After a measured fourth-place finish at the opening round of the 2026 AMA Supercross Championship, Hunter Lawrence arrived in San Diego determined to raise the intensity, and the Australian delivered one of his strongest 450 performances to date with a hard-fought second place at Snapdragon Stadium that underlined both his growing confidence and late-race strength.
The 26-year-old showed a more assertive approach throughout Round 2, translating steady improvements made during the week into race-winning pace on Saturday night. He backed that up immediately in the 450 main event by nailing the holeshot and leading the opening phase of the race, setting the tone for what became one of the most compelling battles of the night.
Lawrence was put under sustained pressure early by Ken Roczen, with Eli Tomac soon joining the fight, and the front three traded lines in aggressive but clean racing. Both Roczen and Tomac managed to edge past Lawrence on lap eight, but rather than fading, the Australian regrouped and stayed firmly in touch, saving his best for the closing stages.
As the race entered its final quarter, Lawrence did exactly what he has built a reputation for, launching a trademark late surge. He forced his way back past Roczen before the whoops with six laps remaining, then closed rapidly on Tomac in the dying moments, even attempting a last-lap move before crossing the line just 1.6 seconds short of the win.
Reflecting on his performance, Lawrence said he could feel the difference compared to Anaheim, explaining that, “I definitely feel more confident on the bike; we tried a lot of things during the week to help where I felt like we struggled [at Anaheim].” That growing belief showed most clearly when it mattered, with Lawrence adding that one of his key strengths is being able to deliver under pressure, saying, “That’s one thing I pride myself on: being able to show up in the main event when it counts.”
While his main event was clinical and composed, Lawrence admitted the day wasn’t perfect, particularly in his heat race, which he described as the toughest part of the night. “Honestly, for me the heat race is the hardest race of the night; it was just a frustrating one, but I shook that off and put all the chips on the main,” he said. From there, his focus shifted to race management and exploiting his endurance, noting, “I feel like the first 15 minutes was just trying to get it under my belt, as I feel like the last five minutes is where I can make up that gap.”
That patience paid dividends, as Lawrence once again demonstrated his ability to maintain precision and intensity deep into a 20-minute main event. “I really love what I can do in 20 minutes and just hit my marks. All day, I look forward to the main event,” he added.
Honda HRC Progressive team manager Lars Lindstrom echoed that sentiment, highlighting the significance of Lawrence’s ride in the broader picture of the championship. Lindstrom said the team is starting to zero in on the right direction with Lawrence’s setup, admitting that while the day didn’t look perfect on paper early, the end result was telling. He praised Lawrence’s ability to rise to the occasion, explaining that seeing him “lock in and show up when it mattered most” is a quality that separates elite athletes from the rest.
With his San Diego runner-up result, Lawrence remains third in the 450 standings after two rounds, now just two points behind Ken Roczen and firmly entrenched in the championship conversation. More importantly, the performance marked a clear step forward from Anaheim, reinforcing that the Australian’s confidence is building rapidly as the series heads back to Angel Stadium for Round 3 this weekend.