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Honda Confirms Hunter Lawrence to Campaign CRF450RWE in 2024

Reigning 250SX East and Pro Motocross 250 champion will move up to Premier Class.

Team Honda HRC confirmed that Hunter Lawrence will move up to the 450 class for the 2024 season, competing in the AMA Supercross, AMA Pro Motocross and SuperMotocross series. The 24-year-old Australian, who last season earned crowns in the 250SX East Region and 250 outdoor series, will campaign the factory Honda CRF450RWE alongside his brother, Jett Lawrence.

A native of Landsborough, Queensland, Australia, Hunter raced Down Under and in Europe before signing with American Honda’s Factory Connection satellite squad for the 2019 season. He was promoted to Team Honda HRC for 2021, and after his first two years with Honda’s factory squad saw him finish second and third in the indoor and outdoor series, respectively, he delivered championships in both series in 2023.

“I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished in my 250 career, but it’s exciting to move up to the premier class for 2024,” Hunter Lawrence said. “I feel like my style is well-suited for the CRF450RWE, and off-season testing has been going well so far. I enjoyed battling with Jett in the 250 class before he moved up, and I’m looking forward to doing that again now that we’re both on the big bike. I’ve got a great team around me, and I can’t wait to get back in action at Anaheim 1.”

“It’s a pleasure to move Hunter up to the CRF450RWE,” added Brandon Wilson, manager of racing and experiential marketing at American Honda. “Since joining our team three years ago, he has consistently made a positive impact, in terms of results but also for the constructive, optimistic influence that he invariably brings. Last season saw him earn the 250 titles that we all knew he was capable of, but he’s also a very good 450 rider. We look forward to him adding to his success now that he’s in the premier class.”

Hunter Lawrence

  • Birthday: Aug. 1, 1999
  • 2013: Second in FIM 85 Junior World Championship
  • 2015: Third in FIM 125 Junior World Championship; Australian 125 and 250 Junior Motocross Champion
  • 2017: Ninth in 2017 FIM MX2 final standings; MX2 winner at Motocross of Nations (Team Australia)
  • 2018: Third in FIM MX2 final standings; second in MX2 at Motocross of Nations (Team Australia)
  • 2019: 10th in AMA Pro Motocross 250 final standings
  • 2020: 13th in AMA Pro Motocross 250 final standings
  • 2021: Second in AMA Supercross 250SX West Region final standings; third in AMA Pro Motocross 250 final standings
  • 2022: Second in AMA Supercross 250SX West Region final standings; third in AMA Pro Motocross 250 final standings; second in MX2 at Motocross of Nations (Team Australia)
  • 2023: AMA Pro Motocross 250 National Champion; AMA Supercross 250SX East Region Champion; ninth in SuperMotocross 250 final standings; second in MX2 at Motocross of Nations (Team Australia)

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Team Honda HRC announced that Jo Shimoda will race a CRF250R for Honda’s factory squad during the 2024 and 2025 seasons. The Japanese native will race alongside teammates Jett Lawrence, Hunter Lawrence and Chance Hymas.

Born and raised in Suzuka, Japan, Shimoda began riding dirt bikes when he was four years old. After earning early success as an amateur racer in his home country, he sought out stiffer competition internationally. He competed in Europe (even racing against Jett Lawrence on occasion) and in the U.S., earning the 2016 Supermini 2 AMA Amateur National Championship at Loretta Lynn Ranch at age 14. He signed with the Honda-supported Factory Connection team’s amateur program in 2017, then turned pro near the end of the 2019 season. In 2020 (Shimoda’s first full year as a professional), he finished third in the AMA 250SX East Region final standings, earning the AMA Supercross Rookie of the Year Award. With the Factory Connection team closing before the following season, Shimoda signed with Pro Circuit Kawasaki. In 2021 he became the first Japanese rider to win an AMA 250SX main event, finishing second in the East Region final standings. Last year saw him become the first Japanese rider to score an AMA Pro Motocross overall win, earning second in the 250 final standings. He was third in the same series earlier this year, also taking second in the inaugural SuperMotocross 250 class. So far in his career, Shimoda has collected three 250 overall wins in AMA Pro Motocross, one 250 Regional win in AMA Supercross and one 250 win in SuperMotocross.

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