'I feel like I’ve been knocking on the door long enough now' - Hunter Lawrence on Career First 450 Win

Hunter grabbed his first 450 premier career win in Texas and is the new 450SMX points leader ahead of this weekend’s SuperMotocross World Championship Finale in Las Vegas. Rookie Team Honda HRC Progressive's Hunter Lawrence, Australia, has progressed throughout the 2024 year and took his elusive first win, beating the best riders in the class overall. Moto 1 was impressive. He overcame his own mistakes in the race to fight back and win over two champions, breathing down his neck throughout.

The 2023 250SX East Supercross Champion and 250MX Pro Motocross Champion finished 9th in last year's inaugural SMX Championship after winning the 2nd playoff round at Chicagoland and being the points leader ahead of the Finale at the LA Coliseum. He exited the final round with a back injury sustained during Friday's Press Day and could not line up.

During his season debut for the 450SX Supercross series, he finished in second place in Denver for best finish of the season ahead of the final round and ninth overall in points. Hunter didn't even make the Main Event at the season opener Anaheim 1, and what a turnaround this could be in the making.

For his 450MX AMA Pro Motocross Championship debut, Hunter grabbed multiple moto wins and was in title contention throughout the series, with six podium finishes and second overall in the championship standings.

Last weekend in Charlotte for the first SuperMotocross World Championship Playoff round, Hunter was at the front of the field during the first Moto, finishing on the podium for 3rd and 6th in the second Moto for 5th overall, sitting 3rd in points afterward.

With the win this weekend at the Texas Motor Speedway in the gnarly heat and track, he takes the overall win and is now the new 450SMX Points leader ahead of the Finale in Vegas. "I don’t think I surprised myself. I feel like I’ve been knocking on the door long enough now all throughout summer and stuff, so yeah, it was goo—justt a good day. The track, funnily enough, I think was honestly just a good training day for these conditions... It’s cool to ride something a little different."

The track was brutally slick throughout the day, especially the corner on the track before the 2-3-2 rhythm section, having to choose between inside and outside lines. "In the first Moto, it wasn't really working because the inside was pretty good, but I honestly think in the end it was working, at least for myself, just because you could hit the ice-skating ring (rhythm) section straight up and down... I told myself before the second Moto I’m going outside. I don't care if it’s slower, but I'm going to go out there because I don't want to wheel spin on the double."

Speaking on his rookie season, he still remains neutral. "I don’t really get into that stuff, I don’t really worry about it... The work never stops. I think I can really relax and look back on it probably after [Motocross of] Nations when the year’s really said and done."

The SuperMotocross points from Playoff 1 were standard points; then this weekend’s were double points, and finally, triple points for the series Finale and championship this weekend. "The red plate in this series... doesn’t really mean as much as the Supercross or the Motocross series because you’ve got the double and then the triple points. It’s winner-take-all next weekend, whereas outdoors, you’ve got a nine-point lead. You can finish behind the guy both motos and still win. So... it’s Vegas, you know. It’s what this series has created to do." Hunter stated.

The first Moto was one of the best we have seen this season, with Hunter claiming the win in an intense battle with his younger brother, teammate, the 450SMX Champion Jett Lawrence, and the multi-time champion on the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing machine, Eli Tomac for the win in the end. "It’s cool. Cool to race Tomac. I watched him from Australia race, with (James) Stewart, (Ryan) Villopoto, (Ryan) Dungey, those guys. So yeah, it's probably a bucket list thing."

This weekend, the Team Honda HRC Progressive team joined forces with PBTF for Hunter and the team with graphics and gear. "This weekend, you know, the bikes were all graphed up. Honda partnered with the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation (PBTF) for over 30 years, so it was cool to do that and shine light on that... Maybe Charlie (the character) can stay. We had a good bit of luck today."