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Not merely picking up where he had left off before the final break in the AMA Pro #motocross season, Team Honda HRC’s #chasesexton raised his performance to a new level at the Unadilla National in upstate New York, convincingly winning both 450 motos and reclaiming the lead in the championship battle. Along the way, the Illinois native overtook title-rival Eli Tomac in both motos and set both fastest lap times. Teammate #KenRoczen was fifth overall via 5-7 finishes, while the 250 class saw Hunter and #jettlawrence finish third and fourth overall, each notching a second-place finish in a #moto.
Roczen ran at the front in the early going of 450 #moto 1, while Sexton looked to recover after completing lap 1 in sixth place. Tomac took over the lead in the middle part of the race, but Sexton was relentless, advancing to second by the midway point while cutting into Tomac’s lead. He put in a clean pass with six laps remaining and Eventually reached the checkered flag with a winning margin of nearly 13 seconds, with Roczen finishing fifth. Sexton started better in #moto 2 and sat third after one lap. By lap 5 he had passed the leading Tomac, after which he grew his advantage to nearly 16 seconds by the finish. Roczen crossed the line in sEventh place after spending most of the race in sixth.
The 250 action proved to be erratic and unpredictable at Unadilla, and that was certainly true for the Lawrence brothers. After completing #moto 1’s first lap in fifth, Jett worked his way forward, only to crash while battling for second. He and Hunter linked up to work their way forward, only for Jett to fall a second time while running fourth with five laps remaining. Hunter went on to finish second, while Jett remounted 10th and could only climb to sEventh by the time the checkers flew. The second outing saw Jett start second, with Hunter quickly latching on in third. Both riders suffered falls in the #moto, but Jett recovered to take second. Meanwhile, Hunter slowed when he suspected a bike issue that is thought to have actually been a rock temporarily becoming jammed in his rear-brake pedal and then dislodging after a bit; he Eventually recovered to finish fifth.
NOTES
Media contact:
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450 Overall Results
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450 Championship Points (after 9 of 12 rounds)
250 Overall Results
250 Championship Points (after 9 of 12 rounds)
Chase Sexton 23
“Today was awesome. I liked the conditions, which were similar to what I grew up riding on. In practice I was really struggling with trying to adapt to it being dryer and choppier than usual. We had to make more bike changes than I have been, but I didn’t change it from #moto 1 to #moto 2. I felt pretty comfortable for the race, even though the track could bite you really easily; I had a few close calls in the first #moto. You really had to be on your game, and today was one of those days where I felt like I was in control and flowing really well. This means a lot, as this is one of my favorite tracks to come to; it has a lot of history. I’ve been wanting to have a good race here for a long time, and I’m pumped with how today went.”
Ken Roczen 94
“Unadilla was somewhat of a step in the right direction. I definitely showed some speed on the day, but I really struggled with riding super-tight and my right arm being extremely pumped up, to where I had a very hard time holding on, especially with how choppy it was and the speed of the track. That unfortunately made me go backwards, especially in the first #moto. I made some passes and was leading for a little bit, but I had to let it go. It’s a bummer, but I’ll try and work on it. We went fifth and sEventh for fifth overall. Obviously, I was looking forward to trying to get on the podium; that didn’t happen, but I’m working hard at home to try and come back and hopefully put it on the podium at these last few rounds. Thanks to the team; they’ve been supporting me really good.”
Hunter Lawrence 96
“It was an okay day. The first #moto wasn’t too bad; we had an average start and then fought back to second, which was really good. In the second #moto we were in a great position—we had the overall—and then ran into some issues mechanically, which funnily enough resolved themselves. We were able to finish the race, thankfully, and salvage what we could. I’m not happy by any means, but we’ll take it.”
Jett Lawrence 18
“If you want an example of when it’s not your day, it was not my day today! [laughs] The riding side of things was great—I felt really good—but I think in the first #moto I was just pushing too much. I was riding the track faster than it was supposed to be ridden at that point in time; I was washing a lot everywhere, and over-leaning. I had two crashes, but thankfully I was okay apart from some road rash on my back. The second #moto I got a really good start but again pushed too hard and went down again—not an ideal day.”
Lars LindstromTeam Manager
“Just like we’ve had other weekends, it was an up-and-down day for the team—struggled in some ways but absolutely crushed it in others. I think the thing to focus on this time is Chase’s extreme dominance and the way he was able to do something to Eli Tomac that no one else really has ever done. It speaks volumes, and we’re all just so stoked for him to take the red plate back—can’t wait for the next one!”
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