Following his Supercross championship, Lawrence got himself another first as a professional, winning the first 250 moto at the 2008 Outdoor National opener at Glen Helen, California, and beating the Ryans Villopoto and Dungey in the process, just before Villopoto set off on a 16-moto winning streak that season. “That was the only holeshot I ever got in [pro] Supercross or motocross, and it was the only win I ever got outdoors,” Lawrence said. But even though his biggest accomplishments have come in the stadiums, J-Law feels a deeper connection to the old-school roots of outdoor motocross:

“I like outdoors more, man. It’s all about the fans; they’re right there [next to the track]. Growing up as a kid, I never went to watch a Supercross. I went to many outdoor nationals—Budds Creek, Unadilla, Steel City, Broome Tioga—back in the day. I’m definitely more an outdoor fan, even in the way I feel about riders. Outdoors gives you more time to play people out and get past them. Supercross is like a sprint; it’s crazy.”

Perhaps it is his own past with motocross that keeps him in his comfort zone in the outdoors, far from the glitz, glamour, and spotlight of Supercross. Motocross is where it all started, and for a guy like Jason Lawrence, it’s where he is happy, even now. “Right now, I just do local Florida races,” he explained, “and honestly you can hear the fans [on the sidelines]. Everybody is hyped on the pro moto at these local races. I love it when the people are hyped for what you’re doing. If you’re not doing it for the people, and especially the little kids, what are you doing it for?” Lawrence’s time now consists of simple days at the track, pounding out laps with whomever will ride with him, and giving back to the younger generation. “I used to always think that training kids would be like lowering myself,” he admitted. “But now I see that these kids have so much they can learn from me, and why would I not share that? I’ve helped out a few little Cobra kids from the Northeast.” But even a career as a trainer is not something that is on Lawrence’s mind, nor is a serious play at a comeback to the professional scene. The hype is gone, the fame and the money gone too. But Lawrence still gets to go to the track every day and ride his dirtbike. That’s where he started, and that’s what he wants to be: just a kid enjoying his dirtbike.