The 2023 Pro Motocross Championship has featured its share of surprises, new contenders rising and pivotal moments, with stakes rising as the series approaches its conclusion. In this edition of Q&A, MotoOnline answers some of the key questions eight rounds into the current season.

Image: Octopi Media.

Q: Can get Jett Lawrence complete a perfect 450MX rookie campaign?

A: Winning 16 out of 16 motos to date in the Pro Motocross Championship, the rookie 450MX season of Lawrence has been nothing short of dominant and immensely impressive. The recently turned 20-year-old has shown an electrifying speed coupled with a maturity beyond his age to capture runaway victories and maintain his composure when pushed at times. Lawrence currently leads the standings by 95 points ahead of Dylan Ferrandis (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) with the opportunity to wrap up the title at Unadilla, but his biggest threat in terms of race victories has been Team Honda HRC teammate Chase Sexton. Sexton pushed him all the way in moto two at Fox Raceway’s opener, but was sidelined from round two at Hangtown through to round five at RedBud after sustaining a concussion and being diagnosed with mono post-Pala. The 450SX champion has been trying to rebuild in his return and has shown flashes of pace to threaten Lawrence, but mistakes at times have limited his push for victory. If Lawrence is able to maintain the streak and go 20-0 ahead of the last round, will there be added pressure that may force him into making mistakes when the streak comes down to the wire of being perfect? Capturing his first 250MX title wasn’t all smooth sailing when it came down to the final round, but since then Lawrence has matured and that has shown in his approach and consistency this season. Time will tell if he can add a perfect 450MX season as a rookie to his impressive list of accolades.

Q: Who have been the biggest surprises this season?

A: Aside from Lawrence winning every race so far in his debut 450MX season, Haiden Deegan (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) and Ty Masterpool (Kawasaki). Since turning professional full-time from 250SX East this season, 2023 has been a year of milestones for 17-year-old Haiden Deegan. While his maiden Supercross campaign was impressive, it’s fair to say has continued to exceed all expectations and then some in 250MX this year, highlighted by two round wins and three moto victories. A special mention to Masterpool, the KX450-mounted privateer stepping up to 450MX after Fox Raceway’s opener and delivering a number of noteworthy top-six performances, showing the capability to battle and beat some established factory-supported riders at times. His best race result of the season so far was P4 in moto two at Thunder Valley.

Q: Will Hunter Lawrence hold off the late-season push of Deegan? 

A: With momentum on his side, ‘Danger Boy’ could certainly be dangerous in these last three rounds as he continues to gain experience and fight for the title. After eight rounds in his first full season in the class, he trails red plate-holder Hunter Lawrence (Team HRC) by just three points and enters the final stint of Pro Motocross this year as the only person so far to go 1-1 in the category, last time out at Washougal. If it weren’t for the mechanical DNF in race one at Southwick and a first-turn crash in moto two at RedBud, Lawrence would likely have a healthy lead. Despite rebounding to take the overall at Spring Creek, a fall in moto two at Washougal was costly for the number 96. It would be unfair to label it as a silly mistake, as the shadows at Washougal have caught a number of riders out, but it did see him fatigued as he tried to push toward the front. Meanwhile, Deegan showed a blistering pace to catch those ahead and win the bout. So where does that lead ahead of round nine? Within things that he can control, Lawrence – despite the moto two slip up at Washougal – has generally been the more consistent of the two and has been the fastest rider at a number of circuits this year. Deegan’s pace at Washougal was certainly impressive, but the question will be if he can back that up at Unadilla and maintain composure if he were to regain the red plate. Coincidence or not, one of his most challenging rounds this year, results-wise, came at Millville, where he held the points lead. Lawrence has shown that he can lead with the red plate and looking at his form across the season, plus his experience, he would have to be the favorite. However, one slip up or more misfortunate and the hungry number 238 of Deegan will be sure to capitalize.

Image: Octopi Media.

Q: What is Team USA’s MXoN line-up going to look like?

