Hunter Lawrence
Sweeps Motos at Spring
Creek
to Reclaim Pro
Motocross Championship
Points Lead
|
|
Julien Beaumer Becomes
Fourth Different First-Time
Winner in 250SMX Class
|
|
|
MILLVILLE, Minn.
(July 18, 2026) – The
Pro Motocross
Championship, sanctioned
by AMA Pro Racing,
traveled to the “Land of
10,000 Lakes” to begin
the second half of the
summer campaign, with
Round 24 of the 2026
Monster Energy SMX World
Championship from the
dynamic landscape of
Spring Creek MX Park.
The FXR Spring Creek
National Presented by
Frescados Tortillas
produced one of the most
unpredictable races of
the season, as Honda HRC
Progressive’s Hunter
Lawrence [#96] prevailed
in the 450SMX Class with
his fourth win of the
season following a 1-1
sweep of the motos that
put him in the points
lead for the third time
in seven races. In the
250SMX Class, Red Bull
KTM Factory Racing’s
Julien Beaumer [#13]
broke through for his
first career victory
amidst an afternoon that
saw a dramatic shakeup
in the championship
standings.
|
|
Qualifying
-
Hunter Lawrence
began the day atop
the charts in
morning qualifying
with a time of
1:54.746 in the
final session. It
was just over a
half-second faster
than Monster Energy
Yamaha Star Racing’s
Haiden Deegan [#38],
who led the way
initially in the
first session and
bettered his time in
the final session to
place second overall
at 1:55.364.
Championship leader
and Honda HRC
Progressive rider
Jett Lawrence [#1]
rounded out the top
three at 1:56.591.
Moto 1 [30
Minutes + 2 Laps]
-
The first moto for
the premier class
got underway with
Jett Lawrence,
Deegan, and Red Bull
KTM Factory Racing’s
Jorge Prado [#26]
alongside one
another entering the
first turn. As the
trio pushed wide
with Lawrence on the
inside, Deegan lost
traction with his
front tire and went
down, which pushed
Prado off track.
That allowed Hunter
Lawrence to slip
past everyone on the
inside to grab the
holeshot and early
lead over Jett, with
Troy Lee Designs Red
Bull Ducati Factory
Racing’s Justin
Barcia [#51] in
third. Deegan
reentered at the
tail end of the
field.
-
Hunter Lawrence
opened up a
four-second lead
over Jett through
the first 10 minutes
of the moto as the
pair pulled away
from Barcia and the
rest of the field by
nearly 20 seconds.
Barcia, meanwhile,
was engaged in a
spirited battle for
third with Rockstar
Energy Husqvarna
Factory Racing’s RJ
Hampshire [#24].
After a brief fight,
Hampshire took
control of the
position.
-
The top three
remained unchanged
through the
remainder of the
moto, as Hunter
Lawrence eventually
moved out more than
10 seconds clear of
Jett, with Hampshire
settling in more
than 30 seconds back
in third. Deegan,
meanwhile, was on a
torrid charge
through the field
following his
opening lap crash.
The rookie impressed
as he carved through
the star-studded
field. As the moto
reached its final
laps, he was able to
break into the top
five.
-
Hunter Lawrence rode
to a dominant
wire-to-wire win,
his seventh moto
triumph of the
season, by a margin
of 16.8 seconds over
Jett. Hampshire
finished well back
in third, with
Deegan fourth and
Barcia fifth.
Moto 2 [30
Minutes + 2 Laps]
-
The final moto of
the day began with
another tremendous
start for Hunter
Lawrence, who
slotted ahead of
Jett to sweep the
holeshots. Monster
Energy Yamaha Star
Racing’s Cooper Webb
[#2] started third.
-
Jett applied heavy
pressure on the
opening lap to try
and take the lead
from Hunter, which
allowed the siblings
to pull away from
the field. Behind
them, Prado made the
move around Webb for
third, as Hampshire
followed through
into fourth. Deegan
then made the move
on his teammate for
fifth. It wasn’t
long before Deegan
stormed past
Hampshire for
fourth.
-
Back out front,
Hunter Lawrence
weathered the
pressure of Jett to
assert his hold of
the lead and
establish a
two-second gap
within the first
five minutes.
However, Jett
regrouped and
proceeded to mount
another attack just
a couple minutes
later.
