Hunter masters Minnesota to seize Pro Motocross Lead

Hunter Lawrence outlasts Jett to take a commanding 1-1 sweep at Spring Creek

The Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, rolled into the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” to open the second half of the summer campaign, with Round 24 of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship staged across the dynamic landscape of Spring Creek MX Park. The FXR Spring Creek National Presented by Frescados Tortillas served up one of the most unpredictable races of the season, as Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence prevailed in the 450SMX Class with a 1-1 sweep that pushed him into the points lead for the third time in seven rounds.

Hunter set the tone early, topping morning qualifying with a time of 1:54.746 in the final session, just over half a second quicker than Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan at 1:55.364. Championship leader and Honda HRC Progressive rider Jett Lawrence rounded out the top three at 1:56.591.

The opening moto got underway with Jett, Deegan and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado all abreast heading into the first turn. As the trio drifted wide with Jett on the inside, Deegan lost traction on his front tyre and went down, pushing Prado off track in the process. That opened the door for Hunter, who slipped past everyone on the inside to snatch the holeshot and an early lead over Jett, with Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia in third. Deegan rejoined at the tail of the field.

Hunter quickly stamped his authority, pulling clear as Barcia found himself in a spirited scrap for third with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire, who eventually took control of the position. Deegan, on a torrid charge following his opening-lap crash, carved through the star-studded field to break into the top five in the closing laps. Hunter went on to a dominant wire-to-wire win, his seventh moto triumph of the season, by 16.8 seconds over Jett, with Hampshire third, Deegan fourth and Barcia fifth.

The final moto began with another superb launch from Hunter, who edged ahead of Jett to sweep the holeshots, with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb slotting into third. Jett piled on heavy pressure to pull the siblings clear of the field, while behind them Prado moved up before Deegan picked off his teammate and then stormed past Hampshire for fourth.

A genuine sibling battle for the lead unfolded as Jett searched for alternate lines and probed for openings across the track while Hunter repeatedly fended him off. Jett’s patience eventually paid off as he made the pass stick, with the pair by then more than ten seconds ahead of everyone else. Deegan, meanwhile, worked his way past Prado for third.

Jett appeared to have the race under control with a lead of more than seven seconds inside the final ten minutes, but he lost traction on the face of a jump and went down. As he fell, the handlebar of his Honda appeared to snag in his boot, which hampered his efforts to remount. Hunter reclaimed the lead, and although Jett eventually got going again, he dropped to fifth, more than 40 seconds off the front. That promoted Deegan to second while Prado and Hampshire battled over third.

With the lead firmly in hand, Hunter cruised to his eighth moto win of the season by 15.4 seconds over Deegan to complete the sweep. The scrap for third raged all the way to the final turn, with Prado securing the last podium spot ahead of Jett in fifth.

The 1-1 delivered Hunter his class-leading fourth win of the summer and the fifth of his career, extending a podium streak that now stretches to ten races. Deegan claimed a career-best runner-up finish on the strength of a 4-2 scorecard, while Jett rounded out the overall podium in third with 2-5 finishes, a result that equals his worst of the season yet still marks a ninth straight podium for the defending champion.

Hunter’s win, combined with Jett’s second-moto adversity, has lifted the elder brother back atop the championship standings for the third time this season. He now holds a ten-point lead over Jett, his largest advantage of the year so far, with Deegan third and 62 points adrift. The victory also allowed Hunter to clinch the top seed for the SMX Playoffs with four rounds remaining in the regular season.

1st Place – Hunter Lawrence 
“I got my doors blown off in the second moto. I honestly had no idea Jett crashed. He was flying. I’m happy it worked out, but it’s time to go chill now.”

2nd Place – Haiden Deegan 
“The track was gnarly. I screwed myself in the first moto, but it’s all good. Another completed round, P2 overall. It’s good to keep putting strong finishes on the board. I’m not going to quit trying to get better. Bring it on.”

3rd Place – Jett Lawrence 
“I was feeling so good. I had my lines picked out and felt comfortable. A lapper took my focus off for a moment and my bike grabbed going up the jump and that was it. It’s such a bummer. We lost some points to Hunter, but we’ll come back to try and be just a little bit better.”

2026 Spring Creek 450 Pro Motocross

2026 Pro Motocross standings after round 7 of 11