Image: Octopi Media.

With the top time in qualifying and dominant wins in both motos, Jett Lawrence ensured the 2023 Pro Motocross Championship visit to Southwick was another perfect day and marked the continuation of his outstanding rookie season.

To start the first 450MX moto, Lawrence rocketed out of the gate and masterfully pinched off the riders to his inside, but a mistake through the first turn allowed his Team Honda HRC teammate Chase Sexton to dart ahead a few bike lengths.

With an inside move into the second turn, however, Lawrence immediately took back control of the race.

Sexton limited Lawrence’s advantage to around 2s before letting the rookie pull more than 10s forward entering the closing laps.

Adding to the challenge of the sandy track, countless rollers and ruts perhaps encouraged Lawrence to tone it back slightly leading to the checkered flag, with the final margin of victory standing at 7.003s. Regardless, Lawrence successfully reached the halfway mark of his 2023 campaign yet to lose a moto.

After the Honda 1-2 delivered by Lawrence and Sexton, Dylan Ferrandis (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) raced to third after spending an early period behind privateer Ty Masterpool, who put up a strong fight before relinquishing his starting position of third to Ferrandis and being leapfrogged by Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM) who finished fourth.

Masterpool in fifth beat the Monster Energy Kawasaki duo of Jason Anderson and Adam Cianciarulo along with local rider Chris Canning, Wildcat Racing’s Jose Butron, and Garrett Marchbanks (Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha) to the checkered flag in the top 10.

Ferrandis was first out of the first turn after the day’s final gate drop, but Lawrence took over at his next opportunity, just as he did to Sexton in moto one.

Plessinger, Cianciarulo, and Sexton were the other riders up front as the race began to unfold. Sexton moved into second, but not soon enough to keep the size of Lawrence’s lead from eclipsing 5s.

Positions changing hands was limited among this group through to the checkered flag, with Lawrence ultimately securing his 12th consecutive moto win of 2023 by 14.711s over his teammate.

Ferrandis was third, finalizing his 3-3 performance on the day. Plessinger held fourth, taking the checkered flag a ways up the track from ClubMX rider Marchbanks who turned a better start into a fifth-place result in moto two. Butron, Canning, Cianciarulo, Grant Harlan, and Masterpool were the other riders in the top 10 as the field took the checkers.

With Millville on Saturday, July 15 the next stop on the Pro Motocross calendar, Lawrence will travel to Minnesota with a 67-point lead over Ferrandis in the 450MX standings. Plessinger is third, a further 23 points back.

Detailed results