Key Highlights
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Untouchable: In 450 Moto 1, four different riders tried to stop Jett from taking the win. None of them could. Stat-wise, Jett was in a league of his own. Fastest average lap, fastest median lap, and the fastest lap of the race. He never ranked worse than sixth on any lap.
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Rising Rookies: In 250 Moto 1, Drew Adams showed real flashes of what he can become. He posted the third-best median lap time and a class-leading 91.2 consistency score. In Moto 2, Avery Long was flat-out flying and passing factory guys before a mechanical robbed him of a breakout ride. Two young guns making serious noise.
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Quick and Consistent: Tomac had the pace to beat Jett in Moto 2. He was faster on median lap time, set the fastest lap of the race, and looked dialed. But a late tip-over potentially cost him the win, and Jett walked away with another overall. Still, both riders backed up their elite form with the highest consistency scores of the 450 class.
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Championship Mindset: In Moto 2, Deegan was faster on paper, 1.5 seconds quicker on median time and nearly identical on fastest laps, but Hymas still took the Moto 2 win. Why? Deegan's racing for the #1 plate. If a win falls into his lap, he’ll take it. If not, he’s not going to wreck himself trying. The title is the goal.
450 Analysis
Jett Lawrence might actually be unbeatable in Pro Motocross. He’s now 5 for 6 on moto wins this season and a perfect 3 for 3 on overalls. He’s handled everything the field has thrown at him. But his 1-1 overall at Thunder Valley might’ve been the best ride of his career.
In Moto 1, he climbed from 4th to 1st, lost the lead to Aaron Plessinger late, then snatched it back again. In Moto 2, he went bar-to-bar with Eli Tomac again, and beat him straight up. Tomac even forced an out of character error.
We learned a lot at Thunder Valley but it wasn’t just about Jett. Let’s get into it.
Track Breakdown:
The track map above shows which riders had the fastest average time in each 450 moto sector. (MX Sports didn’t release official sectors this weekend, so I mapped them based on live timing and track layout.)
Here’s what’s undeniable. Jett gets better when the pressure’s on. Look at Moto 2.
The top five in the class are pretty much locked in: Jett, Plessinger, Tomac, Hunter, and Justin Cooper. That’s been the top 5 at all three rounds. But when you zoom in on who’s separating themselves from the rest, it’s secretly becoming just Jett and Tomac who are consistently showing up in the sector maps with Jett grabs at least two every time. Cooper and Plessinger have shown up quite a bit this season, but both have struggled putting together two good motos on the same day.
450 Moto 1:
| SEG | Rider | Avg. Time |
Fastest Time (All) |
Sector Consistency (All) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | J. Cooper | 13.88 | 13.29 | 72.4 |
| 2 | A. Plessinger | 20.18 | 19.23 | 72.1 |
| 3 | E. Tomac | 43.27 | 42.00 | 77.7 |
| 4 | J. Lawrence | 25.90 | 24.85 | 77.0 |
| 4 | J. Lawrence | 28.79 | 27.27 | 58.9 |
450 Moto 2:
| SEG | Rider | Avg. Time |
Fastest Time (All) |
Sector Consistency (All) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | J. Cooper | 13.77 | 13.20 | 74.1 |
| 2 | J. Lawrence | 20.55 | 19.81 | 74.4 |
| 3 | J. Lawrence | 43.95 | 41.63 | 78.2 |
| 4 | J. Lawrence | 27.01 | 26.01 | 80.1 |
| 4 | E. Tomac | 29.40 | 28.22 | 65.6 |
And here’s the wild part: Thunder Valley wasn’t hot like Hangtown. It wasn’t hard-packed like Pala. After a week of on-and-off rain, it was deep, rutted, and brutal. Thunder Valley might be the roughest track we’ll see all year. These are the kind of conditions where we expect Tomac to shine. But Jett? He did not flinch. Not bad for someone still coming off an ACL tear. Of course, Eli’s just returning from injury himself, so credit to both for dropping the hammer in Moto 2.
The rest of the field though? Not so lucky. LITPro consistency scores were some of the lowest we’ve seen outside of full-on mud races. Sector 5 in particular stood out. By the numbers, it was the roughest, most inconsistent part of the track. Watching it back, it didn’t look worse than the rest, but it sits at the lowest point of the valley. Maybe drainage carved in deeper ruts than anywhere else.
Lap Time Breakdown:
The histogram above shows how lap times played out across both motos. Moto 1 was faster, but only in the opening laps. That’s because the SMX crew did a bit of cleanup before racing started, and with the 450s going first, the track was at its best. But once the ruts came back, the times increased dramatically.
That explains why consistency scores were so low in Moto 1. The top guys started with 2:08s and dropped into the 2:13s by lap 5. Still, Jett Lawrence had more fast laps than anyone—more than double in Moto 1, and almost double in Moto 2.
