MX wild child Jason Lawrence will be back in action this weekend at the Anaheim season opener. J Law returns to racing after a stint in a Riverside county jail for assault. Lawrence will race the 450 class on a
Yamaha for his own Boost Mobile AM/PM J-Law Racing team, alongside former Lites champion and current teammate Grant Langston.
Jason Lawrence at Anaheim 1 in 2009. J Law is slated to be back in action for the 2010 opener as well.
Lawrence served four months of a year-long sentence, his assault charge stemming from an altercation with a friend. Controversy has followed the Californian throughout his career. After claiming the 2008 West Coast Lites Supercross championship, Lawrence fell out of favor with the AMA due to incidents during the 2008 Motocross season. Penalties from the AMA including fines and probationary status that lasted until he returned for limited 2009 action. Lawrence began serving his year sentence in September of 2009.
In December, Lawrence resurfaced in the news in a positive way, donating $5000 to the Danny “Magoo” Chandler van fund. Now the 22-year-old will attempt to make some more positive headlines on the racetrack.
Courtesy of No Fear
No Fear announced today that Jason Lawrence has confirmed he will be racing this Saturday, January 9th in the 2010 Monster Energy® AMA Supercross season opener at Angel Stadium in Anaheim.
“The fact that Jason is putting himself out there, at the highest level of competition, just a little more than two weeks after a several-month break from racing is a testament to his new positive outlook on life and his loyalty to those who’ve stuck by him,” said Brent Calliger, Vice President of No Fear MX.
"I'm pumped to be back with No Fear, ” Lawrence said. “I've done a full circle with gear companies. I know what's best and now I'm back where I'm supposed to be."
In a recent interview with TransWorld Motocross, Jason said he felt pretty good the first time he got on a bike — after serving four months in Riverside County Jail as the result of an incident in 2008. “I got on a new 2010 Yamaha and rode for about 40 minutes straight,” Lawrence said. “I only stopped because I thought I was about to run out of gas.”
Lawrence compared his time away from riding to a typical break that riders often have as a result of an injury. “It was really like coming back after an injury, but I didn’t have to do any physical therapy or anything…just had to get my mind re-focused.”
While he admits that he may be a little rusty to start the season, Lawrence felt that he “needed to get out and race for myself, my team and my sponsors as soon as possible. My goal for Anaheim one is just to go out there and try to be competitive. Compared to everyone else, I’ll be fresh and rested.”
