Hunter Lawrence wins at Budds Creek, retakes 450SMX lead
NXTbets Pro | Published On: August 23, 2026
Hunter Lawrence wins
Heavy morning rains gave Budds Creek National a rough start, but the track dried enough to deliver competitive racing in Round 27 of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship. Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence took control of the 450SMX class and turned the penultimate round into a major swing point in the title fight. The win was his sixth race victory of the season, and it put him back on top of the 450SMX standings with one round left. Lawrence did more than collect another win, he changed the shape of the championship. The result set up a winner-take-all season finale against his brother and teammate Jett Lawrence, a matchup that leaves no room for anything less than a complete finish to the year.
Lawrence’s day fit the demands of this stage of the season. The surface had to recover from the rain, and the racing had to hold up after the early weather pushed the track into difficult territory. Once the conditions improved, Lawrence made the most of the chance in front of him. He left Budds Creek with the lead he wanted and with the kind of momentum that matters in a two-rider fight. The victory also kept Honda HRC Progressive at the center of the championship picture. When the track gave the field enough grip to race hard, Lawrence produced the result that mattered most. In a season that has come down to the final stretch, that was enough to change the tone of the title chase. The final round now carries direct weight for both brothers, with Hunter holding the edge and Jett set to press for the championship in the last race of the year.
Chance Hymas wins
Chance Hymas supplied the other headline in the 250SMX class, and his win made Budds Creek a full Honda sweep. Hymas took the class victory and became the seventh different winner of the summer in 250SMX, a run that has kept the class unsettled from one round to the next. His victory added another name to a season that has produced a rotating list of winners and left no single rider able to control the class for long. Hymas handled the conditions after the morning rain and came away with a result that stood out on a day when the track still had to prove it could hold racing speed. The win mattered on its own, and it mattered even more because it came alongside Hunter Lawrence’s 450SMX victory.
The sweep gave Honda HRC Progressive a clean set of results at one of the most important stops on the calendar. Lawrence delivered in the bigger class, Hymas delivered in the lighter one, and the team left Budds Creek with both major class wins from the day. That kind of double result is rare enough in any setting, and it carried extra weight at the penultimate round of the championship. The 250SMX class has spent the summer moving from winner to winner, and Hymas added himself to that list with a solid performance when the track demanded patience and control. His victory also fit the rhythm of the day, because the racing had to wait for the surface to come around after the rain. Once it did, Hymas made the most of it and gave Honda another reason to leave Budds Creek satisfied.
Budds Creek racing
Budds Creek ended with the championship picture still alive in both classes, but the day changed the pressure points in a clear way. In 450SMX, Hunter Lawrence’s win restored his points lead and pushed the title fight into a decisive final round against Jett Lawrence. In 250SMX, Chance Hymas became the seventh different winner of the summer and kept the class’s season-long pattern of turnover moving into the last stretch. The weather shaped the opening of the day, with heavy morning rains affecting the round before the track dried enough for competitive racing. Once the surface settled, the riders who adapted best collected the biggest rewards.
Honda left the event with both class wins and with the clearest possible statement from the weekend. Lawrence gave the team the 450SMX victory and control of the points race. Hymas delivered the 250SMX win and added another name to a crowded winner’s list. The result turned the penultimate round into more than a routine stop. It became a checkpoint that sharpened the championship stakes for the finale. The 450SMX title now moves to a winner-take-all finish between the Lawrence brothers. The 250SMX class remains open after another new winner emerged at Budds Creek. The day did what late-season races are supposed to do. It clarified the contenders, rewarded the riders who handled the conditions and set up a final round with real meaning in both classes.
