Cycle News Staff | June 29, 2024
Welcome to The Wick! Today is round five of the 2024 AMA Pro Motocross Championship and the riders are ready to surf the sands of Southwick. This notoriously rough track is an iconic venue and brought some exciting racing during every moto. Let’s get to the action!
Welcome to The Wick! Photo: Alex Kelly
450MX
Moto 1
The first 450 moto was all about Jett Lawrence. The reigning champ got out to the early lead and never looked back, leading all 16 laps and setting the fastest time of the race. His brother Hunter Lawrence finished second with Chase Sexton finishing a distant third.
450MX Start. Photos: Brown Dog Wilson
Jett Lawrence dominated the first 450MX moto. Photo: Brown Dog Wilson
Moto 2
Moto two brought out the excitement with a number of lead changes and passed. Jett and Hunter again started up front with Sexton hanging closely behind in third. Hunter turned up the pace in the early stages and made a pass for the lead but later relinquished and dropped back to third. A 2-3 gave him third overall as he keeps the championship points lead.
Chase Sexton rallied for a win in moto two.
Jett Lawrence reclaimed the lead with eight minutes left and looked to be catching a second wind late in the moto. However, Chase Sexton caught fire and made his run for the lead, trading spots back and forth with Lawrence.
Jett Lawrence finished second but still claimed the overall win.
Sexton dropped Jett in the final laps and claimed the win by more than eight seconds. The KTM riders’ 3-1 gave him second overall while Jett’s 1-2 earned him the overall victory. Sexton and Lawrence are now tied in the championship points, three back from Hunter.
Hunter Lawrence ran up front all day and finished third overall.
450 Overall podium.
450MX Overall Results (Top 10)
| 1. |
Jett Lawrence |
(Hon) |
1-2 |
| 2. |
Chase Sexton |
(KTM) |
3-1 |
| 3. |
Hunter Lawrence |
(Hon) |
2-3 |
| 4. |
Justin Cooper |
(Yam) |
5-6 |
| 5. |
Dylan Ferrandis |
(Hon) |
7-5 |
| 6. |
Aaron Plessinger |
(KTM) |
12-4 |
| 7. |
Justin Barcia |
(GG) |
6-11 |
| 8. |
Phil Nicoletti |
(Yam) |
9-9 |
| 9. |
Harri Kullas |
(KTM) |
10-10 |
| 10. |
Kyle Webster |
(Hon) |
17-7 |
250MX
Moto 1
Haiden Deegan controlled all of the first 250 moto by leading wire to wire. The Yamaha rider grabbed the crucial holeshot before taking off for the next 16 laps. Deegan further extended his points lead and won by 15 seconds over second place.
Haiden Deegan dominated the first 250 moto.
Tom Vialle finished second to Deegan in moto one. Vialle was last year’s winner but realized the gap was insurmountable near the half-way mark. With a healthy cushion back to third, Vialle cruised it in for second and conserved some energy for the second moto.
Tom Vialle finished a distant second.
Chance Hymas finished a lonely third after battling early on in the race.
Chance Hymas took third.
Moto 2
After a red flag restart, both Levi Kitchen and Haiden Deegan slugged it out for the start of moto two. Deegan quickly jumped to the lead but fell just a few laps later and was forced to charge from the back of the pack.
Deegan led early but fell and had to rally.
This crash allowed Vialle to take over the lead with a five second gap back to Jo Shimoda. It looked to be Vialle’s race but Shimoda and Deegan continued to chip away at the gap. With three laps to go all three riders found themselves battling for the win.
Vialle led most of moto two but fell late and finished third.
Shimoda made his way around Vialle for the lead with two laps left and Vialle slid out just one lap later. His crash dropped any chance of an overall win as Deegan moved through to second. Vialle still remounted for third in the moto.
A 1-2 gave Deegan another overall win with Vialle’s 2-3 giving him second on the day. Shimoda’s win earned him third overall after a ninth in moto one.
250MX Overall podium.
250MX Overall Results (Top 10)
| 1. |
Haiden Deegan |
(Yam) |
1-2 |
| 2. |
Tom Vialle |
(KTM) |
2-3 |
| 3. |
Jo Shimoda |
(Hon) |
9-1 |
| 4. |
Chance Hymas |
(Hon) |
3-5 |
| 5. |
Joey Savatgy |
(Tri) |
5-6 |
| 6. |
Levi Kitchen |
(Kaw) |
4-7 |
| 7. |
Jordon Smith |
(Yam) |
7-4 |
| 8. |
Ty Masterpool |
(Kaw) |
6-8 |
| 9. |
Pierce Brown |
(GG) |
8-12 |
| 10. |
Casey Cochran |
(Hus) |
11-10 |
QUALIFYING
Chase Sexton made his mark early this morning with the fastest lap of the 450MX competitors, more than a second quicker than Jett Lawrence. He’s looking for some redemption after falls at round four held him back from a race win. Jett Lawrence clocked the second best time and pulled off early in the session, likely to rest his shoulder ahead of the two demanding motos. Justin Cooper rounded out the top three times.
Chase Sexton was the fastest rider of the 450 qualifying sessions. Photo: Brown Dog Wilson
Jett Lawrence was second but pulled off early.
Justin Cooper clocked third.
450MX Combined Qualifying (Top 10)
| 1. |
Chase Sexton |
(KTM) |
2:04.370 |
| 2. |
Jett Lawrence |
(Hon) |
2:04.507 |
| 3. |
Justin Cooper |
(Yam) |
2:05.228 |
| 4. |
Aaron Plessinger |
(KTM) |
2:05.906 |
| 5. |
Dylan Ferrandis |
(Hon) |
2:06.296 |
| 6. |
Garrett Marchbanks |
(Yam) |
2:06.399 |
| 7. |
Justin Barcia |
(GG) |
2:06.421 |
| 8. |
Hunter Lawrence |
(Hon) |
2:06.999 |
| 9. |
Jason Anderson |
(Kaw) |
2:07.073 |
| 10. |
Kyle Webster |
(Hon) |
2:07.112 |
250MX
The 250MX class is notorious for seeing an underdog take the fastest qualifying time and today that rider was France’s Tom Guyon. The GasGas rider is competing in his first AMA Pro Motocross event and grabbed the top time out of the 250B practice. Haiden Deegan clocked second overall with Joey Savatgy logging the third fastest time. Another French rider, Tom Vialle, topped the second session but landed sixth overall.
Vialle was fastest in the second session but fellow French countryman Tom Guyon was the fastest 250 rider.
250MX Combined Qualifying (Top 10)
| 1. |
Tom Guyon |
(GG) |
2:05.091 |
| 2. |
Haiden Deegan |
(Yam) |
2:05.228 |
| 3. |
Joseph Savatgy |
(Tri) |
2:05.753 |
| 4. |
Levi Kitchen |
(Kaw) |
2:05.874 |
| 5. |
Ty Masterpool |
(Kaw) |
2:06.177 |
| 6. |
Tom Vialle |
(KTM) |
2:06.231 |
| 7. |
Chance Hymas |
(Hon) |
2:06.397 |
| 8. |
Julien Beaumer |
(KTM) |
2:06.969 |
| 9. |
Geran Stapleton |
(Kaw) |
2:07.156 |
| 10. |
Pierce Brown |
(GG) |
2:07.302 |
The sign says it all. Photo: Alex Kelly
Max Anstie is back with the Star Racing Yamaha team. Photo: Alex Kelly
Aaron Plessinger’s KTM. Photo: Alex Kelly
