HUNTER LAWRENCE CLAIMS FIRST CAREER 450 PRO MOTOCROSS OVERALL WIN

Hunter Lawrence finally grabbed that first win with 2-2 moto scores at the 2025 Ironman National.

Following a two-week break, AMA Pro Motocross resumed with round 9 at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana, where Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence captured the first 450 class overall win of his career with consistent 2-2 finishes. Jo Shimoda matched the moto results in the 250 class, taking second overall. Jett Lawrence overcame a challenging opening moto that included what officials declared was a start infraction, to win the second race and finish sixth overall.

Hunter started 450 moto 1 in second position and took over the lead on lap 6. He maintained it until Chase Sexton got by three laps from the end, but Hunter held on to finish a solid second. Meanwhile, Jett had jumped early and slammed the start gate, resulting in a start position outside the top 20, but he mounted an incredible charge that carried him to ninth by lap 3 and third by lap 11. The series leader crossed the line in that position but was later docked one lap by officials for what they determined to be a start infraction, relegating him to 17^th.

It has been a long time coming as Hunter has always been at the front of the pack and has grabbed some moto wins, but was able to seal the deal and grab the win.

Hunter got a second-place moto-2 start and took over the lead by the end of lap 1, while Jett rebounded from his first-moto issues to sit third. Jett passed his brother on lap 2 to assume the lead. A lap-5 tip-over dropped Hunter to fourth, but he quickly remounted and regained third, then passed for second four laps from the end. Jett took the moto win, with Hunter six-and-a-half seconds behind, giving the brothers a 1-2 result. Hunter’s consistent 2-2 scores earned him his career-first 450 Pro Motocross overall win, while Jett was sixth overall.

Hunter Lawrence said: “There was a lot of wild stuff that went on today, which worked out in my favor—what happened to Jett in the first moto with being penalized a lap, and then I’m not sure what happened with Chase in the second moto. It was a wild day in that aspect, but I’m happy to be there and able to capitalize on it. It was hot, with no breeze—a really tough, physically demanding day.”

DEEGAN EARNS PERFECT MOTO SCORES AT IRONMAN

Haiden Deegan can clinch the championship this upcoming weekend at Unadilla.

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan delivered another masterclass performance, winning both 250MX motos and the overall at Round 9 of the Pro Motocross Championship and Round 26 of the SuperMotocross World Championship at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana.

With perfect 1-1 moto scores, Haiden Deegan was able to grow his demanding points lead.

Riders were met with high temperatures and humidity for the ninth round of the championship. Deegan qualified third and, despite starting in seventh, he quickly advanced to third and then to the runner-up spot on Lap 2. The Californian continued to throw down some fast laps, closing the gap to the leader, making the pass just before the start of Lap 13, and pulling away to a 7.9-second victory. In Moto 2, the defending champion grabbed the holeshot and set a blistering pace up front, crossing the line 12 seconds clear of the competition for his 12th moto win of the season. The flawless 1-1 score marked Deegan’s sixth overall victory of 2025, extending his 250MX lead to 51 points and his 250SMX combined points lead to 109.

Haiden Deegan said:  “It was a good day – two ‘W’s.’ It’s always nice when you can get those done because those are really hard to come by. The first moto, I didn’t get a great start and kind of had to work my way through, and the second one, I got the holeshot and won it. That was basically it.”

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MXA PHOTO TRIVIA

Who is this rider? The answer can be found at the bottom of the article.

MXA FANTASY LEAGUE – FASTHOUSE GIVEAWAY: THE WINNER OF THE IRONMAN NATIONAL SCORED 272 POINTS

It was a challenging weekend for a lot of the riders at the 2025 Ironman National. Starting things off, Jett Lawrence would hit the gate in moto one and which kicked forward, allowing him onto the track ahead of the rest of the field. Jett did let off the throttle, and the majority of the pack did end up going by, but he still was docked an entire lap, which put him in seventeenth in Moto One. Chase Sexton was able to capitalize and grab the win in the first moto, followed by Hunter Lawrence. In Moto Two, Chase ran out of luck when his front wheel locked up over one of the jumps, and he was not able to finish the moto. Jett would grab the win, but the 2-2 scores from Hunter Lawrence would give him the overall, and he would make up a great deal of points on Jett. In the 250 class, well, Haiden Deegan continued with the dominance we have seen this season and is on the brink of clinching the 250 class championship.

The MXA Fantasy League is partnered with On X Offroad, and players can enjoy  20% off their subscription by using promo code MXA20 at checkout.

THE WINNER OF THE IRONMAN FANTASY LEAGUE  “WAY2EVIL”

Way2evil had the best picks for the Ironman National and will now have the opportunity to enjoy a $500 shopping spree courtesy of Fasthouse.

WEEKLY TOP TEN

450 CLASS PREDICTIONS

Hunter Lawrence grabbed his first-ever 450 motocross overall at Ironman, which is actually crazy to think because he’s up near the front so often.

