The opening half of the 2022 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship has delivered exceptional action, with new contenders rising, past champions returning and a host of key storylines making this season one of the most intriguing to date. As the series approaches the remaining six rounds, MotoOnline looks at the Top 10 topics to follow.

Image: Octopi Media.

1. Sexton holding on:
It’s been a breakthrough Lucas Oil Pro Motocross season so far for Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton, whose consistent speed has immensely improved in the opening half of 450MX. In fact, he’s the only rider to stand on the overall podium in each of the six rounds and has not relinquished the red plate since his season-opening victory at Fox Raceway. At first, there was a sense of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’ it would start fall apart for Sexton, who up until 2022 outdoors has seen costly mistakes creep into his 450 career. But the number 23 has silenced critics with his composure and impressive string of results in the 12 motos so far, only finishing outside the top two on one occasion when he was fourth in moto one at Thunder Valley. That said, to hold on to the points lead the 22-year-old is going to have to rise again to another level as the in-form Eli Tomac is closing in…

2. In-form Tomac edging closer to red plate:
After a mediocre opening round in Pala, Tomac found his stride in moto two at Hangtown and scored his first 450MX victory with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing. Like in 450SX earlier this year, he continued to build throughout the opening races and has found his stride when in counts, having won the last six motos with three consecutive overall victories. Normally a string of results like in the first half of the season would fire a rider into the points lead, but the persistent Sexton has finished runner-up to Tomac in each of those motos to minimise points lost. Tomac has managed to bridge the deficit to a single point, and with momentum on his side and the knee injury sustained in Supercross seemingly an issue of the past, the number three will be hard to stop as he charges towards a fourth 450MX title.

3. Jett Lawrence on track for 250MX title number two: 
Fan favorite Jett Lawrence has stepped it up again in 2022 and started his 250MX title defence in fine form after securing a maiden 250SX East crown earlier this year. Battling through sickness in rounds two and three, and suffering a mechanical DNF in race one at RedBud, Lawrence rebounded to win each of the last three motos contested. He enjoys a 15-point red plate advantage and has won six of the opening 12 motos. With no one yet demonstrating the ability to match his speed on a consistent basis, at the halfway point of the championship the Team Honda HRC rider is well and truly on track to take back-to-back titles.

4. Battle to represent Team USA at MXoN:
While MXoN at RedBud in September this year is not in any way part of the 2022 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, riders looking to represent Team USA can certainly use strong results in Pro Motocross as a platform to accelerate their chances of getting selected. Standout 450MX performers Sexton and Tomac are the likely choices to represent in the Open and MXGP categories. Speculation surrounds who will fill the MX2 seat, however. Jason Anderson is the only other American to take a 450MX overall victory in the first six rounds of 2022 and revealed on Twitter that he would be up to ride a 250 for the event. As well, on a recent PulpMX Show, TLD Red Bull GasGas’ Justin Barcia also expressed he would not turn down an opportunity to ride in MX2, raising the consideration of a 450 contender being selected to step down to a 250F for the weekend. Post-race at Southwick, Sexton too admitted he would ride a 250 if it came down to it, however, made it clear his preference was to race a 450. Justin Cooper is the top-placed American in 250MX, P4, but with no real US 250 contender delivering standout performances we could very well see a 450 regular in MX2 at RedBud. There is also the chance of Christian Craig, who won the 250SX West title earlier this year and has been in 450MX outdoors again, getting the call.

5. Time is now for Hunter Lawrence:
For the first time in his career, Hunter Lawrence held the 250MX red plate following ‘bittersweet’ 2-2 moto scores at RedBud. However, his fortunes quickly changed during a ‘rough day’ at Southwick, when crashed hard in a scary moto one collision and was unable to work his way forwards in the second race. A 6-8 scorecard at round six meant his first red plate hold in Pro Motocross was short-lived. With brother Jett consistently landing moto victories, the time is now for Hunter Lawrence to start winning races again and claw back the 15-point deficit he faces to his Team Honda HRC teammate, before that gap becomes insurmountable.

Image: Octopi Media.

6. The physical condition of Roczen:
Time and time again, Ken Roczen has battled illness throughout his professional racing career. Looking at this year, his 450SX campaign was brought to a premature end due to health issues and during round five of 450MX at RedBud he admitted he was fighting the effects of illness while fading in the final laps of the second moto. Roczen again started strong in both races at Southwick but fell through the field as the motos progressed. While he didn’t mention sickness impacting his performance in Massachusetts, the question remains if the German will be able to return to his season-opening form as the physical demands continue to accumulate with each passing round.

7. Comeback of 450MX champion Ferrandis:
In what was a crushing blow for reigning 450MX champion Dylan Ferrandis, his title defence was over before it even started when he injured his thumb at Fox Raceway just days out from the season-opener. On the road to recovery, Ferrandis is targeting a comeback for round nine at Unadilla in a month’s time. While there is no chance of the Frenchman making it to back-to-back titles, he could still become a key protagonist in how this championship plays out, perhaps even a valuable asset in helping Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing teammate Tomac to secure the title. The question remains what kind of form he will be in upon return, having not raced since March after he withdrew from 450SX with a wrist injury.

8. Luckless Anderson needs to regroup:
It’s been an up-and-down start to the season for Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson, who scored his first 450MX overall victory in green at Hangtown but has been off the podium more times than he has been on it since. Luck has not been on ‘El Hombre’s’ side in the last two rounds, involved in opening turn pile-ups and both RedBud and Southwick which have limited his moto scores. Fourth in the 450MX and 61 points from red plate-holder Sexton, Anderson will be looking to regroup and finish the season strongly as he did in 450SX this year.

9. Podium return a possibility for Dungey:
To the delight of many, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Ryan Dungey stepped out of retirement to compete in the 2022 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. His initial plan to compete in the opening rounds quickly changed to a commitment to the complete 12 rounds of the championship, and he’s shown that he still has it. The number five impressed with a pair of fifths at Fox Raceway – his first professional outing since 2017 Monster Energy Supercross – and took the next step towards to the podium at High Point where he finished P4 in moto two. The multi-time AMA champion finished fourth again in moto one at Southwick, and it seems just a matter of time before he returns to the rostrum, and it’s sure to be a popular result when he does.

10. Shimoda taking the challenge to the Lawrence brothers:
Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Jo Shimoda scored a historic 250MX overall victory at RedBud when he became the first Japanese rider to win an AMA national. Recent races have seen the number 30 rise to another level, as he backed up P1 at round five with a runner-up result at Southwick. Shimoda has been vocal that he needs to improve his starts, having to charge from outside of the top five in three of the last four motos to achieve those finishes. That said, he’s still managed to emerge as the biggest threat to the Lawrence brother’s dominance and sits just 22 points behind Hunter who is second in the standings. The KX250 rider will be looking to use his current momentum as a platform to build, and if he can get a good start – like in moto one at RedBud- the number 30 may become a familiar sight right in the mix with the Team Honda HRC duo.