Jett Lawrence’s First 15
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Through 15 career Motocross starts, Jett Lawrence has established himself as a potential all-time great. While he currently sits third in points, he has cut a 24 point deficit to 8 in the past two races. The data from his first 15 rounds of Motocross show that we have witnessed the greatest early career stretch in Motocross history from the #18.
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The Numbers Behind Jett Lawrence’s Success
Despite a hiccup at Hangtown, Lawrence has continued to experience a great deal of success. He has claimed 3 out of 4 overall wins to start the season, along with moto wins in 5/8 races. A taped shoulder hasn’t been able to stop him from continuing his reign at the top of the sport.
Through 30 career 450 motos, Lawrence has 27 career wins. An underrated aspect of his success has been his exceptional qualifying record, securing the top spot at 14/15 rounds so far. Putting the world on notice with a two second gap over the field in his debut at Fox Raceway last year, Lawrence has only missed out on pole position once (Ken Roczen at High Point last year).
Autographed Artwork from We Went Fast
Even in the lowest stat on the following table, Jett still manages to have the fastest lap time in two-thirds of his career motos so far.
Jett Lawrence’s 450MX Stats Through 15 Rounds
With 27/30 moto wins and 14/15 overall victories, Lawrence currently holds a 90% moto and 93% overall win percentage so far in his career. How dominant is this compared to other sports?
Lawrence’s win percentage so far would be the equivalent of an MLB team winning 146 games in their current 162 game season. That would be 30 games higher than the current record holders! (2001 Seattle Mariners) His consistent winning is especially significant, considering that the next highest win percentage after 15 rounds is nearly 30 points away.
450MX Winning Percentage After 15 Overalls/30 Motos
*Scroll charts left for more info!
The closest man to Lawrence’s early stats is someone who also won his rookie 450MX season: Ryan Dungey. Backing up his first 450SX championship, Dungey took control of the Motocross series early on. He won 11 straight motos at one point and 19 total in 2010, before starting 2011 with a moto win.
The addition of a healthy Ryan Villopoto and Chad Reed slowed Dungey’s progress, but his numbers remain incredibly strong.
Another all-time great who is above the 50% mark is Ricky Carmichael. The GOAT was a perfect 7/7 in premier class championships and started his run with 18/30 moto victories in his first 15 nationals.
Lawrence’s current numbers also rank ahead of Carmichael’s 450MX career numbers, where he won an astounding 76/88 overalls for an 86% win percentage. The young Aussie may have Carmichael covered in the early stages, but time will tell if he can continue pushing for this uncharted territory.
The Verdict
After one full season and a third of another, it’s safe to say that Jett Lawrence has the greatest start to a 450MX career. From qualifying to fastest laps and overall wins, he has been a dominant force. However, Hangtown proved that Lawrence is a mortal man, and that anything can happen in racing. It may be too early to call for broken records, but Lawrence’s pace through 15 rounds could potentially be the start of a history making career.