Lawrence’s rookie success is unprecedented, as he has won all 12 motos run thus far. In his second race back from a three-race absence due to a concussion, Chase Sexton improved his performance by one position compared to last week, notching 2-2 moto finishes for second overall, good enough to advance him three positions in the title chase, to seventh. The 250 class proceedings proved more challenging for the team, as Hunter Lawrence suffered a technical issue that brought a premature end to his first moto. A poor moto 2 start left him battling through the pack to eventually finish eighth, for 13th overall.
In the first 450 moto, Sexton led the pack out of turn 1, but Jett moved by in the next corner. The teammates stayed in those positions from then on, with Sexton pulling a 25-second advantage over third place 18 minutes in. At the finish, Jett was seven seconds ahead of his teammate, who in turn was 46 seconds up on the other podium finisher. Jett and Sexton were second and fifth after the moto 2 start, and they were first and fourth after completing lap 1. Sexton was up to third a lap later, and he dispatched the second-place rider on lap 5. At the finish, Jett won with a 14-second advantage, and Sexton was a further 38 seconds up on third place.
The first 250 moto saw Hunter exit turn 1 in ninth place, but he advanced to the top five by lap 4. He was up to fourth three laps later, but with two laps left, he pulled off the track with a mechanical issue. Hampered by a poor gate pick for the second outing, Hunter was mired in 17th place after the first corner. He was up to 11th after the first lap, and to eighth by the midway point. With his vision affected by roost and rain, that’s as high as the Australian would climb, and he settled for 13th overall, determined to reverse the momentum next week in Minnesota.
Jett Lawrence #18
“It was a pretty brutal day–it was all about survival. I was just looking to get out of the roost and toward the front as soon as possible; I wanted to put in some fast laps early and gain some distance. I knew everyone would be gassed toward the end of the moto, so late charges wouldn’t be in the cards. I’m just looking forward to getting out of this place and heading to Spring Creek; that’s one of my favorite places on the schedule.”
Chase Sexton #23
“It’s a lot harder when you haven’t been racing like these guys. I felt good all day, but it's tough to be in the best shape for Southwick without gate dops. I feel like my riding and my speed were good all day, I just didn’t have it in the second moto. I need to be more smooth and consistent. Eli [Tomac] and I had a great battle at Spring Creek last year, so hopefully I can bring that experience over and get back to where I was.”
Hunter Lawrence #96
“It was a rough day at Southwick. A malfunction in the first moto hurts, and the second moto was all about salvaging points. Obviously, I didn’t want to be coming out of this race five points behind, but we’re going to enjoy the chase.”
Lars Lindstrom - Team Manager
“It was another up-and-down day for the team. I want to apologize to Hunter for letting him down in the first moto after he gutted out a strong race while trying to recover from last week's crash. He’s a true warrior, and I have no doubt he'll come back strong this next race and get back to where he was before his RedBud start crash. The 450 riders put on a clinic today, going 1-2 and finishing so far ahead of third place. What can you say about Jett that hasn’t already been said? Just unreal. I think Millville is a great track for both Jett and Chase, so I’m expecting another great race. Hopefully we'll see more battles!”