Hunter Lawrence Dominates Budds Creek to Reclaim Points Lead, Set Up Winner-Take-All Championship Showdown with Brother Jett

Chance Hymas Becomes Seventh Different 250SMX Winner to Set New Record

MECHANICSVILLE, MD – August 23, 2026 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – For the first time all summer Mother Nature played a central role in the outcome of the action at the penultimate race of the Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, from Budds Creek Motocross Park. Heavy morning rains set the tone for a challenging afternoon that remained free from rainfall at Round 27 of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship, where a wet and muddy track eventually transitioned into a competitive racing surface as the sun emerged at the Yamaha Racing Budds Creek National Presented by Carter CAT. In the premier 450SMX Class, Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence [#96] put forth a dominant performance to capture his sixth win of the season and reclaim control of the points lead, setting up a winner-take-all showdown at the season finale with his teammate and brother, Jett Lawrence [#1]. In the 250SMX Class, a day that saw a dramatic shift atop the point standings also welcomed the summer’s seventh different winner as Honda HRC Progressive’s Chance Hymas [#29] prevailed to set a new record of parity in the smaller displacement and give Honda a sweep of the day’s victories.

Qualifying

• The first session of the morning ultimately became the deciding factor in the combined time sheet as a heavy rain shower prior to the second session effectively forced every rider to forego logging any laps. As a result, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan [#38] ended up atop the charts with a time of 1:54.734, which placed him a half second ahead of Jett Lawrence and his time of 1:55.266, while Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire [#24] followed in third [1:55.501]. Hunter Lawrence ended up fourth [1:55.541] after his fastest lap was disallowed for jumping on a red cross flag. He held the second-fastest lap prior to the penalty.

Moto 1 [30 Minutes + 2 Laps]

• The opening premier class moto kicked off with Deegan out front for the holeshot, with Hunter Lawrence and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac [#3] in tow. Jett Lawrence got a poor jump off the gate, made contact with another rider while navigating the first turn, and emerged deep inside the top 20 before eventually falling outside a points-paying position.
• Hunter Lawrence showed patience on the opening lap and pulled the trigger on a pass that caught Deegan off guard and allowed the Honda rider to take control of the moto. Deegan responded to keep the battle engaged, but Lawrence soon pulled ahead by more than two seconds.
• As the top three settled into their respective positions the focus shifted on Jett Lawrence’s climb through the field. He fought his way into the top 15 through the opening 10 minutes and held a pace that was on par with the leaders.
• As the moto surpassed its halfway point, Jett broke into the top 10. Meanwhile, the gap between Hunter Lawrence and Deegan dwindled down to just over a second as the top two navigated heavy lapped traffic. Behind them, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado [#26] made the pass around his teammate Tomac for third.
• Hunter Lawrence weathered the pressure from Deegan and reestablished a lead of more than three seconds inside the final five minutes. Further back, Jett Lawrence continued to move up the running order and on the cusp of the top five. As time ran out on the race clock, the championship leader made the pass for fifth.
• Back out front, Hunter Lawrence finished strong with his biggest lead of the moto and took the checkered flag for the 11th time this summer by a margin of 5.6 seconds over Deegan. Prado finished more than 50 seconds back in third, with Tomac posting a season-best moto finish in fourth ahead of Jett Lawrence, who salvaged fifth.
• Hunter Lawrence’s exceptional pace saw him lap up to 11th place in the 40-rider field.

Moto 2 [30 Minutes + 2 Laps]

