This Week in Powersports Racing – the week of March 8, 2026

This week in US Powersports racing.

Herrin Wins DAYTONA 200 Pushing Record Winning Streak To Four-In-A-Row

History was made at the 84th running of the DAYTONA 200 as Josh Herrin took the checkered flag to become the only rider with four consecutive DAYTONA 200 wins. He also tied DAYTONA 200 legends Scott Russell and Miguel Duhamel for the most DAYTONA 200 victories with each of the three riders winning the “Great American Motorcycle Race” five times.

The 57-lap race drew a red flag on lap two when a rider crashed in the international horseshoe. Once restarted, it ran 56 laps flag-to-flag until the required 200-mile distance was completed. The 2026 DAYTONA 200 required three pit stops from the top finishers, which proved critical in many racers’ results.

Josh Herrin won his fourth straight DAYTONA 200, and fifth of his career, tying him with legends Scott Russell and Miguel Duhamel. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

D3O M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott finished second after starting from the pole for the third straight year, and more history was made as Kayla Yaakov, at 19 years old, became the first woman to achieve a podium result in the DAYTONA 200.

D3O M4 ECSTAR Suzuki Rider Tyler Scott (#70) in an early battle with fourth place finisher Celtic/Economy Lube + Tire/Warhorse Ducati rider Darryn Binder (#53)
Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

Yaakov battled with fourth-place finisher Celtic/Economy Lube + Tire/Warhorse HSBK Ducati’s Darryn Binder late in the race and made the pass to put herself on the podium. Binder went on to finish fourth in his first DAYTONA 200.

Kayla Yaakov makes history as the first woman to finish on the podium at the DAYTONA 200.
Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

Daytona 200 rookie Alessandro Di Mario had his Rahal Ducati Moto with Roller Die + Forming Panigale V2 in fifth for most of the race and finished in that position, besting his grid position by one from the start of the race.

Rahal Ducati Moto with Roller Die + Forming Ducati Rider Allesandro Di Mario (#27) crossing the finish line with Liberty St. Yamaha’s Devlin Doyle (#26) and BPR Racing Yamaha’s Josh Hayes (#4) in-tow. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

The highest-finishing Yamaha YZF-R9 and last rider to finish on the lead lap was Liberty St. Yamaha Racing’s Dominic Doyle, who was 1:40.449 behind in sixth position. Doyle was followed by two more R9s. The Strack Racing Yamaha YZF-R9 of Blake Davis in seventh and BPR Racing Yamaha’s Josh Hayes in eighth.

Rounding out the top 10 were Ducati Pittsburgh/Mosites Motorsports’ Ryder Davis in ninth and Rodio Racing’s Gus Rodio in tenth.

The DAYTONA 200 did not go as planned for Rahal Ducati Moto with XPEL rider PJ Jacobsen or Mission M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante. Escalante lowsided his GSX-R750 in the infield and was unable to continue.

As for Jacobsen, he lost the front of his Ducati Panigale V2 while leading the race with eight laps to go. From there, it was smooth sailing for Herrin to mark his fourth-straight, and fifth career DAYTONA 200 win.

Josh Herrin was all smiles as he hoisted his Scott Russell Inspired, Troy Lee Designs-painted helmet above his head in Daytona’s Victory Lane. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

Third Place – Kayla Yaakov

“We worked really hard this off-season,” commented Yaakov. “I said it on the podium. I just really invested in myself this off-season, and I feel like it’s really paid off. I’m just in the best mindset, the best condition I’ve ever been in. I’ve been riding really well in testing. This weekend, we didn’t really have any expectations. I just tried to put myself in a good position. Stayed really calm. Knew where I was. Knew where my bike was good. Knew that if I was behind (Darryn) Binder, I would come across the line in front of him. It was a great race.”

Second Place – Tyler Scott

“We came into Daytona just kind of not knowing what to think,” said Scott. “Go out for the first session. The bike was amazing. The whole first day, we didn’t touch a single thing on the bike. I felt super comfortable all weekend. Just the consistency gives me confidence going into the season here. As far as the race goes, we were there and the first thing, kind of got held up by a few lapped riders and dropped a couple seconds back. When we hit the first pit stop, that kind of hurt us a little bit. Every time we came out, just five seconds behind. Just trying to make that ground up. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to make the push to the front at the end.”

First Place – Josh Herrin

Herrin said, “If you had asked me even on the grid, last week, two weeks ago, how I felt coming into the race, I just would have said I had zero chance. I woke up this morning thinking there’s no way because the lap that I did in qualifying yesterday took everything I had. I had to get a perfect draft. I was a second and a half off of Kayla, Di Mario, and PJ all five days that I rode this bike in pre-season testing. Just wanted to put my head into a wall. I was pretty frustrated. But Scott Jensen… That’s what cool about having a crew chief that used to be a racer because he has that never-give-up attitude. He knows how it is to be a frustrated rider. I don’t know him very well, but we work very well together. No matter how frustrated I got, he just kept making me feel more positive at the end of each day. Even though I was negative towards him, he just made me feel better every time I would go to the hotel. We showed up with a good bike today and it shows.

“The first pit stop, I feel like I was five to seven seconds behind those guys coming out of the pits because my bike wouldn’t start. They pushed me probably fifty yards down the pit lane. Then I’m sure everybody saw what happened on pit lane in the last pit stop. The camera guy was filming PJ leaving the pit and I ran him over. I was so angry. I can’t be angry now. Now it’s just funny, but it was one of the worst moments in my career. It felt like something was just helping me out there. Every time something bad happened, I just got carried back to the front. It was just an amazing race. I can’t thank the entire Rahal Ducati Moto team enough. Thank you to Desnuda. Thank you to Brew Watch, Nimbus Healthcare. Thank you to everybody that came in and helped out just for this weekend. It’s an amazing feeling. I can’t describe what it feels like, especially to be wearing this helmet that Troy Lee painted himself to honor Scott Russell, and to have Scott share the helmet on his social media and stuff. It’s a special day. It just doesn’t feel real.”

For Full DAYTONA 200 Results click here

For DAYTONA 200 Photos click here

Drane, Herfoss And Lewis Claim Daytona Victories On Day 2

Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane took the win in a photo finish during an abbreviated Twins Cup Race 2 at Daytona. The race was halted on lap one after a crash in the infield brought out a red flag making it a six-lap sprint to the finish.

After the restart, the 15-year-old Australian finished atop a four-way drafting battle to the finish line in the tri-oval. The top four crossed the finish line close enough to cover them all with a blanket. Just 0.01 of a second separated Drane from M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Matthew Chapin in second. Robem Engineering Aprilia’s Hank Vossberg finished third (0.058 of a second behind Drane), and another M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-8R ridden by Bodie Paige was a mere 0.376 of a second behind race winner Drane.

Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane won Twins Cup Race 2 by just 0.010 of a second. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

M4 ECSTAR Suzuki rider Michel Agazzi started strong behind his teammate Bodie Paige in second and hung with the lead group until lap three when the frontrunners built a gap of 1.3 seconds, separating the lead group from the pack for the rest of the race. Agazzi would finish fifth in his wild-card appearance, which was awarded to him for winning the GSX-8R Cup in Europe.

Karns/TST Industries Suzuki rider Kevin Olmedo finished sixth followed by the Weyh Racing Aprilia tandem of Eli Block and Andrew Weyh, who finished seventh and eighth, respectively.

TAB Performance’s Kyle Ohnsorg was ninth aboard his Suzuki. Hoban Brothers Racing/Darkhorse Motor Co. Suzuki GSX-8R rider Seth Dahmer, who was involved in the incident that brought out the red flag at the beginning of the race, was able to re-mount and make it back for the restart to finish tenth.

Below is a quote from race winner, Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson’s Sam Drane.

“Yeah, the Estenson bike is definitely a rocket ship, and I felt it here. I had some work to do on the infield and finally figured that out by the end of the weekend and had some good pace in that last race and I’m looking forward to Atlanta.”

Mission Super Hooligan National Championship – Saddlemen Race Development Harley-Davidson Team Sweeps The Podium At Daytona Internation Speedway

The Saddlemen Race Development Harley-Davidson team was part of another photo finish today in their sweep of the podium at Daytona, and all three riders were separated by just 0.06 of a second at the line. The running order was an exact inversion of the Race 1 finishing order with Jake Lewis in first, Cory West repeating his second-place finish, and James Rispoli dropping back to the third step of the podium.

The lead group developed into a pack of five riders towards the end of the race and came across the line just 0.296 of a second apart as a squad. Andy DiBrino brought his BPR Racing Yamaha across the line in fourth just one-tenth of a second behind the Saddlemen Race Development team. DiBrino looked solid in Race 2 and stayed attached to the lead group for the entire race, even leading a lap early on. Behind him, Rodio Racing’s Gus Rodio capped off the lead group. Rodio brough his Ducati Streetfighter V2 across the line in fifth.

