This week in US Powersports racing.
Overall-Win Sweep for Honda HRC Progressive at Thunder Valley MX
Honda HRC Progressive continued its strong showing in the 2026 AMA Pro Motocross Championship this weekend at Thunder Valley, not only winning both 450 motos (as they have done at every round so far), but also taking the overall victory in the 250 class, with Jett Lawrence and Jo Shimoda doing the honors. Also notable was Hunter Lawrence’s podium overall result in the 450 class.
Jett delivered a flawless performance, nailing both holeshots and leading every lap in both motos aboard his CRF450RWE. Despite needing to manage the effects of his still-recovering ankle injury, the Australian once again showed remarkable composure and adaptability. Faced with pressure from multiple challengers—including Hunter—he consistently responded and controlled the races from the front. Jett is the only rider to have ever scored four consecutive premier-class overall wins at the Colorado venue, and he also took over the championship points lead.
Hunter continued his strong run of form, topping the combined qualifying times and getting two excellent starts, putting himself in contention for the lead early in both motos. He regularly applied pressure at the front and overcame falls in each race, notching 4-4 moto scores for third overall (Hunter crossed the moto 1 finish line in third but was docked a position for inadvertently cutting a corner).
In the 250 class, Shimoda broke through for his first overall victory of the season, with consistent 3-3 moto scores. Despite starting 13th in the opening moto and even suffering an early crash, Shimoda methodically worked his way forward, remaining composed and mounting a late-race charge to secure third place. The Japanese rider’s moto-2 start was a bit better (seventh), and he advanced into podium position around the midway mark. That was already enough to secure the overall victory, but Shimoda also overtook Ryder DiFrancesco near the end, further cementing the result.
Unfortunately, Chance Hymas entered the weekend feeling under the weather and was unable to repeat the past success he has enjoyed at Thunder Valley, going 20-13 for 11th overall. Nonetheless, Hymas battled throughout the day and earned valuable championship points. The focus now shifts to recovery and preparation for the upcoming rounds, as the team remains confident in his ability to compete near the front.
With overall victories in both classes, Honda HRC Progressive leaves Thunder Valley with positive momentum heading east to High Point Raceway in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania.
NOTES
- All four Honda HRC Progressive riders took part in Friday’s media activities, conducting interviews with the attending outlets. They also took part in two 15-minute practice sessions. As was the case at the previous round, temperatures were much warmer on media day than on race day.
- Peak Honda World—a Powerhouse dealer about 25 minutes south of the track—worked a popup display in the Honda HRC Progressive pits, showing a 2026 CRF450R and CRF250R (Honda also had a 2027 CRF450R on display). Dealership staff took the opportunity to engage with local fans and customers.
- Between the first and second qualifying sessions, Honda HRC Progressive organized an autograph signing for fans, with all four team riders taking part.
- Thunder Valley marked the second round of the WMX series, and Quad Lock Honda’s Charli Cannon finished second overall with 2-2 results. SLR Honda’s Mikayla Nielsen was also in action but experienced a technical issue in the first moto and ended the day ninth overall, with a 16-3 tally.
- The first 250 first moto and the second 450 moto were televised on NBC, in addition to streaming on Peacock along with the other motos.
- Hunter Lawrence topped 450 combined qualifying for the second time in three weeks, while Jett Lawrence was third. Quad Lock Honda rider Christian Craig qualified in 13th, while Short Racing’s John Short was 25th and SLR Honda’s Justin Rodbell was 28th. Hoag Racing’s Blake Hoag was 32nd, Limited Decal-backed Sage Powers was 33rd, GFR’s Dean Gall was 37th, JCR Honda’s Ryan Surratt was 39th, 110 Racing’s Brett Heidorn was 40th, Clinton Racing’s KC Clinton was 48th, Bloxom Racing’s Ashton Bloxom was 49th, Lasting Impressions’ Ronnie Orres was 52nd, Sun Powersports’ Raice Hernandez was 53rd, Feine Tune Racing’s Gavin Tilford was 57th and Storm Lake Honda’s Deegan Hepp was 61st. Gall finished second in the 450 last-chance qualifier, slotting him into the motos.
