2023 Budds Creek Motocross Recap

What a difference a Red flag makes.

Not that Haiden Deegan had a chance to win the 250 class Championship but his commanding lead in Moto 1 at Round 10 of the Pro Motocross Championship series on Saturday at Budds Creek was wiped out after Hardy Munoz crashed, red flagging the race.

A restart ensued with whatever time was left on the clock (about 15 minutes and seriously what a bizarre rule that late into the Moto) and Deegan didn't make it to the MotoSport.com Holeshot line before colliding with several other riders and hitting the dirt. Instead, Jalek Swoll got out front and put in one of his best performances of the season at least for half of a half a Moto as he succumbed to a charging Justin Cooper with about six minutes on the clock and two minutes later Hunter Lawrence took the second spot.

Cooper held on for the win and closed the Championship points gap to 19 behind Lawrence. Deegan meanwhile, who was just three points behind Lawrence in the standings prior to Round 9 when a mechanical issue ended his first race at Unadilla and more or less dropped him out of the title talk, rolled across the finish in 16th. He officially drops out of Championship contention.

In Moto 2, Auston Forkner grabbed the MotoSport.com Holeshot and put in one of his best performances of the season (he only returned to action at Spring Creek after an injury sustained in Supercross). His lead evaporated quickly though as Lawrence took the front position in less than two minutes and Cooper followed shortly later for second. The primary Championship contenders followed each other for the rest of the race before a last lap effort by Cooper (1-2) made it close but Lawrence (2-1) held on for the overall and popped his lead in the standings back to 22 points with just one round left in the season. Forkner (8-4) got a season best third in Moto 2 for a season best fourth overall. Joe Shimoda finished third overall on a (7-3) day and mathematically remains alive for the Championship being 48 points back, but that would take two riders suffering a ruptured Achilles with Shimoda winning out. Swoll (3-12) finished sixth overall.

Rookie Julien Beaumer in his first Motocross race as a pro finished ninth overall on an (11-9) day.

2023 Motocross 250 Class Standings after Round 10

  1. Hunter Lawrence - 391
  2. Justin Cooper - 369
  3. Jo Shimoda - 343
  4. Haiden Deegan - 329
  5. Levi Kitchen - 308

With the 450 class Championship wrapped most everyone left for beers and bathroom breaks when the gate dropped, just kidding I have no idea, wasn't present. I prefer listening to the commentators on TV! Again, just kidding. In short, Jett Lawrence (1-1) remained undefeated for the season showing no hangover from winning the 450 class title last week.

Chase Sexton, Lawrence's primary competition for most of the year, except for the three rounds Sexton was out, endured a bad start in Moto 1 but showed signs of ending the undefeated streak in Moto 2 until he crashed. An unfortunate description of the Outdoor season for Sexton. He did manage to catch up to Lawrence and made it a race in the final laps but Lawrence crossed the checkers easily.

Aaron Plessinger (4-3) took second overall on the tiebreaker over Jason Anderson (2-5).

2023 Motocross 450 Class Standings after Round 10

  1. Jett Lawrence - 500 - 2023 450 Class Champion
  2. Dylan Ferrandis - 379
  3. Aaron Plessinger - 350
  4. Adam Cianciarulo - 298
  5. Chase Sexton - 294

Gates drop for the final round of Motocross Saturday at Ironman. The SuperMotocross Championship, a three round playoff type series that we may or may not cover because no one really reads the MotoSport.com race recaps, commences two weeks later at zMAX Dragway in Concord, NC.

If you don't know, the Top 20 riders in combined Supercross & Motocross points for each class automatically get a spot into the SuperMotocross World Championship playoffs. Riders outside the Top 20 in total points but who won a Supercross Main Event or overall victory in Motocross can qualify for the final 10 positions by racing in a Last Chance Qualifier.

2023 Budds Creek Motocross