The Saddleman Race Development Harley-Davidson team swept the podium in both Mission Super Hooligan National Championship races at Daytona.
Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

Slightly behind the lead group of five was Travis Wyman in sixth on his Saddlemen Race Development Harley-Davidson FXR. Wyman was followed by BPR Racing Yamaha’s Bryce Kornbau on a Yamaha MT-09 SP in seventh and TopPro Motorsports/Edge Racing’s Jason Waters on a Ducati Streetfighter V2 in eighth.

Rounding out the Top 10 for Race 2 were the COATZYMOTO-LATIN WE Yamaha XSR900 of Robertino Pietri and Trackhouse/Hawk Mazzotta Moto Camp/BLU CRU Racing’s Hawk Mazzotta on a Yamaha MT-09 SP.

The competition in the class throughout the first two races has been phenomenal with more lead changes than one can track, and it carries the requirement for a high-resolution camera at the finish line to determine the winner.

The following quote is from Race 2 winner Jake Lewis:

“Today’s race was unbelievable, and this is the best Daytona round I’ve had on the hooligan, you know, to go 3-1, but especially today, it’s always better to win the second race, to leave the weekend on a high confidence wise, but the hooligan racing, you never know, it’s so unpredictable, so crazy and wild, and you just got to play your cards right and play the draft right. The Saddlemen race team, you know, locking out the podium both days, it shows how hard they’ve worked and with the rule changes of hooligan too, I mean all nine of us or however many it was in the pack today, it just shows how competitive it’s going to be this year.”

Mission King Of The Baggers – Herfoss Holds Off The Field For First Daytona Win

J&P Cycles/Motul/Vance & Hines Factory Indian rider Troy Herfoss took the win at Daytona aboard his Indian Challenger in Race 2. The Australian Superbike Champion held a slight lead over teammate Rocco Landers, to take his first victory at the “World Center of Racing.” Landers, who suffered a mechanical in Race 1, bounced back for his first podium of the season and made it a J&P Cycles/Motul/Vance & Hines Factory Indian one-two punch.

Troy Herfoss won Mission King Of The Baggers Race 2 for his first win ever at Daytona International Speedway. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

Landers was part of a three-rider group to cross the line just 1/10th of a second apart with the Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing Road Glides of Kyle Wyman and Bradley Smith in third and fourth, respectively.

The lead group was in a race of their own as the remainder of the field was, at minimum, 14 seconds behind. Big Diehl x Harley-Davidson Factory Racing ‘s James Rispoli finished in fifth followed by SDI Racing’s Tyler O’Hara on an Indian Challenger in sixth.

Saddlemen Race Development teammates Jake Lewis and Cory West were seventh and eighth, with Hayden Gillim’s J&P Cycles/Motul/Vance & Hines Factory Indian Challenger in ninth. Gillim, who won Race 1 by over eight seconds, was leading by over two seconds again. The Kentuckian would suffer a mechanical “gremlin” with two laps to go. Exiting the first part of the international horseshoe, Gillim threw his hand up and fell off the pace. There were no visible signs of damage to the motorcycle and, after a few turns, he was back up to speed, but he had dropped all the way to ninth, which is where he finished.

Rounding out the field in 10th was M3/Tobacco Road Harley-Davidson’s Max Flinders on his Harley-Davidson Road Glide. The next Mission King Of The Baggers round takes place at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on April 17-19.

The following quote is from Mission King Of The Baggers Winner Troy Herfoss:

It’s a big honor to get a race win at Daytona. It’s definitely a special feeling crossing that stripe, in that stadium sort of atmosphere. Big, big props to Hayden, like, he was just riding incredible today and this weekend, and I feel heartbroken for him to go out like that, cause he had broken us, he had the race sewn up. But, it’s a credit to the Vance & Hines racing team, like, the Indian Challenger is just working better than I’ve ever seen, I can’t believe the amount of power it’s got. The way I was coming down, I got off that banking, it was almost scaring me sometimes. So yeah, I’m looking forward to heading into COTA for a test first and then over to Road Atlanta and get onto a sort of more traditional track and see if I can make a push at Hayden, speed wise.

For Saturday Pictures from Daytona International Speedway click here

Full Results for each class are below:

Twins Cup Race 2

Mission Super Hooligan National Championship Race 2

Mission King Of The Baggers Race 2

Hunter Lawrence Prevails with Indianapolis Triple Crown Victory to Extend Championship Lead Inside Lucas Oil Stadium

Just seven days after racing in one of the world’s most storied motorsports venues, the Monster Energy SMX World Championship traveled to the most famous racing city on the planet as a huge crowd gathered inside Lucas Oil Stadium for the ninth race of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship. The second Triple Crown event of the 2026 season produced another captivating night of racing as 450SMX Class points leader and Honda HRC Progressive rider Hunter Lawrence emerged with his second win of the year via tiebreaker over championship rival Eli Tomac, which allowed Lawrence to add to his slim lead in the championship.

A massive crowd gathered inside Lucas Oil Stadium as Monster Energy Supercross made its annual visit to the motorsports epicenter of Indianapolis for the second Triple Crown race of the season.

The first 12 Minute + 1 Lap premier class race of the evening featured an impressive performance by Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen, who charged his way to the front early and cemented control to take a pressure-free win by 5.4 seconds. The battle behind him was anything but calm, as several of the championship’s key players duked it out for a spot on the podium. In the end, Lawrence came away with second, followed by Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tomac, who overcame a start outside the top 10. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb finished fourth after running most of the race in second, while teammate Justin Cooper rounded out the top five.

The intensity picked up in Race 2 and it ultimately ended Roczen’s chances at victory when he mistimed a rhythm section on the opening lap and landed on Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Aaron Plessinger, which took Plessinger out of the race and dropped Roczen to the tail end of the field. Out front, it looked to be Tomac’s win for the taking after an early pass for first around early leader Cooper, but the Yamaha rider recollected himself, found a rhythm, and closed back in. Cooper pulled the trigger on a pass to reclaim the lead from Tomac and carried on to win by 3.5 seconds over his KTM counterpart. Webb followed with an uneventful third place, while Lawrence suffered a costly incident with lapped riders that dropped him from third to fourth.

The third and final race of the night saw Lawrence and Tomac seize the moment to put themselves out front early. The deteriorating racetrack made track position a priority and Lawrence’s holeshot allowed him to settle into the lead by about a second over Tomac. As the race wore on, Lawrence slowly added to his advantage over Tomac, and it continued to grow as lapped riders factored into the race. Behind them, Roczen settled into third, while the Yamaha teammates of Webb and Cooper battled it out for fourth. Lawrence was never challenged when it mattered most and put together a wire-to-wire effort to end the night on top by a margin of 5.5 seconds over Tomac. Roczen bounced back from his difficult second race in third, while Webb kept Cooper at bay for fourth.

Lawrence picked an opportune time to have his best race of the night as it carried him to the overall victory. The Australian and Tomac ended the night tied in points, with seven apiece, but Lawrence’s 2-4-1 effort bettered Tomac’s 3-2-2 performance by virtue of Lawrence’s better result in the Race 3 tiebreaker. It was Lawrence’s second win of the second and the second of his career. Webb and Cooper ended the night tied for third overall at 11 points each, with the edge going to Webb’s 4-3-4 effort over Cooper’s 5-1-5 finishes.

The biggest win of the season thus far for Lawrence allowed him to extend his lead in the title fight to four points over Tomac heading into the lone off weekend of the 17-race championship. Webb sits third, 25 points out of the lead.

The Race 3 triumph by Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence vaulted him to the Triple Crown victory for the points leader’s second win of the season.

Hunter Lawrence – 1st Place – 450SMX Class

“This win means a lot. This is my fifth day riding in-a-row this week testing with the team. Those guys will never give up, nor will I. This is the ultimate thank you for going through the ringer this week, riding five days in-a-row, and coming out and performing [tonight]. This is cool. It’s a Triple Crown, so it’s a tough one.”

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac narrowly missed out on the overall win but remains well within striking distance in the title fight.

Eli Tomac – 2nd Place – 450SMX Class

“I made one mistake [in the final race] and Hunter [Lawrence] pulled out a second or two. I just wasn’t able to bring that back. I had a sketchy moment in the whoops and feel like I lost the race there. I started jumping but got a little squirrely and then started skimming again at the end and it was better. I don’t know, I’m glad to get out of here [with a good finish]. It’s just a tough night of racing here with the Triple Crown and this soil.”

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb finished third overall
after a quiet and consistent night.

Cooper Webb – 3rd Place – 450SMX Class

“Overall, it was kind of a plateau night for me across the board. I’m bummed because I felt great yesterday and today, so I’m pretty bummed with those results, if I’m being honest. I felt like I could come in and compete tonight, but those two ahead of me were on another level. We’ve got work to do and will try to get better. We’ll keep our head down. There’s a lot of racing left and anything can happen.”