-
A sibling battle for
the lead unfolded as
the moto neared the
end of its opening
10 minutes. Jett
looked for alternate
lines and attempted
to create passing
opportunities at
several areas of the
track, only for
Hunter to fend him
off. Jett’s patience
and persistence
eventually paid off
as he made the pass
stick. At this
point, they sat more
than 10 seconds
ahead of the rest of
the field.
-
With the Lawrences
well out front, a
battle for third
took shape between
Prado and Deegan.
The Yamaha rider
waited for his
opportunity and made
quick work of a pass
to take control of
third. He faced a
deficit of nearly 16
seconds to the
Lawrences.
-
Jett Lawrence
appeared to have the
race well in hand
with a lead of more
than seven seconds
inside the final 10
minutes, but lost
traction on the face
of a jump and went
down. As he fell,
the handlebar of his
Honda appeared to
get stuck in his
boot, which hindered
his ability to get
up. As Hunter
reclaimed hold of
the lead, Jett
eventually got back
on his bike, but
dropped to fifth
place, more than 40
seconds behind the
lead. That moved
Deegan into second
while a battle for
third unfolded
between Prado and
Hampshire.
-
With the lead in
hand, Hunter
Lawrence cruised to
his eighth moto win
of the season by
15.4 seconds over
Deegan to complete
the sweep. The
battle for third
between Prado and
Hampshire continued
down to the final
turn, with the
Spaniard securing
the final podium
spot. Jett Lawrence
followed in fifth.
Overall
-
While it wasn’t
without pressure,
Hunter Lawrence
completed his third
1-1 performance of
the season for his
class-leading fourth
win of the summer
and the fifth win of
his career. He’s in
the midst of a
10-race podium
streak dating back
to last season.
-
Deegan secured a
career-best
runner-up finish
following an
impressive 4-2
effort, for his
fourth podium of the
season and his third
in the past four
races.
-
Despite his
misfortune in the
final moto, Jett
Lawrence rounded out
the overall podium
in third with 2-5
finishes. While it
equals his worst
result of the
season, it’s the
ninth consecutive
podium for the
defending champion
dating back to last
season.
-
Hunter’s win,
combined with Jett’s
adversity in the
second moto, has
moved the elder
Lawrence back atop
the championship
standings for the
third time this
season. He holds a
10-point lead over
Jett, for Hunter’s
largest advantage of
the season thus far.
Deegan sits third,
62 points out of the
lead.
-
The victory also
allowed Hunter to
clinch the top seed
for the SMX Playoffs
with four rounds
remaining in the
regular season.
|
|
|
|
The Lawrences,
Hunter [#96] and Jett
[#1], positioned
themselves at the front
of Moto 1, with Hunter
able to grab the
holeshot and carry on to
a wire-to-wire win.
MX Sports Pro Racing,
Inc.
|
|
|
|
The Lawrences also
found themselves
side-by-side to begin
Moto 2, this time with
Jett able to overcome
Hunter's holeshot, only
to crash late and give
up the lead.
MX Sports Pro
Racing, Inc.
