Chase Sexton is using muscle and muscle memory on a 450 to pull away in the AMA Pro Motocross standings. Hunter Lawrence and Justin Cooper, both rookies, are trying to hang in there, but they can’t do it for the full 30 plus two. Hunter has already admitted to reaching his limit, physically, in some races this year. Millville, where it was humid and rough, didn’t make it easy. Especially since Hunter’s normal training week was instead spent at Honda’s 2025 CRF450R intro at Ironman Raceway. He went from RedBud to Ironman and then flew up to Minnesota, without time at home for his usual training and recovery.
Let's not call it an excuse, though, because Hunter’s been brutally honest this year. When he gets tired, he admits it. Racing a 450 outdoors is a new thing.
“It was tough. It was really tough,” he said. “My job is to show up and give 100 percent no matter what circumstances. We had a big week of a lot of media obligations and stuff and, it's a little draining, you know? So we felt it a little today. Chase [Sexton] was riding unreal. I did as much as I could. Gave 100 percent in both motos. Yeah, I'm sure it's no secret. The wheels were starting to fall off in the end and [I was] getting a little sloppy. [Laughs] Yeah, tough day. But we grinded and gritted through it.”
Hunter led moto one for awhile, as he often does thanks to the lightening starts he’s been getting, but couldn’t hold Sexton to the end. One mistake at the base of Mount Martin slowed him all the way to the top, and Sexton took advantage.
“You know, you make a little mistake up that big hill, it lingers on the whole way up Martin Mountain,” he says.
On the other end, Hunter had a cool line going down that big hill with a double jump.
“Yeah. Dazzy [Darren, father] said to me after first practice. He goes, “Oh, I think you could double that.” You know? Sure! It's the last thing anyone wants to hear coming down Mount Martin is, “Yeah, I think you could double that!” I'm like, yeah, I'll have a look at it and it worked out pretty good. It got pretty gnarly in the end. There were more and more bumps. But, it was cool to do that.”
In the second moto, Cooper switched to the Dunlop MX14 “scoop” tire and got a much better start. Lawrence rolled in second behind him early. The rookies battled for the lead on 450s like they have so many times on 250s.
“I was close and he was pushing a really good pace and I was just trying to get out front,” said Hunter. “That pass, it was a really tricky section, you know, off camber across all those braking bumps and I think I just showed enough of a wheel for him to check just a little bit halfway through. I was like, ah, maybe I'm not gonna make it and then he checked up a little bit and I just got it done. So it was a definitely, probably a bit of an “Oh crap!” moment for the par both of us.”
The pass gave Hunter the lead again, but once again he couldn’t hold Sexton back, and this time was too tired to put up a big fight, unlike RedBud’s first moto where he had fended off several attacks. Hunter couldn’t cruise is second, because Cooper took a few laps to regain his composure and get his breathing under control, and then went back after Hunter again. He got close.
“[It was] Not panic, It's more just like, “Come on, get going!” Trying to get everything I can, trying to pull energy out of nowhere to, to finish off.”
A 2-2 day from Hunter Lawrence. Hard earned, but he knows he has to solve Sexton, be it with strength, fitness or just starts. Anything he can muster.
“You know, flashback to last year,” Lawrence said. “He had a lot of building. So I'm just doing everything I can keep trying to put the pressure on with good starts, which we're doing that. At one moment today it was, hey, lead until 15 minutes or around 20 minute mark. So, yeah, obviously that's where we're gonna have to improve. So we'll go back this week, get a bit more on schedule back in the routine of things. The week really does carry on to the weekend. So I think that's the missing part. Maybe we could have been a little better on this weekend. But yeah, we'll keep on working and, and come out swinging in Washougal.”
Any sense or urgency? Not really, because the pragmatic Hunter Lawrence sees every round as just as important as any other.
“I get what you're saying, but they're all just as important as the other,” he says. “Obviously, there's a certain point where there's maybe no return. But, mate, if I can just be in the fight and just keep the pressure on, if I can't pull my finger out and stop him, if I can just keep the pressure on him and maybe force him into a mistake or someone like that, we'll just try and do that and be in the fight ‘till the end.”
