In a thrilling return to racing, Jett Lawrence of Team Honda HRC Progressive clinched victory at the first playoff of the 2024 SuperMotocross World Championship Finals. The event, held at zMAX Dragway at Charlotte Motor Speedway, showcased Lawrence’s undiminished speed and endurance despite his absence from most of the Pro Motocross season.

450SMX Class Highlights

1. Jett Lawrence (2-1) secured the overall win with a spectacular performance in the final moto.
2. Eli Tomac (1-2) of Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing dominated the first moto but finished second overall after an intense battle with Lawrence in the second moto.
3. Chase Sexton (4-3) of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, the reigning AMA Pro Motocross champion, rounded out the podium in third place.

Lawrence expressed surprise at his own performance, stating, “I surprised myself more than you guys, I think. That race pace was a little different than practice.”

250SMX Class Dominance

In the 250SMX Class, Haiden Deegan of Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing showcased his prowess with a commanding performance:

1. Haiden Deegan (1-1) swept both motos with impressive come-from-behind charges.

2. Julien Beaumer (2-4) of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing earned his first professional podium finish.

3. Levi Kitchen (5-2) of Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki rounded out the top three.

Deegan, despite his success, remained focused on improvement, saying, “Even though I went 1-1 today there’s a lot of errors that were made and I’m not happy about it.”

Looking Ahead

The SuperMotocross World Championship continues with Playoff 2 on September 14th at Texas Motor Speedway, where points payouts will double. The series culminates on September 21st at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, with triple points and substantial prize money at stake – $1 Million for the 450 SMX Class winner and $500,000 for the 250 SMX Class victor.

As the championship intensifies, all eyes will be on these top performers to see who can maintain their momentum and claim the ultimate prize in SuperMotocross racing.

Photo by Feld Motor Sports, Inc.