Thunder Valley Motocross Results: Top Riders and Highlights

The dust has settled and the engines have cooled at the Thunder Valley Championship in Lakewood, Colorado, leaving fans buzzing about the incredible Thunder Valley Motocross results . We saw some absolutely wild racing out there from every rider. The mile-high altitude always throws a curveball, but this year, the track conditions were pretty much perfect despite earlier rains in the area for this ama pro event. If you missed it, don't worry, because we're going to walk through all the action and break down the latest Thunder Valley Motocross results . The challenging Thunder Valley track, with its significant elevation changes and loamy soil, consistently provides a true test of rider skill and bike setup. Gate pick, often determined by intense combined qualifying sessions earlier in the day, plays a crucial role. While top competitors battle at the front, the day can be long for others, with some potentially facing a consolation race to make the main motos; avoiding a DNS (Did Not Start) due to mechanical gremlins or a practice mishap is every rider's goal. Spectators and teams alike were glued to live timing throughout the motos, tracking every lap and interval. Thrilling 450 Class Action at Thunder Valley The 450 class was pure fireworks at Lakewood, Colorado. Everyone wondered if Jett Lawrence could keep his streak alive on his Honda. The pressure was on, with a whole pack of hungry riders, including the hometown favorite Eli Tomac from Cortez, aiming to take him down. It was clear from the get-go that this wouldn't be a walk in the park for any rider. Moto 1: A Battle of Titans When the gate dropped for the first 450 moto, it was Hunter Lawrence who snagged the Pro Motocross Holeshot. But, his brother Jett wasn't waiting around and quickly moved into the lead. Right behind them, things were getting spicy as each rider fought for position. Aaron Plessinger settled into second on his KTM 450 SX-F, showing he meant business. Hunter Lawrence and Eli Tomac then got locked into a serious fight for third. This tussle actually helped them catch up to Plessinger. Hunter saw his chance and grabbed second place, setting his sights on Jett. For a while there, the top four riders were incredibly close, separated by just a few seconds, making for great ama pro racing. Jett admitted later he was making some iffy line choices during that initial lap. He even joked he might be "color blind." He thought his brother on the red Honda bike was still behind him. Then, all of a sudden, an orange blur – Plessinger on his KTM – shot up the inside and snatched the lead. Plessinger explained that once Jett saw his lines, Jett started using them, turning the tables quickly. It was a chess match at high speed, with the time interval between them minimal. But Plessinger wasn't done. He charged hard, making a pass for the lead with about three minutes left on the clock. The crowd went absolutely wild. Jett, cool as ever, didn't panic. He regrouped and fought his way back to the front. Lapped traffic made things even more intense, slowing Jett down just enough for Plessinger to get alongside him again. Jett held him off and then put the hammer down on the last lap. He crossed the line 3.3 seconds ahead of Plessinger. Hunter Lawrence had a late fall while running third, which let Tomac take the spot, with Hunter remounting for fourth. Justin Cooper was a ways back in fifth on his Yamaha. Moto 2: Jett Seals the Deal Amidst Chaos Moto 2 kicked off with a surprise at the front. Coty Schock on his Yamaha nailed the Pro Motocross Holeshot. Cooper Webb and Hunter Lawrence were right there with him. Jett Lawrence and Aaron Plessinger found themselves a bit further back, needing to work through the pack. Eli Tomac, or El Tomac as some fans call him, had an even tougher start, buried outside the top ten. Schock led for a bit, but the big guns were making moves. Hunter Lawrence pushed into second, then Justin Cooper followed into third. Soon, Jett Lawrence and Plessinger were also by Webb. Hunter was riding aggressively and managed to take the lead from Schock. Cooper wasn't about to let