In this 2024 edition of our MotoOnline Awards, we name the leading performers and storylines of the past season in a reflection of domestic and international competition. These are done purely for editorial purposes, pieced together from a perspective via what we witnessed during the year both locally and abroad.

Image: Octopi Media.

Rider of the Year – Jett Lawrence:
It didn’t all go Jett Lawrence’s way this year, but you can’t argue with the fact he was crowned the AMA 450 Supercross champion, the SMX world champion, and played a huge role in helping Australia claim the Chamberlain Trophy at the Motocross of Nations (MXoN). The Team Honda HRC Progressive rider continues to set the standard on the world’s biggest stage, winning the Monster Energy AMA Supercross title as a rookie by 15 points over Cooper Webb and returning from a thumb injury to win two of the three SMX Playoffs to successfully defend his crown. Several weeks later he went against the world’s best racers at the MXoN and comfortably won his first outing, then was narrowly beaten by Tim Gajser in the second to top the MX Open class standings and overall. It was only the Pro Motocross Championship where he came up short, since despite a huge crash at Hangtown, Lawrence fought himself back into the points lead, but a practice crash midway through the series saw him withdraw with an injured thumb.

Rookie of the year – Hunter Lawrence:
For his first season in the premier class, Team Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence ticked a lot of boxes in 2024. In fact, it’d be hard to find a rider who showed as much improvement as the Australian did. In January he failed to qualify on debut at Anaheim 1, but worked hard and was rewarded with two podiums at St. Louis and Denver on his way to ninth overall. Outdoors he stepped up by holding the red plate early on, before a late-season run from Chase Sexton saw him finish second in the Pro Motocross Championship. Lawrence then won the second of the SMX Playoffs in Texas and ended the three rounds tied on points with Jett, but was credited P2 on count-back. Hunter then played an instrumental role in helping Team Australia make history with a memorable win in the MXoN.

Personality of the Year – Haiden Deegan:
Some people love him, some love to hate him, but when Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan gets behind a mic, people stop to listen. The two-time 250SMX champion has a way with words and is never afraid to say what he’s thinking when attempting to get under the skin of his rivals. The thing is though, the 18-year-old can put his money where his mouth is – he’s proven he’s the best 250 rider on the circuit, has built a reputation as someone who refuses to give up, won both the Pro Motocross and SMX Playoffs, and finished P2 in the 250SX East championship this year. Deegan’s personality isn’t limited to his post-race interviews either, since he and his family have an immense following online and he knows how to work it to his advantage.

Series of the Year – SMX World Championship
Now that two years of the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) have been run and won, it’s hard to imagine the competition landscape without it. Riders, teams and the industry have quickly come to terms with the structure, have embraced the major increases in pay incentives and are learning what it takes to put themselves in contention for the playoffs. The biggest advantage of the new SMX programme – for race fans at least – is how it incentivises riders to return from injuries and try and collect crucial points to qualify for the three-round playoffs, rather than writing off their seasons altogether. The prize pool remained as lucrative as it was in its inaugural year, with 450SMX champion Jett Lawrence taking home a cool $1-million and 250 winner Deegan $500,000 for his efforts… And that’s not including the money earned across the individual rounds.

Image: Octopi Media.

Most Anticipated Motocross Model – 2025 Honda CRF range:
It’s rare that a manufacturer will update its two marquee racing models at the same time, but that’s precisely what Honda’s offering this year with big upgrades to its CRF450R and CRF250R machines in 2025. On top of that, both categories will feature Works Editions. Both the CRF450R and CRF250R receive a more rigid chassis and engine updates. Both also receive updated suspension packages. The Works Edition (WE) models feature a long list of component upgrades, including a Hinson clutch basket and cover, Yoshimura exhaust, Twin Air filter, D.I.D DirtStar LT-X rims, Renthal Kevlar grips, Dunlop MX33 tires and more.

Top Team – Team Honda HRC Progressive:
While the team didn’t achieve the same lofty heights it did in 2023 when claiming all five major championships, 2024 has been another amazing year for Team Honda HRC Progressive. Jett Lawrence ensured the team won back-to-back 450SX championships, as well as finishing 1-2 in the SMX World Championship Playoffs with brother Hunter. In addition, Hunter Lawrence finished P2 in the 450MX championship, while 250 riders Chance Hymas impressed many with his speed outdoors on his way to fourth overall, with four podiums and a break-out round win at RedBud. After a slow start, Jo Shimoda consolidated with a P4 result in the 250SX West points, thanks to four podiums and a win in Denver, then achieved another three podiums in the 250MX on his way to sixth overall. The Japanese rider also finished fourth overall in the 250SMX Finals series, capping off another positive year for the Lars Lindstrom-led Honda team.

