By overtaking Eli Tomac with four laps to go in the second SMX 450 moto in Las Vegas, Jett Lawrence secured the race win and clinched a new SMX championship title. Just minutes earlier, Hunter Lawrence was on the verge of claiming his first premier-class title. But – once again – his younger brother stole the spotlight. Starting behind his main championship rivals in the final moto, Jett came close to giving up.
“A lot of doubt to be honest” said Jett about the last race of the season. “Hunter and Eli were riding really well and honestly, I had a good few laps of trying to catch them like halfway through the moto and I caught them a smidge and I made one mistake and lost all that ground. So, I kind of, not give up, but I am like, ‘Dude I honestly don’t think I can catch them.’ And I got three or four laps to go, and I am just like, ‘I am just going to go as hard as I can and if I crash it’s going to hurt and if I don’t hopefully, we can get close enough to make a pass.’ Thankfully put a few laps together and was able get close and as soon as I got behind Eli, I tried to make a pass straight away and I was able to make it stick. And I am super happy so yeah.”
It’s a double for Honda HRC in the SMX championship this year – actually, a triple. Jett and Hunter occupy the top spots in the 450cc class, while Jo Shimoda takes the SMX 250 crown. He becomes the first Japanese rider to win an AMA championship on a Japanese bike. Six years ago, Jett and Jo were already teammates at Geico Honda, making their professional debuts on the same day – during the 250 outdoor at Unadilla.
“It’s awesome, honestly. I think I was stressed in the truck, like I was watching my brother out there” he says. “I was sick to my stomach, and I was hoping he’d do good because I don’t think anyone else deserves that title as much as Jo or Seth. Seth rides in our compound as well. So I was going for both of them. Jo rode well. He got that holeshot and put his head down and just went for it. No, I’m super stoked. Obviously Jo and I have been friends for a long time since Geico days, and it’s cool we’re both sitting up here. It’s awesome for the team. He deserves it. I’m just super happy for him. It’s been a long time coming for him, I feel like. He’s put a lot of good years together and has come up shy all those years, but this year was finally his one. He put in three really good rounds, and I’m super stoked for him.”
For the third consecutive time, Jett Lawrence wins the SMX 450 championship. The Honda HRC rider now adds his 10th AMA title to his record, including six in the 450cc class. Since moving up to 450cc in summer 2023, Jett Lawrence has claimed six of the eight titles on offer – an impressive feat.
“Winning the SMX, it’s an extra million in the bank. Of course that means a lot. It’s kind of nice because it’s a shorter series, three race weekends, if you do well, you can get a championship bonus. It makes it exciting for the fans because no matter what happens you always have two people that has a chance of winning it no matter how well you do at the first two. It’s exciting. I love it.”
For now, Jett Lawrence isn’t worried about Haiden Deegan moving up to 450, planned for summer 2026. Even though the Star Racing Yamaha rider was a step above this season in 250, the jump to 450 will be a whole new challenge. Before he can challenge Jett, he’ll first have to compete with the other top riders in the class.
“Honestly, he’s got a lot of other people to worry about than me.” Jett responds about a potential future rivalry with Haiden Deegan. “ I’ve got to worry about Hunter, Chase, and Eli. Honestly he’s not really on my radar. I’m focused on the guys I’m racing right now because they’re racing really well. It’s a different league on the 450cc, and it’s hard to back up the answer that Jo gave. It ain’t much of a rivalry if you keep beating the kid.”
Jett Lawrence pocketed over a million dollars from the SMX championship this year ($100,000 at Concord and Vegas, $50,000 at St. Louis, plus the $1,000,000 championship bonus). A million that adds to previous earnings, amounts that make many dream, and continue to widen the gap with Europe. Across the three rounds of the SMX championship, Valentin Guillod earned more than $40,000 in bonuses, finishing 14th at Concord and Saint Louis, and 15th at Vegas. The Swiss rider secured 16th place overall in the 2025 SMX 450 championship.
“For now, I don’t have a specific plan for this million dollars,” Jett Lawrence concludes. “I might put a bit more money into my house, or maybe buy another property. We’ll see. Right now, I’m eyeing a Ferrari F8 in Atlanta. But it’s my outdoor bonus that’s going into it. We’ll wait for the check to arrive, and it’s going straight there, no stops! The money goes straight from my account to the dealership’s account [laughs].”