Jett does It!
Sunday, August 27, 2023 at 8:05PM Australian rookie goes 22-0 in first 450MX season.
Having spent the summer answering the question of where he would stack up in the premier 450MX class during the 2023 Pro Motocross Championship season, Jett Lawrence won his 21st and 22nd motos in succession at the Ironman National to complete a historic perfect rookie campaign at the highest level of competition in America.
The penultimate 450MX moto of the 2023 season kicked off with a stellar launch from Lawrence, with the rookie and recently crowned champion assuming control of the race with Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM), Adam Cianciarulo (Monster Energy Kawasaki), Jason Anderson (Monster Energy Kawasaki), and Dylan Ferrandis (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) in tow.
Sexton started directly beside Lawrence but didn’t time the gate nearly as well, but almost immediately moved into second position in pursuit of his undefeated teammate.
Sexton limited Lawrence’s lead to about a single second but eventually lost touch with the leader, who went on to lead all 19 laps without trouble and closed out a 5.883s victory over Sexton for his 21st consecutive moto win.
Ferrandis took the checkers third, about 40s in arrears of the Honda duo out front. Anderson finished fourth with Plessinger, who challenged Lawrence for the lead early on, ending up fifth.
Cianciarulo, Garrett Marchbanks (Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha), Dylan Wright, Harri Kullas (BBL Racing Yamaha), and Jess Pettis rounded out the top 10. Seeking SuperMotocross World Championship points, Shane McElrath (Rick Ware Racing Mobil 1 Yamaha), Josh Hill (Monster Energy Mountain Motorsports), and Colt Nichols (Madd Parts Kawasaki) finished 25th, 31st, and 37th.
With 21 motos won and just one to go for Lawrence to close out a perfect season in his rookie 450MX campaign, the feat was almost in jeopardy right from the start as a few riders near Lawrence on the starting line flinched before the gate drop.
Lawrence stopped his Honda CRF450R before it was too late and still timed the gate well enough to exit the first turn near the front. With Sexton and Ferrandis joining Lawrence at the head of the field, Ferrandis crashed heavily just a few corners in, ending his race early.
The chase was on for Sexton in his final chance to best Lawrence in a moto in 2023. Lawrence never broke away to an insurmountable lead, but Sexton never seriously challenged Lawrence. By a margin of 1.736s over Sexton, Lawrence secured the perfect 22-0 season with a commanding victory in the last Pro Motocross race of the year.
Plessinger joined Lawrence and Sexton on both the moto two and overall podium with 5-3 moto scores on the day. Anderson secured fourth overall with 4-4 results, while Cianciarulo turned 6-6 finishes into fifth overall. Justin Barcia (TLD Red Bull GasGas) was fifth in moto two but ends up mired in the seventh overall position due to his 11th-place finish in the first moto.
After Cianciarulo in sixth, Phil Nicoletti (Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha), Marchbanks, Wright, and Fredrik Noren (Twisted Tea HEP Suzuki) completed the top 10.
The premier 450MX category next faces the trio of SuperMotocross World Championship playoff rounds, kicking off with the sport’s first ever post-season round September 9 at zMAX Dragway in Concord, North Carolina.
