Geico Honda’s Jett Lawrence has credited Johnny O’Mara in fast-tracking his adaption to supercross, allowing him to make his pro debut tomorrow night at the Monster Energy AUS-X Open Melbourne.

O’Mara, a former AMA Supercross champion in the 1980s, has trained and mentored a number of elite riders in the sport, with 16-year-old Lawrence the latest talent in securing his services ahead of a rookie season in the professional ranks.

The Queenslander explained the AMA Hall of Famer, who also played a role in the early stages of Ricky Carmichael’s career, has smoothed out his riding style in the challenging and technical discipline.

“I feel pretty good, I obviously work with Johnny O’Mara – the old bloke,” Lawrence cheekily said at Melbourne’s pre-event press conference.

“He’s definitely helped me a lot – I was definitely a bit sketchy when I started, but now I’ve kind of smoothened out a bit and no more Ronnie Mac. He’s definitely helped a lot and I feel pretty confident coming into it.

“[This weekend] isn’t really any different – racing’s racing. If they’re going to hit me, I’m going to hit them harder. We’ll see how it goes.”

Lawrence will add another element to the SX2 title fight inside Marvel Stadium, as five riders currently stand a mathematical chance of the championship.