HUNTER LAWRENCE INTERVIEW: CHASING EXCELLENCE

Round three of the 2023 AMA Pro Motocross series at Thunder Valley in Lakewood, Colorado, saw Team Honda HRC rider Hunter Lawrence take yet another win in the 250 class, making it three-for-three in overall wins. While he may not have been as dominant as younger brother Jett who has won every moto so far, Hunter is establishing himself as the man to beat in the 250 class. The twenty-three-year-old now has a sixteen-point lead over second in points Justin Cooper. We spoke with Hunter after another solid day at the track.

By Jim Kimball

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HUNTER, ANOTHER OVERALL WIN FOR YOU, HOW WAS IT? Yes, overall, it was a great day. I made it much easier on myself for the second moto with a better start. I’m pumped for myself, Jett, and my teammate Chance Hymas who finished third in the second moto.

PEOPLE HAVE DESCRIBED YOUR RIDING STYLE AND YOUR BROTHER JETT’S FOR THAT MATTER, AS TRAIL RIDING. IT APPEARS AS IF YOU ARE HARDLY TRYING TO WIN RACES. I don’t know what to say. That is just our style and I feel like anyone you watch do something at the peak of their sport, whether it is golf, Moto GP, football, or tennis, when you watch a world-class athlete, I feel like they may do something that you are blown away with. But most of the time, it is just “Wow, they just do everything correctly.” They perform well. We just try to do everything as efficiently as we can. It’s difficult to explain. It is just how we ride, and we work to ride like that.

OBVIOUSLY, YOU GUYS WERE WINNING LAST YEAR, BUT IT SEEMS YOU BOTH HAVE TAKEN ANOTHER STEP UP, HAVE YOU? For sure, we are a level up, Jett and I both this year from last year. I don’t want to say it is expected but that is where we set our markers and goals to be. We want to work and want to improve. Whether it is one percent or half a percent. We want to be better than we were the following year and the following week. I think it is a fair statement to say that we are better than last year.  

YOU AND YOUR BROTHER RIDE VERY SIMILARLY. SO, IT’S INTERESTING TO ME THAT HE HAS DOE SO AMAZING ON THE 450 – DOES THAT MEAN YOU ARE ALSO READY TO MOVE UP? It is awesome to see Jett do well, and I consider myself more of a 450 rider. I don’t rev the bike a ton. I feel like my style is definitely suited to a 450. It would be exciting to get on that soon.

WITH THE UPCOMING RACES, DO YOU HAVE ROUNDS YOU ARE EXCITED ABOUT? Highpoint is cool. It is tough because outdoors is like they are normally really hot. Every track is brutal. It is tough to say what track you really love and enjoy, because nine times out of ten, after two motos, you just suffer out there. It is difficult to say what you really enjoy.

YOU TALKED ABOUT SUFFERING BUT ON THE PODIUM AFTER THE RACE, YOU DON’T LOOK LIKE YOU ARE EVEN SWEATING. We recover fast for sure, but it is not easy. You can ask anyone else; it is tough. The outdoors is just a sufferfest. 

2023 THUNDER VALLEY NATIONAL // FULL COVERAGE