him get away and slipped into second himself, immediately challenging Hunter. Jett, meanwhile, picked off more riders and moved into third, his lap times consistently among the fastest. The lead changed hands again as Cooper found a way past Hunter. Behind this fight, Jett Lawrence got around his brother for second. Then, Eli Tomac, who had been charging hard from his poor start on his Yamaha, stormed into third. With about half the moto left, Jett started his attack on Cooper. Cooper defended well for a few laps. But Jett found an outside line and powered past to take control of the race. Tomac also got by his teammate Cooper for second, now facing a two-second time interval to Jett. It looked like Tomac might have the pace to pressure Jett. He was closing in, and you could feel the anticipation from the crowd, especially from his hometown supporters from Cortez, Colorado. But then, disaster struck for Tomac – he tipped over. That little mistake ended his charge. Jett rode on to his fifth moto win of the season, finishing 11.1 seconds ahead of Tomac. Cooper held on for a solid third place, a strong showing for the Yamaha rider. Overall 450 Class Thunder Valley Motocross Results and Standings Jett Lawrence's perfect 1-1 day was his second of the season. It also marked his 18th career premier class victory. This impressive win moves him into a tie for 10th on the all-time wins list. What a talent Jett is for the Honda team. Eli Tomac's consistent 3-2 moto scores earned him second overall for the second time this season. Aaron Plessinger, with his strong first moto performance on his KTM 450 SX-F, grabbed third overall (2-5), making it back-to-back podiums for him. You know these guys, along with every other rider, are going to keep fighting hard every weekend. Here's what the top riders had to say: Jett Lawrence (1st Place): "[Today] was a combination of working hard and being patient. Justin [Cooper] and Eli [Tomac] were riding well [in Moto 2] and I was able to capitalize on mistakes from everyone else while not making many of my own. This track made it easy to do so. I could hear Eli behind me, but then I heard the fans and knew something had to have happened. They made it tough on me today, but happy to be back on top." Eli Tomac (2nd Place): "It was back and forth. We [Lawrence and I] had our spots on the track to gain time and lose time. The turn after I went down was the spot where I thought I could get him, but I rushed the prior corner. It's a bummer, but it was a good race. We'll try again next weekend." Aaron Plessinger (3rd Place): "I had a great first moto, luckily, because I didn't do too good in the second moto. I made some changes to the bike and should have just left it alone. All in all, it was a good day. I'm happy with our progress and always glad to be on the podium. We'll keep going and hopefully we'll win one of these someday." The championship race is really heating up. Jett Lawrence extended his points lead to 25 over Tomac, who moved back into second. Plessinger sits in third, 27 points behind Jett. In the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) standings, Cooper Webb still holds the top spot. The battle for every rider point and time advantage will be critical as the season progresses. 450 Class Overall Results - Thunder Valley Position Rider Hometown Motos Bike 1 Jett Lawrence Landsborough, Australia 1-1 Honda CRF450R 2 Eli Tomac Cortez, CO 3-2 Yamaha YZ450F 3 Aaron Plessinger Hamilton, OH 2-5 KTM 450 SX-F 4 Justin Cooper Cold Spring Harbor, NY 5-3 Yamaha YZ450F 5 Hunter Lawrence Landsborough, Australia 4-4 Honda CRF450R Works Edition 6 Jason Anderson Edgewood, NM 7-6 Kawasaki KX450SR 7 Dylan Ferrandis Avignon, France 6-8 Honda CRF450R 8 Justin Barcia Monroe, NY 9-7 GasGas MC450F Factory Edition 9 Malcolm Stewart Haines City, FL 8-9 Husqvarna FC450 Rockstar Edition 10 Christian Craig El Cajon, CA 10-10 Husqvarna FC450 Rockstar Edition The full 450 results are detailed here. 450 Class Championship Standings (After Round 3) Position Rider Hometown Points 1 Jett Lawrence Landsborough, Australia 145 2 Eli Tomac Cortez, CO 120 3 Aaron Plessinger Hamilton, OH 118 4 Justin Cooper