Jett Lawrence becomes third rookie to win 450SX AMA Supercross class, RJ Hampshire and Tom Vialle claim 250SX West and East titles
PICKERINGTON, OH – May 12, 2024 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – The American Motorcyclist Association awarded No. 1 plates to champions in three AMA Supercross classes on Saturday, May 11, at the finale of the 2024 AMA Supercross season in Salt Lake City.
Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence became the third rookie in AMA Supercross history to claim the 450SX championship, joining AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famers Ryan Dungey and Jeremy McGrath. Lawrence’s title is Honda HRC’s second 450SX victory in as many years.
After entering the final round of the 2024 AMA Supercross season deadlocked at 186 points, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing R.J. Hampshire prevailed over Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki Levi Kitchen in Salt Lake City to earn the 250SX West title. In the Eastern regional, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle captured his first AMA Supercross title to go along with his pair of MX2 World Championships in 2020 and 2022 after collecting two wins on the season.
“After another exciting season of racing, with down-to-wire title races, all of us at the AMA congratulate the 2024 AMA Supercross champions and their respective teams for a stellar campaign,” AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman said. “Jett Lawrence, R.J. Hampshire and Tom Vialle are exemplary individuals that have shown incredible grit and determination, and of course, fantastic racing skills, on their journey to their respective championships.”
After leading the 450SX class for much of the season, Lawrence found himself locked into a tie with Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb after the 13th round of the season in Foxborough, Mass. But, Lawrence landed on the top of the podium each of the next three rounds to leave little doubt regarding his title pursuit.
Lawrence’s eight wins are the second-most all-time by a 450SX racer in their rookie season, trailing only Jeremy McGrath (10) in 1993.
“I think it hasn’t fully sunk in yet,” Lawrence said post-race, “but, I mean, we had times when we sucked really bad this year then also times when we weren’t too bad, so, [I’m] super happy for the team and doing it for them. They’ve been awesome. They’re family now and to give them another title is just the biggest ‘thank you’ to them… I couldn’t do it without the team around me. [There’ve been] so many hard moments that we’ve had that you can’t even put it in an interview, it’s just so long. I’m just super happy just for my family and the team and yeah, I’m just going to leave it at that because it’s too much.”
The 250SX West title race came down to the final round in Salt Lake City, with Kitchen and Hampshire knotted up entering the East-West Showdown at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Needing to finish ahead of Kitchen to win the championship, Hampshire produced a second-place finish — clearing Kitchen in fifth-place — to earn his first-ever AMA Supercross title.
After a runner-up finish in the 250SX West class last season, Hampshire notched a trio of wins, while landing on the podium in seven races, en route to his elusive title.
“[I’m] just so thankful,” Hampshire said from the podium. “From the beginning, like my dad, the Grondahls, Kevin Keen, just so many people have helped me get to this point right here and just believed in me. So [I’m] thankful to my wife, my daughters, it’s truly special. This whole Rockstar Energy Factory Husqvarna Racing team from Nate to Murph to my mechanic Amos, Aldon, Throttle, all the guys back home. They know how much I put into this, so it’s truly special. Just a massive thank you to Salt Lake. Man, you guys are going to be one I’m always going to remember. It’s truly special tonight. Thank you.”
In the 250SX Eastern Regional, Vialle outdueled Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan for the class crown. Vialle ended the campaign with 172 points, holding off Deegan by 4 overall points.
“I’m really happy,” Vialle said post-race. “You know, coming from Europe, moving here to the U.S., and I’ve already got the [AMA] Supercross title in my second year. It’s amazing, so I’m very happy. I want to thank everyone on the team who believed in me, my family, and I’m really happy about the day. Thank you.”
The Supercross Futures AMA National Championship also wrapped up in Utah at Rice-Eccles Stadium, with Troy Lee Designs GASGAS’ Cole Davies winning in Utah and taking the title for the season.
“It’s definitely cool to win this race,” Davies said after claming the win. “The track is gnarly at the moment. I was able to get a pretty good start. I made some mistakes at the start there, but Drew [Adams] made a mistake, and I was able to capitalize on that and yeah, I’m stoked.”
The AMA also congratulates Jett Lawrence for earning Rookie of the Year in the 450SX class, as well as Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Julien Beaumer who was named Rookie of the Year in the 250SX class.
To learn more about AMA Supercross, visit amasupercross.com//.
About the American Motorcyclist Association
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. Besides offering members money-saving discounts on products and services, the AMA also publishes American Motorcyclist, a recently revitalized and monthly full-color magazine (and digital version of same) that covers current events and motorcycle history with brilliant photography and compelling writing. American Motorcyclist is also North America’s largest-circulation magazine. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com.
Not a member? Join the AMA today: AmericanMotorcyclist.com.
Source: American Motorcyclist Association
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