VOLUME ISSUE SEPTEMBER , P87
there were ruts, I was okay, but
when you have to turn off noth-
ing [no ruts], I was struggling.
Last year, I was good, but I got
worse through the rest of the
races, so this year, hopefully I
can bounce back at the next
round."
Hunter Lawrence's third in the
opening moto proved crucial, as
a sixth in race two dropped him
off the overall podium in fourth,
ahead of Ken Roczen's consis
-
tent pair of fifths.
Justin Cooper qualified fast-
est but went on to take sixth
overall, beating out Malcolm
Stewart and Aaron Plessinger.
Colt Nichols qualified out of the
LCQ and used a pair of 10s to
share of struggles in the morn
-
ing qualifying sessions as he
looked for the perfect setting for
the mixed track design. This is
Sexton's first go-around on the
KTM in SMX. When the motos
came around, the number-four
looked up to speed but just
couldn't muster a pass around
the leaders. Even with a handful
of mistakes, Sexton continued
to improve each time he got
on the track, going 4-3 for third
overall on the day. He still leads
the overall SMX points, four up
on Jett.
"I was honestly just horrible
at the flat turns," Sexton said. "If
there wasn't a rut, I was just not
good. In the back section where
JETT'S 2025 DEBUT
Jett Lawrence debuted on the
2025 Honda CRF450R, the same
model his brother, Hunter, has
been racing since the Unadilla
round of the Pro Motocross Cham-
pionship. The last time we saw
Jett, he was still piloting the 2024
model, but an overall win in Char-
lotte shows he's adapted quickly
to the new bike.
65CC WORLD
ALL STARS
The world's best 65cc riders took
to the zMax track for their own
main event. Cobra's Carter Gray
won the race but was later penal-
ized two positions for jumping the
finish-line double, a rule made by
the officials before the gate drop.
This gave the win to Chase Bren-
nan, with Joey Vicari in second.
LCQ WINNERS
Racers must qualify into the SMX
Playoffs and four final spots were
left up for grabs leading into Sat-
urday's racing. Carson Mumford
took the 250SMX win on his new
Phoenix Honda, while Jerry Robin
claimed the clutch victory for a
coveted spot on the 450 gate.
UPS AND DOWNS
More than a few riders hit the
deck in the practice sessions prior
to the actual gate drops. Justin
Barcia and Jason Anderson both
forfeited their spots on the line
after big crashes in practice left
them unable to race. Casey Co-
chran also hit the deck in the long
rhythm lane, which forced him out
of the day's competition.
Briefly...
