2023 AMA Teams | Team Honda HRC

December 30, 2022

PHOTOS | Honda – Cudby

Team Honda HRC will have a presence in the 250 and 450 Classes during the 2023 AMA race season, which includes the Monster Energy Supercross Championship, Pro Motocross Championship, and end-of-year SuperMotocross Championship playoffs. Chase Sexton, Jett Lawrence, and Hunter Lawrence will return with expectations of championship contention in their respective divisions, while Colt Nichols and Chance Hymas have been added the roster with individual motivations.

Jett Lawrence will go through a long-awaited and well-planned transition in 2023: he will race the 250 Class on the West Coast during Supercross and step to the 450 Class for Pro Motocross and the SuperMotocross Championship playoffs. Although Honda was interested in entering the young rider in the 450 Class for a few East Coast rounds of Supercross, Lars Lindstrom has said they’ve decided to scrap the plan and will instead have Lawrence prepare for Pro Motocross during this time. He will wear Alpinestars helmets, gear, and boots with 100% goggles.

Chase Sexton will be the head of the red riders in 2023, his third season as a full-time competitor in the 450 Class. It will also be the final term in Sexton and Honda’s initial contract, a situation that will be followed through the year and influenced by everything from the bike’s performance and the rider’s results to long-term visions of the two groups as well as other teams in the pit area. Sexton will wear Alpinestars helmets, gear, and boots with Oakley goggles.

Colt Nichols’ spot came together amid extraordinary circumstances. The former 250 SX champion missed all of 2022 with injuries from an opening-round crash but got in touch with the right people in the Torrance office and agreed to a Supercross-only deal for his rookie season in the 450 Class. Per Lindstrom, Nichols has been a welcome addition to the team and helped the group fine-tune the CRF450RWE for himself and Sexton.

Hunter Lawrence signed an extension with Honda this past spring to stay on the small-bore bikes through 2024. He will race the 250 East Coast during Supercross (opposite of his brother), the 250 Class during Pro Motocross, and the 250 Class during the SuperMotocross Championship playoffs. Alpinestars has taken their “head-to-toe” look with Lawrence to another level, and he will be the first US-based racer to wear the company’s goggles.

Chance Hymas is done with amateur racing. Honda has decided to have its developing rider skip Supercross Futures altogether and will instead have him on the line at select rounds of the 250 East Coast during Supercross, followed by the full Pro Motocross tour and SuperMotocross Championship playoffs. Hymas will wear FLY Racing helmets and gear, SCOTT goggles, and Alpinestars boots.

All five riders have personal sponsorships from drink companies: Red Bull with both Lawrences, Monster Energy with Sexton and Hymas, and KAGED with Nichols.

Sexton has added Showa’s BFRC (Balance-Free Rear Cushion) shock to his CRF450RWE. The piece has been used, shelved, developed, and reintroduced multiple times by different OEMs, with Sexton on the latest iteration.

The Renthal FatBar is the universal choice among the red riders.

Electronics from GET are now part of the CRF’s technical package, and the company’s LED indicator is on the front fender of all five bikes.

Team Honda HRC | 2023 Race Team

Team Principals | Lars Lindstrom, Brandon Wilson, Shane Drew, Grant Hutcheson

18. Jett Lawrence | Honda CRF250R | Mechanic – Christien Ducharme

23. Chase Sexton | Honda CRF450R | Mechanic – Brandon Zimmerman

45. Colt Nichols | Honda CRF450R | Mechanic – Jordon Troxell

96. Hunter Lawrence | Honda CRF250R | Mechanic – Cameron Camera

832. Chance Hymas | Honda CRF250R | Mechanic – Tommy Harris