Lawrence third at 2015 World Junior Motocross Titles
Photo: [Left] Australia, led by Hunter Lawrence, finished third in the Junior Nations Title at the 2015 FIM World Junior Motocross Championship in Spain; and [Right] the young Queenslander celebrating his third-placed podium finish after his final race at El Molar in Spain (By Kenny Watts).
Hunter Lawrence podiums to lead Australia to third at World Junior Motocross titles in Spain
On 18-19 July 2015, 15-year-old Queensland rider Hunter Lawrence finished third in the 2015 FIM World Junior Motocross Championships in Spain, helping Australia secure third overall in the Junior Nations Cup. The overall Junior Nations title on 18-19 July 2015 in El Molar, Spain was won by France, ahead of Great Britain with Australia rounding out the podium in third.
Lawrence led the way for the Australian team aboard a Yamaha in the 125cc class, finishing 5-4-3 in his three motos, after working his way from the back of the field in the first two. Fellow Australian 125cc racer, Cooper Pozniak also put in a great showing against the world’s best to finish 19th in the opening race before improving to 12th in race two.
In the 85cc class, Australia was represented by by Rhys Budd, John Bova, Bailey Malkiewicz and Regan Duffy, with Budd topping the list of the Aussies finishing 8th overall. Bova impressed in race one himself grabbing a 7th place moto finish, with Malkiewicz also scoring world championship points with an 19th place finish in race two.
Photo: Hunter Lawrence & Cooper Pozniak get ready to race in the 125cc class in Spain (by Glenn MacDonald)
2015 was a big year for Hunter Lawrence, winning both the 125cc and 250cc Australian Junior Motocross Championships.
Growing up, Hunter and his younger brother Jett both excelled in junior motocross, spurring each other on, and they contested several World Junior Motocross Championships, with Jett being crowned the 2014 World Champion in his class the year before.
The family felt that if they kept competing in the World Junior Motocross Championships the boys would eventually get noticed and opportunities to race in Europe and the US would open up, which they did!
In 2017 their family sold their belongings and moved overseas – initially to Belgium where Hunter contested the World Motocross Championships. After Hunter excelled at the 2017 Motocross des Nations at Matterley Basin in the UK in 2017, where he took out the MX2 class overall on his RM-Z250 and won the Ricky Carmichael Award for best young rider, he was offered a contract with Geico Honda to race in the United States.
The Lawrence brothers are now both dominating the AMA SX and MX series, winning the 2023 AMA SX East and West 250cc series, respectively, with Hunter leading the 250cc American National Motocross Championships and Jett the 450cc series.
Photos: [Top] A young Hunter Lawrence racing Junior Motocross in Queensland. As early as 7, he dreamt of pursuing an international racing career; and [Bottom] Younger brother Jett was the 2014 FIM World 85cc Champion (By Peter Coward).
2015 World Junior Motocross Results, Spain
Junior Nations title
1. France
2. Great Britain
3. Australia
Photo: Spain Promotional Poster featuring reigning 85cc World Champion Jett Lawrence (45)
Junior 125cc Overall Top Ten
1. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 50 points
2. Conrad Mewse (GBR, KTM), 44
3. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, KTM), 34
4. Ruben Fernandez Garcia (ESP, KTM), 33
5. Mathys Boisrame (FRA, YAM), 30
6. Richard Sikyna (SVK, KTM), 26
7. Miro Sihvonen (FIN, KTM), 26
8. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), 25
9. Davide Cislaghi (ITA, TM), 24
10. Nathan Renkens (BEL, KTM), 21
85cc Junior Overall Top Ten
1. Raivo Dankers (NED, KTM), 45 points
2. Brian Strubhart Moreau (FRA, KAW), 43
3. Bastian Boegh Damm (DEN, KAW), 40
4. Petr Polak (CZE, KTM), 32
5. Rick Elzinga (NED, KTM), 29
6. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 28
7. Christopher Mills (GBR, KTM), 24
8. Rhys Budd (AUS, KTM), 23
9. Marcel Stauffer (AUT, KTM), 22
10. Emilio Scuteri (ITA, KTM), 21
