- 2 days ago
2026 Round 9 450 Triple Crown Race 3
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00:00Heading into the break, third and final 4.50 race here in Indy. It's on!
00:07Lawrence with a blasting start, but Tomac's right with him.
00:12Malcolm Stewart's in the mix early. There's Justin Cooper and Jorge Prado as well.
00:19Tomac dives for the inside. Couldn't quite get it done. Lawrence is doing exactly what he needs to.
00:25And that was what Eli was talking about. He wasn't able to jump onto the triple. These whoops are absolutely
00:30brutal right now.
00:32Eli's still making it happen. Being able to blitz. Talked about Hunter. He needs to be better on these opening
00:38laps.
00:39He said it's very difficult to do that on this track, but he's making it happen right now.
00:44And it's championship time. We're getting into the last part of the series. There are no more mulligans left.
00:51Pretty slick move from Jorge Prado to get himself up to third ahead of Malcolm Stewart and Justin Cooper.
00:57So a couple of nice moves there on this opening lap.
01:01Right here. This is going to come down to the wire. It's going to be a dogfight between these two
01:06guys.
01:07And it's no coincidence that one point only separates these two gentlemen right now.
01:12When it comes time, when the bills are, it is time to pay those bills. These two, the last several
01:18weeks, have found each other.
01:20Yep, they sure have.
01:22In good story, in good story time, too.
01:26Like for Hunter Lawrence getting his first career 450 main win.
01:29There is Ken Rockson recovering from that crash, that really scary crash in race two.
01:36He's ahead of Malcolm Stewart. Here's Cooper Webb. Nice switch back there to get by the Husbander rider.
01:40Incredible pass by the two, three-time Supercross champ Cooper Webb doing that same line that Eli Tomac was working
01:50in race number two.
01:55Just for interest's sake, have a look at the bottom left of your screen. Points as they run.
01:59Lawrence and Tomac tied.
02:02Yeah, Lawrence would get it on the tiebreaker if he's able to.
02:07Look at this. Nice move, Rockson.
02:10Slick.
02:11I don't think Jacob saw that coming.
02:13But yeah, I mean, Hunter would get it on the tiebreaker because if he's able to beat Eli.
02:17But a lot of racing left here.
02:20Tell you what, Rockson has the eyes on.
02:23He's disposed of those last two.
02:25Now he's working on Prado.
02:27Different line.
02:28But he's feeling it.
02:29What a shame about that second race.
02:31Yeah, that obviously is going to hurt his chances as he has been riding incredibly well here.
02:39You go back to that race win that he had, I believe, back in 2023, how special it was on
02:46that Suzuki.
02:49Here he is with Prado.
02:50Does he cut back underneath?
02:51No, Prado's too smart.
02:53He's going to guard on that.
02:54No surprise.
02:56I think this is good for Jorge to come back, to have these three races under his belt, recovering from
03:03that injury.
03:03Then he gets a weekend off.
03:04So it can help with that whole recovery process and rehab process and have the confidence to know that he's
03:11made great starts here tonight.
03:12He's had some good races and he's hung in there.
03:15The shoulder has made it.
03:16That's right.
03:17Will?
03:19He really wanted to come back for Daytona.
03:21I'm talking to him earlier.
03:22He was genuinely upset that he didn't make it back for that race because he sees it as something that
03:27would be a good strength for him.
03:28Being an MXGP rider from Europe, rode essentially motocross for most of his career.
03:35It's Ken Ruts and there's the pass down on him there too.
03:39But he said if he wasn't going to make it back for Daytona, I really want to make it back
03:43to India.
03:43And he cited the conditions here too.
03:45These ruts, the conditions, all stuff that perhaps his skill set from MXGP lends itself to Jorge.
03:54He's doing a great job right now.
03:57Oh, look at Cooper Webb trying to make the move on his teammate.
04:01Side by side, Webb on the outside.
04:05Justin Cooper, handlebar to handlebar.
