Jett Lawrence swept both 450 motos at the Hangtown Motocross Classic, earning his first overall victory of the 2026 season and closing to within six points of the championship lead. The defending AMA Pro Motocross Champion topped qualifying and controlled both races from the front aboard his CRF450RWE, shaking off a still-healing ankle that had limited him to third overall at the Fox Raceway opener.
Hunter Lawrence finished second in both motos, retaining the championship lead despite being beaten by his younger brother. The older Lawrence brother grabbed the holeshot in moto 2 and led lap 1 before a red flag reset the race, then spent the remainder of the moto applying pressure from second place. His consistency secured another 1-2 finish for Honda HRC Progressive, the second consecutive week the team swept the top two spots.
Jett posted the fastest lap times in both motos. His moto 2 best was over 1.3 seconds quicker than anyone else. Holeshots in both races gave him clean air, and he used it to build gaps that Hunter could not close. The strategy was deliberate: spend the first 15 minutes finding flow, then push one fast lap to create separation. Hunter admitted the red flag disrupted his rhythm in moto 2. “I feel like any time you were following someone and tried a different line, you just lost time,” he said.
Hangtown is the only AMA Pro Motocross track where Jett Lawrence has recorded a premier-class overall loss, yet he has won there three times across two divisions: once in the 250 class in 2022, twice in 450 in 2023 and 2025. The 2026 result extends Honda’s premier-class overall-win record at Hangtown to 21, nine more than the next manufacturer. Winners on that list include Rick Johnson, Jeremy McGrath, Ricky Carmichael, and Eli Tomac.
Jo Shimoda and Chance Hymas delivered fifth and eighth overall in the 250 division after being caught in a massive first-turn crash at the start of moto 2. Shimoda had finished third in moto 1, spending much of the race challenging for second, while Hymas took fifth. Both riders charged from deep in the pack after the crash, with Shimoda finishing sixth in moto 2 and Hymas 12th. Team manager Lars Lindstrom noted that Shimoda nearly secured a strong start in moto 2 before Seth Hammaker’s bike came over and disrupted his line. “If he would’ve been P2 then, I think he would’ve won that moto,” Lindstrom said.
In the 450 class, Christian Craig placed 11th overall for Quad Lock Honda. Hunter Lawrence carries a 94–88 points advantage over Jett heading into Thunder Valley. In the 250 class, Shimoda sits fifth in the standings with 69 points, while Hymas is seventh with 56. Seth Hammaker leads the division with 85 points after two rounds.
The WMX series opened at Hangtown with two Red Riders on the podium. Quad Lock Honda’s Charli Cannon finished second overall with 3-2 results, and SLR Honda’s Mikayla Nielsen placed third overall with a 2-3 tally. The class is contesting one moto on Fridays and one moto on Saturdays this season, with the latter included in Peacock coverage.
Hunter Lawrence retains the red plate heading to Lakewood, Colorado, for the Thunder Valley National Motocross this Saturday.
Source: Honda. Images courtesy of Honda.
