Hunter Lawrence and Justin Cooper claim the two moto wins.
Image: Octopi Media.
Despite not winning a moto, Team Honda HRC’s 250MX series leader, Jett Lawrence, took another round win at the 2022 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship after a close day of racing at Washougal.
Lawrence was joined by Justin Cooper (4-1) and older brother Hunter (1-4) on the round podium.
Team Honda HRC’s Hunter Lawrence claimed first blood in the opening 250MX race.
Monster Energy Pro Circuit’s Jo Shimoda leapt to the front of the first 250MX moto, followed by team-mates Hunter and Jett Lawrence, and fastest-qualifier Justin Cooper (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha).
Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker quickly dispatched of Cooper but would gradually lose touch of the front-runners.
At the 10-minute mark, and after a prolonged period of pressure, Hunter forced his way past the Japanese rider and tried to sprint away, leaving Shimoda in Jett’s sights.
Their battle whittled down Hunter’s three-second lead and as the race wore on the pressure between the three continued to ramp up.
Late in the race Jett stood Shimoda up entering the whoops, but Hunter would control the closing laps to take the win, with Jett second and Shimoda third.
Cooper made a late move on Hammaker to reclaim a distant fourth. P
ierce Brown (TLD Red Bull GasGas), Max Vohland (Red Bull KTM), RJ Hampshire (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna), Jalek Swoll (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) and KTM rider Josh Varize would complete the top 10.
Justin Cooper put in a controlled wire-to-wire moto two victory to take his first race win of the 2022 Pro Motocross Championship.
Cooper took the holeshot from Shimoda and Hunter, with Jett in fourth.
Cooper progressively stretched out a comfortable lead as Shimoda and the Lawrence brothers again went deep into the trenches.
After several laps of pressuring Shimoda, Hunter laid his bike over in a corner, dropping him to fourth.
With 11 minutes to go, and after a prolonged period of pressure, Jett found a way past Shimoda into second and the round overall position and was content to stay there and bank the points.
Hunter Lawrence put in some furious final laps to close back on Shimoda but ultimately ran out of time, finishing a hard-fought fourth.
Cooper took a five-second race win, while Jett’s 2-2 result was enough to take a one-point round win over Cooper and Hunter.
Vohland would complete the moto top five, ahead of Hampshire, Nate Thrasher (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha), Hammaker, Brown and Varize.
Jett now holds a 28-point lead over Hunter (355 to 327 points) in the championship points chase, with Shimoda third on 306 points.
The ninth round of the Pro Motocross Championship will be held at Unadilla, NY on 13 August.
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