HUNTER LAWRENCE GRIT-230 250MX

HUNTER LAWRENCE | GRIT-230 | 250MX

With the race to the series finalé becoming more crucial as each moto passed, Honda's Hunter Lawrence would bring his entire arsenal of skills and tactics to the racecourse in Maryland as action began on Saturday. Following a phenomenal practicing effort amongst the morning hours, he would roll to the newfound starting grate(s), aiming for the inner most point of turn number-one. Within this specific left-handed apex, would be a means of moving ahead of the rest of the pack...and as action commenced for the Budd's Creek National, it would be Lawrence who emerged from opening sequences in a position that was near the top-five. After rapid shuffling amongst the top of the leaderboard, Lawrence would establish a flow of sorts in a fourth-place residency - with Ryder DiFrancesco behind him, and KTM's Tom Vialle ahead. A climactic point amongst the two foreign riders would occur near the twenty-minute mark, where the number ninety-six's pressure was of abundance. However, before a definitive pass would be made and solidified, an unfortunate red-flag would be thrown! This would cause the field to reassemble at the starting gate and as the rules stated, complete the rest of the moto from the halfway point (and onward)! Therefore another gate drop was set to ensue, and as a result, Lawrence would occupy a second-place position rather quickly...but Justin Cooper would fly over the largest ant-hill on the track (just after the finish-line) and proceed to slam into the inside of Lawrence, causing him to lose the position! At that point, it was Jalek Swoll, and now Cooper, who were in front of the Australian...but after a few minutes of trailing the Husqvarna rider, Lawrence was able to make his way around with a daring leap over Henry Hill (which proceeded Cooper's move forward, as well). The Yamaha rider (i.e. Cooper) was doing everything possible to amplify his lead ahead of Lawrence, with the clock nearing expiration...and though the ninety-six was relentless with his array of offensive tactics, the defense in which Cooper established would be too much for Hunter to overcome - leaving him second (for the moto), but still retaining a solid points lead over the Yamaha combatant. The following moto wasn't long thereafter, and Hunter proceeded to engage in some of the strongest sprint speeds of the year, with a start that was paralleled with the second-place position, prior to making a pass on Austin Forkner amid the largest uphill triple on the circuit, on the first-lap of action. Then into the lead, it would be Lawrence who was then pursued by both, Forkner and Justin Cooper. But Lawrence wasn't wavering, and wouldn't spend any time focusing on the competition behind him while he zeroed-in on the halfway point. Minute by minute he would steady his lead and his aspirations on the checkered flag...knowing that every point was crucial in regard to the overall points standing. Reading cues from his mechanic, Lawrence maintained his breathing and grip upon the handlebars, hitting his marks with precision as the checkered flag grew nearer. And as engines eventually ceased for the second-moto at Budd's Creek, it was Lawrence who took the second moto win; and overall victory as well!

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