- Honda HRC Progressive riders Chance Hymas and Jo Shimoda had respectable showings in 250 combined qualifying, placing seventh and ninth, respectively. Phoenix Racing Honda’s Gavin Towers was 32nd, three spots ahead of teammate Aden Keefer. MPS Enterprise-backed Ty Freehill was 52nd, Sun Powersports’ John Douglas was 55th and McGinley Clinic’s Kyle Czworkowski was 58th.
- Jett posted the fastest lap times in both 450 motos. Hunter was third on the lap-time sheets in the second moto.
- This weekend takes Honda’s premier-class overall-win streak at Thunder Valley to six in a row, with Ken Roczen victorious in 2021 and ’22, and Jett Lawrence winning the last four times (Roczen also won on a Honda in 2019). This also extends Honda’s 450 overall-win record at the track to eight (three more than the next-closest manufacturer), with Ivan Tedesco having won in 2009.
- Meanwhile, Honda now has seven 250 overall wins at Thunder Valley, with Shimoda joining past winning Red Riders including Justin Barcia, Eli Tomac, Jeremy Martin, Jett Lawrence and Hunter Lawrence.
- Thunder Valley marked the 30th AMA Pro Motocross premier-class event Jett has competed in. He has taken the overall wins at all but four of those, for an incredible 86.7% winning percentage (a record). Twenty of those 26 wins were two-moto sweeps.
- Shimoda’s Thunder Valley 250-class overall win was the seventh of his career.
- The last time Honda HRC Progressive posted a two-class overall-win streak was just four rounds ago, when the same two riders accomplished the feat at last year’s Unadilla event.
- With this win, Jett takes the premier-class points lead from Hunter, who is now eight points behind his brother. In the 250 ranks, Shimoda vaults to third place, just six points out of the lead.
- Honda HRC Progressive now heads to Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania, for the High Point round this Saturday, when Jett will carry the red plate on his CRF450RWE. The event will also mark the third round of the WMX Championship, where new SLR Honda rider Mayla Herrick will make her WMX debut and Storm Lake Honda’s Kyleigh Stallings will make her season debut. Charli Cannon and Mikayla Nielsen will be back in action as well.
Jett Lawrence
“I’m super pumped with that red plate; it’s obviously good to have, even if it doesn’t mean anything at this point, really—it’s more important if you have it in the last round. They added mulch to the track, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing; it’s adding it too close to the race that’s not ideal. If they would’ve added it months prior, where the mulch could work into the soil and mix together, then I think it would hold moisture better. My first few laps, I had both wheels sliding because of the mulch and the water on top of it. In that first moto, I didn’t have the flow of the track at all, and because I was so disjointed and didn’t have much of a fire, I almost got more tired in the first moto than I did in the second one—we were just in defense mode in the first one. To be fair, my ankle felt really good this weekend. I still can’t ride normal, but I just have a little bit less pain. It was still pretty stiff to move side to side, but this week we had a lot more range of motion.”
Hunter Lawrence
“It was kind of a crappy day in the office. I just kind of struggled a little bit with connectivity—feeling what traction I had with the front and the rear—so I hit the ground way too many times today. I feel like my riding and my pacing speed were good enough to win. The starts were good, even though they weren’t holeshots, which I think is a huge difference, especially when battling Jett. I was trying to take different lines to pass Jett, and on this track, you pretty much took the same line from the first corner all the way to the end of the motos. Anytime you tried to take a different line, you just lost time, and that’s exactly how Haiden [Deegan] ended up getting me in that first moto; I was just trying a different line to go around Jett, I lost time and he was on the inside. For the penalty, I’ve never intentionally gone off the track or tried to run over markers, so kind of a bummer. I got 4-4 today when it was really 3-4, but my crashes were the main problem.”