450SMX Class Overall Podium (left to right)
Eli Tomac, Hunter Lawrence, and Cooper Webb

The annual visit to Indy not only served as the third race of the Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class Championship, but it also signified the division’s first Triple Crown action of the season. The first of three 10 Minute + 1 Lap races proved to be the beginning of an overdue breakthrough for Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies, who came into the season as the title favorite. The young New Zealander was in complete control during Race 1 and took the win by two seconds over Honda HRC Progressive’s Jo Shimoda, with Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker in third. However, the most notable outcome of the race was a 10th-place finish by Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Pierce Brown, as the entering points leader faced adversity off the start and was forced to fight back from a last-place start.

Davies had his work cut out for him in Race 2, when he and Shimoda duked it out as both riders looked for a way past Triumph Factory Racing’s Jalek Swoll, the early leader. Davies and Shimoda traded positions several times, but Davies got the upper hand, made his way past Swoll, and carried on to victory. Shimoda followed into second and gave chase late but crossed the finish line 2.2 seconds behind Davies. Brown rebounded from his challenging first race in third. Hammaker was the rider who faced the most adversity in the second race, as an early crash put him deep in the field and resulted in a ninth-place finish.

The third and deciding race once again saw Davies lock in as he secured another good start and methodically worked his way to the front where he closed in on Swoll for the race lead for the second time. Davies made the pass and then sprinted away from the field. As Swoll settled into second, Shimoda was in an extended battle with ClubMX Yamaha’s Devin Simonson for third. Shimoda made the pass and then tracked down Swoll to take second just before time ran out on the race clock and brought Hammaker along with him into third. Hammaker then went on the attack on the final lap, as both he and Shimoda closed in on Davies and reduced the deficit to just over a second. Hammaker made the pass on Shimoda, who briefly went off track, while Davies completed the Triple Crown sweep by a margin of just eight tenths over Hammaker. Shimoda settled for third, while Brown followed in fourth ahead of Swoll.

Davies’ first-ever 1-1-1 effort in a Triple Crown put him atop the podium for the first time this season and the third time in his young career. Shimoda earned his second runner-up finish of the season with seven points following 2-2-3 scores, while Hammaker overcame his troubles in the second race to grab a podium result in third with 14 points on 3-9-2 finishes. Brown missed the podium for the first time this season in fifth with 17 points following 10-3-4 finishes.

The early title fight has tightened up dramatically as four riders now sit within two points of one another. Davies has grabbed hold of the points lead by a single point over Hammaker, while Brown and Shimoda sit tied for third, two points out of the lead. What lies ahead is the first East/West Showdown of the 2026 season, which is poised to dramatically alter what has been a close battle in the Eastern Division thus far.

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies dominated the first Eastern Divisional Triple Crown with a 1-1-1 sweep.

Cole Davies – 1st Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class

“I guess I was just too excited to go [to start the season] and was a bit too antsy [on the track], but we settled down a bit. I just let the race come to me [tonight] and made some passes in every race. I’m just stoked. It’s a bit of a relief now. I’ve been pissed off at all the rounds, getting beat, and I don’t do well with that. It’s good to come back and have a good Triple Crown.”

Honda HRC Progressive’s Jo Shimoda was consistent in all three races
to secure a runner-up finish.

Jo Shimoda – 2nd Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class

“I think I got decent starts today. Not the best ones, but I was able to sneak around the inside and get up in the front. I pulled it off as much as I could, but I just need to ride faster. I need to update myself and the bike and we should be good. There’s a lot more to go.”

Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker overcame some adversity
to earn an overall podium result.

Seth Hammaker – 3rd Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class

“It was a pretty hectic night. I couldn’t get off the gate too well, which kind of cost me. I just didn’t put myself in great positions off the start. Thankfully we salvaged a podium. I was just riding in the middle of the pack tonight and need to figure the starts out. But, like I said, we salvaged a podium and are second in points, so all good.”

Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class Overall Podium (left to right)
Jo Shimoda, Cole Davies, and Seth Hammaker

The Monster Energy SMX World Championship and Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship will observe its lone break in action next weekend before returning on Saturday, March 21, for the 10th race of the season from Birmingham, Alabama’s Protective Stadium. Live broadcast coverage on Peacock will begin at 1 p.m. ET with Race Day Live, followed by the Gate Drop at 7 p.m. ET. Additionally, a domestic Spanish language broadcast is available on Peacock while international viewers can choose from dedicated English, French, and Spanish broadcasts via SMX Video Pass (www.SMXVideoPass.com).

The Birmingham round will also include a special encore network presentation on NBC, which will air on Sunday, March 22, at 1 p.m. ET.

All 17 rounds of the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and 11 rounds of the Pro Motocross Championship are on sale. Tickets for the SMX World Championship Playoff Rounds and Final are now on sale at Supermotocross.com. Saturday FanFest will take place at all postseason races, Friday FanFest and camping will be available in Columbus and Ridgedale, additional details to follow.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing and Korie Steede take Talladega GNCC victory

Defending WXC Class Champion races to first round win of the 2026 season

Grand National Cross Country Series – Round 3

Having opened her 2026 campaign with double podium finishes across the first two rounds, Steede entered Round 3 targeting the top step of the podium, powering her Husqvarna FC 250 Factory Edition toward the front of the pack from the outset.

Demonstrating composure throughout the race, Steede delivered a convincing victory by the time the checkered flag flew, recording a total time of 1:48.51s. With the result, she now sits tied for the lead in the WXC standings, with the Camp Coker Bullet GNCC next on the schedule at the end of this month.

“It was a really good race for me and a rewarding one to win this weekend,”Steede said. “The conditions were tough, but we kept charging and it paid off! A big thanks to Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, I’m looking forward to the next one now.”

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing teammate Craig DeLong was also on the pace in Talladega, racing his Husqvarna FX 350 to sixth in the XC1 Open Pro Class and P7 Overall after being able to make his presence felt during the early stages.

Combining his results from the first three rounds of 2026, former GNCC Champion DeLong currently sits sixth in both the XC1 and Overall point-standings – aiming to climb further up the order in the coming rounds.

“Overall, Talladega could’ve been a little bit better for me,”DeLong commented.”I got a decent start, but made a couple of mistakes on Lap 1 that put me all the way towards the back, which had my work cut out for me. I made good progress on the second lap to climb toward the podium positions, but I expended a bunch of energy to reach that point I burned myself out a little bit. The last lap was a real struggle, but no excuses – I need to finish these races off a little better and not let it slip away near the end.”

XC1 Open Pro Class Results1. Steward Baylor Jr, Kawasaki2. Liam Draper, Yamaha3. Ben Kelley, KTM6. Craig DeLong, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing11. Grant Davis, KTM

WXC Class Results1. Korie Steede, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing2. Danielle McDonald, Yamaha3. Shelby Turner, Triumph6. Brandy Richards, KTM

Consistent Triple Crown points for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing in Indianapolis

Daxton Bennick claims P4 in 250SX as Malcolm Stewart finishes seventh overall in 450SX

Bennick began the day in positive fashion at the second Triple Crown event of the year – which was also the third round of the 250SX East division – qualifying fourth on the combined timesheets while displaying strong pace onboard the Husqvarna FC 250 Factory Edition.

Race 1 saw the 20-year-old launch the holeshot and run at the front of the field as he battled among the leading contenders, ultimately claiming fourth position to open the high-intensity three-race format.

After replicating that result with another P4 finish in Race 2, Bennick started the third and final outing toward the rear of the field, before putting forward a spirited ride to deliver a P7 result. In the end, his combined scores earned him fourth overall for the weekend.

Bennick is now ranked fifth in the 250SX East standings three rounds into the new season, with teams having a one-week break before the first 250SX East/West Showdown of 2026 takes place at Birmingham’s Protective Stadium on March 21.

“This round was pretty good, looking back at it,”commented Bennick.“I was better in the first qualifying and good in the second one too, with fourth overall. We did the best we could each time on track and came away with a fourth place overall, which is not too bad. One weekend off now and then we’ll get back to it in Birmingham!”

Faced with a technical, rutted layout in Indianapolis, Stewart rode his Husqvarna FC 450 Factory Edition to the 10th-fastest qualifying time and would carry confidence into the night program.

The 33-year-old continued with a consistent ninth-place finish in the opening race of the evening, before improving to seventh in Races 2 and 3 to post seventh overall at Round 9 of the 2026 SMX World Championship season.

Entering the mid-season break, Stewart is currently ranked P9 in the 450SX Class point-standings with eight rounds remaining in this year’s AMA Supercross Championship.

“Indy as a Triple Crown is always going to make for an interesting night!” Stewart recalled.“The track breaks down quite a bit, but we did the best we could with a seventh-place result tonight. My starts were good in Races 2 and 3, and overall I didn’t feel bad, but it was one of those tracks where mistakes were easily made. If you got out of the rhythm, you could lose a lot of time, which happened to me a couple of times. It wasn’t a bad race though, we made a lot of progress throughout this week and with one weekend off, we’ll enjoy the break and then get back to work!”

