
By Luis Torres, Staff Writer/Photographer
Defending Monster Energy AMA Supercross 450SX champion Jett Lawrence announced on social media Monday that he’ll undergo surgery Tuesday morning to repair both a torn ACL and a partial torn meniscus.
This injury update will end Lawrence’s title defense in the 450SX category as his time recovery is expected to last around four months. With Tampa onwards no longer in the picture, one of Lawrence’s goals is to return during the Pro Motocross Championship leg of the 2025 SMX World Championship Series.
“It’s not ideal. I was really bummed,” said Lawrence in a video message. “I was hoping the worst would be maybe bone bruising, but sadly not.
“I just want to have a huge shoutout to everyone in the team, the fans, especially the team. We’ve been working hard here to make the bike better than the bike was.”
During the most recent round at Sate Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona last Saturday, Lawrence pulled off the course after feeling something wrong on his right leg. The ordeal took place in the third and final race of the night’s Triple Crown event as Lawrence headed to the medical truck, ending the night in 21st after a pair of runner-up finishes.
From there, Lawrence had an observation and left the circuit on crutches. According to an update from Honda HRC Progressive, the 21-year-old Australian had jammed his knee and will get an MRI where he found out the fate of his Supercross season less than two days later.
Due to his sudden exit, Lawrence had dropped to fifth in the standings, trailing leader Chase Sexton by 13 points. Following Monday’s announcement, the deficit became obsolete as Lawrence is focusing on getting back in the racing scene as best as possible.
“It’s sad, but we’ll come back stronger and healthier,” said Lawrence. “Fingers crossed, maybe outdoors is the goal, but we’ll see. Thanks to the fans and all the kind messages from everybody. We’ll keep you guys posted and hopefully we’ll see you guys soon.”