Eight-and-a-half months and 31 races after kicking off the 2026 season, Honda HRC Progressive concluded its campaign at the SMX Final, held in a unique, picturesque amphitheater setting in southern Missouri. On a true hybrid track with a layout that made it difficult to make up time and overtake, the team didn’t manage to add to Hunter Lawrence’s 2026 AMA Pro Motocross 450 Championship, but they ended the long, eventful year pleased with their positive showing.

“Thirty-one races—man, what a long year! It’s been amazing, and I have a great team to go racing with. I’ve got a lot of things going on in my life right now, and I’m blessed to be walking away in one piece. I’m going to have a great day tomorrow and get ready for the 2027 season. I can’t wait!”

Lawrence was pushed wide in turn 1 on the first 450 start but emerged in third place. He pushed hard for the remainder of the moto but ultimately finished in the same position. The Australian once again started third in moto 2 and pressed through the middle part of the race, but lost ground after a close call at about the three-quarter mark and brought it home in third place. With a 3-3 result on the day and triple points up for grabs, the Australian secured third in the SMX Playoffs, capping the strongest season of his career so far.

Lars Lindstrom Team Manager: “Thirty-one races in 38 weeks is not super easy, so I think everyone is happy and relieved to be finished with this season. Any year that you win a championship is a great year, but we did have a tough time with injuries for everyone not named Hunter Lawrence. Hopefully we can have some time to recover and recharge, so we can come into the next season with a complete and strong roster.”