RedBud 450MX winner Hunter Lawrence has explained the late-race mishap that cost him victory in moto one, revealing a blockage in the chain guide caused his bike to cut out momentarily and led to the final lap crash.

A relentless charge in the opening encounter saw the Honda HRC Progressive rider make a pass on Jett Lawrence as the clock expired, stretching his advantage to almost eight seconds before a final lap incident relegated him to second place.

“I thought the bike stopped, but a bunch of sand just got blocked in the chain guide,” commented Lawrence. “On the live broadcast, we watched it back, and you could hear me get into the corner and get on the gas, and then the rear wheel just stopped and then [the bike] cut out.

“The conditions were so damn tough. It could happen to anyone with how deep, how
heavy we are on a factory 450, and second gear is lugging in the majority of the corners.”

Conditions intensified after a heavy storm swept through the venue on Friday afternoon, with organizers working tirelessly to prepare the circuit for Saturday’s racing program. The track remained deep and technical throughout race day, making for a demanding weekend.

“The track was extremely difficult this weekend,” continued Lawrence. “It was like, no flow. I don’t even know how to describe it – it was sandy, it was muddy, sloppy, hard-pack, slippery… everything in one. It was tricky.”

After claiming his second-consecutive 450MX overall victory to take charge of the red plate, the elder Lawrence takes a three-point lead over defending champion Jett Lawrence into this weekend’s Southwick National.