Hunter cashes in as Jett penalised at Washougal

Hunter Lawrence extended his 450SMX championship advantage with a hard-earned overall win at Washougal, while Cole Davies dominated 250SMX

The Pro Motocross Championship made its final West Coast stop of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship at Washougal MX Park, where perfect conditions set the stage for a crucial round in the 450SMX title fight. In the end it was Hunter Lawrence who left with the biggest prize, claiming his fifth overall win of the season and stretching his points lead with just three rounds remaining.

Washougal’s annual Military Appreciation Race always brings added atmosphere, and this year’s edition delivered plenty of action to match it. Hunter’s Honda HRC Progressive machine was at the centre of the story, but the Lawrence family had to fight through pressure from both Jett Lawrence and rookie Haiden Deegan across two intense motos.

Deegan set the tone early by topping qualifying for the first time in his 450SMX rookie campaign. The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider laid down a 2:08.223 to edge Garrett Marchbanks, with Jett Lawrence third and Hunter fourth. The top four were covered by only half a second, underlining just how tight things were from the outset.

MOTO 1

Deegan’s confidence carried straight into the opening race as he grabbed the holeshot, but the moment unravelled almost immediately when he lost traction in the next corner and dropped to the rear of the field. That handed the lead to Jett Lawrence, with Hunter Lawrence quickly settling into second and Jorge Prado in third.

Out front, the Lawrence brothers established control early and began to distance themselves from the rest. Behind them, Deegan launched a determined recovery, slicing his way back into the top 10 within the opening stages and continuing his charge as the race developed.

By halfway, Jett and Hunter remained closely matched, while Prado had slipped more than 10 seconds adrift. Deegan had climbed all the way to fourth and was rapidly making up ground after trailing heavily in the opening laps.

As the moto wore on, Jett gradually gained breathing room over Hunter and tightened his grip on the contest. He continued to edge away in the closing stages and ultimately secured his seventh moto win of the season, taking the flag 7.2 seconds clear of Hunter. Prado completed the top three, while Deegan’s impressive comeback netted fourth after gaining 26 positions. Dylan Ferrandis rounded out the top five.

MOTO 2

The second moto began with the Lawrence brothers at the front again, Jett taking the holeshot before Hunter moved into the lead. Deegan slotted into third and immediately found himself in the middle of another high-speed three-rider scrap.

Jett looked threatening early, but a mistake off a jump forced him off to the side of the circuit. Hunter capitalised and opened a small advantage, while Jett rejoined still ahead of Deegan. The trio remained closely packed through the first 10 minutes and quickly broke clear of the rest of the field.

As Hunter and Jett matched one another’s pace, they edged away from Deegan and turned the moto into a two-rider fight. Past halfway, Jett lifted the intensity and closed the gap, eventually forcing his way into the lead with a little more than 10 minutes to go.

But the race turned again soon after. Jett lost traction on the face of a jump and went down, gifting the lead back to Hunter. Once more he remounted just in front of Deegan, and although he fended off the Yamaha rider on track, the damage in the fight for the overall had already been done.

Hunter stayed composed over the final laps and held on for his ninth moto win of the season, crossing the line 1.4 seconds ahead of Jett, with Deegan in third. However, post-race officials reviewed Jett’s earlier off-track moment and ruled that he had accelerated while off the circuit, earning a one-position penalty. That elevated Deegan to second in the moto and dropped Jett to third.

That decision proved significant in the overall standings. Hunter’s 2-1 scorecard gave him the overall victory, while Jett’s adjusted 1-3 left him second overall rather than tied on points for the round win. Deegan continued his strong rookie season with third overall on 4-2 scores, giving him back-to-back podiums for the first time in his premier class campaign.

The result sees Hunter extend his championship lead to 12 points over Jett heading into the final break in the schedule. Deegan remains third in the standings, 69 points behind, but his Washougal performance again showed he is becoming a genuine factor at the front.

1st Place – Hunter Lawrence
“Today was much better than my previous experiences here at Washougal. What a day. That second moto was awesome battling with Jettson. Lawrence brothers 1-2, so a great way to send it off into the break.”

2nd Place – Jett Lawrence
“I got a little cross rutted [before the crash] and that caused me to lose traction. I felt good [riding], same as last weekend. I was able to get around Hunter but made a silly mistake. My riding is good, just need to stop making silly mistakes. Looking forward to this break.”

3rd Place – Haiden Deegan
“I’m in the battle [with the Lawrences]. It was good to follow Jett for a few laps. To get on the podium is awesome. I’m having fun out there and learning with the team and learning the bike. I can’t wait to keep battling.”

2026 Pro Motocross Washougal National Results

2026 PRO MOTOCROSS STANDINGS

250SMX

Cole Davies turned Washougal into a statement ride, producing a commanding 1-1 sweep in the 250SMX class to put himself right back into championship contention. After topping qualifying with a late 2:12.269 lap, the Yamaha rider carried that speed into the motos and was simply untouchable when it counted. He led every lap of Moto 1 after grabbing the holeshot and disappeared to a 17.1-second win, then backed it up in Moto 2 by working his way into the lead early and controlling the race from there for another decisive victory. It was Davies’ second 1-1 result of the summer and the third overall win of his career, cutting Levi Kitchen’s points advantage to just seven with three rounds remaining.

Behind Davies, Ryder DiFrancesco enjoyed the best day of his career with a pair of seconds for runner-up overall, while Chance Hymas continued his recent momentum with back-to-back podium finishes thanks to 3-3 scores. Kitchen, meanwhile, had to limit the damage at his home round after being caught up in the opening moto crash along with Julien Beaumer. Kitchen charged from deep in the pack to sixth in Moto 1, then salvaged another sixth in Moto 2 after starting outside the top 10, leaving him fifth overall on a difficult afternoon. Beaumer also recovered for sixth overall, while Carson Mumford narrowly missed the podium in fourth with a career-best overall finish.

1st Place – Cole Davies
“After last weekend I knew I had to step up my game. I had a good day today and made up a lot of points. I’m stoked. I feel like we took a big step in the right direction today. Had a fun day. It was good.”