Jett Lawrence clinched the 250 West Monster Energy Supercross Championship (SX) with one race remaining on the schedule and ended the year with a perfect record of podiums.Jett Lawrence won the 2023 Supercross 250 West championship with a perfect record of podiums. – Feld Motor Sports He ended his 250 career with a with four consecutive titles, two in Supercross and two in the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross championship, and with his 13th career victory in the season finale at Salt Lake City, climbed to third on the all-time wins list behind James Stewart (18) and Nathan Ramsey (15). So ends a legendary career on the small bikes. There was practically nothing less to accomplish in this division, so this week Lawrence advances to 450 class to begin accumulating records there. “[Hunter and I have] always dreamt about it,” Lawrence said in a pre-race news conference before the Salt Lake City race. “In Oz we kind of won everything so we went into everything wanting to win it and when we came over here and it took us a few years – took me a year or so to get where we are. “After the outdoor season of 2020, I knew that for the 2021 season I wanted to get a championship. I had my mind set on that in Supercross. It wasn’t my time yet. Colt [Nichols] was a better supercross rider at that time – more consistent, better all around rider. I had the speed, but wasn’t there. Then in outdoors, I had a lot more years on the outdoor side, so I was more comfortable there.” That year, Lawrence’s outdoor Motocross season ended with him fourth in points. He finished third in the 2021 250SX East division before accumulating his four titles. There have been a few ups and downs in Motocross, but for the past two years, Lawrence has been perfect in regard to podium finishes in Supercross. The past two seasons produced 10 of his 13 SX victories and there was never a moment in 2023 when he was not the favorite. “Once we got that started with that first outdoor championship, I was like let’s see if we can keep it going,” Lawrence said. “See if I can’t [keep from losing] one for the rest of my 250 career. The fact that it’s been like that has been sick and ended up with me getting my name out with some of the legends like Ryan Villopoto, Ricky Carmichael and James Stewart.” Lawrence has been strong in outdoors as well. In his 250 career, he has 14 Motocross wins. Despite this weekend’s race at Fox Raceway in Pala, California marking his debut on the big bike, he’s one of the favorites to win in a field that has been thinned by injury. Lawrence will line up against the 450 Supercross champion Chase Sexton, 2023 SX title contender Cooper Webb and Dylan Ferrandis, who won the 2021 MX title, but there is plenty of room for him to climb into the top five on any given weekend and challenge for a podium. When asked what he believed was his biggest accomplishment in 250s this year, he had an unexpected response. “The Triple Crown in Arizona because there were a lot of riders and everyone expected me to not win there, so to get there and win – shut them in their face because everyone thought I horrible at, so we got that set off,” Lawrence answered. “Who knows? Maybe I’m a Triple Crown guy now and will win some more.” Lawrence stated at the beginning of the season that he intended to stay on a 450 bike once he moved up to that division and his victory in the Triple Crown is important. Winning the Triple Crown in Arizona with two wins and a third-place finish was his first win in this format. Motocross runs in a two-moto format, so it’s critical to string strong runs together on the same day in order to maximize points. And with the creation of the SuperMotocross World Championship this year, Lawrence needs to finish in the top 20 in combined points to receive and automatic invitation to the 450 starting grid in those final three races. Currently, he is 85 points below the cutline occupied by Joey Savatgy. (Editor’s note: NBC Sports has selected the Top 10 Indy 500s of All-Time through an esteemed panel of former drivers, broadcasters, journalists and historians.) Over 60 years later, Jim Rathmann vs. Rodger Ward resonates as the greatest one-on-one showdown for the win in Indianapolis 500 history. The 1960 race produced 29 lead changes, which stood as an Indy 500 record all the way until 2012. Rathmann had been a three-time Indy 500 runner-up. Ward was the defending champion from 1959. Eddie Sachs was the 1960 pole-sitter and and te beloved ‘Clown Prince of Racing’. Troy Ruttman was the 1952 Indy 500 champion, and Johnny Thomson was the third-place finisher in 1959. All of them had turns at the front during the race’s first half, but Ward had to rally back into contention after stalling on an early pit stop. As the second half unfolded, Ruttman and Sachs were eliminated by mechanical issues. That left Rathmann and Ward to duke it out up front, while Thomson trailed. For a time, Ward settled into second behind Rathmann, who was running a slightly slower pace in front. Ward hoped that would help his tires keep whatever life they still had left. But when word got to both drivers that Thomson was gaining on them, strategy went out the window, and both Rathmann and Ward picked up the pace while continuing to swap the lead. Engine woes ultimately forced Thomson to slow down (he finished fifth), and with seven laps to go, Ward passed Rathmann for the lead once again. But with four laps to go, it was Ward’s turn to slow down. His right-front tire was now down to the cords. Rathmann took the lead and went on to win, while Ward nursed his fading tire and claimed runner-up for his efforts. After they swapped the lead 14 times in the last 100 laps, Rathmann finally had his Indy 500 win. It was a tough break for Ward, but he later would consider this race as the best of his career – even ahead of his first win in 1959 and second in 1962. Times have changed dramatically for the Indianapolis 500 since their classic battle more than 60 years ago. NBC Sports has ranked the Top 10 Indy 500s through a panel that judged through scores of 1-20 in five categories: quality of racing, memorable moments, strength of competition, historical impact and spectacle. Other contenders: Paul Goldsmith took advantage of Thomson’s misfortune late in the race to climb to a third-place finish. It would be his best finish in six career Indy 500 starts. Winning move: Rathmann took the lead from Ward with four laps to go, as the latter slowed in order to save his right-front tire – along with his second-place position. How the voters saw it: All but one voter had the 1960 Indy 500 in their top 10, putting it atop the poll by a wide margin (its point total was nearly 20 percent higher than second place).