Cold Spring Harbor, NY 113 5 Hunter Lawrence Landsborough, Australia 109 6 Jason Anderson Edgewood, NM 96 7 Justin Barcia Monroe, NY 95 8 Dylan Ferrandis Avignon, France 91 9 Malcolm Stewart Haines City, FL 87 10 Christian Craig El Cajon, CA 70 You can review the complete 450 standings now. Hymas Dominates the 250 Class for a Perfect Day If the 450 class was thrilling, the 250 class saw absolute domination from one rider. Team Honda HRC Progressive's Chance Hymas had a day he'll never forget. He didn't just win; he made a statement with his performance on his Honda bike. This kid, Chance Hymas, is seriously talented, and Thunder Valley was his coming-out party for 2025. The efforts in combined qualifying set the stage, but some aspiring riders, like perhaps Wyatt Liebeck or others fighting through the pack, aim to make their mark alongside the factory stars. For any rider, including those on a powerful Kawasaki KX or a nimble Yamaha, a DNS can be a significant setback. The track's elevation, hitting over 6,100 feet, tests not only rider fitness but also bike performance, demanding precise tuning for the thinner air. The conditions can also change rapidly lap by lap. Moto 1: Hymas Untouchable Right from the start of Moto 1, Hymas was on another level. He grabbed the Pro Motocross Holeshot and just checked out. Behind him, Tom Vialle on his KTM 250 SX-F and Haiden Deegan , the defending champ on his Yamaha, were battling. Deegan managed to get past Vialle for second fairly quickly. Hymas was just riding his own race out front, building a comfortable gap with each lap. Deegan settled into second, but then trouble hit for Vialle. He went down while running third and dropped a couple of spots. This moved Mikkel Haarup into third and Ty Masterpool into fourth. Masterpool then made a move on Haarup to take over the final podium spot, showcasing his determination. As the moto wore on, Deegan started to close the gap to Hymas. He was laying down the fastest laps on the track. It looked like we might have a late-race battle for the lead. But then, Deegan's Yamaha started showing signs of a problem. His mechanic's pit board messages confirmed it – he needed to save the bike. That ended any chance of a fight for the win. Hymas pulled away and won by a massive 45.6 seconds, an incredible time interval. Deegan nursed his bike home for second, while Garrett Marchbanks put on a late charge to finish third. Moto 2: Hymas Repeats with Flawless Performance Could Hymas do it again in Moto 2? You bet he could. He rocketed out of the gate to get his second Pro Motocross Holeshot of the day. Deegan was right there again, but Vialle managed to sneak by him for second. A few moments later, Vialle bobbled, and Deegan took the spot right back. Early on, Hymas, Deegan, and Vialle settled into the top three, with Jo Shimoda, often called Jo by his fans, in fourth on his Honda. Hymas quickly built a multi-second lead and then just managed it perfectly. He and Deegan pulled well clear of Vialle and Jo Shimoda. It became a two-horse race for the win. Meanwhile, Shimoda got the better of Vialle to move into third. With about ten minutes to go, Deegan started to push, trying to close in on Hymas. He was making some progress, but then he went down. He got up quickly and didn't lose a position, but the gap to Hymas grew to over eight seconds. Further back, Levi Kitchen was on a mission aboard his Kawasaki KX250, a bike whose development often benefits from the insights of many, perhaps even dedicated team members like a skilled technician named Ross. He passed Vialle and then caught up to Shimoda, starting a great battle for third in the final laps. Kitchen's persistence paid off, and he made the pass with two laps to go, an impressive display of late-race speed. Hymas capped off his perfect day with another wire-to-wire win, 11.1 seconds ahead of Deegan. Kitchen's strong ride earned him third in the moto. It was clear Hymas had put all the pieces together at Thunder Valley, using his Honda Works Edition to its full potential. Overall 250 Class Breakdown and Championship Outlook Chance Hymas's 1-1 performance was simply outstanding. It was his