• The final moto of the afternoon provided the best conditions of the day and saw Hunter Lawrence wrestle his way into the lead with the holeshot over Prado and fellow Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Aaron Plessinger [#7]. Deegan and Jett Lawrence emerged deep in the top 10.
• Hunter Lawrence looked to take full advantage of the clear track and laid down a blistering opening lap to establish a 3.4 second lead over Prado, as 5.11 Triumph Factory Racing’s Mikkel Haarup [#31] moved into third.
• As the lead trio settled in, Jett Lawrence was patiently moving his way forward and picked off several riders to make his way into fourth through the opening five minutes of the moto. Deegan sat a few positions back in seventh.
• Out front, Prado made inroads on his deficit to Hunter Lawrence and held a faster pace as the first 10 minutes drew to a close. Jett Lawrence, meanwhile, attacked Haarup for third and made an impressive outside move to take the position.
• Hunter Lawrence withstood the pressure from Prado and once again extended his lead, which soon reached nearly six seconds with less than 10 minutes to go. Further back, Jett Lawrence started to make gains on Prado. As time ran out on the race clock Jett closed in on Prado to initiate a two-lap battle for the position. On the final lap Jett forced the issue and used a lapped rider as a pick to make the pass on the Spaniard.
• Back out front, a wire-to-wire performance in the final moto capped off another dominant outing for Hunter Lawrence, who made it a dozen moto wins on the season. He crossed the line 5.9 seconds ahead of his younger brother, with Prado third and Deegan fourth.

Overall

• Hunter Lawrence’s sixth 1-1 performance and sixth victory of the summer is the seventh of his career, but more importantly, moved him back atop the championship standings with one race remaining.
• Prado secured back-to-back runner-up finishes after a 3-3 afternoon.
• Deegan captured his fifth consecutive overall podium result in third (2-4) and now has eight podiums in the first 10 races of his rookie season.
• Jett Lawrence settled for fourth (5-2), which signified just his third-ever non-podium finish in 37 premier class starts and his first not impacted by a crash nor a penalty.
• An 11-point swing moved Hunter Lawrence back atop the championship standings heading into the final round, with he and Jett separated by a single point. It signified the sixth time the points lead has changed hands between the siblings this summer.

The first moto began under tricky track conditions, as Haiden Deegan [#38] grabbed the holeshot but gave way to Hunter Lawrence [#96], who carried on to the win.
MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.

Hunter Lawrence [#96] and Jorge Prado [#26] began the second moto out front, with Lawrence ultimately completing the 1-1 moto sweep with a wire-to-wire victory.
MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.

450SMX Class Overall Results (Moto Finishes // Points)

1. Hunter Lawrence, Landsborough, Qld., Australia, Honda (1-1 // 50)
2. Jorge Prado, Lugo, Galicia, Spain, KTM (3-3 // 40)
3. Haiden Deegan, Temecula, Calif., Yamaha (2-4 // 40)
4. Jett Lawrence, Landsborough, Qld., Australia, Honda (5-2 // 39)
5. Mikkel Haarup, Silkeborg, Denmark, Triumph (8-5 // 31)
6. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., Yamaha (6-9 // 29)
7. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, KTM (10-7 // 27)
8. Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Ducati (7-10 // 27)
9. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., KTM (4-13 // 27)
10. RJ Hampshire, Hudson, Fla., Husqvarna (12-6 // 26)

450SMX Class Championship Standings (Race 10 of 11)

1. Hunter Lawrence, Landsborough, Qld., Australia, Honda – 442
2. Jett Lawrence, Landsborough, Qld., Australia, Honda – 441
3. Haiden Deegan, Temecula, Calif., Yamaha – 376
4. Jorge Prado, Lugo, Galicia, Spain, KTM – 351
5. RJ Hampshire, Hudson, Fla., Husqvarna – 308
6. Garrett Marchbanks, Coalville, Utah, Kawasaki – 265
7. Dylan Ferrandis, Avignon, France, Ducati – 265
8. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., Yamaha – 230
9. Mikkel Haarup, Silkeborg, Denmark, Triumph – 220
10. Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Ducati – 201

SMX World Championship Regular Season Standings (Round 27 of 28)

1. Hunter Lawrence, Landsborough, Qld., Australia, Honda – 788
2. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., Yamaha – 545
3. Jorge Prado, Lugo, Galicia, Spain, KTM – 540
4. Jett Lawrence, Landsborough, Qld., Australia, Honda – 441
5. Dylan Ferrandis, Avignon, France, Ducati – 441
6. Garrett Marchbanks, Coalville, Utah, Kawasaki – 407
7. Haiden Deegan, Temecula, Calif., Yamaha – 376
8. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., KTM – 364
9. Ken Roczen, Mattstedt, Germany, Suzuki – 349
10. Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha – 347

1st Place – Hunter Lawrence | #96 Honda HRC Progressive (1-1)

“Anything can happen, so I just focused on myself. I tried to get around the first turn the best I can and then just ride my own race. I haven’t felt great all week [physically], so it feels great to get this done.”