Next Race: March 21 – Birmingham, Alabama

Results 450SX Class – Indianapolis1. Hunter Lawrence (Honda)2. Eli Tomac (KTM)3. Cooper Webb (Yamaha)6. Jorge Prado (KTM)7. Malcolm Stewart (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing)19. Aaron Plessinger (KTM)

Standings 450SX Class 2026 after 9 of 17 rounds1. Hunter Lawrence, 196 points2. Eli Tomac, 1923. Cooper Webb, 1718. Aaron Plessinger, 989. Malcolm Stewart, 9010. Jorge Prado, 8919. RJ Hampshire, 38

Results 250SX East Class – Indianapolis1. Cole Davies (Yamaha)2. Jo Shimoda (Honda)3. Seth Hammaker (Kawasaki)4. Daxton Bennick (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing)

Standings 250SX East Class 2026 after 3 of 10 rounds1. Cole Davies, 642. Seth Hammaker, 633. Pierce Brown, 625. Daxton Bennick, 55

ELI TOMAC AND RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING FINISH P2 AT INDIANAPOLIS TRIPLE CROWN

Round 9 – AMA Supercross Championship

On the notoriously challenging Indiana track surface, Tomac and his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION found comfort early during afternoon qualifying, topping the 450SX timesheets for the fourth time this year with a 45.434s lap-time.

Starting outside the top 10 in the opening race of the dynamic Triple Crown format saw the 33-year-old mount an impressive charge through the field, crossing the line in a hard-fought third position as the checkered flag waved.

Tomac recorded second-place finishes in Races 2 and 3, which saw the two-time Supercross Champion secure second overall and claim his seventh podium result of the 2026 season, including four race wins.

Tomac now sits just four points out of the premier class lead entering the mid-season weekend off, with racing to resume in Birmingham, Alabama, on March 21.

Eli Tomac:“It was a good night overall. I made one mistake in Race 3, which allowed Hunter [Lawrence] to pull out a second or two lead, which I just wasn’t able to bring back. I’m glad to get out of here in P2 because this place makes for a really tough night of racing with the Triple Crown format, as well as the soil, so I’m looking forward to the break now.”

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Jorge Prado returned to competition after missing the previous two rounds due to a shoulder injury, with the four-time world champion qualifying a competitive fourth in the 450SX Class at the conclusion of the afternoon sessions.

After capturing the holeshot in Race 1, the 25-year-old guided his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION at the front of the field during the opening laps, negotiating the technical circuit to take a sixth-place finish. As the track continued to break down, Prado added a pair of P6 scores over the remaining races, securing sixth overall at Round 9 in what marked a successful return.

Jorge Prado:”My first round back at Indianapolis was a very solid day – I’m happy with P6 overall with three sixth-place scores across the finals. I was also P4 in practice and had solid starts all night, so I’m obviously not 100 percent yet, but I think that given how I felt this weekend, I really optimized everything. It was important to gain experience in racing a track like this for the future. I’m happy to come out of here with a solid result and then get one weekend off where we will put in a lot of work, and then enter the next round way better.”

Also equipped with the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, Aaron Plessinger charged to a measured P8 finish in Race 1, before a collision with another rider in the second outing resulted in an unfortunate DNF. The 30-year-old withdrew from Race 3, however, he has since been cleared of any major injury from the impact and will regroup across the break to come out strong in Birmingham.

Aaron Plessinger:“My day was going alright in Indianapolis and I felt we made some steps forward throughout qualifying. I climbed up to eighth in the first race, which was good, given where I started – I felt I rode pretty well. And then in Race 2, I got a pretty good start inside the top-five before Kenny [Roczen] slid on one of the on-offs, then he went double while I tripled, which had me plough directly into his back tire on the next jump. It took me off the bike and now I have a pretty good bruise on my right arm where his tire hit me, but as bad as it was, I think I got pretty lucky to get away from that one with nothing broken. We didn’t do the third race, which was unfortunate, although now having a weekend off, we’ll keep up the work and keep grinding.”

Next Race: March 21 – Birmingham, Alabama

Results 450SX Class – Indianapolis

Hunter Lawrence (Honda)
Eli Tomac (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
Cooper Webb (Yamaha)
Jorge Prado (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
Malcolm Stewart (Husqvarna)
Justin Hill (KTM)
Grant Harlan (KTM)
Kevin Moranz (KTM)
Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)

Standings 450SX Class 2026 after 9 of 17 rounds

Hunter Lawrence, 196 points
Eli Tomac, 192
Cooper Webb, 171
Aaron Plessinger, 98
Malcolm Stewart, 90
Jorge Prado, 89
RJ Hampshire, 38

PODIUM RESULT FOR FMF KTM FACTORY RACING’S BEN KELLEY AT TALLADEGA GNCC

KTM Offroad Update

GRAND NATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY SERIES – ROUND 3

Defending GNCC Champion Kelley entered Round 3 with momentum on his side after taking victory just one week ago at the Wild Boar GNCC, aiming to power his KTM 450 XC-F to the front of the field once again this weekend.

Muddy conditions greeted the field for the third round of the 2026 season, with Kelley opting for a consistent strategy throughout the race’s three-hour duration to claim third place in both the XC1 Open Pro Class and Overall with a total time of 3:00.50s.

Kelley extended his lead atop the XC1 and Overall standings at the Talladega GNCC, now holding a 13-point advantage as the series heads to the Camp Coker Bullet event on March 28-29.

Ben Kelley:“A podium here at Talladega is good! With the rain we had and the muddy conditions, I knew it was going to be really brutal. The mud races haven’t been all that nice to me, so I wanted to have a good race, and we spent a lot of time battling for that third position. The conditions were tough, especially on the last lap. I had a couple of crashes and then at that point just decided to bring it home for some good points. Thanks to the whole FMF KTM Factory Racing team for keeping me going out there, the team did a great job.”

XC1 Open Pro Class newcomer and last year’s GNCC runner-up Grant Davis was in solid form throughout the Talladega GNCC, battling for the lead through much of the race onboard his KTM 350 XC-F FACTORY EDITION.

Unfortunately, Davis experienced a late issue with only a few miles remaining, leaving him credited with 11th place in class. With his front-running speed on display, Davis will now set his sights on a strong result at Camp Coker.

Grant Davis:“I got off to a good start at Round 3, right behind Stew [Baylor Jr] and we took off, opening up a good gap while going back and forth. I passed him on the last lap and put a bit of a gap on him, but I ended up not finishing, which is unfortunate. I’ll be ready and looking to rebound at Camp Coker next!”

Round 3 proved a challenging outing for FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Jason Tino, who was initially in podium contention in the XC2 250 Pro division onboard his KTM 250 XC-F. Despite being unable to finish the race, he was credited P8 in class at the end of the weekend, and sits fourth in the standings.

Jason Tino: “It was going really, really good. I was letting the race come to me, being really patient and had the front group in sight, so made it through the first lap, nice and clean. At the end of the second lap we had some difficulties and I wasn’t able to get the bike to the finish, but up until then, I was riding really good and in contention for an XC2 podium.”

After claiming victory one week ago at the Wild Boar GNCC, FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Brandy Richards was in a points salvage mode in Talladega while continuing to race with a leg injury, guiding her KTM 350 XC-F FACTORY EDITION to sixth place in the WXC Class after four laps. She currently sits third in the WXC standings, just six points from the series lead.

Brandy Richards: “It was a challenging day out there – the conditions were brutal! I tried to put together laps and leave with points, so I am looking forward to the next round.”

Round 1 winner and 2024 GNCC Champion Johnny Girroir was on the sidelines for this weekend’s Talladega event, still feeling the effects of the illness that forced him to withdraw from the Wild Boar GNCC.

XC1 Open Pro Class Results

Steward Baylor Jr, Kawasaki
Liam Draper, Yamaha
Ben Kelley, FMF KTM Factory Racing
Craig DeLong, Husqvarna
Grant Davis, FMF KTM Factory Racing

XC2 250 Pro Class Results

Nicholas Defeo, Kawasaki
Brody Johnson, Husqvarna
Gavin Simon, Husqvarna
Jason Tino, FMF KTM Factory Racing

WXC Class Results

Korie Steede, Husqvarna
Danielle McDonald, Yamaha
Shelby Turner, Triumph
Brandy Richards, FMF KTM Factory Racing

D3O M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI’S TY SCOTT WINS POLE, FINISHES SECOND IN 2026 DAYTONA 200

Suzuki Motor USA and Team Hammer launched the 2026 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship campaign in powerful form, notching up a pole-and-podium combo in the 84th Daytona 200 while scoping up a pair of top threes in Twins Cup action.