A: As the 2023 Motocross of Nations (MXoN) fast approaches, speculation continues to mount as to who will represent Team USA at the prestigious event in Ernee, France between 6-8 October. Looking at last year’s winning line-up of Eli Tomac (MX1), Justin Cooper (MX2) and Chase Sexton (Open), obviously, Tomac will miss the event as he continues to recover from a torn-achilles tendon sustained while leading in the late stages of Monster Energy Supercross this year. Cooper has indicated he will not be competing in the 2023 MXoN as that is when he is getting married, while Sexton you would think should be a shoo-in to represent in MX1 – that spot generally goes to the leading American rider in 450MX. However, the number 23 is heavily linked to a switch from Honda to KTM for next year, so the question would be if the timing of such a transition would affect his participation and the level of support or preparation he would have ahead of the event. If form and results in 250MX were a guide as to who gets the MX2 seat, Deegan would have to be the favorite and the YZ250F rider has confirmed his desire to want to represent Team USA at the event. Currently fourth in the 250MX standings, RJ Hampshire is another option – either on a 250 or even a 450. As for who else could be in the mix, the more likely candidates would have to be Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Jason Anderson (Monster Energy Kawasaki), Adam Cianciarulo (Monster Energy Kawasaki) or maybe even the returning Justin Barcia (TLD Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing). Plessinger is the highest-ranked of the lot in the 450MX standings, but Anderson has form on his side after scoring a podium at Washougal and missed the first four rounds as he recovered from a fractured C5-C6 vertebrae sustained at Nashville SX. An outside chance could also be Cooper Webb – almost certainly on a Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha by that stage – either on the 250 or 450, but most probably not.

Q: Will we see another 250MX race winner this season? 

A: Lawrence (6), Deegan (3), Cooper (2), Hampshire (2), Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Jo Shimoda (1), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle (1) and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Levi Kitchen (1) have all been victorious in race throughout the 2023 season. In fact, the only rider placed inside the top eight of the standings not to win a race is Maximus Vohland (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), who was second in the season-opening moto in Pala. Vohland has shown flashes of speed throughout his career but will need an uplift in form across the final three rounds if he is to stand on the top step, considering how competitively deep the 250 class is. Outside of that, it’s difficult to see another new winner this season, but there’s always the consideration of a standout performance from recent Loretta Lynn’s champion Daxton Bennick (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) as he’s tipped to return to 250MX this year or Austin Forkner (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) as he builds upon return from injury.

Q: What can we expect from Justin Barcia across the final three rounds?

A: Sidelined since sustaining multiple injuries in Nashville, Unadilla will mark Barcia’s first professional gate drop in over three months. If you look at Anderson as a reference, who was sidelined at a similar time but returned sooner at RedBud, the number 21 was fifth overall in his comeback, scoring a moto podium at Spring Creek – his third round back – and then an overall podium last time out at Washougal. That type of trajectory isn’t out of the question for the number 51, but it’s difficult to see him featuring greater than third considering his time off the bike and the gap the leading two riders, Lawrence and Sexton, have over the rest of the field. But after three months off, some top-five results would be solid for Barcia and a podium outstanding in the remaining 450MX races.

Q: Should we watch for anything in particular as the SMX playoffs approach?

A: A key concept of the newly-introduced SuperMotocross World Championship play-offs is the opportunity it provides injured riders to return to potentially clutch a major title in the post-season. Looking at 450SMX, not a single rider has completed every premier class 450SX and 450MX event so far this season. Jett Lawrence is the exception, claiming the 250SX West title and then commencing his 450 career outdoors. A point of intrigue will be how high can Lawrence rise in the 450SMX standings, prior to the playoffs. He is currently fifth, and with 46-point deficit to Cianciarulo in fourth, you would think no unless something happens to those in front, but even still a P5 seed would be solid after not contesting 450SX altogether. The SMX concept has placed a greater emphasis on each and every point scored throughout the season, for example, the cameo 450MX appearance of Ken Roczen (Progressive Insurance Ecstar Suzuki) at High Point has an even greater value. To put this in perspective, it could potentially be the difference between him being the seventh seed or the eighth seed entering the SMX post-season. On this note, we’ve seen the likes of Colt Nichols and Josh Hill, who are both on the cusp of a direct top-20 qualifying seed, go out of their way to compete at Washougal to gain valuable points. It will be interesting to see who else might return or make a Pro Motocross cameo in the remaining three rounds. Notably, Webb is still third in the 450SMX standings, and it is understood he still has intentions of lining up in the post-season despite parting ways with Red Bull KTM. He is widely linked to a spot at Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing as his next move, so it will be interesting to see how and when this could play out in relation to the SMX post-season. In 250SMX, while Hunter Lawrence comfortably leads, Deegan and Hampshire are separated by just five points for the number two playoff seed with three rounds remaining in the regular season. One to watch in the quarter-liter category is Forkner , who is currently 55th after being sidelined through all of the 250SX West Championship after injuring his knee in the main event at Anaheim 1. He returned at the Spring Creek National and has shown a gutsy fortitude in a bid to score points, needing to elevate inside the top 30 by the end of Pro Motocross to secure an entry in the SMX LCQ.