CRAWFORDSVILLE, Indiana: Jett Lawrence was penalized one lap by the American Motorcycle Association (AMA) for jumping the Ironman National Moto 1 start, dropping him from third to 17th.
This effectively eliminated Jett for contention of the overall win.
“That is a set penalty in the rule book, so it’s not a varying penalty” Mike Pelletier, AMA Director of Racing explained just before the start of Moto 2. “Jumping or fouling the gate is a set one-lap penalty.”
The gate fell after Lawrence hit it. Replays showed that Jett actually had about a one-half bike lead advantage over the field briefly on the front straight. Jett slowed after hitting the gate and fell to 23rd in the race before regaining his pace and charging through the field to third.
Peacock’s Jason Weigandt read from the appropriate section of the rule book: Section 1.8.9, Starting Procedure, Section C, Defined Start Violations and Penalty Options that states “jumping or fouling the gate may result in a penalty of one lap or disqualification.”
Jett avoided the full disqualification.
The team was informed of the penalty between the motos.
