The Arlington, Texas, AMA Supercross round proved to be an incredible night of racing for Honda HRC Progressive, with emotional performances in both categories. After coming close on several occasions, Hunter Lawrence notched his career-first win in the 450SX class, while Jo Shimoda secured an impressive second-place result in the 250SX East opener—his first race back from a neck injury.
Lawrence quickly recovered from a so-so jump out of the gate, positioning himself in third exiting turn 1. He took advantage of a lap-8 Cooper Webb mistake to move into second and soon joined Ken Roczen at the front. A three-way battle for the lead ensued, with the Australian demonstrating determination and composure as he dealt with the riders ahead and behind. Lawrence made the decisive move on Roczen at the five-minute mark and quickly established an advantage out front. That edge shrunk when the riders behind him jumped with a red-cross flag displayed, but Lawrence held firm until the checkered flag, earning the first premier-class win of his career. Quad Lock Honda’s Joey Savatgy secured seventh place, while his teammate Christian Craig crossed the line in ninth, marking his best result of the season.
In the 250SX main event, Shimoda grabbed the holeshot aboard his CRF250RWE and led the field through the opening stages. At around one-third race distance, after seeing the red lights flashing (indicating a red-cross situation), he rolled a small double and the finish-line jump that followed it. Meanwhile, Pierce Brown jumped with the red light still illuminated, enabling him to pass Shimoda. Despite applying intense pressure on Brown for the remainder of the race, the Japanese rider was unable to reclaim the lead. Nonetheless, his performance underlined his status as a championship contender. Also notable was Phoenix Racing Honda’s Cullin Park, who finished a respectable ninth.
At night’s end, Honda HRC Progressive personnel vigorously disputed the lack of penalties around the red-flag incidents in both classes. On Monday, the AMA released an official statement indicating that it has no plan to apply penalties. The team intends to escalate the issue and is currently reviewing all viable avenues.