In the 450 class, the top pick went to Jett Lawrence, but he would end up finishing sixth, earning 17 fantasy points with no bonus. Second picked was Chase Sexton, who did not place in the top six and therefore received no points. In third, Eli Tomac was picked, and he would finish third overall, giving 31 fantasy points, including the ten-point bonus. Fourth, Hunter Lawrence was picked, and he went on to win the overall, earning 26 points without the bonus. In the fifth spot, Justin Cooper was picked and would finish fourth, giving 19 points with no bonus. In sixth, R.J. Hampshire was picked and would finish second, earning 23 points with no bonus.

Jo Shimoda put up a good fight but would miss the top spot by one to Haiden Deegan. Shimoda has one more round to stop Deegan from gaining any more points and clinching the title.

In the 250 class, the top pick went to Haiden Deegan, and he delivered by winning the overall, earning 36 fantasy points including the ten-point bonus. Second picked was Jo Shimoda, who also matched his prediction by finishing second, earning 33 points with the bonus. In third, Tom Vialle was picked, and he too finished in his predicted position, giving 31 points including the bonus. Fourth, Garrett Marchbanks was picked and finished fourth, adding 29 points with the bonus. In the fifth spot, Jalek Swoll was picked, but he did not place in the top six and therefore earned no points. In sixth, Mikkel Haarup was picked and would finish sixth, earning 27 points including the bonus.

MXA FANTASY LEAGUE CONTINUES FOR MOTOCROSS!

We’re heading into the Unadilla National for the MXA Fantasy League presented by ON X Offroadwith all new prizes up for grabs. Currently, we have a new update out that helps revolutionize the gameplay from last year. Last year we were able to give away a Triumph TF 250-X to the winner of the full SMX season. We were able to get some awesome prizes from our amazing sponsors and supporters. You can download the app today in both app stores and get set up for racing the outdoor motocross series. See you at the races! The latest available update is 1.3.1.

The MXA Fantasy League is partnered with On X Offroad, players can enjoy  20% off their subscription by using promo code MXA20 at checkout.

onX OFFROAD IS GIVING ALL OF YOU 20% OFF BY USING PROMO CODE MXA20 AT CHECKOUT.

ASK THE MXPERTS: WHAT WAS THE MOST POPULAR GOGGLE OF ALL-TIME?

Four-time 250 National Champion Gary Jones with his Carrera goggles and Jofa.

Dear MXperts,
I am 33 years old and have been racing for four years. Recently, I got interested in motocross history, but I discovered that much of it has been forgotten. Looking at old photos, I noticed that many riders from the 1970s wore the same brand of goggles. They were white with a very thin strap and look nothing like the goggles of today. Does Jody know anything about these goggles that he could tell me?

Bengt Aberg wearing Carrera 98s (with his helmet strap holding the Jofa on his chin) and a Hallman Racing flip visor.

Jody says that he hopes you aren’t looking to buy a pair of Carrera 98 Racing goggles because they are very rare, which is, odd because literally every Pro and amateur racer in the early 1970s wore Carrera 98 goggles (and the motorcycle industry sold a million dirt bikes a year back in the day). They retailed for $8.95 with three lenses (clear, dark or yellow) and came in a choice of white or black frames. In 2025 dollars, that would be $55. The white frames were the most popular—and everyone who was anyone wore white Carreras—except for Roger DeCoster, who had a sponsorship deal with Baruffaldi goggles.

Jody bucks the trend with black Carrera 98s to match his black visor. His Jofa snap is visible on the side of his helmet.

The Carrera 98s were as minimal as a goggle could get. The top of the frame connected to the lens with snaps, while the bottom of the frame was not connected to the top of the frame. It snapped onto the lens. They were very flexible—some might say flimsy—not to mention that they did a very poor job of keeping dust out of your eyes because the gap between the top and bottom of the frame was 1 inch wide and was not blocked off by any foam. The strap was 3/4 of an inch wide and had a clasp to tighten the goggle to your face, which was needed, because over time the elastic would stretch out and lose its tension.

There has never been another goggle brand that dominated the starting lines like Carrera 98 (and nobody got paid to wear them).

MXA’S FULL-RACE KTM 250SXF PRO NATIONAL BUILD

FASTWAY TRIUMPH FOOTPEGS

CLASSIC MXA PHOTO

Bob Hannah is revealing his supersuit on the cover of the July issue of Motocross Action Magazine in 1979.

MXA PHOTO OF THE WEEK

It’s hard not to be happy after your first overall 450 win. Hunter Lawrence was able to accomplish this milestone last weekend at the 2025 Ironman National.

MXA Photo Trivia Answer: Michael Byrne, who was widely regarded as one of Australia’s all-time greats in the sport. He began his career in Australia, winning the 1998 Australian 125cc Motocross Championship before moving to the United States, where he made his AMA Supercross debut in 2000. Byrne raced for top factory teams, earning seven career podiums in the AMA Pro Motocross 450 class and two podiums in AMA Supercross 125/250 class competition. He consistently finished in the top five, including two 4th-place finishes in the 450 class (2008, 2009) and 5th overall in the 250 class in 2005. Known for his resilience, Byrne overcame significant injuries—including a broken neck before the 2012 Supercross season—and returned to compete as a privateer. He represented Australia in the Motocross of Nations seven times and later transitioned into team management and coaching, remaining a respected figure in the motocross community.