Best Event – MXoN:
It’s always the biggest event on the calendar, but this year’s MXoN at England’s Matterley Basin was another incredible instalment, as Team Australia – Jett Lawrence, Hunter Lawrence and Kyle Webster – made history by lifting the Chamberlain Trophy for the first time ever. Team USA also put in a great performance on their way to second overall, spearheaded by a charging Eli Tomac, who thrived in the technical, drizzly conditions to finish with 2-3 scores from his two motos. Aaron Plessinger’s consistent 7-8 results proved to be a mainstay for the Americans, while Cooper Webb finished an impressive 9-17 in his first race back on a 250 at late notice. The results set the scene for what should be a fascinating 2025, when the MXoN returns to US soil at Ironman in October.

Hottest Topic – WSX resurrection:
After two difficult years of trying to launch the FIM World Supercross Championship, 2024 finally saw a more cohesive product brought to the table. The year began with radio silence from the SX Global team, but in mid-June a four-round schedule were announced for Vancouver, a double-header in Perth, and a return to Yas Island. The series would begin just four months later in October. Despite that mad scramble, the new, largely UK-based management group delivered on their promises of expanding and improving the series – at least from a pretty low starting point. Securing Eli Tomac to contest the WSX championship against two-time champion Ken Roczen was a coup and gave the series some added legitimacy at the high end, while the tracks – even the layout inside the super-tight Etihad Arena – were a step forward, and the new SuperFinal format was innovative in itself. It wasn’t perfect, but after Tomac and Shane McElrath clinched the WSX and 250SX titles, SX Global knows what it needs to do to again elevate the series in 2025.

Image: Octopi Media.

Greatest disappointment – Injuries disrupt title prospects:
Injuries are part of the sport, but it’s still disappointing when they affect the title chances of the main competitors. This year saw weirdly similar thumb injuries take Tomac, Webb and Jett Lawrence out of contention, while Austin Forkner suffered a horror crash while leading the 250SX East Championship, then later required brain surgery, which sidelined him for the rest of the year. Webb was the first to injure his thumb at the Birmingham Supercross in March, then aggravated it again in Philadelphia, but in true Webb fashion, he toughed out the entire 450SX season – including wins at Seattle and Foxborough – and finished second in the championship before electing to get surgery. Tomac’s hometown hoodoo continued when he injured his thumb during practice at the Denver Supercross. He finished the round in 10th, then sat out the Salt Lake finals to finish P4 overall. Meanwhile, Lawrence, who had bounced back admirably from a significant crash at the Hangtown round of Pro Motocross, injured his thumb in a practice crash between Southwick and RedBud, and sat out the rest of the outdoors. He had been sitting P2 in the 450MX title chase at the time.

Most surprising moment – Jorge Prado to Monster Energy Kawasaki:
Having tried his hand in the AMA Supercross Championship for four rounds early in 2024, two-time MXGP champion Jorge Prado has committed to racing full time in the US next year. However, it’s his switch to the Monster Energy Kawasaki team that’s the most surprising. Prado has raced for the KTM Group for over a decade, since signing with the Austrian brand as an 11-year-old in 2011. For the past three years he raced for the Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing Team and won back-to-back MXGP titles in 2023 and 2024. The move to Kawasaki is a huge shift for the Spaniard, who will need to get used to an all-new bike, as well as life in America when the gate drops on 2025. For the record, Prado’s four-round foray into 450SX this year finished with 13-7-11-12 results, with the highlight being a heat race win at the muddy San Francisco round.

Social Standout – Chase Sexton:
Red Bull KTM’s Chase Sexton has stepped up his social media content this year, and his channels offer a fascinating insight into the life of a professional racer. The current Pro Motocross 450MX champion’s content team posts a range of high-quality images and videos that capture his racing, on- and off-bike training sessions and even a large extent of his off-season activities. Sexton also has a solid audience on YouTube, and while he only publishes new vlogs every couple of months on average, they’re insightful and full moments that showcase his career and lifestyle. It’s the whole package that counts in this case.

Special Mention – The 250 champions:
The awards wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t mention the outstanding performances of 250SX champions RJ Hampshire and Tom Vialle. For Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Hampshire, the 250SX West title has been years in the making. He’s always been a threat, but this year he was able to fend off a fierce challenge from Levi Kitchen (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) to capture his first crown, with two round wins at Anaheim 1 and Glendale, and a total of seven podiums from 10 rounds. It was a similar scenario for Red Bull KTM’s Vialle, who managed to edge Haiden Deegan for the 250SX East championship by four points. The two-time MX2 world champion had a tough start to the series at Detroit with a P18 result, but over the remainder of the series he stayed consistent and claimed a memorable first US title. We’ve also got to give credit to Kay de Wolf (Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing) who clinched the MX2 World Championship for the first time this year. The Dutchman held his team-mate Lucas Coenen at bay during the 20-round series – including Coenen’s hard-charging finish to the season – and de Wolf took the title by 20 points in the end.