Rookie Jett Lawrence led every lap on Saturday night at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich., en route to the second victory of his 450SX career.
It was precisely the comeback the No. 18 rider needed after three straight weeks of finishing outside the top five.
The expectations were high for the Team Honda HRC rider coming into the Supercross season, following Lawrence’s pure domination during AMA Pro Motocross last year. He swept all 22 motos in his rookie outdoor campaign.
Many thought his winning ways had translated over to the stadium series when the 20-year-old topped the 450SX field at the opening round on Jan. 7. However, after Lawrence failed to crack the podium during the following three rounds, speculation began to grow about his rookie struggles.
He quieted the storm on Saturday night.
“I think Jett Lawrence finally showed up to a race,” Lawrence joked in his podium interview.
Along with making a little mental progress over the last couple weeks, he’s made quite a few changes to his bike setup since the opener at Anaheim, Calif., a month ago.
“The biggest difference for me is just my decision making,” Lawrence said.
The Tide Finally Turns For Roczen
Ken Roczen hasn’t been able to prove much since the season started.
Despite the flashes of speed he’s shown in qualifying and heat races, the H.E.P. Motorsports rider hasn’t put it together in a main event — and for the most part, it hasn’t been his fault.
Other than the podium finish he earned during the mud race at round three, Roczen has either been caught up in a first-turn crash or been a part of other various incidents that have caused him to finish outside the top five at three of five races.
“It’s definitely frustrating, but it’s not for a lack of effort. And that’s why I hold my head high,” Roczen noted. “On the racing side of things, there’s stuff that can happen in the first turn, there’s so much going on and it doesn’t always have to be your fault.”
He said he’s been “dealing with it well,” and went on to soften the blow by earning a third-place finish in Detroit on Saturday night.
“In the end, no matter where I find myself, whether I’m half a lap down or in the back of the pack, every time I pick up my bike I just try to get to the front and never give up until the checkered flag flies,” Roczen said.
Webb Less Than Satisfied
Cooper Webb endured a minor crash in his heat race that set him back for the remainder of the night program. He was able to climb his way through the pack to finish fourth in the main event, but the No. 2 Star Racing Yamaha rider was less than satisfied with his results.
“It’s a bummer to get fourth, but we’re still right where we need to be,” Webb said.
He explained there was a hole in the rut in front his gate that he hit on the start, which put him at a disadvantage from lap one.
Quick Takeaways
Red Bull KTM’s Chase Sexton, who was runner-up in Detroit, will be the points leader heading to round six. Saturday’s result marked his third podium of the year.
After running second early on in the main event, two-time Supercross champion Eli Tomac dropped like a rock in the final half of the race. He ultimately finished 10th, which extended his top-10 streak that dates back to Jan. 17, 2021.
Rookie Hunter Lawrence finished eighth — his second-best result of the year.
Triumph Racing made their Supercross debut in the 250SX class on Saturday, with riders Jalek Swoll and Evan Ferry both making the main event. Swoll led the team’s efforts by finishing sixth.