Image: Octopi Media.

Current 450SX points leader Jett Lawrence has been cleared of injury following a bruising clash with Justin Barcia (Red Bull TLD GasGas) at the weekend’s 12th round of Monster Energy Supercross in St. Louis.

The pair came together in the final main event of the Triple Crown when the Australian unexpectedly cut down on a corner, colliding with an incoming Barcia who was committed to the inside line.

The incident clearly rattled Lawrence who circulated for the remainder of the main event, the Team Honda HRC rider indicating he lost strength in his hands in what he believes was a knock to a nerve in his arm.

“It’s just a sucky situation,” Lawrence reflected. “I just cut down under Hunter, and obviously Barcia was defending his line from someone else on the inside of him – just wrong place, wrong time.

“He kind of hit my arm pretty good – I got a gnarly Charlie horse. He hit some nerve in my arm where I kind of lost feeling and strength in my hands. That’s why I was trying to get up and get going early, but I physically couldn’t – I had no strength. It is what it is. Thankfully we had a bit of a buffer on second.”

Lawrence had previously raced to 2-3 results in the first two main events, the latter position a result of a penalty – which was handed to a number of riders – for jumping on the red-cross flag at the finish line, demoting him from P1. He was credited eighth overall for the round while his championship lead over Cooper Webb (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) has been reduced to eight points.

It was a contrasting weekend for older brother Hunter Lawrence (Team Honda HRC), who benefited from the main event two penalties to secure his maiden 450SX podium in third overall.