Jo Shimoda
“Winning normally comes from getting starts and just running away in the first few laps. My first-lap position in the first moto wasn’t bad; I just crashed right before the small double and then fell back to 15th or whatever and had to come back, but it was a good day overall. I think one of my strong points is keeping my pace up till the end, and kind of making some moves when everybody else drops. Compared to the first two rounds, my pace and riding were better today. We made some suspension changes, and we found some things where I could push through to another level. Overall, I think my riding was a lot better today, so I was able to come back through and win.”
Chance Hymas
“Round 3 at Thunder Valley wasn’t the greatest for me. I came in under the weather, and it was just more about starts on the weekend, which wasn’t ideal. We’re just doing our best to be better each weekend and get back to where I need to be.”
Lars Lindstrom – Team Manager
“It’s really tough to get an advantage over the competition in the 250 class. We need to get our starts better, and we’re getting there. We know that this class is so inconsistent, so we try to be there every weekend; that’s kind of what Jo gave us today. He came from way back in the first moto to get third place. In the second moto, he had a decent start and was able to make his way up and get enough points to win the overall. Chance came into this weekend under the weather, and it was going to be a struggle no matter what. It’s unfortunate because this has been his strongest race. In the first moto, he had a bad start and couldn’t really work his way up. In the second moto, he really gritted it out and was able to get 13th. I think we still have lots to improve on, and we’re going to keep doing our thing on the bike.
“On media day, Jett was trying to save his ankle, so he just focused on getting the starts down. They’re different here in first gear, but I think our 450 is suited really well. I actually thought Jett’s first moto wasn’t the best—he didn’t ride as well as he typically does, but he’s really good at managing. The second moto was a different story, and he was able to pick great lines. As for Hunter, his result doesn’t represent how well he was riding today. He was fastest qualifier, and he was ripping that first moto especially—all over Jett, and I thought it was his day. We’ll see next week; I’m anticipating more battles at High Point!”
MONSTER ENERGY® KAWASAKI STACKS CAREER-BEST RESULTS AT THUNDER VALLEY
| Monster Energy® Pro Circuit Kawasaki delivered a standout performance at Round 3 of the Pro Motocross Championship in Lakewood, Colorado, proving the team is a force to be reckoned with this season. Levi Kitchen made a late-race pass in Moto 1 to capture the victory and ultimately secured second overall (1-8), moving into a tie for the championship points lead. Nick Romano put together a consistent day with 4-5 moto finishes to earn third overall, marking both his first career overall podium and career-best overall finish. Seth Hammaker showed front-running speed throughout the day, but was forced to charge through the field in Moto 2 after an early-race incident. The No. 10 Kawasaki salvaged seventh overall and continues to hold the red plate, tied atop the championship standings with teammate Kitchen. Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green™ rider Enzo Temmerman made the step up to compete with Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki at Thunder Valley, delivering a solid performance to finish 16th overall (10-21) in his debut with the team. Drew Adams made his return to racing this weekend and gained valuable seat time as he worked back into race pace, ultimately finishing 24th overall (26-23). Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Garrett Marchbanks recorded a career-best fourth overall with impressive 3-6 moto scores, while teammate Chase Sexton missed Round 3 due to injuries sustained in a crash during the Friday riding session ahead of race day. Prior to race day, riders were given two 15-minute practice sessions on Friday, allowing teams to fine-tune their setups and adapt to the unique challenges presented by both the track and elevation. At 6,100 feet above sea level, the elevation of Thunder Valley added another layer of difficulty to an already demanding race day. The dry track conditions led to deep ruts that developed throughout the day, along with slick and loose conditions due to freshly added mulch to the dirt. ![]() In 250 Qualifying, teammates Hammaker and Kitchen laid down fast laps on the technical track to take fourth and fifth overall, respectively. Romano followed in 12th, with Temmerman and Adams qualifying 