2nd Place – Jorge Prado | #26 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (3-3)

“My start was good [and] my riding was good most of the time. In those last 10 minutes I struggle and have a hard time with the lappers. I need to be better at that. Hopefully we can get a moto win before the season ends.”

3rd Place – Haiden Deegan | #38 Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing (2-4)

“I was chasing BamBam [Barcia] for so long and overheated my bike. I’m still happy with the day. We’re making improvements each week and I just want to keep putting in the work. On to the next one.”

4th Place – Jett Lawrence | #1 Honda HRC Progressive (5-2)

“It’s going to be exciting [next weekend]. [Hunter and I] have been going back and forth with the red plate. Now it’s one point and winner-take-all at the next one. I need to get better on the starts; those have been terrible. If I can fix that I think we’ll be in good shape.”

Jett Lawrence finished off the podium for just the third time in his premier class career
and with it lost hold of the points lead.
MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.

450SMX Class Highlights // Budds Creek National

Qualifying

• The first qualifying session proved to be faster for the smaller displacement as the final session was greeted with the early stages of a steady storm that ultimately altered the course of the day. For the second week in a row, points leader and Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider Levi Kitchen [#47] paced the field with a time of 1:56.283, which placed him three tenths ahead of his championship rival, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies [#37] and his time of 1:56.596. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Ryder DiFrancesco [#34] rounded out the top three [1:56.944].

Moto 1 [30 Minutes + 2 Laps]

• The first moto of the afternoon saw Kitchen take advantage of his first gate pick with his first holeshot of the summer ahead of Davies and Hymas. The Honda rider went on the attack early and made a pass on Davies. Then, as he pressured Kitchen for the lead, the Kawasaki rider went down and reentered the race in 17th place.
• Hymas took advantage of the opportunity to lead the field and assert his hold of first. However, Davies closed in and snuck through to seize control of the moto. After one lap, Davies’ lead sat at 3.5 seconds. Behind them, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Landen Gordon [#180] moved into third.
• As Davies started to pull away from the field, Kitchen was in the midst of a recovery effort, fighting his way back into the top 10 with 23 minutes remaining on the race clock. However, as the moto wore on, Kitchen’s vision was compromised as he ran out of tear-offs, which forced him to remove his goggles with 18 minutes to go. As a result, he slowly started to lose positions and dropped outside the top 10 with about 10 minutes to go.
• The top three settled in through the heart of the moto, with enough distance between each of them to assert their hold on each position. On the final lap, Hymas was able to get Davies in his sights, but it was too little too late. Davies closed out his eighth moto win of the season by 2.2 seconds, with Gordon in third. AEO Powersports KTM’s Carson Mumford [#71] was fourth, with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Kayden Minear [#99] fifth.
• Kitchen made a late push and salvaged 10th but was ultimately penalized for going beyond the track limits as the field emerged from the starting gate. As a result, Kitchen was docked four positions and was credited with 14th place.

Moto 2 [30 Minutes + 2 Laps]

