Image: Octopi Media.

Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence has received a written warning from AMA Pro Racing following that wave-by moment in moto two at Chicago that effectively ensured Ken Roczen won the race.

While leading the second 450SMX outing, Lawrence allowed Roczen through and from there the HEP Suzuki rider rode on to take his first moto victory of the post-season.

Lawrence violated section 1.5.9 of the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) rulebook, which essentially states all competitors must strive to secure the highest possible finish and not deliberately manipulate or attempt to influence the final outcome of the competition.

The written warning, which won’t have any impact on the results from Chicago, reads: ‘Rider – Jett Lawrence, session – 450SMX moto two, infraction – failure of performance obligation, penalty – written warning.’

While Roczen would have still finished second regardless, it appeared that Lawrence thought by allowing him through that he could bump red plate-holder Chase Sexton back to third for the event by allowing the Suzuki rider to win. Additionally, he labelled it as a ‘baby gift’ for Roczen, which the latter was having none of.

“I think it was the two laps when Kenny was really on me, when he kind of closed the gap,” Lawrence recalled. “I was riding but my mind was somewhere else, trying to do maths. I kind of took two laps and was just thinking and making sure that if I did let him past, it wouldn’t affect my overall, but turns out it wouldn’t have meant anything if I didn’t let him past.

“So that’s my great maths, but there was two laps where I was thinking it, then I was like, ‘I’m pretty sure I’m good’, then that back section I just let him past and kind of just rode around behind.

“I got to see how he races, so it was also a good thing for me, cause I can only learn so much if I’m in front of the guy. So it was nice to see what Kenny’s lines were and see how he races on a bit of a tighter track. I got to see it on outdoors, but I haven’t seen it in more of a Supercross kind of layout.”

Following Lawrence’s overall win in Chicago, he trails Team Honda HRC teammate and red plate-holder Sexton by just two points entering the LA Coliseum, with triple points on offer this Saturday night.