Race Highlights:

D3O M4 ECSTAR Suzuki
- Supersport
  - Tyler Scott scored a third straight Daytona 200 podium from pole position.
Mission M4 ECSTAR Suzuki
- Supersport
  - Richie Escalante was in prime position to make a run at victory before his race ended in heartbreak.
M4 ECSTAR Suzuki
- Twins Cup
  - Matthew Chapin bounced back to claim race runner-up honors on Saturday.
  - Bodie Paige impressed with a podium performance in his Twins Cup debut.

Tyler Scott powered the D3O M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750 to pole position and a runner-up finish in the 84th Daytona 200 to open the 2026 MotoAmerica season.

D3O M4 ESCSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott did what he does in Daytona, securing his third consecutive podium finish from pole aboard the squad’s next-generation GSX-R750 racer. The Supersport title contender passed both the test of speed and endurance, fighting amongst the lead pack early while holding a strong, consistent pace at the end to finish the prestigious race as its runner-up for a second straight season. The 20-point haul is a fantastic way to kick off his championship aspirations in 2026.

“We’re definitely really hungry for the season ahead,” Scott said. “The D3O M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team did an amazing job this weekend. The bike felt the best it ever has, and I can’t give thanks enough to my guys. I tried my best throughout the race today, but I lost touch with the front group, and that was unfortunate. But still, I’m super excited to start the season like this, and we’ll go forward from here.”

Mission M4 ECSTAR Suzuki rider Richie Escalante ran inside the lead group and was battling for a podium position before a late crash ended his Daytona 200 bid.

It very easily could have been a double podium for the team, as Mission M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante was running a close third when he crashed from contention with 25 laps remaining. The full-time Superbike ace won’t suffer any championship consequences as a result, but it was still a bitter early conclusion suffered with a potential victory still within his grasp.

“I want to say I’m sorry to the team,” Escalante said. “It was shaping up to be a great race for us. We took small steps to improve the bike over the first two days, and then this morning we were ready to fight for the win. Everything was going great – the bike, the pace, and the pit stops. We were in good position coming out of the second stop, but I lost the rear for a second and crashed. That was my mistake. The team and the sponsors were fantastic in getting us this far. Now, we will concentrate on Superbike, and we are really excited about it.”

Meanwhile, the squad’s Twins Cup 1-2 punch came out swinging with each rider claiming a podium in the class’ Daytona double opener.

Bodie Paige impressed in his MotoAmerica Twins Cup debut, scoring a podium finish in Race 1 on the M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-8R.

Bodie Paige, the young Australian who last year became just the second rider to claim the Nicky Hayden AMA Horizon Award in both the Road Race and Flat Track disciplines, showcased his tarmac talents on the high banks aboard the M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-8R.

He came home third in Race 1 after going back-and-forth in a three-rider fight for second. And in Race 2, he crossed the line in fourth while less than four tenths of a second behind the winner.

“It was good, and I had a lot of fun,” Paige said. “I started getting more comfortable. I was on the podium in Race 1, and I felt I could have podiumed or even won the next race, but we had an issue on the warm-up lap. I tried to be smart and not crash the bike. We’ll figure it out for next time. The team and I worked well together, and I am looking forward to the upcoming races.”

Matthew Chapin charged to a runner-up finish in Twins Cup Race 2 aboard the M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-8R after a hard-fought battle at Daytona.

Teammate Matthew Chapin, who claimed the double victory at Daytona a year ago to set the table for his 2025 Twins Cup championship runner-up campaign, struggled to find his groove in Race 1, finishing in eighth place some ten seconds back. He rallied magnificently in Race 2, scrapping for the lead as part of a four-rider pack that also included Paige. Chapin came up just a wheel short of the win, claiming second place a mere 0.010 seconds away from victory.

Chapin said, “I’ve got to give it up to my whole M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team for everything they’ve done for me. All of the guys put in some serious hours on the thing to make it better for me. It was a good race, and I had a lot of fun… We’ll get them next time.”

The 2026 MotoAmerica season will resume – and kick off for the premier Superbike category – on April 17-19 at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia.

For more Road racing news please visit suzukicycles.com/racing/road-racing.

SUZUKI’S KEN ROCZEN TAKES TOP FIVE AT INDY SUPERCROSS

The Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship held the second Triple Crown event of the season at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. The three-race format lined up the 450SX Class riders for three separate 12-minute Races. The soft soil and short lap times meant extreme ruts and heavy lap traffic for the racers.

Race Highlights:

Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear ECSTAR Suzuki
- 450 Class
  - Ken Roczen won Race 1 of the second Triple Crown Supercross of the season.
Twisted Tea Suzuki presented by Progressive Insurance
- 450 Class
  - Colt Nichols delivered his season-best Triple Crown Race result.

Ken Roczen (94) ran away with Race 1 to earn his second Triple Crown Race win of 2026 at the Indianapolis Supercross.

Ken Roczen (94) crossed the holeshot stripe in seventh place in Race 1 in Indy. Roczen had the pace to make passing lines work and quickly took over second place. On lap four, Roczen and his Suzuki RM-Z450 blitzed the rutted whoop section and took over the lead. Roczen put down an unmatched pace, posting the fastest lap time of the Race, and stretched his lead to over eight seconds before taking the win. In Race 2, a small mistake on the opening lap led to a dramatic collision with another rider that saw Roczen flipped backwards in mid-air. Roczen hit the ground but was quickly up and driving forward through the pack. Roczen reached a top-ten spot before the checkered flag came out. Roczen rounded the first turn of the final Race in sixth place and put in blistering laps to battle into fourth place by lap three. Two laps later another incredible run through the whoops earned Roczen third place, which he held until the finish. The (1-10-3) Race scores gave Roczen fifth place in the event’s overall standings.

“Indianapolis, man, you were gnarly again… It’s just the track, it breaks down so much, the Triple Crown here is really intense,” said Roczen. “We had such an amazing day. I felt pretty comfortable on my motorcycle all day. The first Race was really kind of like a dream ride again. I just felt connected, made some passes happen, and was able to take that one home. I really enjoyed that. You know, sometimes you need those rides. And then everything went south in the second Race; I made a massive mistake that was just unfortunate with bad timing. Right after the start I cross rutted and high sided off the tabletop, and [then] I couldn’t clear it. So [off] the next triple I basically dropped two and a half… As I was bouncing up, [another rider] was right behind me and just rode basically under my bike and put me in a backflip. He got scraped up pretty good and we [both] went down pretty hard. So, not the ideal situation; you definitely see everything kind of flushing down the drain. But once I checked that everything was good, I just went to work and, for the situation, I felt pretty fast and smooth out there …so we just did damage control. It was an opportunity missed. In the last Race, [it was] not the greatest start, and ended up bringing it home at third. So, my riding was really good, we’re definitely taking the positive of that. It’ll be nice going into an off weekend and then we’ll come back strong.”

Colt Nichols (45) delivered his season-best Triple Crown individual Race result inside Lucas Oil Stadium.

Colt Nichols (45) was pushed wide in the first turn of Race 1 and immediately went to work. Nichols reached a top-fifteen spot and held it for 12 laps until a crash on the final lap put him on ground. In Race 2, Nichols carded a better start and worked his way just shy of a top-ten position; in the process he posted the second-fasted time of the race through the first rhythm lane (Sector 3). Nichols unfortunately collided with other riders going into the first turn of Race 3. Nichols got going but was only able to complete two laps of the final Race.

“Indy Supercross is done and dusted and honestly it was a pretty horrible day for me,” stated Nichols. “I struggled from the jump today, and I don’t really know why. I wish I had a better explanation for all that was going on. Physically I felt okay, I was just struggling to kind of get a feel I need… and it showed. I was really slow in practice today and didn’t really have much of a flow. [Also], I was just on the ground a lot in the races. Starting terrible and crashing a lot: it was just a really, really rough day. So, [there’s] a lot of homework to do and a lot of stuff I need to figure out to be better. And the team is so awesome. We’ve been working really hard and everyone’s still got such a positive attitude. I feel like they’re riding or dying with me; I want to put up some better results for you guys: for the team, for the fans, everything. So, there’s a lot of work to do but we’ll be back for Birmingham.”

“With Ken Roczen, we had goods and bads,” said Dave Dye, Lead Engine Technician for the Twisted Tea/H.E.P. Motorsports/Suzuki presented by Progressive Insurance team. “It was a Triple Crown tonight, and we won the first Race, had some trouble in the second, then came back strong to finish third in the third Race for a fifth overall. It was great riding. Colt Nichols had a crazy day. We salvaged a 17th with him. We’re looking forward to a weekend off, and then it’s on to Birmingham.”