|
|
450SMX
Class Overall
Results (Moto
Finishes //
Points)
-
Hunter
Lawrence,
Landsborough,
Qld.,
Australia,
Honda (1-1
// 50)
-
Haiden
Deegan,
Temecula,
Calif.,
Yamaha (4-2
// 40)
-
Jett
Lawrence,
Landsborough,
Qld.,
Australia,
Honda (2-5
// 39)
-
RJ
Hampshire,
Hudson,
Fla.,
Husqvarna
(3-4 // 38)
-
Justin
Barcia,
Monroe,
N.Y., Ducati
(5-8 // 31)
-
Jorge Prado,
Lugo,
Galicia,
Spain, KTM
(13-3 // 29)
-
Dylan
Ferrandis,
Avignon,
France,
Ducati (7-9
// 28)
-
Benny Bloss,
Oak Grove,
Mo., Beta
(10-10 //
24)
-
Garrett
Marchbanks,
Coalville,
Utah,
Kawasaki
(15-6 // 23)
-
Jordon
Smith,
Belmont,
N.C.,
Triumph
(14-7 // 23)
450SMX
Class
Championship
Standings (Race
7 of 11)
-
Hunter
Lawrence,
Landsborough,
Qld.,
Australia,
Honda - 320
-
Jett
Lawrence,
Landsborough,
Qld.,
Australia,
Honda - 310
-
Haiden
Deegan,
Temecula,
Calif.,
Yamaha - 258
-
Jorge Prado,
Lugo,
Galicia,
Spain, KTM -
231
-
RJ
Hampshire,
Hudson,
Fla.,
Husqvarna -
221
-
Garrett
Marchbanks,
Coalville,
Utah,
Kawasaki -
206
-
Dylan
Ferrandis,
Avignon,
France,
Ducati - 180
-
Cooper Webb,
Newport,
N.C., Yamaha
- 153
-
Mikkel
Haarup,
Silkeborg,
Denmark,
Triumph -
149
-
Jordon
Smith,
Belmont,
N.C.,
Triumph -
126
SMX
World
Championship
Regular Season
Standings (Round
24 of 28)
-
Hunter
Lawrence,
Landsborough,
Qld.,
Australia,
Honda - 666
-
Cooper Webb,
Newport,
N.C., Yamaha
- 468
-
Jorge Prado,
Lugo,
Galicia,
Spain, KTM -
423
-
Dylan
Ferrandis,
Avignon,
France,
Ducati - 356
-
Garrett
Marchbanks,
Coalville,
Utah,
Kawasaki -
353
-
Ken Roczen,
Mattstedt,
Germany,
Suzuki - 349
-
Justin
Cooper, Cold
Spring
Harbor,
N.Y., Yamaha
- 323
-
Jett
Lawrence,
Landsborough,
Qld.,
Australia,
Honda - 310
-
Eli Tomac,
Cortez,
Colo., KTM -
298
-
Chase
Sexton, La
Moille,
Ill.,
Kawasaki -
298
|
|
|
|
1st
Place – Hunter
Lawrence | #96
Team Honda HRC
Progressive
(1-1)
“I got my
doors blown off
in the second
moto. I honestly
had no idea Jett
crashed. He was
flying. I’m
happy it worked
out, but it’s
time to go chill
now.”
2nd
Place – Haiden
Deegan | #38
Monster Energy
Yamaha Star
Racing (4-2)
“The track
was gnarly. I
screwed myself
in the first
moto, but it’s
all good.
Another
completed round,
P2 overall. It’s
good to keep
putting strong
finishes on the
board. I’m not
going to quit
trying to get
better. Bring it
on.”
3rd
Place – Jett
Lawrence | #1
Team Honda HRC
Progressive
(2-5)
“I was
feeling so good.
I had my lines
picked out and
felt
comfortable. A
lapper took my
focus off for a
moment and my
bike grabbed
going up the
jump and that
was it. It’s
such a bummer.
We lost some
points to
Hunter, but
we’ll come back
to try and be
just a little
bit better.”
|
|
|
|
|
450SMX Class
Highlights // Spring Creek
National |
|
Qualifying
-
The Monster Energy
Pro Circuit Kawasaki
duo of Drew Adams
[#35] and Levi
Kitchen [#47] led
the way in each
respective timed
session, with Adams’
lap of 1:57.950
ultimately resulting
in his first pole
position of the
season and the
second of his
career. He edged out
Kitchen’s 1:58.148
by a mere tenth of a
second, with points
leader and Monster
Energy Yamaha Star
Racing rider Cole
Davies [#37] in
third with a time of
1:59.479.
Moto 1 [30
Minutes + 2 Laps]
-
The first moto of
the afternoon
started with a
frightening
multi-rider pileup
that collected both
Kitchen and Davies,
the top two riders
in the championship.
Fortunately, both
were able to remount
and get back into
the race, albeit
outside the top 30.
Out front, Monster
Energy Yamaha Star
Racing’s Kayden
Minear [#99] earned
the holeshot and
moved into the lead
ahead of Toyota
Redlands BarX
Yamaha’s Parker Ross
[#40].
-
As Minear looked to
take advantage of
his opportunity to
pace the field the
attention shifted to
Davies and Kitchen
as they followed one
another in a run
through the field.
They easily charged
up the running
order, breaking into
the top 15 just 10
minutes into the
moto.
