Motocross 2023: Results and points after SuperMotocross Round 27 at Budds Creek

By
Dan Beaver,

By
Dan Beaver

Published August 20, 2023 12:21 PM

Jett Lawrence faced his biggest challenge of the 2023 Pro Motocross season in the Budds Creek National in Mechanicsville, Maryland but neither a slow start in Moto 1 nor a determined charge by Chase Sexton at the end of Moto 2 could end his quest for perfection.

Switching to a knobby tire moments before the first race, Lawrence failed to get a good launch off the gate. He was well outside the top five during the first lap before meticulously picking his way through the field. With that win, his ability to make passes. There was nothing to prove in Moto 2, so he earned the holeshot and rode away to an early lead. Sexton found speed late in the moto and almost ended his winning streak before finishing 0.77 seconds off the pace.

Moto 1 Results | Lap Chart | Fastest Segment Times
Moto 2 Results | Lap Chart | Fastest Segment Times
Consolation Race

No other rider swept the podium at Budds Creek, but Aaron Plessinger came closest with a fourth-place finish in Moto 1 and a third in the second race. He finished second overall for the second time this season after also securing the runner-up spot at Thunder Valley in Round 3 of the Pro Motocross season.

Jason Anderson scored his second overall podium of the season with results of second and fifth. Both third-place finishes came in the last three rounds, which suggests he is gaining momentum at just the right time.

For the first time this season, Sexton failed to stand on the podium. Along with his teammate Lawrence, he got a slow start in Moto 1 but was unable to ride through the field and when he pushed too hard, Sexton crashed once and rode off course a second time after cross-rutting. He was back to top form in Moto 2 and pressured Lawrence in the closing laps, but a ninth-place finish in the first race relegated him to fourth overall.

450 Overall results | Rider Points | Manufacturer Points
Combined SMX points

It took a round for Justin Barcia to get back into his rhythm. Last week’s crash in Moto 1 at Unadilla contributed to a 19th-place overall finish, but in Budds Creek he showed the mix of aggression and precision that has worked so well for him during his career. Barcia finished fifth overall.

Sexton wasn’t the only rider to end a streak at Budds Creek. Finishing sixth overall with a third-place finish in Moto 1 and a ninth in Moto 2, Dylan Ferrandis finished outside the top five for the first time this season with a sixth-place finish.

MX Budds Creeak 2023 Julien Beaumer debut.jpg

Finishing second and first, Hunter Lawrence lost three points to his closest challenger for the championship in Moto 1 and regained them in Moto 2 to leave Budds Creek with a 22-point advantage over Justin Cooper. If he wins Moto 1 in the season finale at Ironman, he will clinch the title and give Honda sweep of the championship battles of 2023 in Motocross and Supercross.

Winning the first moto convincingly and finishing second in Moto 2, Cooper lost the overall by virtue of the tiebreaker. He knew making up 22 points in four motos would be a challenge. Now all he can do is hope for a mistake or mechanical issue from Lawrence next week.

Jo Shimoda scored his third overall podium of the season with a seventh-place finish in the first race and a third in Moto 2. His box appearances have all come in the last five races and he’ll be hungry to get another at Ironman so he can carry momentum into the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX).

Austin Forkner is closing in on the top 30 in combined SMX points. He is eight below the cutline in 34th with three riders above him not currently competing in the outdoor season. He should qualify for the championship and get an opportunity to race in the Last Chance Qualifiers but cannot afford to make any mistakes in the season finale. With an eighth in Moto 1 and a fourth in Moto 2, he finished fourth overall.

Moto 1 Results | Lap Chart | Fastest Segment Times
Moto 2 Results | Lap Chart | Fastest Segment Times
Consolation Race

Tom Vialle tied Forkner in points but was awarded fifth overall by the tiebreaker. Vialle was docked four points for jumping on a Red Cross flag, but that deduction was not applied until after the overall results were tallied.

In seventh overall, Daxton Bennick scored his best finish of the season courtesy of a strong Moto 1 run that landed fourth in the finishing order. He was 11th in Moto 2.

Making his pro debut, Julien Beaumer scored a solid ninth-place finish with results of 11th and ninth.

Haiden Deegan has been eliminated from championship contention after finishing 16th in the first moto and fifth in the second. That placed him 11th overall and outside the top 10 for the second straight week.

250 Overall results | Rider Points | Manufacturer Points
Combined SMX points

2023 Motocross Results
Round 9: Jett Lawrence, Hunter Lawrence win
Round 8: Jett Lawrence, Haiden Deegan win
Round 7: Jett Lawrence, Hunter Lawrence win
Round 6: Jett Lawrence, Tom Vialle win
Round 5: Jett Lawrence, Haiden Deegan win
Round 4: Jett Lawrence, Hunter Lawrence still winning
Round 3: Jett Lawrence, Hunter Lawrence continue to win
Round 2: Jett Lawrence, Hunter Lawrence win again
Round 1: Jett Lawrence, Hunter Lawrence win