Hunter Lawrence Retains Championship Lead Following Challenging Cleveland Triple Crown Supercross
After three decades away from Cleveland, AMA Supercross made a long-awaited return to the shores of Lake Erie, which hosted the final Triple Crown event of 2026. Although Honda HRC Progressive rider Hunter Lawrence kicked off the round with a holeshot and race 1 win, the day unraveled as rain showers came in. Despite the adversity and uncharacteristic poor starts in the final two races, the Australian managed to secure a sixth-overall result, keeping the 450SX championship lead by one point.
The first of three premier-class races saw Lawrence get a signature holeshot aboard his CRF450RWE and lead from start to finish, with no challenges to speak of. As track conditions deteriorated with increasing rainfall, the remaining races proved more challenging. Despite a difficult race 2 start, Lawrence demonstrated strong race craft, advancing from ninth to fifth in the opening laps. Although the frontrunners had already established a gap, he maintained consistency to finish fifth and stay in contention for the overall podium.
In the last race of the evening, the number 96 got pinched off at the start and found himself mid-pack. As he started to make his way forward, an early-race incident in the whoops saw him drop to 14th. After remounting, Lawrence noticed his fuel-tank vent hose had been dislodged in the fall, but he remained composed and pushed forward, climbing back to 11th. His progress was halted by a second incident (this one with another rider), and he ultimately crossed the line in 14th, securing sixth on the night.
Quad Lock Honda rider Joey Savatgy finished an impressive fifth overall, just ahead of Lawrence. His teammates—Shane McElrath, Dean Wilson and Christian Craig—completed the event in 10th, 12th and 13th overall, respectively.