Hunter Lawrence has reclaimed the 450SMX Class championship lead with a dominant 1-1 performance at Budds Creek, setting up a thrilling winner-take-all showdown with brother Jett Lawrence at next weekend’s season finale. The siblings are separated by just a single point heading into the final round at Ironman Raceway.
Heavy morning rain at the Yamaha Racing Budds Creek National Presented by Carter CAT created challenging conditions that eventually transitioned into a competitive racing surface as the sun emerged. The dramatic day saw multiple championship implications across both classes at Round 27 of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship.
In the opening 450SMX moto, Hunter Lawrence seized control early from Haiden Deegan, whilst Jett Lawrence suffered a disastrous start following contact in the first turn that left him deep outside the points-paying positions. The defending champion mounted an impressive recovery to salvage fifth, but the damage was done as Hunter cruised to victory by 5.6 seconds over Deegan.
The second moto provided Hunter with another opportunity to extend his advantage. A wire-to-wire performance saw the Honda HRC Progressive rider claim his 12th moto win of the season, finishing 5.9 seconds ahead of Jett, who recovered to second after dispatching Jorge Prado on the final lap.
Hunter’s sixth 1-1 sweep of the season marks his seventh career overall victory and, more importantly, creates an 11-point swing in the championship standings. It’s the sixth time the points lead has changed hands between the Lawrence brothers this summer.
Prado secured consecutive runner-up finishes with a 3-3 performance, whilst Deegan continued his remarkable rookie campaign with a fifth consecutive podium (2-4), giving him eight top-three finishes through 10 rounds. Jett’s fourth-place result marked just his third non-podium finish in 37 premier class starts.
The 250SMX Class witnessed equally dramatic championship implications as Chance Hymas became the seventh different winner of the season, setting a new record for parity in the smaller displacement class. The Honda HRC Progressive rider’s 2-1 performance marked his third career overall victory.
Points leader Levi Kitchen endured a nightmare opening moto after leading early before crashing and dropping to 17th. Running out of tear-offs forced him to remove his goggles, and he was later penalised four positions for exceeding track limits off the start, relegating him to 14th. A strong second-moto ride to second couldn’t salvage the day.
Cole Davies capitalised on Kitchen’s misfortune with a 1-3 performance to reclaim the championship lead. The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider now holds a 14-point advantage heading into the finale, putting his destiny in his own hands.
Rookie Landen Gordon claimed his first career podium with a 3-7 scorecard, becoming the eighth different rider to achieve a maiden podium this summer, further highlighting the competitive depth of the 250SMX Class.
The season finale takes place next Saturday, 29 August, at Ironman Raceway for the U.S. Army Ironman National Finals Presented by Tucker Freight Lines, where three champions will be crowned in what promises to be a spectacular conclusion to the 2026 Pro Motocross Championship.
Photo: MX Sports Pro Racing Media
