JETT LAWRENCE - GRIT 233 450SMX

JETT LAWRENCE | GRIT-233 | 450 SMX

With the layout in Chicago designed with an outdoor-style configuration, many enthusiasts of the sport would assume that Honda's Jett Lawrence would thrive as racing action came to fruition. And following the multitude of practice sessions that took place over the course of the weekend, they were deemed correct. The championship mentality of the dominant outdoor athlete would be on full display as he blitzed from the starting grid and into the first corner of moto-one, holding the throttle on as long as possible while securing the first place position following brilliant maneuvering around the first corner. Many in the industry were curious to see if Lawrence could reenact his performance from the outdoor season, as this layout would promote some of the fastest speeds ever seen at the professional level...and much would be the case. His smooth and rather tranquil style would somehow mesh into a state that adopted the highest velocities of anyone else...leading lap after lap while Chase Sexton and Ken Roczen pursued him with all of their might. Lawrence would monitor the pace of his opponents through the first quarter, half, and eventual three-quarter margin(s) of the event...but there was no reason for him to accelerate to an even higher realm of speed with a comfortable margin being sustained. Therefore, as the twelve-lap contest came to a close, it was the Australian who claimed the moto victory while seeking to replicate that performance in round-two of racing. To conclude the two-portion segment of competition, Australia's Lawrence would rapidly sweep the opening corner in a position of second while seeking to overtake Yamaha's Phil Nicoletti. Lawrence wasted no time in pressuring the veteran, and would exhibit a bold move down one of the longest straightaways of the racing surface with the throttle fully engaged! Landing and compressing the suspension at an unbelievable rate, it was Lawrence who kept the power to the ground (as much as possible) from that point forward...where he seemed to be on an ascending trajectory. However, Suzuki's Ken Roczen appeared to elevate to an equivalent level - and would match the speed of the number eighteen as they moved into the latter stages of competition; with Roczen actually making his way to the rear wheel of Lawrence, with around three laps to go! It was at this point, where Lawrence would present a move that wasn't too often seen at the professional level...as he waved Roczen by on the elevated portion of the racing surface and seemingly allowed Ken to claim the moto victory. All the while though, Lawrence would thing about the greater scope of the SMX Championship; and he knew that with an eventual second place finish (for this moto) when compared to Ken's first moto score, that the overall win would be his...leaving Jett as the gold medal holder, for this round of racing in Joliet.

More from GRIT