Image: Octopi Media.

Newly crowned 450MX champion Jett Lawrence turned in the fastest lap as the premier class took to the track Saturday morning to kick off the 2023 edition of the Pro Motocross Championship’s Budds Creek National while Justin Cooper put his Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing-prepared machine atop the 250MX division.

Lawrence, representing Team Honda HRC, reduced his lap time 2.167s from the first session to the second, enabling the No. 18 Honda CRF450R WE to gap its competition by 1.416s on the combined qualifying timesheet entering the motos.

The second Team Honda HRC rider, Chase Sexton, lost the front over a berm and hit the ground in the second session, hindering his ability to improve upon his Q1 time.

Sexton didn’t and settled for second behind his still-undefeated teammate.

The Monster Energy Kawasaki duo of Adam Cianciarulo and Jason Anderson showed speed in the pair of qualifying sessions, landing third and fourth on the combined results.

Dylan Ferrandis was next in fifth for Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing, ahead of Justin Barcia (TLD Red Bull GasGas), Ty Masterpool (HBI Racing Kawasaki), Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM), Garrett Marchbanks (Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha), and Grant Harlan (Manluk Rock River Racing Yamaha) in the top 10.

Image: Octopi Media.

Going considerably faster in the second session than the first as well, Cooper completed a 1:59.545s revolution of the Budds Creek track to claim top qualifying honors in 250MX.

The best lap from Haiden Deegan (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) was the previous mark to beat before Cooper raised the bar, relegating the two-time 2023 overall winner to second on the combined timesheet, a mere 0.063s off Cooper’s pace.

Maximus Vohland added his Red Bull KTM-prepared KTM 250 SX-F FE to the top three with a best lap 1.449s slower than that of Cooper.

Seth Hammaker (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) and Stilez Robertson (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) completed the top five while Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM), Jo Shimoda (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki), Levi Kitchen (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing), Austin Forkner (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki), and points leader Hunter Lawrence (Team Honda HRC) comprised the remainder of qualifying’s top 10.

Detailed results