The Pro Motocross Championship has come to a close for another year, with 2023 providing some surprising, standout performances in both the 250MX and 450MX categories. In this edition of Rated, MotoOnline takes a closer look at the form of a selection of riders this throughout the season.

Rider: Jett Lawrence
Rating: A+
Rundown: What is there to say about Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence that hasn’t already been said? Lawrence dominated the 2023 Pro Motocross Championship in his 450MX debut season by winning every moto and overall to go undefeated, and while there were challenges throughout, the newly-crowned premier class champion reigned supreme throughout everything that was thrown at him. The first real challenge came when former champion Ken Roczen made a last-minute decision to line up at round four in High Point, as the Progressive Ecstar Suzuki rider led laps and challenged Lawrence throughout both motos, but ultimately came up short of ending his win streak. From there, Team Honda HRC teammate Chase Sexton and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis showed flashes of speed and took it to the 20-year-old, but in every encounter, it was Lawrence who came out on top to go the distance and win all 22 motos and mark the first perfect season from a rider since James Stewart in 2008.

Rider: Chase Sexton
Rating: A-
Rundown: In Sexton’s own words, it was a ‘trying’ outdoor season in 2023, as he was unable to overcome his teammate Lawrence. But, the speed and will to win was evident as Sexton layed it all on the line multiple times to try and get the job done. Notably, Sexton bowed out with a concussion after the opening round of the series at Fox Raceway, a practice crash sidelining him for a few rounds before returning at round five in RedBud, where he finished the day with 2-3 results for third overall. Sexton went on to finish on the podium at every remaining round of the series besides Budds Creek, where issues in the opening moto saw him only able to salvage P4 overall for the round. Despite missing rounds early in the season, the number 23 was still able to claw his way back to fourth in the 450MX championship standings and heads into the SuperMotocross playoffs as the number one seed.

Rider: Dylan Ferrandis
Rating: B+
Rundown: It was a tough season of sorts for 2021 450MX champion Dylan Ferrandis. There was undoubtedly raw speed to burn for the former number one, but it seemed like inconsistencies in terms of bike set-up held him back. Ferrandis finished the season P2, so there’s no doubt that it was still a solid showing for the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider. The French rider featured on the overall podium at six of the 11 rounds, challenging eventual champion Lawrence in a few races, but was ultimately unable to get the job done to win a moto. Ferrandis suffered from a rather big crash in the final race of the season at Ironman that saw him DNF for the first time this season, although fortunately, he escaped the wreck without injury.

Rider: Hunter Lawrence
Rating: A
Rundown: Looking back on the 2023 250MX championship, Team Honda HRC’s Hunter Lawrence delivered the perfect example of speed, racecraft and composure to secure his first Pro Motocross title. Despite entering the season with a rib injury, the number 96 clocked four wins on the trot to commence the season and was looking good to continue that at RedBud after winning the opening moto, but a crash off the start in moto two saw the points leader out for the remainder of the moto, scoring zero points and ending his overall win streak to place P9 for the round. Following that, it looked like it was starting to all go wrong for the Australian as a second consecutive DNF would take place in the very next round at Southwick. Lawrence would bounce back at Spring Creek to go 1-2 and take the overall win and get his championship hunt back on track, from there consistency was the key as Lawrence went on to win at Unadilla and Budds Creek, before wrapping up his first outdoor 250MX title with a safe 5-9 result for fifth overall in the final round of the series at Ironman Raceway.

Rider: Haiden Deegan
Rating: A-
Rundown: ‘Dangerboy’ was a revelation in the 250MX category this summer, as the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rookie found himself well and truly in the hunt for the title past the halfway mark of the series. Haiden Deegan surprised many as he stamped his authority as a contender at the opening round of the series at Fox Raceway, where he finished second overall. The number 238 clearly gained experience racing in the pro ranks in the Monster Energy Supercross Championship, as he came into the outdoor series firing on all cylinders. Deegan found himself on the overall podium at four of the first five rounds of the series, including a pivotal win at RedBud where he grabbed the overall win, the same round that saw then championship leader Lawrence go down in turn one of moto two and DNF the outing. While Deegan impressed in the opening rounds, it was still  Lawrence who had darted out to a somewhat comfortable lead in the series standings as he won the opening four rounds of the championship. But, the RedBud DNF opened the door for challengers like Deegan as they found themselves well and truly back in the hunt for the title. The highlight of the season for teenager Deegan came at Washougal, where a dominant 1-1 saw him draw even closer to the points lead heading into the final three rounds of the season. Unfortunately, a DNF for the Yamaha rider in the opening moto at Unadilla would see his title hopes somewhat derailed as he finished the round in P17, before going on to finish P11 in the penultimate round at Budds Creek. Deegan would bounce back in the final round at Ironman though, finishing the season off with a solid 2-2 and claiming P4 overall in the 250MX standings.

Rider: Justin Cooper
Rating: A-
Rundown: The performance of Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper was arguably underrated this summer, the number 32 finishing just 20 points short of the title in the runner-up position. While Cooper didn’t suffer a mechanical DNF – like Lawrence and Deegan – across the races he contested, he did miss both motos at High Point after a qualifying crash. With a potential 50-point loss, it does raise the question of ‘what if’ he was able to complete round four, and would he have taken the title if so? Lawrence had his fair share of misfortune throughout the series and many would agree that he was the deserving champion, but credit must be given to Cooper who was consistent across the races he contested, finishing in the top five in all but moto one at Ironman where he was brought down. With four moto wins and 12 podiums in the ultra-deep field this year, Cooper can hold his head high with his performance.

Rider: Jo Shimoda
Rating: B+
Rundown:  For a majority of the 250MX season, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Jo Shimoda didn’t have a standout weekend, but that all changed at the final round of the series when he became one of just two riders in the class to go 1-1 at an event this year. That said, the number 30 was the only rider to finish inside the top 10 in each moto in 2023, and was arguably the most consistent rider in the field with a number of top five and podium race results. This is reflected in his P3 championship ranking, missing out on the runner-up position to Cooper by six points. He also stood on the top step in race two at Southwick, and while it wasn’t a title-challenging campaign, Shimoda holds momentum entering the SMX post-season off the back of his strong showing at Ironman.