Image: Foremost Media.

American Honda continues to assess whether it will fill the vacant Honda HRC Progressive seats of Jett and Hunter Lawrence through the remainder of Supercross 2025, yet to reach a final decision while considering various options.

Defending champion Jett Lawrence was ruled out of the series with a torn ACL sustained in Glendale, just one week before a shoulder injury in Tampa also sidelined Hunter Lawrence for the immediate future.

Honda has introduced major updates to its CRF450 line in 2025 and the manufacturer’s racing program is an instrumental piece of its motocross marketing activities. While it’s impossible to directly replace HRC’s regular line-up in terms of results, an ongoing presence with at least one premier class entry will be of value if the correct opportunity eventuates.

“With the unfortunate situation of having both Jett and Hunter out for the remainder of the Supercross season, we’ve had multiple riders reach out, asking to fill the vacant seats,” Brandon Wilson, manager of Racing and Advertising at American Honda, told MotoOnline.

“We’ve discussed this possibility internally and have not made a final decision as to whether or not to move forward. There are a number of factors in place, and we want to make sure that we don’t negatively impact a rider or their team’s current sponsor relations in moving a rider on to the Honda HRC Progressive bike.

“Also, with the rigorous nature of the schedule, we must make sure that we’re fair to the rider while giving them ample time to get the bike set up for their comfort. It’s an important decision and one that requires us to look at all the factors and not rush into anything. In the coming weeks, we’ll continue to look at our options and try to make the best decision for all involved.”

It’s unclear if the Lawrences will be fit for the Pro Motocross Championship portion of the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX), or if any form of fill-in role would possibly extend beyond the remaining rounds of 450SX. In the meantime, Honda HRC Progressive has Chance Hymas in 250SX East and Anaheim 1 winner Jo Shimoda on track in 250SX West equipped with the CRF250RWE.

Of the potential candidates already Honda-mounted, Dean Wilson – who was only intending to contest select AMA races amidst an international schedule – could be the most appropriate solution, while Quad Lock Honda duo Joey Savatgy and Shane McElrath, as well as Phoenix Racing Honda’s Dylan Ferrandis, have all achieved top 10 results on CRF machinery this year.