has shown throughout the summer that anything can and will happen when the gate drops. While Davies enjoys a large enough lead to lean into a more cautious approach, this unpredictable title fight and the quest to capture the Gary Jones Cup is still far from over.

Fittingly, the namesake of the 250SMX Class championship trophy has also been named as Grand Marshal of the Ironman National Finals. Gary Jones was the first-ever 250cc champion in Pro Motocross, capturing the inaugural title in 1972 before embarking on a dominant three-peat that made him a pioneer of the sport during the infancy of American motocross. Adding to that feat was the fact that each of Jones' championships came while representing three different manufacturers – Yamaha, Honda, and Can-Am – something that has never been duplicated. His decorated career also included success beyond motocross, with a victory at the 1971 Baja 500 and 1982 SCORE Off-Road World Championship. The California native's legacy was enshrined in the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2000 and the trophy was named in his honor ahead of the 2009 season. He'll have the coveted distinction of handing the Gary Jones Cup to either Davies or Kitchen on Saturday afternoon, in addition to taking part in several other ceremonial festivities at Ironman.

Joining the action of the finale weekend will be the Women’s Motocross Championship Powered by Synchrony [WMX] and SMX Next – Motocross. The WMX will also crown a champion on Saturday, as Altus Motorsports bLUcRU Yamaha’s Lachlan Turner and Quad Lock Honda’s Charli Cannon bring their title fight down to the wire. Currently, 21 points separate the close friends and rivals. Meanwhile, the Ironman Scouting Moto Combine will bring 25 of the most high profile prospects in amateur motocross together for a special showcase of the sport’s next generation of elite talent.