NEW YORK: Hunter and Jett Lawrence’s parents sold nearly everything they had so their sons could pursue professional motocross careers in Europe.
There were times when every meal, every expense had to be mapped out so the money wouldn’t run out. There was pressure on Hunter, the oldest, to make enough to sustain the family until the next race.
The gamble paid off in a big way last weekend at the SuperMotocross championship in Las Vegas, where Jett and Hunter became the first brothers to finish 1-2 in any motocross championship.
“It’s just a testament to them, our results, who we are as people,” Hunter Lawrence said. “We’re proud to have great parents and I’m sure they’re proud of us. But the sacrifice they’ve gone through, we don’t take lightly.”
Motocross has seen its share of sibling riders.
Bobby and Billy Grossi were the first brothers to each win a motocross or supercross event. Gary and Dewayne Jones were the first to take first and second at the same event. Tyson and Tallon Vohland each won Supercross events, while Alex and Jeremy Martin were the early sibling standard bearers with their success in the 250cc class during the 2010s.
The Lawrence brothers from Australia have left all the other sibling racers in their wake.
Hunter, older by four years, paved the way in Europe, sustaining the family as a professional rider while his brother had other interests in addition to riding, including soccer, BMX racing and competitive hip-hop dancing.
By the time the Lawrence family moved across the Atlantic, they were ready for the rigors of racing in America.
Hunter had a tough start to his US racing career, suffering a series of injuries through his first two seasons. He bounced back to win 250cc motocross and supercross titles, then finished second to Chase Sexton in the 2024 motocross season while his brother was derailed by a thumb injury.
“I didn’t like watching Hunter at all because I was stressing through the moon,” Jett said. “But it was cool to watch him get some race wins.”
Jett, after breaking his collarbone early in his career, took off like, well, a jet. He’s claimed every title in front of him, winning consecutive 250cc and supercross championships before bumping up to 450s.
Jett had a stellar 450 debut, joining Ricky Carmichael (2002 and 2004), and James Stewart (2008) as the only riders to win every race of a motocross season, finishing 22 for 22. He backed that up by winning the 2023 SuperMotocross championship in Las Vegas. He completed what’s now being called the Jett Sweep by becoming the first rookie to sweep the motocross and supercross titles.
Jett’s thumb injury cost him a shot at the motocross championship this summer, but he recovered in time to claim a second straight SuperMotocross title.
The second-place finisher: his brother.
The brothers finished tied in points in the event that combines the motocross and supercross season, with Jett taking the crown via the overall wins tiebreaker. Jett took home $1 million and Hunter earned $500,000 for finishing second to his brother.
That gives the Lawrence brothers 10 combined championships, far more than any other siblings in the sport’s history.
“To have two incredibly talented and driven brothers ascending at the same time in any sport to this level is incredibly rare,” MX Sports Pro Racing President Davey Coombs said. “They share the advantage of camaraderie, familiarity and world-class competition on a daily basis. They’ve known and supported one another in this family journey that’s already taken them all over the world.”
The quick success has been great for the family, made even better because they’ve done it all together.
When Kawasaki wanted to sign Hunter, Darren and Emma Lawrence insisted the brothers be a package deal so the family wouldn’t have to split up. They’ve remained together every step of the way, from Australia to Europe to Dade City, Florida.
Jett and Hunter may be the stars, at least to racing fans, but their brother Tate usually steals the show.
Tate, who’s autistic, doesn’t care all that much about his brothers’ racing — he’s more into cars — but has handled all the moving around well and, being an extrovert, is always the life of the party.
“Everyone agrees he’s the favorite Lawrence ever,” Hunter said.
On top of the motocross world, it’s good to be a Lawrence.
