LAS VEGAS — The 2024 SuperMotocross World Championship came down to one final moto where two brothers, also teammates, battled for the sport’s premier championship and the $1 million payday that comes with it. Team Honda HRC Progressive’s Jett Lawrence emerged with the championship crown for the second year after winning the inaugural title last year; the new series encapsulates the 17-round Monster Energy AMA Supercross indoor season, the 11-round AMA Pro Motocross outdoor season, as well as the two postseason Playoffs and World Championship with escalating points payouts.
Team Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence challenged his younger brother right to the final checkered flag of 2024. Hunter earned the runner-up position in the championship and a $500,000 check via (3-2) moto finishes; the race format determines the event’s overall results with Olympic-scoring of two 20-minute plus one lap motos.
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac earned third place at the Las Vegas event, as well as the cool $250,000 championship payout that comes with it. Tomac put together strong (2-3) rides on the hybrid Supercross-motocross track at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Chase Sexton, along with the Lawrence brothers, entered the Las Vegas World Championship with enough points that a win would earn him the title. Unfortunately, Sexton’s night ended on the first lap of the first moto when he tangled with another athlete and pulled out of the racing.
“I want to start off by saying it’s sucked that we didn’t have Chase out there. I don’t know what happened, but I hope you have a speedy recovery,” Jett Lawrence said. “I’ve seen the video [and it] looked like it was just a bummer of a racing incident, so I want to send my prayers to him and hope he has a speedy recovery, or nothing too bad.
“It feels good [to win]. I sat out the Outdoors with injury, and it sucked, so it’s … good to come back and start where I left off. [I’m] super pumped. I’m happy but also it still sucks again because it’s against Hunter, so it’s a little harder to swallow but I’m just super happy with the team. This new bike is unreal, as you can see … Thanks everyone. I had to show up because the Australians came out, so I had to make sure I put Australia on top, either it was me or Hunter, so thanks to them.”
In the 250SMX Class, Troy Lee Designs Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Pierce Brown grabbed his first professional win with (2-1) moto scores, but the title went to Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan. Haiden is also repeating his crown as a SuperMotocross World Champion and will take home his second $500,000 prize for the feat.
Brown jumped quickly into second place in the opening moto, then followed that up with a strong moto 2 ride that saw him take the lead just before the midpoint. Brown’s overall event win catapulted him from seventh to third in the final championship standings.
Deegan entered the event with a 19-point lead, but with a triple-point payout, he still needed to earn at least third overall to guarantee the title. Deegan won the first moto and charged up to second in the final moto to grab the championship with a total of five post-season moto wins. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Jordon Smith earned third place on the night with (5-3) moto scores. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle started the night’s racing in second place in points, but a disappointing final moto ended his title hopes. His (3-8) moto finishes were enough to land him second in the championship.
“I’m speechless right now. I mean, I feel like this win has been long overdue,” Brown said. “We’ve been working really hard the last couple of years, and I’m just so stoked we got it done. I can’t thank my team enough; everybody behind me, Will, the whole TLD GASGAS team, I mean everybody. It’s just been a fun run. As our [“Venom: The Last Dance”-themed] gear says, this was the last dance so we ended on top, so I’m stoked.”
“Back-to-back is definitely a dream come true,” Deegan, the champion, said. “I worked my butt off ever since I was a kid to get here, so thank you to my family, my team Star Racing Yamaha, my trainer Swaney, just everyone in my circle. Man, it takes a big team to do this, and a lot of hard work, so thank you, guys.”
The SuperMotocross World Championship event wrapped up nine incredible months of racing. The 31-round SMX World Championship crossed and re-crossed the United States to challenge the best Supercross and motocross racers inside the top sports stadiums and at the most storied motocross venues. The series’ successful second year already has racers, teams, and fans looking forward to the 2025 race season.
The schedule for both the 2025 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season and the AMA Pro Motocross season will be teased beginning on Monday on the SuperMotocross World Championship social channels. The complete SX and MX schedules will be presented on Thursday, Sept. 26, on the SMX Insiders Show on the SuperMotocross World Championship YouTube channel and other social platforms.