Both 250MX sessions at opener controlled by Cooper.
Image: Octopi Media.
Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Justin Cooper have set a high bar at the opening round of the 2023 Pro Motocross Championship, qualifying fastest in their classes at Fox Raceway.
Lawrence started his rookie 450MX campaign on the perfect note with a statement performance as he topped both qualifying sessions.
The young Australian set a scorching final lap of the second session to log a 2m20.539s, the best part of 2.5s quicker than his Team Honda HRC team-mate Chase Sexton.
The 2023 450cc Supercross Champion Sexton registered a 2m23.053 lap-time, outpacing Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo, who finished the time sessions in third place.
Red Bull KTM’s Cooper Webb and 2021 Pro Motocross Champion Dylan Ferrandis (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) finished fourth and fifth, as Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM), Derek Drake (BarX Suzuki), Dante Oliveira (KTM), Jerry Robin (GasGas) and Fredrik Noren (Twisted Team HEP Suzuki) filled positions sixth through to 10th.
Image: Octopi Media.
In the 250MX class, Cooper set a scorching pace in the opening qualifying session to take pole position.
Cooper’s lap-time of 2m21.308s was almost 0.8s quicker than that of Red Bull KTM’s Maximus Vohland, who also set his fastest lap in the first session.
Team Honda HRC’s title favorite, Hunter Lawrence, recorded the quickest time in the second session to take the third-fastest overall spot, ahead of Levi Kitchen (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) and Jo Shimoda (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki).
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing teenager Haiden Deegan finished the first qualifying sessions of the championship in P6, as RJ Hampshire (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna), Jeremy Martin (Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha), Guillem Farres (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) and Ryder DiFrancesco (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) completed the top 10.
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