-
Back up front,
Monster Energy
Yamaha Star Racing’s
Michael Mosiman
[#23] fought his way
into the lead with a
little more than 20
minutes left on the
race clock after
passes around Ross
and Minear. Not long
after, Monster
Energy Yamaha Star
Racing’s Nate
Thrasher [#25] moved
into the top three.
-
As the moto reached
its halfway point,
Davies lost power on
his Yamaha and came
to a stop on the
racetrack, ending
his moto. It was
later confirmed he
ran out of fuel due
to a hole in his gas
tank caused by the
crash in the first
turn. Kitchen,
meanwhile, made his
way into the top 10
and looked to
continue moving
forward.
-
The battle for the
podium took another
turn when Beaumer,
who started seventh,
fought his way into
the top three with a
pass on Thrasher.
Beaumer continued
his push and made
quick work on a pass
around Minear for
second. With about
seven minutes left
in the moto, Beaumer
faced a 6.3 second
deficit to Mosiman.
-
As time ran out on
the race clock and
the 2 Lap board
showing, Beaumer
closed within 2.5
seconds of Mosiman.
He charged to the
rear fender of the
Yamaha to initiate a
battle for the lead.
Mosiman responded to
try and keep the KTM
at bay. They ran
side-by-side on the
final lap as Beaumer
was able to wrestle
his way into the
lead.
-
Beaumer carried on
to take the first
moto win of career
by eight tenths of a
second over Mosiman,
with Minear in
third. Thrasher
finished fourth,
while Rockstar
Energy Husqvarna
Factory Racing’s
Daxton Bennick [#58]
rounded out the top
five. Kitchen put in
a resilient effort
to finish eighth,
while Davies’ DNF
placed him 38th.
Moto 2 [30
Minutes + 2 Laps]
-
The second and
deciding moto kicked
off with Minear out
front for a sweep of
the holeshots over
Mosiman and Beaumer.
Davies started fifth
while Kitchen
started in 15th.
-
Minear inched away
with a lead of just
over a second over
Mosiman, while
Beaumer applied
heavy pressure from
third. Davies moved
up to fourth and
looked to make his
way into the top
three.
-
As the first five
minutes passed,
Mosiman made a push
forward to challenge
Minear for the lead.
Behind him, Davies
went down while
running fourth and
remounted in eighth.
Moments later,
Mosiman crashed out
of the race from
second while Davies
went down again and
dropped outside the
top 10, ending his
hopes of contending
in the moto.
-
The wild turn of
events put Minear
more than 2.5
seconds ahead of
Beaumer, while Honda
HRC Progressive’s
Chance Hymas [#29]
moved into third.
Behind them, Kitchen
fought his way up to
fourth.
-
As the moto
surpassed its first
10 minutes Hymas put
on a charge that
carried him past
Beaumer for second
and then onto the
rear fender of
Minear. Kitchen
followed through
into third with a
pass on Beaumer. Not
long after, Hymas
took control of the
lead. Kitchen then
made the pass for
second at the
halfway point of the
moto.
-
The parity of the
class didn’t relent
as AEO Powersports
KTM’s Carson Mumford
joined the fray as
well and fought his
way up to third. He
then pressured
Kitchen for second.
After a couple laps
of close
competition, Kitchen
asserted his hold of
the spot.
-
With the 2 Lap board
out, Beaumer closed
in on Mumford for
third and looked to
make the pass but
lost his balance and
tipped over. He
remounted quickly to
maintain his hold of
fourth place.
-
Hymas dominated the
second half to take
his first moto win
of the season by 11
seconds over
Kitchen, as Mumford
earned a career best
in third. Beaumer
finished fourth.
Overall
-
By virtue of his 1-4
finishes, Beaumer
broke through for
the first outdoor
victory of his
career. He’s the
fourth different
rider this summer to
capture his maiden
victory and is the
97th different rider
in series history to
win an overall. It’s
the culmination of
one of the sport’s
most incredible
comeback stories
after Beaumer’s
career was put in
jeopardy following a
burst fracture in
his spine suffered
last September
during the SMX
Playoffs.
-
For Hymas, his first
podium result of the
season came via a
runner-up effort
following 9-1
finishes. It’s the
sixth podium of his
career and puts a
bright spot on
Hymas’ own extended
recovery from a torn
ACL suffered last
June as well as a
torn labrum suffered
in January during
Supercross.
