• Hunter Lawrence claims his first premier-class motocross championship by just two points over brother and teammate Jett Lawrence.
• Chance Hymas finishes fourth in the 250 championship, tied on points for third.
• Honda earns Manufacturers Championship, Team of the Year, Manager of the Year and Mechanic of the Year awards in the premier class.

The 2026 AMA Pro Motocross Championship came to a dramatic conclusion Saturday at Ironman Raceway, where Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence captured his first 450 championship after battling his younger brother and teammate, Jett Lawrence, throughout the season. Hunter secured the championship to join Jett as a premier-class motocross champion—marking the first time two brothers have each won a premier-class motocross crown. In the 250 class, Chance Hymas closed out the season with strong rides, earning a 1-2 moto tally for second overall and finishing fourth in the championship, tied on points with third. Honda also capped its championship season by earning the Manufacturers Championship, along with Team of the Year, Manager of the Year and Mechanic of the Year honors in the premier class.

Hunter opened moto 1 with a characteristic strong start and quickly put himself in position to challenge for the lead. However, a crash by the leading Haiden Deegan left Hunter with nowhere to go, causing a fall and forcing him to remount in last position. Undeterred, Hunter demonstrated the resilience that has defined his championship season, methodically working his way forward and eventually catching and passing Jett halfway through the moto. Hunter continued his charge to finish eighth and secure valuable championship points. Jett, meanwhile, endured a difficult moto after starting outside the top 20 and aggravating his injured foot early in the race, ultimately finishing 11^th.

With the championship still to be decided, Hunter and Jett lined up for the final moto and started second and third, respectively. Jett briefly dropped to fourth, while several mistakes by Hunter allowed Jett to regain the position, with Hunter right behind him in fourth. With the title within reach, Hunter stayed with Jett through the checkered flag to secure the championship by just two points.

In the 250 class, Hymas entered the finale carrying the strongest momentum of his career, highlighted by a string of strong overall finishes late in the season and his selection to represent Team USA at the 2026 Motocross of Nations. The Idaho native delivered an impressive performance at Ironman, overcoming an early crash in moto 1 to charge from fourth to the victory and winning by 26.2 seconds. Hymas battled through two crashes in moto 2, twice recovering from outside the top 15 and charging back to second to secure second overall. Hymas finished the championship tied on points for third but was awarded fourth based on the season tiebreaker. He nevertheless closed out his most successful professional season to date, earning five podium finishes, three moto victories and an overall win.

NOTES

· On Friday, Chance Hymas, Hunter Lawrence and Jett Lawrence represented Honda HRC Progressive at Ironman Raceway’s press day. In addition to one-on-one media interviews and getting some riding time, Hunter and Jett took part in a formal press conference as the 450 championship contenders, highlighting the significance of the dramatic season finale and the brothers’ battle for the premier-class title.

· The press conference also featured the official presentation of Team USA for the 2026 Motocross of Nations, with Hymas selected to compete in the MXGP class. The event will take place October 2-4 in Ernée, France, the weekend following the SMX finale. Hymas will make his MXoN debut aboard a CRF450RWE.

· SMX Friday Live Presented by Honda continued its streaming on the SuperMotocross YouTube channel, bringing fans closer to the championship finale with live coverage of Friday’s press conference, press-day riding and the opening WMX moto. (WMX moto 2 streamed live on Peacock Saturday.)

· The Ironman round also featured the Scouting Moto Combine on Friday, bringing together 25 of amateur motocross’s top prospects for a special showcase of the sport’s next generation of elite talent. GDR Honda rider Dylan Rempel, the Canadian 250 Motocross Champion, finished a commendable fourth overall.

· Honda dealership River City Pro Motorsports, located three hours south of Ironman Raceway, joined Honda HRC Progressive in the paddock with a pop-up display, engaging with fans and showcasing a 2027 CRF250R and a 2026 CRF50F.

· Between qualifying sessions, Honda HRC Progressive hosted an autograph session, giving fans one final opportunity during the 2026 AMA Pro Motocross season to meet Honda’s three active factory riders.

· Past Champion Gary Jones served as Grand Marshal of the Ironman National Finals and presented the Gary Jones Cup to the 250 champion. Jones, who captured Honda’s first motocross national title in 1973, is an important part of the brand’s history.

· For the first time, the finale crowned champions in all three classes, with the Women’s Motocross Championship also coming down to the wire. Quad Lock Honda’s Charli Cannon entered the final round second in the standings, 21 points behind Lachlan Turner. Cannon dominated the day, grabbing two holeshots and leading every lap to sweep both motos. With the overall victory, she closed the championship gap to six points and finished runner-up in the final standings. SLR Honda teammates Mayla Herrick and Mikayla Nielsen also finished the season strong, with Herrick going 3-2 for second overall and Nielsen posting a 7-5 tally for sixth. Nielsen finished third in the championship standings, putting two Honda riders on the championship podium.

· Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence qualified second overall in the 450 class, with teammate Jett Lawrence third, followed by a platoon of Red Riders: Quad Lock Honda’s Christian Craig was 19^th; Valley Motorsports’ Jeremy Hand was 24^th; SLR Honda riders Justin Rodbell and Matti Jorgensen were 26^th and 37^th, respectively; Short Racing’s John Short was 41^st; Lasting Impressions’ Ronnie Orres qualified 46^th; 110 Racing’s Brett Heirdorn was 47^th; Scotty Clark was 46^th; Bloxom Racing’s Ashton Bloxom was 52^nd; Dean Gall was 57^th; Honda of the Ozarks’ Brett Greenley was 65^th; Feine Tune Racing’s Gavin Tilford was 67^th; Jones Racing’s Nick Jones was 69^th; McGrath Powersports’ Bryce McLaud was 71^st and Elijah Hall was 72^nd.

· Honda HRC Progressive’s Chance Hymas qualified second overall in the 250 class. Quad Lock Honda riders Brodie Connolly and Alex Warwood were 18^th and 37^th, respectively; Phoenix Racing Honda riders Gavin Towers and Aden Keefer were 23^rd and 27^th; Storm Lake’s Izaih Clark was 26^th and the McGinley Clinic’s Kyle Czworkowski was 72^nd.

· Hymas set the fastest lap time in moto 2.

· Thanks to the combined efforts of American Honda, HRC, the entire Honda HRC Progressive race team, and their sponsors, Honda’s success this season didn’t end with Hunter’s Championship: Manager of Powersports Racing & Experiential Brandon Wilson accepted the Manufacturers Championship trophy, Team Manager Lars Lindstrom accepted the Team of the Year trophy and was also named the Team Manager of the Year, and Hunter Lawrence handed the Mechanic of the Year award to his tuner, Cameron Camera.

· With the 2026 AMA Pro Motocross season concluded, the teams and riders will enjoy a well-deserved weekend off before returning to action for the SMX Playoffs in Columbus, Ohio, September 12. Honda HRC Progressive had originally planned to do SMX testing this week, but the 450 portion has been canceled to let Jett and Hunter rest their injured ankle and wrist, respectively. The hope is still to field the full Honda HRC Progressive rider roster in SMX.

Hunter Lawrence 96 “More than joy and excitement, it’s honestly like a relief. Every race day, you can barely eat, your stomach cramps up, you feel crap. Saturday is the worst-feeling day of the week, and your body takes that stress over the year. Initially after the race, it’s more of a sigh of relief, but this is a huge accolade that I think has validated my career. I’ve seen Jett get enough, so it’s nice to get one up on him. The guy’s freaking good, so to be able to come in with the red plate for the last round and contend for this, I think it’s pretty special.”

Jett Lawrence 18 “As a brother, I’m happy for HJ getting his first 450 title, and I’m happy with what I’ve done this outdoor season. Everyone at the start of the year was watching me while I was sitting on the couch, because it was unknown for me with this injury—so no matter what my results were, I’m still happy, honestly. I’m even more stoked that I was able to be a pain to Hunter for this championship; I don’t want him to get it easy, so I tried to be a pain the best I can. We almost won every race as the Lawrences, so that’s pretty cool in itself. I’m just happy for the team and everyone.”

Jo Shimoda 30 Out with Injury

Chance Hymas 29 “Five podiums straight for me is a career best, so I’m really happy about that. Today I probably put together the two best motos in my life, but unfortunately just made some dumb mistakes the first and second laps and just buried myself. Juju [Beaumer] was the better guy today; he rode his butt off too. I was on a high going into the race, and with the MXoN announcement too. I know I’m the right guy to get called up for that; the three of us stepped up to do it, and that’s what matters. It’s always nice to be able to go show how hard you work on the weekends. Obviously, all of us are working our butts off and doing everything we can during the weeks, but I feel like I really showed who I am today. Those come-from-behind rides are what I’m capable of; I think I’ve finally got my body and my bike and my program all linked up together, and things have been clicking for sure.”

Lars Lindstrom Team Manager “It’s a unique position to be in—not only to have the two riders in the final race battling each other, but for them to be brothers; it’s not lost on me how special it is and how lucky we are as a team, and as American Honda. Winning is damn hard, so we really appreciate it, and it makes it easy to stay motivated for the future. For Chance, I think this may have been the best ride of his career, possibly only second to his 1-1 last year in Colorado. I’m really happy for him to be able to get back to where we knew he could be, and I’m excited for him to go race the 450 at the Motocross of Nations and fulfill a dream that every patriotic American rider normally has. I’m also excited to see how he performs in SMX, since this will be the first time he’ll be coming in healthy.”