19th and 21st overall, respectively, as Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki navigated the challenging conditions. ![]() In 250 Moto 1, Hammaker grabbed an incredible holeshot on his KX™250 up the treacherous uphill start. Teammates Romano, Kitchen, and Adams emerged from the first turn around the Top 10, while Temmerman had a less-than-ideal start in 28th. On the opening lap, Romano quickly moved into fourth, with Kitchen close behind in fifth. The teammates worked their way through the field together, steadily picking off riders and closing in on the leaders. Romano made an assertive move into second, and Kitchen quickly followed into third, giving Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki an impressive 1-2-3 running order. As the moto continued, Kitchen set his sights on the lead. He first moved past Romano before making the decisive pass on Hammaker with just two laps remaining to secure the moto win. Hammaker maintained a strong pace to finish in second, while Romano held on for an impressive fourth-place result. Temmerman delivered a standout ride, charging from 28th to 10th after passing 18 riders. Adams, meanwhile, battled arm pump after his strong start and ultimately crossed the line 26th. ![]() In 250 Moto 2, Romano rocketed out of the gate, placing himself third through the first turn, with Adams close behind in eighth, while Kitchen and Hammaker got tangled together, resulting in both riders going down in the first turn. Temmerman, while trying to avoid the first-turn pileup, emerged at the back of the pack. The two Kawasaki riders remounted and immediately went to work on moving through the field. Kitchen launched an early charge, passing 17 riders in the first six minutes as he surged back into contention, while Hammaker steadily worked his way through the field. Up front, Romano held strong, moving up to second for the beginning of the moto, before ultimately slipping back to fifth at the checkered flag for third overall. Kitchen completed his impressive charge to finish eighth, securing second overall on the day, while Hammaker recovered to 12th after his early fall for seventh overall. After avoiding the downed riders through the first turn, Temmerman fought his way from 33rd to 21st in a determined ride through the pack for 16th overall for his first ride with the team, and will aim to carry this momentum into High Point. After running inside the Top 10 early, Adams slipped back to 23rd as he continued to regain his rhythm back at the races. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() In 450 Qualifying, Marchbanks put in two consistent sessions to qualify ninth overall and set himself up with a strong gate pick going into Moto 1. In 450 Moto 1, Marchbanks got off to a strong start, railing the outside line to position himself inside the Top 10. After a few laps, the No. 36 Kawasaki settled into a rhythm, finding his lines and beginning his charge forward. He made back-to-back passes while setting his fastest lap of the race on Lap 5, advancing to sixth place. Marchbanks maintained a strong pace for the remainder of the moto and crossed the line sixth. Following post-race penalties issued to several riders for cutting the course, Marchbanks was credited with third position in the final Moto 1 results, earning his first moto podium finish of the season. ![]() In 450 Moto 2, Marchbanks got off to another solid start just outside the Top 10 and quickly began working his way forward. The No. 36 steadily picked off riders throughout the moto, eventually moving into sixth place. Marchbanks continued to push to the finish, spending several laps pressuring the rider in fifth before crossing the line sixth to secure a career-best fourth overall finish. Although he finished the day tied in points with the third-place rider, the overall tiebreaker placed Marchbanks fourth overall. ![]() ![]() ![]() |
| “I was a bit disappointed with the day, but I did what I could and put trust in my fitness to salvage as many points and positions as possible. If I want to be in it for the title, those are the kinds of rides I need to keep putting in, where I keep fighting until the end. My eyes were set to leave here with the red plate; that was the goal, and I now have it shared with my teammate. Glad we’re both alright after going down, glad I can keep fighting and chipping away at the championship.” – Levi Kitchen |