Moto 1 Fast Laps (15 Timed Laps)
- J. Lawrence: 8
- H. Lawrence: 3
- Plessinger: 2
- Tomac: 2
Class Average Consistency: 63.5
Class Median Consistency: 73.9
All June, we’re running the Consistency Challenge. Thunder Valley is my "local" pro track. Last time I rode it, I posted a 70. Race day conditions are way gnarlier. But hey, it’s fun trying to “compete” with the pros. Compete globally here.
Moto 2 Fast Laps (15 Timed Laps)
- J. Lawrence: 7
- Tomac: 4
- Cooper: 2
- Hampshire: 2
Class Average Consistency: 65.0
Class Median Consistency: 73.5
450 Moto 1 Analysis
| RIDER | Average Time |
Median Time |
Fastest Time |
Lap 99 | Consistency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J. Lawrence | 2:12.66 | 2:13.15 | 2:08.79 | 2:07.99 | 73.8 |
| A. Plessinger | 2:12.81 | 2:13.25 | 2:09.33 | 2:07.77 | 77.2 |
| H. Lawrence | 2:14.83 | 2:13.34 | 2:09.46 | 2.08.59 | 77.9 |
| E. Tomac | 2:13.23 | 2:13.46 | 2:09.51 | 2:07.64 | 75.8 |
| R. Hampshire | 2:15.95 | 2:14.32 | 2:09.46 | 2:09.00 | 72.3 |
Rider's sorted by median lap time.
Top Performances:
In 450 Moto 1, four different riders tried to stop Jett from taking the win. None of them could. Stat-wise, Jett was in a league of his own. Fastest average lap, fastest median lap, and the fastest lap of the race. He never ranked worse than sixth on any lap.
Let’s also give some love to R.J. Hampshire. Quietly, he’s putting together a strong 450 debut season. His best lap in Moto 1 was the third-fastest overall, and he’s consistently landing in the top 5 on speed. Keep an eye on him.
LITPro 10-Lap Consistency:
As mentioned earlier, the early sprint pace in Moto 1 dragged down consistency scores. No one in the top 5 cracked an 80, though all still beat my score and they were racing a gnarly track. But two guys did hit the 90s: John Short and Benny Bloss. They were the only riders in Moto 1 to get there.
Lap 99 Analysis:
Plessinger had the theoretical best lap of the race. When he passed Jett late, it looked like he might pull it off. But theory is just theory. Jett responded immediately and shut it down.
450 Moto 2 Analysis
| RIDER | Average Time |
Median Time |
Fastest Time |
Lap 99 | Consistency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E. Tomac | 2:15.33 | 2:13.86 | 2:12.21 | 2:09.63 | 92.0 |
| J. Lawrence | 2:14.88 | 2:14.07 | 2:12.59 | 2:10.90 | 91.9 |
| H. Lawrence | 2:16.52 | 2:16.09 | 2:13.15 | 2:12.19 | 83.2 |
| J. Cooper | 2:16.37 | 2:16.73 | 2:12.42 | 2:10.62 | 79.8 |
| A. Plessinger | 2:17.20 | 2:16.88 | 2:13.25 | 2:12.26 | 86.5 |
Rider's sorted by median lap time.
Top Performances:
In Moto 1, the top three were separated by 11 seconds. In Moto 2, the gap doubled, but Tomac still finished 11 seconds behind Jett in both motos. In Moto 2, Eli was faster. His median lap time was a quarter second quicker, and he had the fastest lap of the race by nearly 0.4 seconds.
But none of that matters when you tip over late. Eli had the pace to win, he just didn’t get the finish.
LITPro 10-Lap Consistency:
When push comes to shove, there is no better guys in American Motocross than Jett and Tomac, and they backed it up with the two best consistency scores of Moto 2, and the two best scores of the day. Also joining the 90 club once again? John Short and Benny Bloss.
Lap 99 Analysis:
If Tomac could have that late-race mistake back, he might’ve taken the moto. His Lap 99 time was the fastest on track, and his theoretical best time (based on ideal sector splits) was nearly a full second quicker than Jett.
250 Analysis
Moto Twitter swore Haiden Deegan was going undefeated. Then a bike issue forced him to settle for 2nd in Moto 1. They said he’d win every overall. Then Chance Hymas straight-up beat him in Moto 2.
Deegan’s still playing the long game. He’s got the championship mindset. Hymas, on the other hand, isn’t in the title fight. He’s just here to win motos. And on this day, he was untouchable. He topped both qualifying sessions, grabbed both holeshots, led every lap, and went 1-1. Doesn’t get better than that.
Track Breakdown:
The track maps highlight the fastest average sector times per moto, and with Deegan limping his bike around 15 seconds off pace in Moto 1, I removed those laps so we could bench race this properly. Deegan might’ve had a shot at winning that first moto, and the data shows he had the edge late before his mechanical.
But no question, Deegan and Hymas were in their own league this past weekend. In Moto 1, they put 50 seconds on third place. In Moto 2, they stretched it to 55. No surprise they’re the only two riders on the map. Spoiler: they owned every major stat.