• With the sun shining and an improving racetrack, the second moto began with Hymas out front with the holeshot ahead of Toyota Redlands BarX Yamaha’s Parker Ross [#40] and Davies, with Gordon in fourth. Kitchen slotted into sixth. Davies was able to make the move around Ross before the end of the opening lap.
• Hymas established a lead of 2.4 seconds over Davies as Kitchen put in a charge to break into the top three. The Kawasaki rider closed in on Ross and made the pass, giving him 25 minutes to try and track down the top two.
• As the moto reached its halfway point, Hymas’ lead grew to nearly four seconds over Davies, with Kitchen able to make small gains in his pursuit from third.
  In response to Kitchen’s push, Davies also picked up the pace and started to close in on Hymas. As the fastest rider on the track, Kitchen moved within striking distance of Davies with a little more than 10 minutes remaining on the race clock. The Kawasaki rider continued to close in and was able to take advantage of a miscue by Davies to take control of second. Kitchen faced a 3.2 second deficit to Hyams with just under seven minutes to go.
• Kitchen closed in on Hymas and got within striking distance of making a challenge for the lead, but Hymas kept him at bay over the final several laps to hold on for his second moto win of the season by 2.5 seconds over Kitchen, with Davies nearly a half minute behind in third.

Overall

• Hymas’ 2-1 effort allowed him to break through for the third overall win of his career. With it, he became the seventh different rider to capture a 250SMX Class victory this summer, which set a new record for race winners in a single season.
• Davies grabbed his third straight podium result in second (1-3) and now has seven top three finishes this summer, which has ultimately moved him in control of his own destiny in the championship.
• The rookie Gordon captured the first overall podium result of his career in third (3-7), making him the eighth different rider to claim a maiden podium this summer.
• Kitchen’s strong effort in the second moto helped him make the most out of a challenging afternoon in fifth overall (14-2).
• A 15-point swing in the championship moves Davies back atop the point standings heading into the final round, where he’ll hold a 14-point lead over Kitchen for the last two motos of the season.

The opening moto began when conditions were at the worst as Cole Davies [#37] emerged with the win while Levi Kitchen [#47] was penalized for going off track off the start.
MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.

Chance Hymas [#29] seized the moment in Moto 2 and turned the holeshot into his first overall victory of the season, setting a new record for parity.
MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.

250SMX Class Overall Results (Moto Finishes // Points)

1. Chance Hymas, Pocatello, Idaho, Honda (2-1 // 47)
2. Cole Davies, Waitoki, New Zealand, Yamaha (1-3 // 45)
3. Landen Gordon, Atascadero, Calif., Yamaha (3-7 // 35)
4. Julien Beaumer, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., KTM (8-4 // 32)
5. Levi Kitchen, Washougal, Wash., Kawasaki (14-2 // 30)
6. Kayden Minear, Perth, WA, Australia, Yamaha (5-10 // 29)
7. Lux Turner, Gardnerville, Nev., Yamaha (7-9 // 28)
8. Caden Dudney, Des Moines, Iowa, Yamaha (10-8 // 26)
9. Daxton Bennick, Morganton, N.C., Husqvarna (9-11 // 24)
10. Drew Adams, Chattanooga, Tenn., Kawasaki (17-5 // 22)

250SMX Class Championship Standings (Race 10 of 11)

1. Cole Davies, Waitoki, New Zealand, Yamaha – 378
2. Levi Kitchen, Washougal, Wash., Kawasaki – 364
3. Julien Beaumer, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., KTM – 322
4. Chance Hymas, Pocatello, Idaho, Honda – 317
5. Ryder DiFrancesco, Bakersfield, Calif., Husqvarna – 291
6. Kayden Minear, Perth, WA, Australia, Yamaha – 269
7. Carson Mumford, Simi Valley, Calif., KTM – 244
8. Jo Shimoda, Suzuka, Japan, Honda – 194
9. Casey Cochran, Portsmouth, Va., Husqvarna – 166
10. Michael Mosiman, Sebastopol, Calif., Yamaha – 162

SMX World Championship Regular Season Standings (Round 27 of 28)

1. Cole Davies, Waitoki, New Zealand, Yamaha – 609
2. Levi Kitchen, Washougal, Wash., Kawasaki – 541
3. Ryder DiFrancesco, Bakersfield, Calif., Husqvarna – 455
4. Chance Hymas, Pocatello, Idaho, Honda – 355
5. Julien Beaumer, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., KTM – 322
6. Seth Hammaker, Bainbridge, Pa., Kawasaki – 314
7. Carson Mumford, Simi Valley, Calif., KTM – 314
8. Kayden Minear, Perth, WA, Australia, Yamaha – 296
9. Jo Shimoda, Suzuka, Japan, Honda – 294
10. Nate Thrasher, Livingston, Tenn., Yamaha – 291

1st Place – Chance Hymas | #29 Honda HRC Progressive (2-1)

“I feel like you get a flash of all the hard times. It feels amazing to get back to this point. I owe so much to my team for their support of me and everything they’ve done to get us here. Holeshot, wire-to-wire, it doesn’t get any better than that.”

