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Unadilla Motocross by the numbers: Jett Lawrence could clinch Pro Motocross championship

The clinch scenario is simple for Jett Lawrence in his bid to be 2023 Pro Motocross champion. If he does the same thing at Unadilla as he has all season long, he will leave New York with an unassailable points lead. Lawrence needs to gain five points on Dylan Ferrandis in the Unadilla Nationals to have a 100-point advantage with two rounds remaining and he will accomplish that if he keeps his perfect record of moto wins alive according to SuperMotocross statistician Clinton Fowler.

Aaron Plessinger enters Unadilla with a mathematical shot at winning the championship, but he could be eliminated at the end of Moto 1 if Lawrence gains five points on him. That is not entirely unlikely as this is his second-worst venue behind next week’s Budds Creek with a 12.3 average finish in the combined classes.

Of course, a sweep means Lawrence will continue in his quest for a perfect season. And should Lawrence win Moto 1, he will break out of a tie with Ryan Villopoto for the fifth-longest moto win streak of 17. That is as far up the chart as he can go in 2023. Even with a perfect season, Lawrence would score 22 moto wins. Fourth-place is occupied by James Stewart with 23 consecutive wins on a 125 and 250 in 2003/2004. Ricky Carmichael holds the all-time lead with 31 in 2003 through 2005.

Chase Sexton continues to have the best opportunity to deny Lawrence a perfect season. He swept the motos last year and is the only active rider with a 450 victory there. Ken Roczen has three, which places him third on the chart behind Carmichael’s six and Ryan Dungey’s four.

With a second-place finish in Moto 1 in 2021 and a win in Moto 2, Lawrence has a 250 overall win. Ferrandis has two overall victories in the 250 class and three moto wins.

As the season winds down and thoughts turn to the SuperMotocross World Championship three-round playoff, the riders mathematically guaranteed to finish inside the top 20 in the 450 class and earn their spot in the feature races are Chase Sexton, Plessinger, Cooper Webb, Adam Cianciarulo, Lawrence, Ferrandis, Jason Anderson, Roczen and Eli Tomac. Unfortunately, Tomac will not yet be healthy enough to compete. He expects to get back on his bike in November.

In the 250 class Hunter Lawrence, Haiden Deegan, RJ Hampshire, Levi Kitchen, Jo Shimoda, Tom Vialle and Maximus Vohland have clinched spots in the features.

Jo Shimoda is the defending winner in the 250 class with a Moto 1 win last year and a third-place finish in the second race. Points’ leader Lawrence finished third in 2022 with a 2-5.

Previous Unadilla Winners

450s
2022: Chase Sexton
2021: Ken Roczen
2019: Ken Roczen
2018: Marvin Musquin
2017: Marvin Musquin

250s
2022: Jo Shimoda
2021: Jett Lawrence
2019: Dylan Ferrandis
2018: Dylan Ferrandis
2017: Jeremy Martin

Motocross by the Numbers
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