Jett Lawrence Returns to Winning Ways as Sacha Coenen Dominates Southwick National
The 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship delivered another dramatic chapter at the iconic Southwick National, where Jett Lawrence reclaimed the 450SMX championship lead while Belgian sensation Sacha Coenen stole the show with a dominant victory in the 250SMX class.
Round 23 of the Pro Motocross Championship celebrated 50 years of racing at The Wick 338 in Massachusetts, with the legendary sand circuit once again proving why it remains one of the toughest stops on the calendar. International stars featured prominently throughout the weekend, producing unforgettable battles and major championship shake-ups.
Jett Lawrence capitalises after late Hunter Lawrence heartbreak
The international visitors immediately made their presence felt in qualifying, with MXGP championship leader Lucas Coenen setting the fastest lap ahead of KTM teammate Jorge Prado. Jett Lawrence qualified third, setting the stage for another intense battle between the Lawrence brothers.
Moto 1 belonged to Hunter Lawrence after a dramatic finish.
Jett grabbed the holeshot and controlled much of the race while Hunter remained glued to his rear wheel. Late in the moto, Jett crashed after an awkward landing, handing the lead to Hunter. Shortly afterwards, Lucas Coenen suffered a heavy crash while charging through the field, bringing out a red flag on the final lap.
Hunter claimed his fourth moto victory in five races ahead of Jett, while Haiden Deegan completed the top three.
Moto 2 delivered another thrilling showdown between the Lawrence brothers.
Hunter secured the holeshot ahead of Deegan, Jett and Prado before the front four pulled clear. Jett quickly moved past Deegan and began hunting down his older brother as the Honda teammates traded fastest laps through the deep Southwick sand.
With less than five minutes remaining, disaster struck for Hunter when he accidentally hit neutral entering a corner, sending him over the handlebars. Jett inherited the lead, while Deegan and Prado also slipped past the recovering Hunter.
Jett remained flawless over the closing laps to secure his sixth moto victory of the season and the milestone 50th moto win of his career.
His 2-1 score earned his third overall victory of the year and lifted him back to the top of the 450SMX championship standings by a single point over Hunter.
Jett focused despite regaining the championship lead
“I got lucky there with Hunter going down, but we’ll take it.
It’s a gnarly track and we knew it would be the toughest one for my foot, so I’m happy. I’m not going to get too excited about the red plate because I already lost it this season. We’ve still got a long way to go.”
said Jett Lawrence
Hunter Lawrence admitted the late mistake cost him dearly.
“I hit neutral and stuffed it. It’s not the way I wanted it to end but we’ll get back to work and come out swinging next weekend.”
Sacha Coenen dominates in spectacular American appearance
The 250SMX class welcomed another international superstar as Belgian MX2 championship leader Sacha Coenen produced one of the most dominant performances of the season.
Qualifying already hinted at his pace, but race day confirmed his class.
After taking the lead early in Moto 1, Coenen disappeared from the field, building an astonishing advantage of more than 30 seconds. A crash dropped championship contender Cole Davies to seventh, allowing Levi Kitchen to finish second and Ryder DiFrancesco third.
Coenen crossed the finish line an incredible 33.4 seconds ahead of Kitchen, producing one of the largest winning margins seen in Pro Motocross over the past decade.
Moto 2 featured another exciting duel between Coenen and Davies.
Davies grabbed the holeshot before Coenen relentlessly closed the gap. After several exchanges, the Belgian completed the winning pass midway through the race. Despite suffering a heavy late crash and losing his goggles, Coenen remounted and held on to complete a perfect 1-1 sweep in just his second Pro Motocross appearance.
Unfortunately, the KTM rider sustained a shoulder injury in the crash and was unable to attend the podium ceremony.
Davies leaves Southwick with the championship lead
Although Davies endured an inconsistent afternoon, his third-place overall finish proved enough to move him into the 250SMX championship lead following Jo Shimoda’s qualifying crash, which resulted in a fractured collarbone and mild concussion that ruled the Japanese rider out of competition.
Levi Kitchen‘s runner-up finish moved him within two points of Davies, while Shimoda dropped to third in the standings.
Davies was pleased to leave Southwick wearing the red plate despite the difficult day.
“Up and down day but I’m looking at the positives.
My starts are unreal right now and I’m riding good. We’ve got the points lead so I’m stoked. I’m happy where I’m at.”
Davies said
The 2026 Pro Motocross Championship now heads to Spring Creek Motocross Park in Minnesota on July 18 for Round 24, where both championship battles promise even more drama as the season enters its second half.