Hunter Lawrence (Honda) wins and reclaims the championship lead

Round 10 of the US Nationals at Budds Creek. After heavy rain overnight and during the morning, the track was soggy. Star Racing Yamaha factory rider Haiden Deegan set the fastest time in these difficult conditions and started the first race from pole position.

Combined 450 Qualifying

1. Haiden Deegan (USA), Yamaha, 1:54.734

2. Jett Lawrence (AUS), Honda, +0.532

3. R.J. Hampshire (USA), Husqvarna, +0.767

4. Hunter Lawrence (AUS), Honda, +0.807

5. Eli Tomac (USA), KTM, +1.303

6. Jorge Prado (E), KTM, +1.566

7. Mikkel Haarup (DK), Triumph, +1.768

8. Garrett Marchbanks (USA), Kawasaki, +1.926

9. Cornelius Tøndel (N), Kawasaki, +2.583

10. Cooper Webb (USA), Yamaha, +2.639

Race 1: Hunter takes the lead, trouble for Jett

Haiden Deegan (Yamaha) took the holeshot, whilst championship leader Jett Lawrence went off the track on the start straight; although he just managed to avoid a crash, he fell far behind. Hunter Lawrence prevailed against Haiden Deegan at the front and took the lead. Deegan, for his part, struggled with an overheating clutch and, as he later reported, had to finish the race in second gear. Jett had to fight his way back up the field after his problems at the start, but ultimately could not manage better than fifth place. Hunter Lawrence won the first race with a 5.5-second lead over Haiden Deegan and Jorge Prado (KTM), who was once again in fine form. Eli Tomac (KTM) finished fourth in this race.

Race 2: Decided on the final lap

Hunter Lawrence took the holeshot in the second race, which was contested in much better conditions. However, deep ruts had formed in the waterlogged ground. Hunter managed to pull a few seconds’ lead at the front over Jorge Prado, who had also got off to a good start, whilst Jett once again failed to get off to a good start. In the final two laps, a showdown took place between Jorge and Jett in the battle for second place. The Spaniard struggled with the lapped riders, and on the final lap, Jett overtook Jorge on a downhill section covered in brake bumps to finish second. With that overtaking manoeuvre on the very last lap, Jett secured two crucial points in the championship battle. Hunter won at Budds Creek with a perfect score, ahead of Jorge Prado (3-3) and Haiden Deegan (2-4). With a 5-2 result, Jett missed out on the podium for the first time this season.

Standings at the top of the table ahead of the finale

With his seventh win of the current season, Hunter Lawrence – who had arrived at Budds Creek trailing by 10 points – has now reclaimed the championship lead ahead of the season finale. However, Jett’s deficit could not be any smaller at just one point. The AMA Pro Motocross Championships will therefore not be decided until next week’s season finale at the Ironman Raceway.

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Budds Creek 450 results

1. Hunter Lawrence (AUS), Honda, 1-1

2. Jorge Prado (E), KTM, 3-3

3. Haiden Deegan (USA), Yamaha, 2-4

4. Jett Lawrence (AUS), Honda, 5-2

5. Mikkel Haarup (DK), Triumph, 8-5

6. Cooper Webb (USA), Yamaha, 6-9

7. Aaron Plessinger (USA), KTM, 10-7

8. Justin Barcia (USA), Ducati, 7-10

9. Eli Tomac (USA), KTM, 4-13

10. R.J. Hampshire (USA), Husqvarna, 12-6

450 standings after 10 of 11 events

1. Hunter Lawrence (AUS), Honda, 442 points

2. Jett Lawrence (AUS), Honda, 441, (-1)

3. Haiden Deegan (USA), Yamaha, 376, (-66)

4. Jorge Prado (E), KTM, 351, (-91)

5. R.J. Hampshire (USA), Husqvarna, 308, (-134)

6. Garrett Marchbanks (USA), Kawasaki, 265, (-177)

7. Dylan Ferrandis (F), Ducati, 265, (-177)

8. Cooper Webb (USA), Yamaha, 230, (-212)

9. Mikkel Haarup (DK), Triumph, 220, (-222)

10. Justin Barcia (USA), Ducati, 201, (-241)