04:13Man, his teammate racing him hard.
04:15No team tactics going on right here.
04:19Now he works on Prado.
04:21Roxen's just disappeared.
04:23He's taken off.
04:26Oh, look at that, man.
04:28He is blocking.
04:30Jorge Prado is really trying to make sure these guys don't get by.
04:35And there's been a little chatter, track chatter about it.
04:38And there's going to be some frustration there.
04:40But hey, you know what?
04:43He's out there trying to do the best he can, just like the rest of the guys.
04:46A lap later, Cooper Webb tries the same move on Justin Cooper.
04:50At the moment, same result.
04:52So now he switches lines, switches back to the inside.
04:55This time it works for Cooper Webb.
04:58Yeah, great pass.
04:59Sticking with it.
05:00Keeping that intensity.
05:08How about Jordan Spint back there in eighth.
05:11He got a great start.
05:12And he's been there pretty much all race long thus far, the Triumph Pilots.
05:18That's good stuff.
05:19He's ahead of McElrath and Justin Hill and Christian Craig.
05:22I mean, this is just absolutely incredible here when I watch these two guys.
05:27And again, I'm like, well, you know, Kenny and Cooper definitely mathematically are still there.
05:33But I just feel like these two riders are in the driver's seat.
05:37And they have established themselves as the top guys.
05:42And it was going to take something from Cooper Webb and Ken Rockson to really get that point scat below
05:5120 points.
05:52Because each race that passes from now on is just going to be like you're going to be in a
05:59desperate situation almost.
06:00You're going to need some help.
06:02And it's going to be hard.
06:03And when you start getting in that position, it's difficult, especially when Eli and Cooper are riding at such a
06:11high level.
06:11Eli and Hunter are riding at such a high level.
06:16The Monster Energy star Yamaha riders dispose of Jorge Prado.
06:20We're over the halfway mark.
06:21We're reminded to stock up on Monster Energy drinks.
06:23And Kroger, we go back up front.
06:25This is what 1.1 seconds looks like.
06:29And there's five and a half minutes plus a lap left on the clock.
06:31I feel like Eli has lost a little bit of his advantage that he had on Hunter now that the
06:38woods have become complete jumpers.
06:40I feel like Eli, I mean, he's fast everywhere.
06:43And I'm sure there's a couple other sectors on the track that he might be a little bit quicker than
06:48Hunter.
06:49But still, that advantage that he had there has kind of gone away.
06:53Teammates here fighting it out over fourth place.
06:57Going back to the first Triple Crown of the year.
07:01Yeah.
07:01Hunter Lawrence lost the overall by one point.
07:06Don't think for a second that that hasn't been a driving, motivating force here tonight.
07:12And I think the biggest thing with these two guys being so close and with still a fair amount of
07:18the riders still in the field, I personally believe and put my championship hat on.
07:24It's going to be the guy who is able to be the most consistent and not cough up that sixth
07:29place or eighth place finish.
07:31And really, the reason that Hunter is outside of how great he's riding has the point seat is because his
07:37worst finish has been fourth.
07:40And that's not the case for anyone else on the field right now.
07:43And that's out.
07:44Oh no, Joey Savace.
07:46Oh, no.
08:16This amazing run has come to an end.
08:19He's going to have a very nice gap that I think he can maintain to the checkered flag.
08:24JT.
08:52JT.
08:54Warren, become the guy that is not the bridesmaid anymore.
08:57He's finally going to step up to be that championship guy.
08:59120% we are, JT.
09:03If you think about the only place that he really needed to improve and put the emphasis on is early
09:08race intensity.
09:10And if you take a snapshot from what the first three races look like to where we have been the
09:15last four races, he is a completely different guy.
09:19And he has the composure.
09:21Lee, you talked about it.
09:22Hey, if he doesn't have the red plate, it doesn't change his riding.
09:25He is so strong psychologically.
09:27That's right.
