The Honda RedBud National delivered pyrotechnics both on and off the track for Honda HRC Progressive over the Fourth of July Weekend. With special HRC guests visiting from Japan and Spain, and Honda serving as title sponsor of the popular Independence Day Weekend event, the riders did their part, sweeping the moto wins in a performance that was nothing short of dominant.

In the 450 ranks, Jett Lawrence overcame a moto 2 mid-pack start and a small fall to secure his sixth consecutive overall win (and his fourth moto-sweep). Hunter Lawrence posted consistent 2-3 finishes for second overall, marking the fourth double-podium for the Lawrence brothers this season.

Jett Lawrence: The big bosses were in town, so you’ve got to lock in and ride well—you want to look good for them! Jo also rode unreal in the 250 class; he dropped the rest of the guys, and it was great to see him riding like himself again. When the higher-ups are here, you just want to do that little bit extra to make them proud.”

Hunter Lawrence: Good weekend—1-2 in the premier class, and obviously Jo had an amazing day in the 250s, so that was cool. The big bosses made a trip over, and we also had Toni Bou and Gabriel Marcelli, two of the best trials riders in the world, fly in for a demo. It was definitely a special day for Honda.”

In the first 450 moto, Hunter grabbed the holeshot aboard his CRF450RWE, with Jett completing the first lap in third. The brothers quickly asserted control of the race, with Jett moving into second by lap 2 and taking over the lead three laps later. From there, the duo maintained their positions unchallenged, crossing the finish line in first and second, respectively.

Moto 2 was more eventful, as both Lawrences suffered rare poor starts, with Jett then having an early tip-over; at the end of lap 1, Hunter and Jett sat eighth and 18th, respectively, and they began charging forward. By lap 3, Hunter was into third, with Jett eighth.

The reigning SMX champ passed his brother on lap 6 to take over third, and he moved by Jorge Prado at around the midway point. He took over the lead on lap 11 (with five laps still remaining!) to cap off an incredible comeback, winning by over eight seconds.

Hunter fought with Chase Sexton over third, with the Australian taking control of the position and growing his cushion over fourth to 10 seconds by the finish.

• All three active Honda HRC Progressive riders—Jett Lawrence, Hunter Lawrence and Jo Shimoda—took part in Friday’s media activities at RedBud, including interviews and on-track riding sessions.
• Honda served as the official title sponsor of the Honda RedBud National, reinforcing the brand’s longstanding commitment to American motocross and the Pro Motocross Championship.
• Honda’s globally dominant trials duo—37-time FIM World Champion Toni Bou and Repsol Honda teammate Gabriel Marcelli—were on hand at RedBud. Bou served as the event’s Grand Marshal, appearing on the podium during the opening ceremony and trophy presentation. In addition, the Spanish duo put on a pair of riding exhibitions on a specially designed course, showcasing their incredible balance and technical skill in front of the motocross crowd. This coming weekend, Bou and Marcelli will compete aboard their factory HRC Montesa Cota machines at the U.S. round of the TrialGP World Championship, in Exeter, Rhode Island.

• Executives from Honda Racing Corporation in Japan—including Executive Director Yuzuru Ishikawa, General Manager Taichi Honda and Off-Road Racing Manager Yasuhiro Yokoyama—were in attendance at RedBud, underscoring the brand’s strong global support for the team and the AMA Pro Motocross Championship.
• As is typical for Honda HRC Progressive for the RedBud event, Throttle Jockey prepared special bike graphics with an Independence Day theme. The squad’s race bikes sported an American flag-wielding bald eagle, whose wing was based on the old-school Honda wing logo.
• In the 450 combined qualifying times, Jett and Hunter set the pace, going 1-2 (Jett’s time in the first session was nearly two seconds better than the next-best rider!). Joey Savatgy (Quad Lock Honda Racing) was 11th in combined times, followed by Cornelius Tondel (JWR Honda Racing) in 12th. Other Red Riders included Jeremy Hand (Valley Motorsports) in 25th, John Short (McGinley Clinic) in 32nd, and Henry Miller (Mx6 Racing) in 33rd. Justin Rodbell (Rodbell Racing) earned his spot on the gate by finishing fourth in the 450 LCQ.
• Honda is the first manufacturer since 2008 to sweep both classes at RedBud.
• As he had done at the Southwick National, Norwegian rider Cornelius Tondel competed at RedBud, basing out of the Honda HRC Progressive pit footprint for the weekend. The JWR Honda Racing rider went 35-20 for 26th
• Jett posted the fastest lap time in both 450 motos, continuing his trend of outright speed. Shimoda set the fastest lap in the second 250 moto.
• With his RedBud victory, Jett Lawrence now holds 21 career AMA Pro Motocross premier-class overall wins in just 22 attempts, moving him into sole possession of eighth place on the all-time list—now ahead of James Stewart and Jeff Stanton.
• With Jett’s RedBud win this weekend, Honda grew its premier-class tally at the venue to 13 overall wins, one ahead of the next-closest manufacturer. Red Riders to have earned overall victories at RedBud include Marty Tripes, Steve Wise, David Bailey, Jeff Stanton, Jeremy McGrath, Kevin Windham, Sebastien Tortelli, Ricky Carmichael (three times), Chad Reed and Jett Lawrence (twice).
• Jo’s win this weekend was Honda’s 12th in the support division at RedBud, as he joins fellow Red Riders Johnny O’Mara, Ron Lechien, Micky Dymond (twice), Guy Cooper, George Holland, Steve Lamson (twice), Trey Canard, Jeremy Martin and Chance Hymas.Jett now leads the 450 title chase by a commanding 51 points over teammate Hunter, who has advanced to second place in the standings. Shimoda remains second in the 250 points race, although he reduced his gap by 20, from 58 to 38.