Hunter Lawrence wins spectacular 450SX Triple Crown and extends championship lead

Published On: 8 maart 2026

DThe 450SX class once again delivered fireworks with the Triple Crown format. Several riders showed up at the front in the various motos, but ultimately it was Hunter Lawrence who kept his cool.

Thanks to a strong final moto, the Australian took the overall victory, immediately cementing his championship lead. Along the way, fans were treated to drama and spectacle as top riders like Ken Roczen, Aaron Plessinger, Eli Tomac, and defending champion Cooper Webb clashed with the track and each other.

Race 1 – Roczen strikes after strong duel

At the start of the first race, Jorge Prado was the fastest. However, the Spaniard couldn't enjoy his lead for long, as Cooper Webb took control on the opening lap. Shortly after, Ken Roczen also moved to the front. The German first worked his way past Prado and then began to put pressure on Webb. On the fourth lap, Roczen launched his attack and took the lead convincingly.

Once in the lead, the Suzuki rider immediately opened up a gap. Roczen rode flawlessly to victory, crossing the finish line with a lead of over five seconds.

Behind him, championship leader Hunter Lawrence finished second. Eli Tomac drove a strong comeback race, moving up from outside the top ten to a respectable third place. Cooper Webb, after a massive arm pump, was dropped from second to fourth, ahead of his teammate Justin Cooper, while Jorge Prado ultimately finished sixth.

Race 2 – Justin Cooper seizes his chance

In the second moto, Hunter Lawrence took the holeshot, but he was passed by Justin Cooper in the first rhythm section. Eli Tomac, who had started third, squeezed past Hunter Lawrence and then launched an attack on Justin Cooper. The former teammates clashed, and for a moment, it looked like Eli Tomac had the upper hand.

This wasn't expected of Justin Cooper, who found an extra gear and managed to close the gap to Eli Tomac. What happened next can only be described as a bold move. Justin Cooper made an aggressive move on Eli Tomac in the corner before the whoop-tie-does, a move the KTM rider clearly hadn't anticipated. He had to recover from this moment, but then Eli Tomac seemed to be making another attempt to attack Justin Cooper. Unfortunately, the lapped riders had other ideas. Eli Tomac made contact with Vince Friese and managed to hold on in the nick of time. He did so without losing any positions, but Justin Cooper was out of the woods.

Hunter Lawrence fared better. The Australian also encountered a doubled rider and lost third place to Cooper Webb. The reigning champion had started the race around sixth place but ultimately managed to fight his way onto the podium, ahead of Hunter Lawrence and Joey Savatgy.

Ken Roczen also suffered some blows! The winner of the evening's first main collided with Aaron Plessinger shortly after the start. Fortunately, neither crashed hard. The German had to start from the back of the grid again, but he fought his way back to tenth place. Plessinger had to leave the race after the incident with a hand injury.

Race 3 – Lawrence makes the difference

In the third and decisive moto, Hunter Lawrence showed why he's the championship leader. The Honda rider immediately took the lead at the start and never relinquished it. In the opening laps, Hunter Lawrence fought off pressure from Eli Tomac, and after a few laps, he began to build a lead. Ultimately, the Australian held a lead of over five seconds at the checkered flag.

Ken Roczen rode another strong race after his win in the first main and the crash and comeback in the second. He didn't get off to a great start, but after a few laps he managed to work his way past Justin Cooper and Jorge Prado, among others, and settled into third place, a position he would hold until the finish. Behind the podium, Cooper Webb and Justin Cooper finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

Lawrence takes the day's victory and strengthens his lead

Thanks to his consistent results – 2-4-1 – the day's victory went to Hunter Lawrence. Eli Tomac finished second, tied with Hunter Lawrence in points, but the final main counted as a tiebreaker. In third place was Cooper Webb, tied with fourth-place Justin Cooper, who had a strong showing in Indianapolis. However, the latter also missed the podium due to the tiebreaker rule. Ken Roczen finished the evening fifth overall. With this victory, Lawrence also consolidated his championship lead. The Honda rider now has a four-point lead over Tomac.

Photo: Garth Milan / Red Bull Content Pool