-
A resilient
afternoon for
Kitchen proved to be
rewarding in all
facets, as he
finished third
overall with 8-2
finishes and
regained control of
the lead in the
championship
standings with his
fourth podium of the
season and 18th of
his career.
-
Kitchen came into
the race two points
behind Davies in the
championship, but
following the New
Zealander’s
16th-place finish
(38-13) and a
27-point swing for
Kitchen, the
Kawasaki rider now
sits atop the
standings for the
second time this
summer, with the
largest advantage of
the season. Kitchen
holds a 24-point
lead over Beaumer,
who moved into
second following his
victory, while
Davies sits 25
points out of the
lead in third.
-
Kitchen will now
carry the red plate
into his native
Washougal next
weekend, adding even
more significance to
his annual
homecoming to the
Pacific Northwest.
|
|
|
|
The first moto began
with the Yamaha
teammates of Carson Wood
[#226] and Cole Davies
[#37] out front until
Wood lost control to
initiate a multi-rider
incident.
MX Sports Pro Racing,
Inc.
|
|
|
|
Kayden Minear [#99]
opened Moto 2 with the
holeshot and led laps
early, but it was Chance
Hymas [#29] who ascended
to the front.
MX Sports Pro Racing,
Inc.
|
|
250SMX
Class Overall
Results (Moto
Finishes //
Points)
-
Julien
Beaumer,
Lake Havasu
City, Ariz.,
KTM (1-4 //
43)
-
Chance
Hymas,
Pocatello,
Idaho, Honda
(9-1 // 38)
-
Levi
Kitchen,
Washougal,
Wash.,
Kawasaki
(8-2 // 36)
-
Kayden
Minear,
Perth,
Western
Australia,
Yamaha (3-6
// 36)
-
Carson
Mumford,
Simi Valley,
Calif., KTM
(11-3 // 31)
-
Drew Adams,
Chattanooga,
Tenn.,
Kawasaki
(7-7 // 30)
-
Daxton
Bennick,
Morganton,
N.C.,
Husqvarna
(5-10 // 29)
-
Ryder
DiFrancesco,
Bakersfield,
Calif.,
Husqvarna
(6-11 // 27)
-
Dilan
Schwartz,
Alpine,
Calif.,
Yamaha (10-8
// 26)
-
Lux Turner,
Gardnerville,
Nev., Yamaha
(15-5 // 24)
250SMX
Class
Championship
Standings (Race
7 of 11)
-
Levi
Kitchen,
Washougal,
Wash.,
Kawasaki -
261
-
Julien
Beaumer,
Lake Havasu
City, Ariz.,
KTM - 237
-
Cole Davies,
Waitoki, New
Zealand,
Yamaha - 236
-
Kayden
Minear,
Perth,
Western
Australia,
Yamaha - 199
-
Jo Shimoda,
Suzuka,
Japan, Honda
- 194
-
Ryder
DiFrancesco,
Bakersfield,
Calif.,
Husqvarna -
194
-
Chance
Hymas,
Pocatello,
Idaho, Honda
- 190
-
Carson
Mumford,
Simi Valley,
Calif., KTM
- 153
-
Seth
Hammaker,
Bainbridge,
Pa.,
Kawasaki -
134
-
Casey
Cochran,
Portsmouth,
Va.,
Husqvarna -
122
SMX
World
Championship
Regular Season
Standings (Round
24 of 28)
-
Cole Davies,
Waitoki, New
Zealand,
Yamaha - 467
-
Levi
Kitchen,
Washougal,
Wash.,
Kawasaki -
438
-
Ryder
DiFrancesco,
Bakersfield,
Calif.,
Husqvarna -
358
-
Seth
Hammaker,
Bainbridge,
Pa.,
Kawasaki -
314
-
Jo Shimoda,
Suzuka,
Japan, Honda
- 294
-
Julien
Beaumer,
Lake Havasu
City, Ariz.,
KTM - 237
-
Haiden
Deegan,
Temecula,
Calif.,
Yamaha - 233
-
Nate
Thrasher,
Livingston,
Tenn.,
Yamaha - 232
-
Daxton
Bennick,
Morganton,
N.C.,
Husqvarna -
232
-
Chance
Hymas,
Pocatello,
Idaho, Honda
- 228
|
|
|
|
1st
Place – Julien
Beaumer | #13
Red Bull KTM
Factory Racing
(1-4)
“Laying in
that hospital
bed [with the
back injury] I
thought maybe
[my career] was
over. I told
myself I was
going to die
trying to come
back. Now, I’m
here. I didn't
make it easy on
myself and
didn’t ride
great in that
second moto, but
we made it
happen. All the
odds were
against me
coming into the
season. I worked
my ass off for
six months
coming into the
summer and when
I got back on
the bike I knew
I could be one
of those guys.”