second career win, and it happened at the same track where he had his breakthrough ride last year. What a day for him and the Honda team, securing important points for the ama pro championship. Haiden Deegan's undefeated streak came to an end, but he still managed second overall (2-2). That's a great way to minimize the damage on a tough day. Levi Kitchen's amazing charge in the second moto landed him third overall (8-3) for the second week in a row. His fitness is clearly paying off, allowing him to maintain a fast pace throughout the entire lap count. Here's what the top 250 riders thought about their day: Chance Hymas (1st Place): "Today was a perfect day. I was fastest in both qualifying sessions, led every lap in both motos, and got both holeshots. I really could not have asked for a better day. I'm so happy to finally get the monkey off my back and have a day like this." Haiden Deegan (2nd Place): "It took me a while to find my flow today, which is fine. If 2-2 is a bad day for me then I'll take it. We faced some adversity but overcame it and I'm really proud with how the team and I responded." Levi Kitchen (3rd Place): "I was in a dogfight the whole day. I got a bad start in the first moto and fell. The second moto went better. My fitness is good and I feel great right now. I just need to start up front with everyone else in order to have a shot [at a win]." Deegan still extended his championship lead to 25 points over Jo Shimoda. With his dominant win, Hymas jumped six spots in the standings to third. In the SMX standings, Deegan has a commanding lead. The competition in the 250 class, featuring various bikes like the Kawasaki, KTM SX-F models, Honda, and Yamaha, promises more excitement. 250 Class Overall Results - Thunder Valley Position Rider Hometown Motos Bike 1 Chance Hymas Pocatello, ID 1-1 Honda CRF250R Works Edition 2 Haiden Deegan Temecula, CA 2-2 Yamaha YZ250F 3 Levi Kitchen Washougal, WA 8-3 Kawasaki KX250 4 Tom Vialle Avignon, France 6-5 KTM 250 SX-F 5 Jo Shimoda Suzuka, Japan 9-4 Honda CRF250R Works Edition 6 Pierce Brown Sandy, UT 5-7 GasGas MC250F Factory Edition 7 Jalek Swoll Belleview, FL 4-10 Triumph TF250-X 8 Ty Masterpool Paradise, TX 7-8 Kawasaki KX250 9 Ryder DiFrancesco Bakersfield, CA 10-6 GasGas MC250F Factory Edition 10 Nate Thrasher Livingston, TN 11-9 Yamaha YZ250F The complete 250 class results are posted. 250 Class Championship Standings (After Round 3) Position Rider Hometown Points 1 Haiden Deegan Temecula, CA 144 2 Jo Shimoda Suzuka, Japan 119 3 Chance Hymas Pocatello, ID 95 4 Levi Kitchen Washougal, WA 86 5 Tom Vialle Avignon, France 85 6 Pierce Brown Sandy, UT 80 7 Jalek Swoll Belleview, FL 75 8 Ryder DiFrancesco Bakersfield, CA 70 9 Nate Thrasher Livingston, TN 68 10 Ty Masterpool Paradise, TX 65 The full 250 championship points are available. Conclusion What a day of racing. The Thunder Valley Motocross results delivered everything we hoped for: intense battles affecting every rider, surprise performances, and big shifts in the championship hunt. Jett Lawrence, aboard his Honda, showed he's still the man to beat in the 450 class, but the challengers like Eli Tomac from his Cortez hometown and Aaron Plessinger on his KTM are getting closer. And Chance Hymas put on a clinic in the 250 class, making a huge statement with his perfect day on his Honda Works Edition bike. The live timing kept fans on the edge of their seats, witnessing incredible lap times and close intervals. From the outcomes of combined qualifying to the heartbreaks of a DNS or the grit shown in a consolation race, the event at Lakewood, Colorado, had it all. The performance of different bike manufacturers, including Yamaha, Kawasaki with their KX models, and KTM with their SX-F machines, was also noteworthy. With these latest Thunder Valley Motocross results , the rest of the Pro Motocross season is shaping up to be absolutely epic. The dedication of each rider, from seasoned champions like Jett Lawrence and Eli Tomac to rising stars like Haiden Deegan, Jo Shimoda, and Levi Kitchen, promises more thrilling action. We can't wait for the next round and to see how the battle for the ama pro title unfolds.