Jett Lawrence Retakes Championship Lead at Glendale Supercross – HRC Team Report

Team Honda HRC had a strong showing in Glendale, Arizona, for round 6 of the AMA Supercross championship, which saw both Jett Lawrence and Jo Shimoda land on the podiums in their respective classes. Meanwhile, Hunter Lawrence notched a career-best result in the premier division with a solid fifth-place finish. Most notably, Jett leaves Glendale with the red plate, which has eluded him since he relinquished it at round 2.

Words and Images by HRC

The Glendale track is known for its slippery surface and long rhythm sections, requiring high levels of patience and precision. Jett was shuffled back off the start of the 450SX main event and faced challenges early in the race, including being pushed off the track by another rider. Motivated to gain critical championship points, the young Australian worked his way through the pack, passing many of his rivals to finish the race in third and regain the championship lead, with a six-point advantage over second place. Meanwhile, Hunter had a steady ride, showing that he has the pace to run with the lead group and earning his first top-five showing. Phoenix Racing Honda’s Dylan Ferrandis finished just behind Hunter in sixth place.

The 250SX main event saw Shimoda round the first turn just inside the top 10. The Japanese racer steadily worked his way forward to fourth place, and near the race’s midpoint, he took over third, which is where he would finish. This result marked his first podium with Team Honda HRC. SmarTop/MotoConcepts Honda’s Mitchell Oldenburg put in a great ride for sixth. Meanwhile, Oldenburg’s teammate Carson Mumford showed impressive speed all night, running in the top five for much of the race before eventually crossing the line in 11th.

Jett Lawrence 18

“We had a couple of times tonight where my brain turned off, but I just focused on hitting my marks and keeping my lap times consistent down the stretch. I know I’m not the fastest at this type of conditions, so I kind of just take it as it is. I think coming into the race with the attitude of being patient and understanding where my limits were helped me get into a calm mindset for the night.”

Hunter Lawrence 96

“Really good weekend overall—a lot of pros and positives to take away. We’ve been working really hard during the week, so it’s cool to see that stuff pay off. I’m really looking forward to this small pause in the race schedule, to continue building and getting stronger.”

Jo Shimoda 30

“I wasn’t super-sharp in the first four rounds with a new bike and a new team. Even though it wasn’t showing, everyone behind me was working hard at the test track. It sucks when you don’t have the result, but I’m sure we’ll get back there. I’m just looking forward to getting back to work over the break.”

Lars Lindstrom – Team Manager

“Tonight was a great night for the team, which is very difficult to accomplish. Having all your riders do well is pretty rare, and even though we didn’t win tonight, it was a win for the team as a whole. Getting Jo on the box where he deserves to be, having Hunter step up to the level that he and we all know he belongs, and having Jett come through the pack to get a podium and take the points lead back, was fantastic. Starts have never been more important, so we need to focus on that as much as possible for the rest of the series.”

NOTES

After a weekend off for the 250SX East opener, Team Honda HRC 250SX West rider Jo Shimoda was back in Glendale, and he took part in Friday’s media-day activities, getting in some time on the track.
Ahead of Valentine’s Day, Hunter Lawrence wore special white-and-red Alpinestars gear that was a colab with Daniel Riccardo, celebrating a new capsule collection from Enchanté, the Formula 1 driver’s clothing brand.
After topping the free-practice and first qualifying-practice sessions, Jett Lawrence ended up second in the combined 450SX times. Hunter was 15th quickest, and Shimoda was fifth-best in the 250SX West division.
For the second week in a row, the 450SX heat races ran first, before the 250s. In the first one, Jett completed lap 1 in fifth place and moved up to third by lap 4, then stayed there through the second half of the race. SmarTop/MotoConcepts Honda rider Vince Friese was two spots behind, and Phoenix Racing Honda’s Dylan Ferrandis was another two spots back. The second heat saw Hunter Lawrence enjoy a decent start and end up fourth, with Fire Power Honda’s Dean Wilson taking eighth.
The first 250SX West heat race saw SmarTop/MotoConcepts Honda riders Carson Mumford and Mitchell Oldenburg race in second and third for the entire seven laps, qualifying directly into the main. Following a heat 2 red flag, Shimoda got a strong start and ran in second for the entire race.
Jett Lawrence is still the only 450SX rider to have scored more than one win so far this year.
Supercross Live reporter Broc Bridges pointed out that Jett and Hunter Lawrence’s 3/5 results at Glendale marked the first time that brothers have ever both finished in the top five in the premier class of an AMA Supercross event.
By finishing third, Jett went from one point down in the title chase to a six-point advantage. The young Australian will run the red number-plate background at the next round.
AMA Supercross now gets its first off weekend of the year before resuming in Arlington, Texas, on February 24.