Image: Supplied.

Increased mid-week testing has rewarded Hunter Lawrence with his maiden race podium in the 2019 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship at Fox Raceway on Saturday, although a rare mechanical malfunction in moto one ultimately denied the Australian of the landing on the box in the overall classification.

Following a clash with Jordon Smith (TLD Red Bull KTM), the Geico Honda ace remounted before a rock damaged his oil filter cap, forcing oil to pump out moments before his CRF250R came to a halt.

Lawrence bounced back in race two, displaying the form that earned him a multi-year deal with the factory Honda outfit as he navigated his way into P1, relinquishing the lead after mistake before crossing the line in second, granting him ninth overall.

“Bittersweet weekend here at Fox Raceway,” said Lawrence. “Started off the day solid with third and fourth in the qualifying sessions. First moto had a good start and worked my way into third and then a rock broke my oil filter cap so all the engine oil was draining out and it was dying on the lap just before the accident with Smith happened.

“The crash didn’t cause the bike problem, it was already happening, and then it locked up on the downhill where we came together. Lucky to have no injuries. The next moto was cool! Average start from all the way outside and worked my way up to first. I was really feeling it, but I washed the front wheel out and ended up second.

“Such a big week and I want to give a huge thank you to the team, we rode five days in a row this week, with three big testing days to improve the bike from last weekend, then press day and then race day so it was a big week for us and we are happy to see it pay off in relation to speed and how the bike handled.”

The Queenslander is now ranked 10th in the championship standings as the series returns to action this weekend at Thunder Valley.