2nd Place – Cole Davies | #37 Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing (1-3)

“It’s not over ’til it’s over. I just need to focus on getting two good starts next weekend and see how it plays out. Another good day and we’ll try to do it again next weekend.”

3rd Place – Landen Gordon | #180 Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing (3-7)

“I’ve been putting in good days during the week recently and was able to bring it into the weekend. I finally did it. This is unreal. Outdoors is tough, so I’m stoked.”

5th Place – Levi Kitchen | #47 Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki (14-2)

“I just need to treat this like any other weekend and put this behind me. It’s hard to do, but it is what it is. One mistake can have a massive impact, which is tough, but all I can do is give it everything I’ve got next weekend and see what happens.”

Levi Kitchen endured through a challenging first moto, which ultimately proved costly
in the championship standings as he finished fifth overall.
MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.

250SMX Class Highlights // Budds Creek National

Budds Creek also hosted the penultimate round of the Women’s Motocross Championship Powered by Synchrony. It proved to be another dominant outing for reigning back-to-back champion and current points leader Lachlan Turner [#1], who piloted her Altus Motorsports bLUcRU Yamaha to dominant moto victories on Friday and Saturday. The fourth win of the season for Turner saw her outrun Quad Lock Honda’s Charli Cannon [#7] and SLR Honda’s Mikayla Nielsen [#51]. The victory allowed Turner to extend her lead in the championship to 21 points over Cannon with one round and two motos remaining.

The 2026 Pro Motocross Championship will culminate with a title heavy season finale next Saturday, August 29, where a trio of champions will be crowned for the first time at the final round of the SMX World Championship regular season from Indiana’s Ironman Raceway. The U.S. Army Ironman National Finals Presented by Tucker Freight Lines will be shown live in its entirety exclusively on Peacock, beginning with Race Day Live at 7 a.m. PT / 10 a.m. ET, followed by coverage of the motos at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET.

Media Contacts:
Brandon Short / MX Sports Pro Racing
[email protected]
(304) 284-0101

Sean Brennen / Feld Motor Sports
[email protected]
(703) 448-3664

About the Monster Energy SMX World Championship:

The Monster Energy 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 Monster Energy SMX World Championship Series combines the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the AMA Pro Motocross Championship into a 28-round regular season that culminates with the season-ending SMX World Championship Playoffs.
Visit SuperMotocross.com for more information.

About Pro Motocross Championship:

The Pro Motocross Championship features the world’s fastest outdoor motocross racers, competing aboard homologated bikes from one of seven 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, manages the Pro Motocross Championship.
For more information, visit ProMotocross.com.

About Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship:

Monster Energy AMA Supercross is the most competitive and highest-profile off-road motorcycle racing championship on the planet. Founded in America and sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) since 1974. Over 17 weeks, Supercross attracts some of the largest and most impressive crowds inside the most recognizable and prestigious stadiums in North America to race in front of nearly one million live fans and broadcast to millions more worldwide.
For more information, visit SupercrossLIVE.com.

About MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.:

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, its 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 action sports athletes each year and attracts millions of motorsports spectators.
Visit MXSportsProRacing.com for more information.

About Feld Motor Sports, Inc.:

Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is the worldwide leader in producing and presenting specialized arena and stadium-based motorsports entertainment. Properties include Monster Jam^®, Monster Energy AMA Supercross, and the Monster Energy SMX World Championship. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is a subsidiary of Feld Entertainment, Inc.
Visit monsterjam.com, SupercrossLIVE.com, and feldentertainment.com for more information.

Source: SMX League

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