Is Hunter Lawrence a Contender?
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Will Hunter Lawrence become the 69th unique winner in Monster Energy Supercross Championship history?
If you judge Hunter Lawrence based on how 2024 began, you’d say ‘not a chance’.
If you judge from how 2024 ended, you’d demand the bookie take your money ASAP.
Lawrence hit all the dreaded ‘Ds’ in his 450 rookie season and STILL finished second overall at the end of the 31 round SuperMotocross World Championships:
- DNQ (Anaheim 1)
- DNF (Daytona)
- DNS (Birmingham)
Not qualifying in his first ever 450SX attempt didn’t rattle him. “I didn’t let A1 factor into my season,” he said at Media Days. “Racing is not about results. Life is not about material things. You still need to be a good human if you strip all those things away.”
This take on life comes from his lowest moment in 2020 when he was injured and contemplated quitting.
So the shaky start to his 450 career didn’t rattle him at all. He was in the top five at rounds six and seven and hit the podium in the back half of the season (St. Louis and Denver).
Hunter even won heat races (Seattle and Nashville) and was fastest qualifier in Philadelphia.
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And don’t forget about the MX season, where he won three motos, had nine overall podiums and never finished outside the top five.
In the end, he had a chance at the 2024 SuperMotocross World Championship right up until the final moto.
Racing is not about results. Life is not about material things. You still need to be a good human if you strip all those things away.
Hunter Lawrence
While Justin Cooper, Malcolm Stewart, Christian Craig, Jorge Prado and Dylan Ferrandis are also still looking for their first 450SX victories, H. Lawrence is the most likely to make it happen.
Notable 2024 Hunter Lawrence facts
- DNQ first start at A1, DNF at Daytona, missed Birmingham due to injury.
- SX 2024: 2 podiums, 4 top fives, 2 heat race wins.
- Avg. 450SX finish: 8.4
- Avg. 450MX finish: 2.6
- Won the Fort Worth SMX, his first ever 450 win.
- First heat win in Seattle and first podium at St Louis and fastest qualifier for the first time in Philadelphia.
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