Image: Octopi Media.

250 class title hope Hunter Lawrence has been forced out of tonight’s SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) Finals in Los Angeles with an aggravated back.

The 250SX East and 250MX champion has been declared unfit and will forfeit the chance to challenge for $500,000 in his 250SMX title bid, leaving Jo Shimoda and Haiden Deegan in a two-way fight for the crown.

A crash in practice on Friday left the 24-year-old Australian battered, before further trouble this afternoon ended his weekend altogether. Lawrence exited the track almost immediately and will not return for the night program, despite their best efforts to enable him to line up.

“Unfortunately, Hunter Lawrence will not take part in tonight’s motos at the Los Angeles SuperMotocross round,” a statement from Team Honda HRC confirmed.

“The reigning AMA Motocross 250 champ and 250SX East champ was already banged up from a hard fall in free practice yesterday. Then in today’s second timed qualifying session, he landed wrong from a jump and aggravated his back to the extent that he’s in too much pain to race. Get well soon Hunta and great job on an amazing season.”

It also brings Lawrence’s Motocross of Nations (MXoN) entry into question, scheduled to represent Team Australia as the MX2 rider in France at the beginning of October alongside brother Jett Lawrence (MXGP) and Dean Ferris (Open).