2023 SuperMotocross Power Rankings after Budds Creek: Hunter Lawrence reclaims the top of 250 chart

No one anticipated the type of domination Jett Lawrence would have at the beginning of the 2023 Pro Motocross season.

It's true that a couple of the riders who would have been his closest competition were missing from the field with Eli Tomac was felled by injury and Ken Roczen decided to challenge for the World Supercross Championship. And when Chase Sexton was forced to skip three rounds following the Fox Raceway opener and several other big names had not yet returned from their Monster Energy Supercross injuries, Lawrence was able to hone his 450 skill in a vacuum.

But as his competition improved so has Lawrence. Last week's round at Budds Creek showed just how much. He got a poor start in Moto 1 and had to advance from outside the top five. In Moto 2, he survived two determined charges by Sexton and for the briefest moment it seemed that pressure caused him to make a couple of minor mistakes in the closing laps. Lawrence now stands on the precipice of a perfect season, which would make him only the third rider in history and the first rookie to ever achieve that goal.

Sexton is prone to making mistakes when he pushes too hard. That was apparent in the Supercross season and it is being revealed again in Motocross, but he has enough talent to almost always overcome his tip overs and easily slots into the second position in the NBC SuperMotocross Power Rankings. Little things make a big difference and a poor start in Moto 1 was too much. Sexton's ninth-place finish in that race contributed to his worst finish since Round 14 at New Jersey and snapped a nine-race streak of podium finishes.

MORE: Jett Lawrence challenged in both Budds Creek motos

Dylan Ferrandis fared even worse at Budds Creek. It must have been frustrating to see Lawrence slice through the field in Moto 1 after getting a slow start. He and Sexton clung to the belief they could keep the rookie titlist at bay if only he would make a mistake and that hope was dashed. Ferrandis worked his way through the pack to finish third in Moto 1, but was then ninth in the second race and finished sixth overall. It was the first time this season that he finished outside the top five in a Motocross race.

Aaron Plessinger is moving his way up the chart and gaining momentum when it's needed most. After this week's Pro Motocross season finale at Budds Creek, a million-dollar payday is on the line for the winner of the SuperMotocross World Championship and no one knows yet if Lawrence will be unbeatable on those hybrid tracks. Plessinger's second-place finish last week in Budds Creek was his sixth consecutive top-five and 10th such finish in the last 11 races.

Adam Cianciarulo has shown consistency, but the ongoing problem with his wrist keeps him from closing out motos. He got the holeshot in Moto 1 and led the first three laps before eventually fading to seventh. It takes a while to relearn how to ride with a softer grip and the fact that Cianciarulo is still a top-10 rider in such a competitive field speaks volumes about his innate talent.

Hunter Lawrence, Cooper battle in Budds Creek

Hunter Lawrence exchanges moto wins with Justin Cooper at Budds Creek as the Pro Motocross 250 class standings remain the same at the top.

250 Rankings

Hunter Lawrence's worst finishes for a mechanical failure and crash have aged out of the 45-day formula we use and he shot right back to the top of the NBC SuperMotocross Power Rankings. It would take another catastrophe at Ironman for him to fail to earn the 250 championship as Honda stands ready to sweep both the Supercross and Motocross seasons. As of now, he will enter the SMX playoffs with the No. 1 seed and could win three titles this year.

Justin Cooper did almost all he could last week at Budds Creek with a win in Moto 1 and second-place finish in Moto 2, but he knew going into the round that it was going to be a longshot to challenge for the title. Sitting 22 points behind in the Motocross standings, it's highly unlikely he can move up but that doesn't mean Ironman is irrelevant because he needs momentum heading into the SMX playoffs to keep Honda from sweeping the year.

There are several riders who are gaining momentum at the right time. Jo Shimoda earned his third podium of the 2023 Motocross season at Budds Creek and all of those have come in the last five rounds. Seventh-place finishes at RedBud and Washougal hurt his average and he has not yet been able to string three consecutive top-fives together, but he can rectify that this weekend at Ironman if he gets out of the gate strong in both motos.

This week will be critical for Levi Kitchen. He maintained his position relative to the riders ahead of him, (with the exception of Lawrence), but he easily had the worst performance of the year by finishing 14th in Moto 1 and 10th in Moto 2. If he cannot get back into the top five this weekend, he runs the risk of limping into the inaugural playoffs.

The same is true for Max Vohland. He finished 14th overall last weekend despite showing strength during portions of the motos. Given the relative inexperience of this rider, his peaks and valleys are easier to explain but they are no less impactful to his overall outlook. If Vohland and Kitchen get to race side-by-side at Ironman, the results could be spectacular.

* The NBC Power Rankings assign 100 points to a Main event winner in Supercross and overall winner in Motocross. It awards 90 points for each Moto, Heat and Triple Crown win. The points decrement by a percentage equal to the number of starters in the field until the last place rider in each event receives three points, (five in fields of 22 riders). The Power Ranking is the average of these percentage points over the past 45 days.

POWER RANKINGS AFTER WEEK 26 UNADILLA: Jett Lawrence clinches MX title in style
POWER RANKINGS AFTER WEEK 25 WASHOUGAL: Haiden Deegan improves two spots in 250
POWER RANKINGS AFTER WEEK 24 SPRING CREEK: Chase Sexton closes competitive gap
POWER RANKINGS AFTER WEEK 23 SOUTHWICK: Halfway home and Jett Lawrence is still undefeated
POWER RANKINGS AFTER WEEK 21 HIGH POINT: Lawrence brothers still perfect in overall finishes
POWER RANKINGS AFTER WEEK 20 THUNDER VALLEY: Lawrence brothers dominance continues
POWER RANKINGS AFTER WEEK 19 HANGTOWN: Jett Lawrence pulls away from the field
POWER RANKINGS AFTER MX OPENER AT FOX RACEWAY: Jett Lawrence debuts in first place
POWER RANKINGS AFTER SX FINALE AT SALT LAKE CITY: Chase Sexton ends with win
POWER RANKINGS AFTER WEEK 15 AT NASHVILLE: Eli Tomac back on top
POWER RANKINGS AFTER WEEK 14 AT NEW JERSEY: The top 20 settle in
POWER RANKINGS AFTER WEEK 13 AT ATLANTA: Justin Barcia leapfrogs the Big 3
POWER RANKINGS AFTER WEEK 12 AT GLENDALE: Eli Tomac gains momentum
POWER RANKINGS AFTER WEEK 11 AT SEATTLE: Cooper Webb, Eli Tomac overtake Chase Sexton
POWER RANKINGS AFTER WEEK 10 AT DETROIT: Chase Sexton narrowly leads Webb
POWER RANKINGS AFTER WEEK 8 AT DAYTONA: Chase Sexton unseats Eli Tomac
POWER RANKINGS AFTER WEEK 7 AT ARLINGTON: Jason Anderson narrowly trails Eli Tomac
POWER RANKINGS AFTER WEEK 6 AT OAKLAND: Perfect night keeps Eli Tomac first
POWER RANKINGS AFTER WEEK 5 AT TAMPA: Chase Sexton, Cooper Webb close in
POWER RANKINGS AFTER WEEK 4 AT HOUSTON: Eli Tomac rebounds from A2 crash, retakes lead
POWER RANKINGS AFTER WEEK 3 AT ANAHEIM 2: Consistency makes Ken Roczen king
POWER RANKINGS AFTER WEEK 2 AT SAN DIEGO: Ken Roczen moves up, Chase Sexton falls
POWER RANKINGS AFTER WEEK 1 AT ANAHEIM 1: Eli Tomac, Jett Lawrence gain an early advantage