| “Getting my first career podium today feels unreal. It has been a work in progress and a lot of trial and error to get to this moment. There were a lot of unknowns a year ago; at one point I told myself and my family that I was quitting, and it was a bit of a dark road for a couple of years while I was injured. I told myself about 6-8 months ago that if I can get back on a factory bike, then I know I can do it. I am so thankful for Mitch [Payton], who gave me this opportunity, and everyone on the team that has helped and supported me. On paper I am the fill-in guy, but I’m trying to establish myself to be a full-time guy on the team. I look forward to keep putting up results like this, and hopefully we can do it again next weekend.” – Nick Romano |
| “Today here at Thunder Valley was pretty good. I finished out qualifying in fourth overall. I felt okay, just didn’t gel well with the track early on. In the first moto, I ripped an amazing start and pulled the holeshot. I led all the way up until about a lap and a half to go, and Levi [Kitchen] was charging really hard. He was riding really well and ended up getting around me. I was feeling good heading into Moto 2, then got into another first-turn pile-up. I just picked my bike up and had to dig for another long moto. I got back up to 12th, so 2-12 for seventh overall, and I’m tied for the point lead now with Levi. I at least still have the red plate heading into High Point. I’m looking forward to doing one more race before the weekend off, and just continuing to work on myself every weekend and try and be more consistent than I have been the past two weeks.” – Seth Hammaker |
| “Fourth overall today, I’m feeling really good about it. It’s a career-best finish for me. I didn’t know I was battling for fourth or third the whole moto until two laps to go, so I really wish I got third, but for how stacked the class is and how the day was going, I’m super pumped on my result here. I’m really happy with the consistency on my starts so far, that was a career-best today as well. I’m really happy with the team and everyone, and happy with my personal best.” – Garrett Marchbanks |
| “Today was really good. It was my first race with the Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki team, so that was a sick experience. Qualifying was okay. I qualified 19th. In Moto 1, I had a really good charge, came from outside the Top 20 all the way to 10th, and had some really good lap times, so that was a plus. Moto 2 was a little rough for me, but overall it was still a good day, and Mitch said I’m in for next weekend, so I’m stoked to be back next week.” – Enzo Temmerman |
| “I didn’t have a great day today. It was a pretty rough go for my first race back. My starts were good, but I struggled with arm pump for both motos the whole time. I’m glad to be back at the races though, and we’ll look to come back stronger next week.” – Drew Adams |

Ryder DiFrancesco races to a solid fifth overall in 250MX at Thunder Valley
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing teammate RJ Hampshire P8 in 450MX
After starting outside the top-10 in Moto 1, Ryder D faced a significant challenge in the ultra-competitive 250MX field, charging through the pack to earn ninth place by the checkered flag.
Up front from the outset in Moto 2, DiFrancesco and his Husqvarna FC 250 Factory Edition spent much of the race running inside the top-three, posting an encouraging third-place result in the end. His 9-3 scorecard was enough to claim fifth overall for the weekend.
Following three rounds of competition, DiFrancesco sits seventh in the 250MX standings, with the High Point National scheduled next on June 20. “[Moto 2] was a big confidence booster,”said DiFrancesco.“This whole class right now is just about getting off the gate, and in the first motos, I have been eating a lot of roost. It was good to get a start and run up there in Moto 2 – my eyes were on Sacha [Coenen], and it was actually really cool to mark a guy on the track. If I can get two good starts, we’ll be up there [on the podium], no problem.”
250MX teammate Casey Cochran finished 11th in Moto 1 aboard his Husqvarna FC 250 Factory Edition, while 20th in Moto 2 classified him 15th overall for the round.
“Thunder Valley wasn’t the best day for me,” reflected Cochran. “I struggled mostly all day with comfort and confidence, but I had a better first moto than the second. We’ll head east now and keep the head held high – and get ready to run back up front.”
Equipped with the Husqvarna FC 450 Factory Edition, RJ Hampshire posted the sixth-fastest qualifying time at Thunder Valley before racing to a strong fifth-place finish in Moto 1 amid the circuit’s technical and deeply-rutted conditions.
Faced with a rough and demanding track in Moto 2, Hampshire remained in the fight throughout the race and secured eighth position, with his 5-8 results earning him eighth overall for the round. He also retained fourth in the 450MX standings after three rounds.
