Honda HRC Progressive’s approach to the 2026 AMA Supercross season opener at Anaheim, California’s Angel Stadium was defined by strategic patience, with the team focused on capitalizing on opportunities while minimizing unnecessary risk. That mindset paid off in the main events, as Hunter Lawrence and Chance Hymas delivered strong, measured rides to earn fourth- and second-place finishes, respectively.
Lawrence got a strong second-place start in the 450SX main event, and although the race was halted by a lap-1 red flag, the restart saw him start well again, in third. He slipped back two positions early on and spent the bulk of the race trying to get around Jason Anderson. After recovering from a scary off-track excursion in a rhythm section with just a few minutes remaining, he made a pass stick and challenged the third-place rider before ultimately ending the race fourth.
Hymas barely missed out on the 250SX main-event holeshot and ran second to Ryder DiFrancesco in the early going. A fierce battle for second with Cameron McAdoo and Max Anstie ensued, and although Hymas slipped to third in the middle part of the race, he ultimately finished a solid second behind Anstie.
Hunter Lawrence 96
“That was my best A1 to date. I said to myself that I’d be content with a top-five finish. I really wanted to get the win, but we’re still working, chipping away. I think we’re in a great spot to make progress where we want to and hopefully get that worked out. But I’m okay with tonight, for sure; this is one of my worst venues if you look back over my career, so I’m happy to move forward.”
Chance Hymas 29
“The first round at A1 was really good for me—third overall in qualifying, third in the heat race, second in the main was really good. I wanted some consistent laps; I made a few mistakes, but we’ll clean it up for next weekend.”
Lars Lindstrom – Team Manager
“This was for sure one of the smoothest A1s that we’ve ever had as a team, and for me as the team manager. We all came in prepared, and from parking the trucks to pulling out at the end of the night, everything went to plan; I’m proud of the team for that. I’m also really happy with our results; we wanted to get through the first one safe and get some good points, which we accomplished. I’m super stoked for Chance. It was his first race back since knee surgery, and he showed he is one of the top guys in SX, not only MX. Before the 450 race, we talked about a top-five, with a hopeful podium, so we can’t be disappointed with a fourth, especially since the last two A1s have been a bit tough for Hunter! He didn’t ride to his full potential, so that makes me excited for the rest of the series, since he tends to improve throughout the season.”
Words and Images by HRC