The team kicked off the 2026 Kickstart for a Cause effort, which is selling raffle tickets for a chance to win Ken Roczen’s Suzuki RM-Z450 race bike. Proceeds benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Participants are encouraged to visit the Twisted Tea/H.E.P. Motorsports/Suzuki presented by Progressive Insurance pits at upcoming Supercross rounds, or text “SUZUKI” to 99126.

The Supercross season takes one weekend off then resumes with Round 10 on March 21st at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama. The Suzuki riders and team members are eager to return to competition to deliver more top performances on their push for the championship.

For the latest team updates, news, and race insights, visit SuzukiCycles.com/Racing/Motocross or pipesmotorsportsgroup.com.

Richard Gadson Wins NHRA Gatornationals on His Birthday

Reigning Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Richard Gadson celebrated a milestone birthday in grand fashion by winning the opening round of the NHRA 75th Anniversary season on his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki Gen 3 Hayabusa at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway in Gainesville, FL, on Sunday.

Race Highlights:

Richard Gadson qualified second and earned his fifth career victory in the opening round of the 2026 NHRA season

Gaige Herrera qualified fourth and advanced to the second round of eliminations

After winning his first NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle championship in 2025, Richard Gadson opened his third campaign with the Vance & Hines team by qualifying second on Saturday with a 6.746-second/200.00 mph run.

With Sunday eliminations falling on his 40th birthday, Gadson was primed for a special day of racing. In round one, he defeated Geno Scali (6.836 seconds/198.44 mph) with a 6.769-second/200.83 mph run, then advanced past Chase Van Sant (6.808 seconds/198.82 mph) in round two with a 6.757-second/200.59 mph pass that carried him into the semi-finals.

Gadson received a welcome birthday gift in the third round after opponent Clayton Howey fouled on the starting line. Despite slowing to a 7.118-second/150.06 mph pass when his motorcycle drifted towards the centerline, what should have been an automatic win for Gadson briefly appeared to be in doubt when a timing pylon near the end of the track became dislodged.

However, TV replays showed the pylon was displaced by the high-speed slipstream from Gadson’s Hayabusa, not by contact, avoiding a disqualification and sending him to his tenth career final round appearance.

After two short late-afternoon rain delays, Gadson powered to a 6.753-second/200.05 mph run in the final round, making full use of his Suzuki Hayabusa’s superior performance and a reaction time advantage to overcome John Hall (6.799 seconds/198.38 mph) and claim a statement win in the opening salvo of his title defense.

With the victory, Gadson earned a special edition diamond-anniversary Wally trophy commissioned to celebrate the sanctioning body’s 75th anniversary season.

“It’s very sweet. One of the best days of my life. I pictured last year’s championship ending differently, and a lot of fans did too. It angered some people and they directed that anger towards me. Winning this weekend has some extra meaning behind it. It meant a lot to be able to make that statement today,” Gadson said, referring to the unusual ending of last year’s championship at the final race in Pomona, which was cancelled due to inclement weather, denying Gadson and teammate Gaige Herrera a chance to race head-to-head to settle the championship.

“I made a mistake in the semi-final, and it was almost party over. I thought the bike would come back to the right for me when it got out of the groove. I didn’t correct early enough, and I almost hit that cone. That would have been the end of it, so that’s a lesson learned. Even at this level, and having the No. 1 plate, I’m still learning,” Gadson said. “Some great advice I’ve been given is ‘Don’t race like you are the champion. Race the same way that got you the championship.’ My approach this season is to continue to ride aggressively, and my title defense starts now.”

Herrera defeated Marc Ingwersen (8.746 seconds/102.14 mph) in round one with a 6.755-second/201.46 mph run, his quickest pass of the weekend.

Searching for a fourth-straight win at the Gatornationals, Gaige Herrera, the 2023 and 2024 Pro Stock Motorcycle champion, opened the books on his fourth season with the Vance & Hines team by qualifying fourth with a 6.761-second/199.91 mph run.

In an exciting side-by-side drag race, Herrera narrowly lost in the second round to John Hall, posting a 6.758-second/200.65 mph run that came up just short of Hall’s 6.748-second/200.68 mph pass. With both riders putting up low single-digit reaction times, Hall’s margin of victory was just 0.012 second.

The early exit was a rare defeat for the three-time Gatornationals winner, who until that point had never lost a round of competition in Gainesville.

Last year, Herrera missed out on an opportunity to close the 21-point gap that separated him from Gadson heading into the finale in Pomona. After the anti-climactic end to the season, the two-time champion was hoping for a shot at redemption in Gainesville, a race he has dominated for the past three seasons.

“It felt nice to get back on the bike this weekend. I was hoping it would be me and Richard in the final because I feel like I need to redeem myself, but it didn’t work out that way,” Herrera said. “John pulled one out of the hat against me. But I’m glad Richard got the win and the cool new diamond Wally on this birthday.”

RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki crew chief Andrew Hines said the theme of the weekend was perseverance from the team and redemption for Gadson.

“The track was tough for these riders to navigate with the wind changing direction all weekend. It took every bit of effort from everyone on the team to make sure we came out of here with a new diamond Wally,” Hines said. “This win also really justifies Richard’s last season. I think it’s a big monkey off his back to be able come in here and qualify higher than Gaige, win this race, and prove that he has the No. 1 plate on his bike for a reason.”

“Everybody knows what it takes now to win a championship. It takes double-oh lights and cut-throat ETs to turn on win lights. Our guys always rise to the occasion. They ride above 100 percent of what their motorcycles are capable of, and that’s why we’re super happy to have them on our team and super excited for what’s going to happen in the 2026 season. It’s a breath of fresh air to start the season with this win and move on down the road to Charlotte.”

After the first of 14 rounds in the 2026 Pro Stock Motorcycle season, Gadson and Herrera sit first and seventh in the championship standings with 124 and 59 points, respectively.

The RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines team returns to action April 24-26 at the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway in Concord, NC.

Please visit suzukicycles.com/racing/drag-racing/revzilla-motul-vance-and-hines-suzuki for more updates and be sure to support our riders as they embark on this exciting journey.

Cole Davies Sweeps Triple Crown in Indy

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies showed exactly what he is capable of at Round 3 of the 250SX East Championship, delivering a dominant performance at the Indianapolis Supercross Triple Crown. The young New Zealander swept all three races to earn his first win of the season in convincing fashion at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Davies entered the 2026 season with high expectations following an impressive rookie campaign last year. Although the start of the season didn’t go entirely to plan — with a fifth and runner-up finish in the first two rounds — he achieved his goal in Indianapolis with a perfect score in challenging conditions.

Winning all three races in the Triple Crown is no easy feat, but Davies delivered a composed and calculated performance. He had good starts, set the fastest lap in all three races, and showed patience in battle.

“It took me a couple of rounds to get this done. I was too excited, too antsy, and it cost me. I’ve been so pissed off the last couple of weeks getting beaten, but we calmed it down tonight and let each race come to me. The bike was working incredible all night, especially in the whoops and rhythm sections where I made most of my passes. I hate getting beaten, and tonight we came out on top. Big thanks to the entire Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing Team for giving me the tools to sweep Indianapolis.”

His efforts were rewarded not only with the overall victory but also with the championship lead. The 250SX East title fight remains tight, with the top four riders separated by just two points. Davies now holds a one-point advantage heading into Birmingham, which will host the first East-West Showdown of the season.

Pierce Brown also showed strong speed from the start, earning his second-fastest qualifying result of the season. Unfortunately, the opening race proved challenging after a poor start and an early crash dropped him back to 22nd. Undeterred, the Utah rider charged through the field to finish 10th.

The evening turned around for the Utah rider, who got a much better start in the second moto and was in the mix up front before dropping back to fourth early. He kept putting in the laps and advanced to third at the halfway mark, where he would finish. In the final race, he got another start in the top five and maintained a solid pace to finish fourth, securing fifth overall and keeping himself firmly in the championship fight – third in the standings and two points from his teammate.

“Indy was a tough day,” Brown said. “I never could really get the ball rolling, and that didn’t make it easy. I made a mistake in the first main and fell. That one stung. The next two mains, I went 3-4. So yeah, it was a trying night, but we didn’t lose too many points. We’re still in it. Our focus is forward, and we’re just going to take this week to regroup and come out swinging in Birmingham.”

It was another tough round for Nate Thrasher, but the Tennessee rider once again showed speed and determination. He got a great start in the first moto and finished fifth, but unfortunately found himself 17th on the opening lap of the second race. Thrasher went to work and fought his way through the field to finish 11th. In the final race, he was 13th after the start and pushed forward to another 11th-place finish, securing a top-10 overall result.

“It was a tough day for me,” said Thrasher. “It’s frustrating putting in the work and not showing it on the track. I’ve been struggling with some shoulder issues, but I’m doing everything I can to push through. We’re going to keep working to get back to 100% and where I belong. A big thanks to the team.”

