GRIT 302 — 450SX — 4th — Hunter Lawrence

Sporting the number ninety-six across his machine, Honda's Hunter Lawrence would be applauded by countless fans as he accelerated onto the circuit in Seattle. The consistency of the Australian rider was an aspect of his game that had to be acknowledged. He had thrived at every round of the tour thus far and looked to continue doing the same while competing in Seattle, Washington. His practicing efforts were phenomenal. And through every facet of the raceway, he flourished. His outlook for the forthcoming heat race was on-par with the other, prominent members of the championship. As he and the rest of the pack aligned on the gate, he shifted into gear with an eagerness that was difficult to replicate. From there, he leapt from the grate and shot forward onto the start straightaway, claiming a position of second while contending for the lead! He and Cooper Webb would go back-and-forth in the initial stages...before Lawrence ultimately surpassed him! They were mirroring one another in speed which created quite the battle at the front of the field! However, with Webb making a brief pass (as the race was nearing conclusion), the North Carolina native then crashed in a sector of jumps, immediately thereafter! This seemingly handed Lawrence both, the lead, and the eventual race victory! The commendable effort in the heat race, set the stage for the main event. He would battle, just outside of the top-five — while pressuring Chase Sexton for fifth! However, a crucial mistake in the early stages (in a difficult rhythm section) would nearly halt the momentum of the Honda athlete. Thus, he descended to seventh, with Justin Cooper working his way past. With approximately twelve and a-half minutes left on the clock, he and Aaron Plessinger would compete against one another in a bar-to-bar manner. Though it was Hunter who made his way past. while jumping through the whoops, and garnering sixth-place simultaneously. A mere lap or so later, would Hunter Lawrence surpass Chase Sexton..to claim fifth. Next-up, was Justin Cooper. Another, energy-expending battle then ensued between the two competitors - though with the final quarter of the contest on the horizon, Lawrence would make the pass stick, definitively, ahead of the New York native! Fourth-place was then his, and he made one final charge. toward Suzuki's Ken Roczen. This led to a climactic pass, where with minimal time remaining, he and the German athlete collided together in the sand! Both would crash to the ground, though somehow, Hunter would reside in fourth upon returning to the motorcycle. From there, he charged to the checkered flag—taking fourth, to salvage his run in the

championship thus far.