Parity at the races makes for great entertainment—but a whole lot of drama for those living it.

WORDS: JASON WEIGANDT
PHOTOS: ALIGN MEDIA

“So Jo Shimoda finally proves he can win right from the start of a championship, then the next weekend he gets his fingers broken by a pit board in practice,” said Steve Matthes to Honda HRC Progressive team manager Lars Lindstrom. “Lars, was that when you first realized maybe this season would be screwed?”

Indeed, for a while, nearly everything Honda touched had turned to gold, starting with a miraculous championship run for Chase Sexton in Monster Energy Supercross in 2023, followed by Jett Lawrence winning the SX title in ’24. Luck was finally on the team’s side—until it wasn’t. Lars, though, knows fame is fleeting. “Don’t forget,” he responded. “There was that twenty-year 450 dry spell everyone was always talking about.”

Yup, life comes at you fast. Honda couldn’t win a title, Honda couldn’t lose a title, and now Honda’s two full-time 450 riders—Jett and big brother Hunter—aren’t even racing for the title at all. They’re not alone on this ride.