HUNTER LAWRENC GRIT-222 250MX

HUNTER LAWRENC | GRIT-221 | SX 250

With the championship in mind, Hunter Lawrence understood what needed to be done as he and his team rolled into Hangtown Raceway on Saturday. After an extraordinary ride at Fox Raceway, the number ninety-six believed that he could do much the same for round two of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship; and after displaying a series of strong laps for timed practice, it was then time for the Australian rider to obtain as many points as possible in the motos that followed. His starting position for the first moto was just inside the top-ten, after navigating his way to seventh before the first completed lap of the race. It was then a race against time, as he methodically weaved his way through the field while being able to locate a pair of Yamaha's (i.e. Haiden Deegan and Justin Cooper) at the front of the pack. He emphasized various points of passing throughout the circuit, including through the uphill roller section where he managed to stay light on the rear wheel prior to speeding through the corner thereafter. He had moved into the top-five by lap four, just behind Guillem Farres prior to making the move on the number eighty-eight; and after taking advantage of a miscalculation of Tom Vialle not long thereafter, it would be the Australian who had moved into third while looking to track down his championship rivals. This was the memo for the rest of the moto from laps seven to sixteen; where Lawrence would do everything in his power to close the lead on his championship foe, and looked to make a final run with around three minutes remaining on the clock! However it was too little too late and the (roughly) seven-second gap that Deegan had generated couldn't be overcome...leaving Lawrence in third prior to advancing to the second moto. As the gate(s) then fell for round two, it was an immediate battle between Justin Cooper and Hunter; where arguably the two championship favorites were set to directly compete against one another from the moment the green flag waved. Lawrence would stalk the rear wheel of his Yamaha opponent, watching his lines with precise analysis as they weaved amongst the rutted hillside...until an opportunity to pass could be found, just after six minutes (or so) had transpired on the race clock! It was in the roller section that preceded the largest uphill step up on the circuit, directly before the finish-line; where the Australian definitively took over the highest standing on the racetrack. And in the laps that followed, the veteran aptitude of Lawrence would flourish, where he would extend the lead to roughly five-seconds and manage the race from that point forward. As consecutive circuits amassed, it would be Lawrence who remained in the leading designation - all the way to the checkered flag! Claiming the overall victory with a win in the second moto, the points lead for the Honda rider would extent once more, before embarking on the third round of the series.

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