Caden Dudney once again showed strong speed early, qualifying sixth, but it was a learning experience for the rookie in his first Triple Crown. He struggled to find his comfort zone on the rutted track as conditions continued to deteriorate throughout the night. Dudney ultimately earned his best result in the final moto, getting his best start of the evening in sixth and finishing 12th. He ended the night 17th overall (20-19-12).

“I didn’t feel great all day,” said Dudney. “We didn’t have the best bike setup this weekend, but I have to go back and work on some stuff and be better for Birmingham.”

“We’re stoked to go 1-1-1 tonight with Cole,” said Wil Hahn, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing Yamaha’s 250 Team General Manager. “Pierce rebounded really well after the first main and remains in the title fight. Caden and Nate had some rough races, but we will be back stronger in Birmingham.”

Next weekend, the Monster Energy AMA Supercross series takes a weekend off. Racing resumes March 21 at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama, where the first East-West Showdown of the season will take place. The event will feature two Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing YZ250Fs carrying red plates, as points leaders Haiden Deegan and Cole Davies look to extend their championship leads.

Webb Secures Podium as Cooper Earns First Triple Crown Race Win

The fight for the Monster Energy AMA Supercross premier class crown resumed in Indianapolis last weekend with another hard-fought night of racing. Adding to the challenge was the Triple Crown format on a track well known for developing deep ruts as the races wore on. Despite those conditions, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing riders Cooper Webb and Justin Cooper delivered strong performances to finish third and fourth overall, respectively.

Both riders qualified well, with Webb fifth. He then got a strong start to the evening, quickly moving into the lead on the opening lap of Race 1. The North Carolina rider was passed on Lap 4 but held the runner-up position for most of the race. With Eli Tomac and Hunter Lawrence closing in during the final laps, a small mistake allowed both riders to slip by, leaving Webb fourth at the finish.

In Race 2, Webb didn’t get the start he was hoping for but quickly worked his way into the top five by Lap 2 and then to fourth by Lap 4. Late in the race, Hunter Lawrence tangled with a lapped rider, allowing Webb to move through to third. In the final race, another poor start had Webb back in seventh. He battled with his teammate and made the pass for fifth before the halfway mark, then advanced to fourth on the following lap. Webb attempted to close the gap to the leaders but lost too much time early in the race. In the end, it secured the final podium position, his fifth of the season.

“Indianapolis was a decent day,” said Webb. “Qualifying went well. I ended up fifth, and then was 4-3-4 across the board. So, I was consistent, but just off the top two guys tonight. I also got arm pump pretty bad in the first one, and went backwards. The second two, I actually rode much better; it was just my starts that kind of cost me. So just a little bummed. I felt like today I really needed to turn it around and get a win for the points, but it is what it is. We’re not going to give up. We’re going to keep fighting.”

Heading into the break, Webb sits third in the standings, trailing the leader by 25 points. Looking to bolster his title defense, the three-time 450SX Champion plans to get back to work and return stronger at the next round.

“This week we’re going to work on some whoops stuff, which will hopefully help bridge the gap, and maybe also some speed work that I think we need,” Webb said. “We’ll come back swinging in Birmingham.”

His teammate, Cooper, once again showed speed from the start, qualifying just shy of the top spot. He then got a great start to the first race, narrowly missing the holeshot before settling into third as Webb made his way through. The New Yorker continued to push, but ultimately didn’t have the pace to advance further and crossed the line fifth.

In the second race, he got another great start and quickly claimed the lead. Under pressure from Eli Tomac, he was passed on Lap 5, but Cooper stayed on the multi-time 450SX/MX champion. At the halfway mark, he made a decisive move to reclaim the lead and maintained a strong pace up front to secure his first race victory in the premier class.

“It was a really good day here in Indy,” said Cooper. “I felt really good as soon as I hit the track. I was really close to qualifying first, and we had some good races. The first one, I got fifth, and the second one, I got the win. We actually got out front right to begin with. Eli (Tomac) got around me, and I was able to pass him back, so that was a really cool way to win. So yeah, nothing but smiles after that one.”

Cooper entered the overall deciding race just one point off the lead. Unfortunately, he didn’t get the start he needed and was fifth early. After battling with his teammate, he dropped back to sixth on Lap 7 but responded with a pass on Jorge Prado the following lap. Cooper ultimately finished fifth, ending the night tied with Webb for the final podium spot, with the tiebreaker going to the rider with the better individual race result.

“We didn’t finish it off the way we wanted to,” Cooper said. “We were alright after the second one and got the short end of the stick, finishing fourth but tied for third. Overall, it was an awesome day. I got my first win, and nothing but positive vibes from that. It was nice to kind of show what we’ve been working on this off-season. It’s taken a while, but we’re finding our groove, getting out front more, and that’s helping a lot.”

“It was a good qualifying day for both guys,” said Rich Simmons, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s 450 Team Manager. “The first moto looked good off the start, and then both guys just kind of lost the pace early. It wasn’t the result we wanted in that first race, but it was a good rebound by both riders in the second one. Obviously, it was a great ride by Justin to get the win. They both put themselves in good positions for the final moto, but just didn’t get the start. The guys up front had a high pace, and by the time we got into third and fourth, they were too far gone. Overall, it was a good night, but we want to be on that top step.”

The Monster Energy AMA Supercross series takes a break next weekend before returning on March 21 for Round 10 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the Monster Energy SMX World Championship at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama.

Hunter Lawrence takes career-first 450SX Triple Crown overall win in Indianapolis

Following a challenging Daytona round that saw Hunter Lawrence and Jo Shimoda lose a bit of ground in their respective fights for the 450SX and 250SX East AMA Supercross Championships, both Honda HRC Progressive riders performed well under pressure at the exciting second Triple Crown event of the season, which eclipsed the midway point of the season in Indianapolis. Lawrence scored the second premier-class win of his career (his first overall victory with the unique three-race format), while Shimoda was second overall in his third race back from a neck injury. More importantly, each rider improved his chances at a title.

Lawrence was fourth out of turn 1 for the first 450SX race, and he dropped to sixth in the opening laps. Forced to push hard to come out on top of a tight battle with Jorge Prado, Eli Tomac and Justin Cooper, he crossed the finish line in second, positioning him well for the overall podium. The Australian was in third for the majority of the second race, before getting caught up with lappers and narrowly avoiding a crash with five laps to go. He managed to stay on his bike and only lost one position, to Cooper Webb, eventually finishing fourth. Lawrence put everything together in the third and final premier-class race, grabbing the holeshot and leading from start to finish aboard his CRF450RWE. His 2-4-1 finishes netted him his first 450SX Triple Crown win. Quad Lock Honda’s Joey Savatgy was in the fight for another great result before he crashed in the third race and left the track before the checkered flag came out. His teammates Shane McElrath and Christian Craig finished eighth and 10^th overall, respectively, while Savatgy was credited with ninth.

The three 250SX East races saw Jo Shimoda consistently get his CRF250RWE out of the gate in the top three, making him a Triple Crown overall podium contender. In race 1, he battled with Daxton Bennick and Seth Hammaker over second place until the late stages. At that point, Shimoda was closing in on the leading Cole Davies, but he ran out of time and ultimately finished second. The scenario repeated itself in the second race, as the Japanese racer found himself fighting for another second-place finish behind Davies. In the last 250SX race of the evening, the Honda HRC Progressive rider was stuck behind Devin Simonson for a few too many laps, causing him to lose touch with the leaders. Undeterred, Shimoda charged forward and climbed into second late in the race. He held the position until the final corner of the last lap, when he was narrowly passed and finished third—his consistent good starts and late-race pushes earning him second place overall. Also delivering consistent performances was Phoenix Racing Honda’s Cullin Park, who finished inside the top 10 in all three races, earning ninth overall.