2nd
Place – Chance
Hymas | #29
Honda HRC
Progressive
(9-1)
“It’s been
way too long of
a summer and has
taken too long
to get a [moto]
win. We’ve been
struggling, but
the team has
stayed behind me
every step of
the way. This is
a perfect
example of never
giving up on
yourself. Now I
can see a light
at the end of
the tunnel.”
3rd
Place – Levi
Kitchen | #47
Monster Energy
Pro Circuit
Kawasaki (8-2)
“It was a
tough day, for
sure. I’m glad
to be somewhat
okay after the
first moto
crash. It was
nasty. I’m glad
to be alright
and big thank
you to the fans
for keeping me
going. I’m proud
of my fight
today.”
|
|
|
|
|
250SMX Class Class
Highlights // Spring Creek
National |
|
|
|
Post-Race Press
Conference // Spring Creek
National |
|
|
The 2026 Pro Motocross
Championship will
continue next Saturday,
July 25, for Round 25 of
the SMX World
Championship regular
season, with the annual
visit to the Pacific
Northwest and the scenic
tree-lined setting of
Washougal MX Park. The
FLY Racing Washougal
National Presented by
Peterson CAT and the
annual "Military
Appreciation Race" will
be shown live in its
entirety on Peacock,
beginning with Race Day
Live at 10 a.m. PT / 1
p.m. ET, followed by
coverage of the motos at
1 p.m. PT / 4 p.m. ET.
|
|
For information
about the Pro
Motocross
Championship,
please visit ProMotocross.com and
be sure to
follow all of
the Pro
Motocross social
media channels
for exclusive
content and
additional
information on
the latest news:
|
|
MX Sports Pro
Racing
MX Sports Pro Racing,
Inc., manages and
produces the world's
premier motocross racing
series – the Pro
Motocross Championship
sanctioned by AMA Pro
Racing. MX Sports Pro
Racing is an industry
leader in off-road
powersport event
production and
management, whose
mission is to showcase
the sport of
professional motocross
competition at events
throughout the United
States. Through its
various racing
properties, partnerships
and affiliates, MX
Sports Pro Racing, Inc.,
organizes events for
thousands of racing
athletes each year and
attracts millions of
motorsports spectators.
Visit MXSportsProRacing.com for
more information.
|
|
Pro Motocross
Championship
The Pro Motocross
Championship sanctioned
by AMA Pro Racing
features the world's
fastest outdoor
motocross racers,
competing aboard
homologated bikes from
one of eight competing
manufacturers on a
collection of the
roughest, toughest
tracks on the planet.
Racing takes place each
Saturday afternoon, with
competition divided into
two classes: one for
250cc machines, and one
for 450cc machines. MX
Sports Pro Racing, the
industry leader in
off-road powersports
event production,
organizes the Pro
Motocross Championship
series.
More information can be
found at ProMotocross.com.
|
|
SMX World
Championship
The SMX World
Championship™ is the
premier off-road
motorcycle racing series
in the world that
combines the technical
precision of stadium
racing with the all-out
speed and endurance of
outdoor racing. Created
in 2022, the SMX World
Championship Series
combines the Monster
Energy AMA Supercross
Championship and the Pro
Motocross Championship
sanctioned by AMA Pro
Racing into a 28-round
regular season that
culminates with the
season-ending SMX World
Championship Playoffs.
Visit SuperMotocross.com for
more information.
|
|
AMA Pro Racing
AMA Pro Racing is the
premier professional
motorcycle racing
organization for North
America, operating a
full schedule of events
and championships for a
variety of motorcycle
disciplines. It serves
as the sanctioning body
of the Pro Motocross
Championship.
Learn more about AMA Pro
Racing at AMAProRacing.com.
|
|
|
|
|