Anderson Stays Alive, Lawrence Wins AMA 250SX East

Jason Anderson avoids title elimination, Jett Lawrence claims AMA 250SX crown

April 25, 2022

By Keaton Maisano

The AMA Supercross event in Foxborough, Mass., was set for a pair of coronations Saturday, but Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson spoiled the festivities with another superb performance.

Coming off his win in Atlanta, Anderson staved off eliminated by finishing ahead of 450SX points leader and Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha’s Eli Tomac, who would have clinched the title by outperforming Anderson. While Tomac will have to make another run at the championship in Round 16, Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence comfortably capped off his 250SX East title with a second-place finish Saturday.

In the 450SX main event, Tomac and Anderson began the race well, positioning themselves for an exciting battle. However, Tomac stalled his bike early on and opened the door for Anderson to create a sizeable lead. The mishap doomed Tomac’s day as he finished seventh — his worst finish of the season.

Anderson claimed his second consecutive win with his impressive performance. He now has five wins on the season.

In the 450SX standings, Tomac (341 points) still holds a commanding lead. Anderson (298) and Troy Lee Designs Red Bull GasGas’ Justin Barcia (275) trail behind.

In the 250SX main event, Lawrence only needed an 18th-place finish to clinch the Eastern Regional 250SX title. The 18-year-old rider rose to the occasion and put an exclamation point on his impressive season by finishing in second position Saturday.

“I’ve dreamed of this since I was a little kid,” Lawrence said in a Team Honda HRC release. “All the hard work that we and the team have put in, and all the hard times I’ve gone through — this one night makes all that disappear. I just have to say thanks to the team. I wouldn’t be here without my brother; I feel like he should have a No. 1 plate too, because he’s a big part of this. This one is definitely a lot more than the outdoors [title]; I’ve had a lot of rough runs in  [AMA] Supercross, so this is unreal.”

While Lawrence took the ultimate honor, the winner in the 250SX East main event was Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Austin Forkner. The win marked Forkner’s first since 2020.

With two championships still up for grabs, AMA Supercross action continues with Round 16 in Denver.