250 Moto 1:
| SEG | Rider | Avg. Time |
Fastest Time (All) |
Sector Consistency (All) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | H. Deegan | 14.19 | 13.66 | 74.5 |
| 2 | C. Hymas | 21.08 | 20.12 | 72.4 |
| 3 | H. Deegan | 43.94 | 42.67 | 81.6 |
| 4 | C. Hymas | 26.98 | 26.28 | 80.7 |
| 4 | H. Deegan | 29.28 | 27.64 | 68.8 |
250 Moto 2:
| SEG | Rider | Avg. Time |
Fastest Time (All) |
Sector Consistency (All) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C. Hymas | 14.08 | 13.56 | 77.7 |
| 2 | C. Hymas | 20.85 | 19.88 | 64.1 |
| 3 | H. Deegan | 44.27 | 43.24 | 79.8 |
| 4 | C. Hymas | 27.17 | 26.17 | 81.6 |
| 4 | C. Hymas | 28.31 | 26.76 | 60.2 |
Lap Time Breakdown:
Interestingly, with the 250s going second this weekend, their track was equally hammered for both motos. But they actually got faster in Moto 2, and it was considerable. Hymas posted the top times in each Moto, but in Moto 2 he was 1.5 seconds faster than his Moto 1 time.
Moto 1 Fast Laps (15 Timed Laps)
- Hymas: 8
- Deegan: 4
- Marchbanks, Adams, Shimoda: 1
Class Average Consistency: 75.0
Class Median Consistency: 82.9
Moto 2 Fast Laps (15 Timed Laps)
- Hymas: 9
- Deegan: 5
- Kitchen: 1
Class Average Consistency: 61.2
Class Median Consistency: 75.7
250 Moto 1 Analysis
| RIDER | Average Time |
Median Time |
Fastest Time |
Lap 99 | Consistency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C. Hymas | 2:16.42 | 2:15.30 | 2:12.88 | 2:11.28 | 86.9 |
| H. Deegan | 2:19.32 | 2:15.38 | 2:13.09 | 2:10.79 | 88.8 |
| D. Adams | 2:19.34 | 2:18.88 | 2:17.07 | 2:14.47 | 91.2 |
| G. Marchbanks | 2:18.84 | 2:19.14 | 2:16.54 | 2:15.44 | 84.8 |
| T. Masterpool | 2:19.48 | 2:19.16 | 2:15.66 | 2:15.14 | 82.9 |
Rider's sorted by median lap time.
Top Performances:
Using median time to mask Deegan's mechanical, Hymas still edged him out. We still have the “what if” starting to creep in on socials though. We know Deegan has ridiculous late-race speed. He was closing on Hymas before getting the sign to back it down.
Still, shoutout to Drew Adams. The rookie is starting to put the pieces together. The speed is there. Starts and racecraft will come. Don’t be surprised if he’s on a podium before the end of summer.
LITPro 10-Lap Consistency:
Adams was locked in. His 91.2 was the best consistency score of any top-10 rider. But the highest in the field? That honor goes to Gavin Towers. He finished 23rd in Moto 1 and posted a 95.7. Towers posted the best consistency score from anyone in any class.
Lap 99 Analysis:
Here’s where Deegan had the real edge. His Lap 99 time was half a second quicker than Hymas’s.
250 Moto 2 Analysis
| RIDER | Average Time |
Median Time |
Fastest Time |
Lap 99 | Consistency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H. Deegan | 2:15.56 | 2:13.72 | 2:11.33 | 2:10.62 | 87.8 |
| C. Hymas | 2:14.93 | 2:15.28 | 2:11.11 | 2:10.01 | 81.6 |
| L. Kitchen | 2:18.01 | 2:18.09 | 2:16.02 | 2:14.45 | 89.7 |
| J. Shimoda | 2:18.31 | 2:18.12 | 2:14.82 | 2:13.94 | 83.4 |
| M. Mosiman | 2:19.72 | 2:18.60 | 2:17.28 | 2:15.46 | 92.3 |
Rider's sorted by median lap time.
Top Performances:
Moto 2 got more interesting. Deegan’s median time was 1.5 seconds faster than Hymas, and their fastest laps were basically dead even. Yet, Hymas still won. Why? Probably because Deegan didn’t force the issue. His average lap was 0.6 seconds slower, which suggests he knew 2nd was good enough.
And honestly? That might be smart. He’s racing for the #1 plate. If a win falls into his lap, he’ll take it. If not, he’s not going to wreck himself trying. The title is the goal.
LITPro 10-Lap Consistency:
Michael Mosiman is having one of the best comeback stories. He keeps hovering near the top five, and in the roughest race of the day, 250 Moto 2, he was the only rider to post a consistency score over 90.
Lap 99 Analysis:
Hymas and Deegan were so much faster than everyone else, it’s not even fair. Their actual fastest laps destroyed every other rider’s theoretical best. And their own Lap 99 times? A full 3–5 seconds faster than the next closest “contender.”