NOTES

Honda HRC Progressive riders Hunter Lawrence and Jo Shimoda were featured in the media day interviews and riding sessions on Friday. Justin Brayton also did a lap on a CRF450RWE while chatting with fellow commentator Adam Cianciarulo, for a track preview that was broadcast during Saturday’s evening program.
Anderson, Indiana, dealership Tom Wood Honda enhanced the fan experience in Honda HRC Progressive’s pit area with an interactive pop-up activation, showcasing a CRF450R and featuring a special offer that included a free Honda jersey.
Lawrence and Shimoda engaged with fans throughout the weekend and participated in a fan autograph session.
Asked before the race for his thoughts on the Triple Crown format, Lawrence replied, “The smallest mistake can bring the night off the rails. Looking back at Houston, the one little mistake I made in the first race ultimately cost me the overall, so you have to be perfect. You’ve got to push just enough, but not too much.” Lawrence found the right balance on race day, earning his first premier-class Triple Crown overall win.
The event broadcast included a feature on Quad Lock Honda’s Joey Savatgy, who has been enjoying a career renaissance during his 13^th professional season.
The broadcast also included an interview with Addison Clouse, a female Red Rider from Indianapolis who is planning to participate in two of the six races in the WMX championship this year.
Shimoda placed third in 250SX combined qualifying, his best showing of the season. Phoenix Racing Honda riders Cullin Park, Gavin Towers and Evan Ferry qualified seventh, 10^th and 14^th, respectively. Storm Lake Honda riders Izaih Clark and Luke Neese were 15^th and 23^rd, respectively, Jeremy Hand (Valley Motorsports) qualified in 19^th, with Ryder Floyd (Ti Lube Honda) in 32^nd and John Short IV (Short Racing) in 33^rd. Neese went on to win the 250SX LCQ, securing a coveted spot in the Triple Crown program.
In 450SX combined qualifying, Lawrence also placed third. Quad Lock Honda riders Joey Savatgy, Shane McElrath and Christian Craig qualified in seventh, ninth and 11^th, respectively. Privateer Red Rider Zack Williams (McGinley Clinic) qualified 23^rd.
Shimoda made a point to thank HRC test rider Takeshi Katsuya for his contributions on the development of his CRF250RWE race bike: “Having ‘Taka’ on the team helps us a lot,” he said. “For me, with the language barrier, it’s easier to have someone that can understand me, and he’s a test rider too, so he can ride. It’s a big help for me.”
Lawrence’s success this weekend extended Honda’s Indianapolis Supercross premier-class win record to 13—five more than the closest manufacturer. Lawrence joins a list of venerable Red Riders to win in the city, including Jeff Stanton, Jeremy McGrath (four times), Ezra Lusk, Ricky Carmichael, Mike LaRocco, Ken Roczen (three times) and Jett Lawrence.
Hunter Lawrence’s win consolidated his points lead in the 450SX title chase, growing his advantage over Eli Tomac from one point to four. Shimoda is now tied for third in the 250SX East standings, but he actually reduced the gap to the leader, from five points to just two.
Honda HRC Progressive will enjoy its first off weekend of the season before heading to Birmingham, Alabama, for round 10 of AMA Supercross on March 21.

MONSTER ENERGY® PRO CIRCUIT KAWASAKI BATTLES TO 250SX PODIUM AT INDIANAPOLIS TRIPLE CROWN

Progressive Insurance® Returns as Title Sponsor of American Flat Track in Multi-Year Agreement

AMA Pro Racing is pleased to announce that Progressive Insurance will continue to serve as the title sponsor of American Flat Track in a new multi-year agreement, extending a relationship that has helped drive the series’ growth and national reach.

Progressive was first named Title Sponsor and Official Insurance of American Flat Track in 2020 and has expanded its support of the sport over the years through digital initiatives. Through the renewal, Progressive will continue as the official title sponsor across series branding, broadcast and streaming coverage, live event presentation, and official digital platforms.

“Progressive has been an outstanding sponsor for American Flat Track, and we’re proud to continue building on a relationship that has helped elevate the series in meaningful ways,” said Gene Crouch, CEO of AMA Pro Racing. “From event presentation and broadcast visibility to our digital platforms and fan engagement efforts, Progressive’s support has played an important role in our growth. Progressive brings an authentic connection to the AFT community, and we’re excited to continue working together to strengthen the sport and deliver even more for our fans, riders and stakeholders in the years ahead.”

Progressive, the country’s No. 1 motorcycle insurer, has been a trusted name for riders, with one in three motorcyclists choosing Progressive for their insurance needs. Founded in 1937, the company has grown into the second largest personal auto insurer in the United States while maintaining a long-standing connection to the riding community through specialized motorcycle coverage and support for motorsports. Progressive’s continued involvement reflects its understanding of the passion and commitment shared by riders and race fans, and its focus on helping motorcyclists protect what matters.

“At Progressive, we’ve seen first-hand the enthusiasm and dedication of the riders and racing community,” said Eric Doubler, Progressive Recreational Lines Business Leader. “As the country’s leading motorcycle insurer, we share that passion and are thrilled to deepen our relationship with American Flat Track. This sponsorship reflects our commitment to the sport and the broader motorcycle community.”

The announcement follows the 2026 season opening doubleheader at DAYTONA Flat Track. The season continues next week with the Yamaha Atlanta Short Track, the third round of the 2026 Progressive American Flat Track season.

Progressive American Flat Track is televised on FOX Sports and streams live on FloRacing. Visit, flosports.link/AFT2026 to watch every lap live.

For more information on Progressive American Flat Track, including the 2026 schedule, tickets and streaming options, visit AmericanFlatTrack.com.

R&G Returns As Official Protection Partner Of 2026 MotoAmerica Season

MotoAmerica, North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series, is proud to welcome back R&G as the official protection partner for 2026.

R&G, a leader in motorcycle crash protection, began as a precision engineering company in 1999 and has grown to offer a wide variety of accessories designed to protect the most vulnerable parts of a motorcycle in the event of a crash.

Renowned for its protective items such as frame sliders and engine covers, R&G’s product line also features a diverse range of performance accessories for modern sportbikes, including tail tidy kits, tank grips, swingarm spools, paddock stands, and more.

R&G protects the entire Rahal Ducati Moto team, including Kayla Yaakov.jpg

R&G protects the entire Rahal Ducati Moto team, including Kayla Yaakov, who competes in Supersport for Rahal Ducati Moto with Droplight. Yaakov and R&G recently made motorcycling history when she became the first woman to finish on the podium in the DAYTONA 200 on March 7, 2026. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

“It is great to have R&G return as an Official Partner,” said MotoAmerica Director of Sponsorship Lance Bryson. “Their dedication to our paddock is clear through their series-wide involvement, which is further strengthened by their support for various teams and riders in our series. They truly possess a genuine passion for road racing, and their products are trusted by the top pros in our paddock.”

Team Hammer

Superbike: Mission M4 ECSTAR Suzuki rider Richie Escalante and M4 ECSTAR Suzuki rider Brandon Paasch
Supersport: D3O M4 ECSTAR rider Tyler Scott
Twins Cup: M4 ECSTAR Suzuki riders Matthew Chapin and Bodie Paige

Rahal Ducati Moto

Superbike: Rahal Ducati with XPEL rider PJ Jacobsen
Supersport:
- Rahal Ducati Moto with Droplight rider Kayla Yaakov
- Rahal Ducati Moto with Roller Die + Forming rider Alessandro Di Mario
- Rahal Ducati Moto with Desnuda Organic Tequila rider Josh Herrin

“We are thrilled to be back as the Official Protection Partner of MotoAmerica for 2026,” said Simon Hughes, Managing Director of R&G. “The series continues to grow and last year’s incredible season finale was one for the history books. We cannot wait to see what unfolds this year.”

The company also continues as the sole protection supplier for the MotoAmerica Talent Cup and the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. program. Additionally, R&G supports Nolan Lamkin’s Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP in the Superbike Cup.

For more information and to view the full product range, visit rg-racing.com.

Additional menu

Herrin Wins DAYTONA 200 Pushing Record Winning Streak To Four-In-A-Row

Third Place – Kayla Yaakov

Second Place – Tyler Scott

First Place – Josh Herrin

Drane, Herfoss And Lewis Claim Daytona Victories On Day 2

Mission Super Hooligan National Championship – Saddlemen Race Development Harley-Davidson Team Sweeps The Podium At Daytona Internation Speedway

Mission King Of The Baggers – Herfoss Holds Off The Field For First Daytona Win

The following quote is from Mission King Of The Baggers Winner Troy Herfoss:

Hunter Lawrence Prevails with Indianapolis Triple Crown Victory to Extend Championship Lead Inside Lucas Oil Stadium

Hunter Lawrence – 1st Place – 450SMX Class

Eli Tomac – 2nd Place – 450SMX Class

Cooper Webb – 3rd Place – 450SMX Class

Cole Davies – 1st Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class

Jo Shimoda – 2nd Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class

Seth Hammaker – 3rd Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing and Korie Steede take Talladega GNCC victory

Consistent Triple Crown points for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing in Indianapolis

ELI TOMAC AND RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING FINISH P2 AT INDIANAPOLIS TRIPLE CROWN

PODIUM RESULT FOR FMF KTM FACTORY RACING’S BEN KELLEY AT TALLADEGA GNCC

D3O M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI’S TY SCOTT WINS POLE, FINISHES SECOND IN 2026 DAYTONA 200

SUZUKI’S KEN ROCZEN TAKES TOP FIVE AT INDY SUPERCROSS

Richard Gadson Wins NHRA Gatornationals on His Birthday

Cole Davies Sweeps Triple Crown in Indy

Webb Secures Podium as Cooper Earns First Triple Crown Race Win

Hunter Lawrence takes career-first 450SX Triple Crown overall win in Indianapolis

Progressive Insurance® Returns as Title Sponsor of American Flat Track in Multi-Year Agreement

R&G Returns As Official Protection Partner Of 2026 MotoAmerica Season

Team Hammer

Rahal Ducati Moto