MX2 overall winner from last weekend’s Motocross of Nations, Hunter Lawrence, has agreed on a deal with US outfit Team GEICO Honda with a unique structure that will see the likeable rider stay in the World Motocross Championship for one more term before following in the footsteps of fellow countryman, Chad Reed.
The deal will mean that Lawrence gets to take a shot at the MX2 world title next year with the Australian riding with Team Honda 114 Motorsports with GEICO Honda support.
Lawrence, who was team-mate to MX2 vice world champion, Jeremy Seewer, had a slow start to his season with Suzuki World MX2 but started to hit his stride by round eight at Teutschenthal, Germany where he finished on the podium with second overall.
He would go on to secure two further podiums and taste victory in the final moto of the season at Villars-sous-Escot.
[table “9” not found /]With rumours that the factory Suzuki efforts for 2018 are unlikely to happen ā and this news adds further fuel to the fire ā this looks to be a great deal for the promising young rider who will head to the USA in 2019 for three seasons and take on AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross.
“With year now over I want to thank Suzuki World MXGP for the opportunity and platform they provided me to race my rookie year and am so happy and proud of what we achieved,” he said.
“I am excited about joining Honda 114 motosports next year and GEICO Honda in 19,20,21. Thanks [to] Giacomo, Jeff, Ziggy and Dan for believing in me from the very beginning when we started talking.
“The deal was particularly complex and are in full support of me going after my goal of 2018 MX2 world champion. Thanks to my agent Lucas Mirtl and Wasserman. I can’t wait to get to work and start testing and preparing for next season.”
