Mistake by Craig allows Lawrence to win three in a row.
Image: Octopi Media.
Team Honda HRC’s Hunter Lawrence has ensured the 250SX West championship title fight goes to the final round at Salt Lake City next weekend, after a composed victory at Denver, CO.
In the main event, Lawrence grabbed a narrow holeshot from championship leader Christian Craig (Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing) and the two set off, with Jalek Swoll (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Racing) in third and Michael Mosiman (TLD Red Bull GasGas) fourth.
Craig shadowed Hunter and tried several times to make a move on the opening laps, but Hunter remained focused on the job at hand and maintaining throttle control on the hardpack, slippery track.
Just behind them, Mosiman blitzed past Swoll in the whoops for third and tried to close the gap on the top two.
As Craig continued to turn the screws on Lawrence, the Yamaha rider went down entering the sand section and remounted in seventh.
Lawrence suddenly found himself with a five-second lead over Mosiman and Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Jo Shimoda, and settled into a rhythm to manage the buffer, as Craig desperately tried to claw his way back up the leaderboard.
After some back-and-forth with Shimoda, Craig stormed into a podium position with three laps remaining, but that was as far forward as he was able to go before time ran out.
Lawrence claimed a five-second win to ensure the 250SX West title fight was taken to the final round at Salt Lake City next weekend.
Mosiman finished second and Craig third, with Shimoda and Garrett Marchbanks (Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha) completing the top five.
Positions sixth to 10th were filled by Vince Friese (SmarTop Bullfrog Spas Motoconcepts Honda), Chris Blose (GasGas), Swoll, Nate Thrasher (Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing) and Carson Mumford (Twisted Tea HEP Motorsports Suzuki).
The final round of the 2022 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship will be held next weekend at Salt Lake City, UT.
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