HUNTER LAWRENCE | GRIT-208 | 250SX

HUNTER LAWRENCE | GRIT-208 | 250SX

Hunter Lawrence's tenacity and relentless will to win would be on full display in Florida, where he battled both course and competition en route to victory on Saturday night. It was considered a local race, to that of his now permanent residence in Florida, and Lawrence vowed to display the entirety of his skillset in front of friends and family. It would begin with an admirable practice effort, where his Honda would soar through the sand with attrition and speed; choosing both inside and outside lines within Raymond James Stadium prior to clenching the pole position! That momentum translated into his heat race, though a troublesome start would have him clawing through the pack. Conditions were beginning to deter, with rain creating a mist of sorts over the stadium floor; which forced Lawrence to fight his way through the pack using unorthodox lines. Though in sections near the "SX" triple, it were almost a deterrent to try and deviate too much, creating a riddle that had to be methodically calculated. He would manage to find a way though, pushing from an initial opening sequence of tenth well into the top-five by lap four. Running lap-time(s) that were quicker than anyone else in the field, he would do enough (as well) to make his way around Max Anstie in the latter stages. That alone, would be a pivotal momentum shift in regard to the confidence of both riders (who were contending for the championship). He would ultimately reside fourth, before heading into the main event. Beginning the finalé in sixth place, his starting position would be less than ideal while leaping over the finish-line double on lap-one. But the Australian's veteran-like aptitude would work into his favor, where Lawrence would blitz past veterans (i.e. Jeremy Martin) before getting into a shuffling of positions with Michael Mosiman and Hunter Lawrence. The three would nearly crash together in the corner before the finish-line, though his persistence in the moments that followed would be an exceptional characteristic that sent him forward. Moving around Deegan, he and Mosiman would come together in the corner before the sand section (with around eight-minutes left on the clock); though Lawrence's velocity was too fast for the GasGas rider to nullify, leaving Hunter sprinting to the front immediately thereafter. Max Anstie was the next opponent to be overtaken, with Lawrence pushing the number sixty-three to the outside in the same corner where the move on Mosiman was created! It seemed that Lawrence was amplifying with momentum that couldn't be stopped, which aided a creation of this climactic point in the 250cc narrative; with Nate Thrasher now in the crosshairs. Lawrence would stalk the Yamaha machine from seconds away, only to pounce on his rear wheel with only feet to go before the checkered flag! Powering from outside to inside in the final corner, he would sweep underneath that of Thrasher to steal victory as they crested the face of the finish-line jump!

More from GRIT