The Supercross season is set for a dramatic conclusion as Hunter Lawrence closes in on Ken Roczen. Only a single point separates the two riders as they head into the final event. Lawrence secured his fifth 450SX Class victory of the season, marking his 29th career SMX League victory.
A Tight Title Race
The closeness of the championship battle is notable. This marks the third‑closest 450SX Class Championship entering a final in the sport’s 53‑year history. In 1985, Jeff Ward and Broc Glover were tied heading into the final. The 2006 final also saw Chad Reed and Ricky Carmichael enter tied.
A tie is still mathematically possible. A 450SX Class Championship has never finished tied, but that could happen only if both Lawrence and Roczen finish outside of the podium, and Lawrence finishes one spot ahead of Roczen. In that case, both are tied with 5 wins, and 2nd place finishes would be the next tie breaker, with Lawrence holding the advantage.
Lawrence’s Ascent
Lawrence’s recent victory underscores his strong form. It was his 29th career SMX League victory, leaving him only one victory away from moving into the top-25 all-time. He is also only one podium away from tying for 25th in SMX League podiums with 80. He was making his 35th career 450SX Class start and earned his 14th 450SX Class podium (12th of the season), good for 38th all-time.
If Lawrence can upend Roczen, he would move into 25th in SMX League Championships with 3.
Roczen’s Pursuit of History
Ken Roczen is also achieving milestones. He extended his career-long podium streak to 7 with his 88th career 450SX Class podium, passing Ricky Carmichael for 5th all-time. Roczen joins Tomac, Carmichael, Dungey, Reed, & McGrath as the 6th athlete in SMX League history to hit the 175 podium mark.
Suzuki seeks their 5th 450SX Class title, which would tie KTM for 4th all-time. Mark Barnett (1981), Carmichael (2005-06), and Dungey (2010) are Suzuki’s other 450SX Class Champions.
Other Notable Performances
- Eli Tomac secured his 111th 450SX Class podium, tying McGrath for 2nd on the all-time 450SX Class list.
- Malcolm Stewart achieved his 3rd top-5 finish of the season.
- Chase Sexton earned his 69th 450SX Class top-5 finish and 154th SMX League top-5 finish.
- Garrett Marchbanks tied his career-best 450SX Class finish.
Haiden Deegan scored his 7th win of the season, tied for the 3rd most wins in a single 250SX Class season. A victory in the final would tie Ricky Carmichael’s record of 8 wins he compiled in 1998.
If Tomac starts in the final, he will finish the season with 199 career 450SX Class starts.