09:28And look, these guys are still going at it.
09:32The star Yamaha teammates, Cooper Webb and Justin Cooper.
09:39Confidence has skyrocketed with J. Coop after that first career win in race two.
09:45There's two minutes 20 left on the clock plus a lap, and this is going to continue this fight.
09:51Roxxon's nicely positioned in third.
09:53He's kind of in his own little space there.
09:55It cleared out from these guys.
09:58And then Jorge Prado will get three sixth places in this Triple Crown event.
10:02If he stays where he is over the closing couple of minutes, it'll be a welcomed eighth place for Jordan
10:09Smith in just his third race back.
10:16He finished 19th, 17th, and he's going to get an eighth and a Triple Crown.
10:23That's awesome.
10:23Yeah, I mean, and again, these races are action-packed, and you listen to the riders, and they tell you
10:29how hard it is.
10:29There's more laps and just brutal.
10:32So to be able to do that, a lot like his teammate in the 250 division, Jalik Swole, having a
10:37great ride.
10:37That's a boost in the arm for that race team, and they sure needed it.
10:44And you look at the leaderboard on the top left of your screen, and just look at the time that
10:50Hunter Lawrence and Tomac have pulled out on Ken Roxxon and Cooper Webb, the guys who third and fourth in
10:58points.
10:58And that's what we've been talking about, really, all race long, and what we have seen in the last three
11:04weeks.
11:04These guys are just, it seems like they've been able to find another gear.
11:17JT.
11:18Ricky, I just wanted to touch on what you said there.
11:20This race, this race three especially, feels like such a microcosm of where the championship is.
11:25And you find these defining moments in championships where you really can't hide anymore.
11:30You can't find a way to stick around and look at the two guys, the guys that have separated themselves
11:36by 20 points.
11:37When it counts, here in race three, here they are again, separating themselves once again.
11:42Well, that's right.
11:43They find a way.
11:44They know what is at stake.
11:46All these guys know what is at stake.
11:47But, man, with that points gap, they had a 20-point lead over Roxxon and Webb.
11:55And they just know it's time.
11:59And it's so fun to watch these guys.
12:01And it's really which guy can be the best and which guy can execute.
12:06And, again, not cough up that ball and be picture perfect.
12:10And this is the final lap.
12:12And this guy has done a great job.
12:13And he's put Eli in a position.
12:17I really, I truly believe that.
12:20Look, we touched on this last week.
12:23Yeah.
12:23And the Lawrence family is an extremely tight-knit family.
12:29And when you want to take on the Lawrences, you don't just take on one.
12:32You take on them all.
12:33And with Jet being absent through injury, it was big brother Hunter's time to step up
12:39and enjoy his time in the spotlight where he's answered endless questions about his little brother,
12:45which he answered with such maturity and grace, saying,
12:48if I'm not being the right big brother, I'm not helping my little brother.
12:53Well, it's not about Jet now.
12:54This is Hunter Lawrence's time.
12:57A win for the second time this season.
13:01He gets the overall and will keep that red plate.
13:06Hunter Lawrence goes to the brakes.
13:08The championship leader.
13:10Adding three points to that championship lead.
13:13And look at this.
13:14Don Broderby sportsmanship.
13:16Love to see it.
13:18Hard workers.
13:21What an incredible win.
13:23Again, like his first win, he got in the 450 pass of quality.
13:27And this was a quality run.
13:28And Eli had all the opportunities to challenge him for the win.
13:33And he tried.
13:34And this comes up a little short.
13:37A lot of racing left.
13:38But, man.
13:39He has won two of the last three races overall.
13:47He may have had five second places, but this win, this winning stuff sure feels good.
13:54Hunter Lawrence in Indy.
13:57That's how you do it.
14:04That's how you do it.
14:06That's how you do it.
14:07That's how you do it.
14:08That's how you do it.
14:09That's how you do it.
14:10That's how you do it.
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