After posting a calculated fourth-place result at last week’s season-opening AMA Supercross, Honda HRC Progressive rider Hunter Lawrence was more aggressive at San Diego’s round 2. The Australian led much of the 450SX main event before taking a close second-place finish, showing that he has the pace to match anyone, particularly in the late stages.

“I definitely feel more confident on the bike; we tried a lot of things during the week to help where I felt like we struggled [at Anaheim]. That’s one thing I pride myself on: being able to show up in the main event when it counts. We were close, it was a good race. I feel like the first 15 minutes was just trying to get it under my belt, as I feel like the last five minutes is where I can make up that gap. Honestly, for me the heat race is the hardest race of the night—it was just a frustrating one—but I shook that off and put all the chips on the main. I really love what I can do in 20 minutes and just hit my marks. All day, I look forward to the main event.”

Lawrence nailed the holeshot in the 450SX main and led the first portion aboard his CRF450RWE. He fended off repeated challenges from Ken Roczen, with Eli Tomac soon joining the battle, and the racing between the top three was aggressive but clean. Roczen and Tomac both got by Lawrence on lap 8, but the Honda rider regrouped and stayed in contact.

As the race entered its final quarter, Lawrence mounted one of his signature late surges, passing Roczen before the whoops with six laps remaining. He then reeled in the leading Tomac and attempted a last-lap pass before finishing just 1.6 seconds behind. Also impressive was Quad Lock Honda’s Joey Savatgy, who finished a solid fifth.

After starting his heat race in fourth, Lawrence lost a position to fellow Red Rider Joey Savatgy, while yet another Red Rider, Shane McElrath, sat behind him in sixth. The positions remained that way until the checkered flag.

Hunter helped the family of Honda HRC Progressive 450 crew chief Grant Hutcheson with a special gender reveal during the San Diego race day. As the seconds counted down before the starting gate dropped for Hunter’s heat race, the broadcasting team zoomed in on his Alpinestars goggles, with the strap’s pink color revealing that Hutcheson will soon have a new niece.

Hunter remains third in the 450SX standings, just two points behind second-place Ken Roczen. Chance sits third in the 250SX West points, four behind second-place Max Anstie.

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