Image: Octopi Media.

Team Honda HRC’s Hunter Lawrence has taken over the lead of the 250MX championship after a dramatic day at the RedBud round of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship.

Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider Jo Shimoda broke through for his first-ever outdoor round win, while a heartbreaking mechanical DNF for former series leader Jett Lawrence (Team Honda HRC) saw him drop to second in the standings.

After qualifying fastest, Shimoda posted 1-3 results to take the win on a day where Team Honda HRC’s Hunter Lawrence took over the 250MX series lead.

Shimoda took his first-ever Pro Motocross race win after an intense opening 250MX moto.

Hunter Lawrence scored the holeshot from his brother, Jett (Team Honda HRC) and Stilez Robertson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna).

Shimoda made a couple of quick passes and got embroiled in a three-way battle for the lead with the Lawrences.

After a frantic 10 minutes, Jett found a way past Hunter, but soon afterward his bike began smoking and suffered a mechanical failure, resulting in a frustrating DNF for the series leader.

Despite Hunter inheriting the lead, Shimoda again poured on the pressure and took the lead with just a handful of laps left, stretching out a 21-second victory over Lawrence, with Robertson claiming an impressive third.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s RJ Hampshire and Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker rounded out the top five.

Michael Mosiman (TLD Red Bull GasGas), and Justin Cooper (Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing) finished P6 and P7, ahead of Ty Masterpool (KTM) and Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing duo Levi Kitchen and Nate Thrasher.

A fired-up Jett Lawrence took a convincing come-from-behind victory in the second 250MX race.

Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki rookie, Ryder DiFrancesco, scored the holeshot before his team-mate Seth Hammaker took the lead.

Two corners later Hammaker crashed spectacularly, allowing KTM privateer Tye Masterpool to lead the charge over the opening laps.

It was short-lived, though, as Hunter Lawrence had him in his sights and put in a good pass several laps later.

Jett Lawrence, who had last pick of the start-gate after his previous DNF and was as low as 12^th on the opening lap, rolled up his sleeves and charged through the pack, catching and passing his brother with 10 minutes left to go.

The brothers would finish in that order. Shimoda, who was caught up in a crash with Cooper and Hampshire in the opening lap, put in an incredible ride to come back to P3 and claim the round win in the process.

Kitchen and Robertson finished fourth and fifth, while Hampshire, Masterpool, Thrasher, Cooper and Mosiman completed the top 10.

As a result of Jett’s DNF, Hunter has inherited a seven-point championship lead over his brother. Shimoda’s performance sees him consolidate third overall.

Image: Octopi Media.

In the 450MX class, three-time national champion Eli Tomac became the first rider to win two outdoor rounds this year, after a strong 1-1 performance at the RedBud round of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship.

After qualifying fastest earlier in the day, the Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing rider took a wire-to-wire win in the opening 450MX moto.

He began with a big holeshot from Joey Savatgy (Monster Energy Kawasaki) and Justin Barcia (TLD Red Bull GasGas), and he quickly put distance between himself and the pack.

Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson went down in the first turn and remounted at the rear of the field.

Ken Roczen worked his way through traffic up to third over the opening couple of laps, but would succumb to pressure from his Team Honda HRC team-mate, Chase Sexton, as the laps wore down.

Up front, Tomac continued his charge, building a comfortable seven-second lead by the time he crossed the finish-line.

Sexton would make a late move on Savagty to take second from the Kawasaki racer, as Roczen and Chrisian Craig (Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing) rounded out the top five.

Ryan Dungey (Red Bull KTM) came home in sixth, ahead of Anderson, who put in a remarkable charge from the rear of the field to P7.

Barcia, Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM) and Marshall Weltin (Twisted Tea HEP Motorsports Suzuki).

Tomac’s dominance continued into the second moto, capping off a perfect July 4 weekend.

Justin Barcia secured the holeshot, followed closely by Tomac and Roczen, but it only took three laps for Roczen, then Tomac to clear the TLD Red Bull GasGas rider.

Tomac slowly whittled down Roczen’s two-second lead, while an intense four-rider battle broke out between Barcia, Anderson, Dungey and Sexton.

After getting momentarily held up in an Anderson crash, Sexton went into damage control, quickly picking off riders as he charged up to third.

Ahead of him, Tomac took advantage of a slight mistake by Roczen to take over the race lead with 15 minutes left on the clock.

From there Roczen faded dramatically, allowing multiple riders past him, including Sexton. T

here was no stopping Tomac, though, as he claimed an eight-second victory from Sexton, with Barcia completing the podium.

Anderson would finish fourth and Dungey a hard-fought fifth. P6 to P10 were filled by Craig, Roczen, Plessinger, Savatgy and Garrett Marchbanks (Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha).

Sexton still remains at the top of the points standings, but his lead over Tomac has been trimmed to just seven points. Roczen remains third, a further 23 points back.

The sixth round of the Pro Motocross Championship will be held at Southwick on Saturday, 9 July.

The sixth round of the Pro Motocross Championship will be held in the sands of Southwick on Saturday, 9 July.

Detailed results