HUNTER LAWRENCE - GRIT 252 450SX

GRIT-252 | 450 SX

June 4th, 2024 11:00 pm

Looking to rival his younger brother, Jett Lawrence, amongst the 450MX standings, Honda's Hunter Lawrence rolled onto the raceway in Southern California seeking to put his best foot forward amongst qualification sessions...aspiring to make an impact that was felt throughout the industry. He did just that, with incredible speed aboard the Honda CRF450R WE machine which translated into the first moto of operation, too. Nearly claiming the lead while battling alongside Aaron Plessinger and his brother Jett, Hunter scored a position of third as the green flag waved in the opening moto. He wasn't going to let either competitor drift away that easily, and pressured the Ohio native for the entirety of eight laps, before the KTM athlete drifted a bit to the outside before the largest step-up on the track. It was as if Hunter acknowledged the slight absence of speed that Plessinger put forth, and accepted the role of second instantly with his sights set on leader, Jett Lawrence. Though time was beginning to run out, and the younger of the tandem was riding with an exceptional prowess at the pinnacle of the field, Hunter wasn't giving up. He fought hard to the finish line, and clearly established a tone that all in the field would have to acknowledge en route to an astounding second-place moto score. For moto two, the number ninety-six once again proved that his talent was top-tier - and Hunter's brief lunge for the lead (which spanned a few seconds or so) was thwarted by his younger brother Jett...but the number ninety-six continued to aim for the pinnacle position, rivaling the Australian for a significant portion of time in this particular set of laps! Countless attempts made the elder of the two family members within a bike length (or so) of the SX Champion...but Hunter couldn't garner that extra bit of speed, in order to overtake the younger of the Lawrence duo. This led to roughly ten minutes being left in the moto, where the number ninety-six was forced to the outside in turn number one...by none other than Chase Sexton. The Illinois native would make the pass, but Lawrence fought hard within the third-place residency once it was acquired. Despite eventually drifting into a realm of speed that was seemingly all on his own, Lawrence's quest for an eventual third-place ride in this moto certainly forecasted what "could be" at rounds to come in this 2024 MX Championship. The third-place score, when paired with his first moto performance, helped the Australian athlete propel to a silver medal position in the final record book.

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