“I struggled with my flow today,” commented Hampshire. “I didn’t have a great start in Moto 1 and ended up going down, then I made a charge back. Second moto, I had a better start and just got shuffled back a little bit. My mid-stages of the race weren’t great, then I tried to make a push at the end. But overall, it’s good to get through these first three, and we’ll now try to find a little more speed for High Point next weekend.”
Next Race: June 20 – High Point, Pennsylvania
Results 450MX Class – Thunder Valley National1. Jett Lawrence (Honda)2. Lucas Coenen (KTM)3. Hunter Lawrence (Honda)5. Jorge Prado (KTM)7. Aaron Plessinger (KTM)8. RJ Hampshire (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing)19. Dante Oliveira (KTM)
Standings 450MX Class 2026 after 3 of 11 rounds1. Jett Lawrence, 138 points2. Hunter Lawrence, 1303. Haiden Deegan, 1064. RJ Hampshire, 946. Jorge Prado, 858. Aaron Plessinger, 6814. Lucas Coenen, 4420. Dante Oliveira, 2526. Malcolm Stewart, 10
Results 250MX Class – Thunder Valley National1. Jo Shimoda (Honda)2. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki)3. Nick Romano (Kawasaki)4. Sacha Coenen (KTM)5. Ryder DiFrancesco (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing)6. Julien Beaumer (KTM)15. Casey Cochran (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing)
Standings 250MX Class 2026 after 3 of 11 rounds1. Levi Kitchen, 117 points2. Seth Hammaker, 1173. Jo Shimoda, 1114. Julien Beaumer, 1047. Ryder DiFrancesco, 8017. Sacha Coenen, 3321. Casey Cochran, 2522. Daxton Bennick, 24

LUCAS COENEN EARNS SECOND OVERALL IN THUNDER VALLEY PRO MOTOCROSS DEBUT
Round 3 – AMA Pro Motocross Championship
Current MXGP points-leader Coenen qualified second onboard his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION with a 2:02.201 lap-time, making an immediate impression in his first outing at the fast-paced, technical Colorado circuit.
The 19-year-old Belgian translated that speed into a hard-fought second-place finish in 450MX Moto 1, charging through the field and closing to within 1.4 seconds of the victory by the checkered flag.
Another convincing P2 score in Moto 2 saw Coenen secure an impressive runner-up result overall, completing what was a successful first Pro Motocross appearance for the talented teenager.
Lucas Coenen:This was amazing! My start wasn’t that good, but I managed to go quick in the first corner and then just enjoy [myself] out there. I can’t thank the team enough for making this happen, and with the Roger De Coster kit, it’s amazing – I loved every lap out there. The second moto was hectic with lapped riders, but you know, I am racing the best riders in the world and it’s a lot of fun. Now, I will go back racing our series in MXGP and we’ll see when we can come back again in the future.”
Also equipped with the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, Jorge Prado qualified fourth fastest with a 2:04.286 lap-time as he and the team looked to rebound from a difficult Hangtown weekend.
The four-time world champion started inside the top-10 in Moto 1 and charged forward to fifth place by race’s end, before a post-race penalty dropped him two positions in the final classification. Fifth in Moto 2 saw the Spaniard claim fifth overall, and he climbed to sixth in the 450MX standings.
Jorge Prado: “Not the best weekend for me at Thunder Valley – I struggled with starts and then also just finding a flow all day. When you don’t start up front, it’s hard to make up time on the leaders, especially when there are many lapped riders. So not my best performance, but we will regroup and bounce back at High Point.”
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450MX teammate Aaron Plessinger was the 11th-fastest 450MX qualifier this morning, and he raced to a sixth-place finish in Moto 1. ‘The Cowboy’ featured inside the top-three in Moto 2, before ultimately scoring P7 in the race and seventh overall. As a result, he’s positioned eighth in the championship following the opening three rounds.
Aaron Plessinger:”Thunder Valley was a much better day for me. I got a pretty good start in Moto 1 and then fell back on the opening laps, but I smoothed it out a little and found a flow from there. A couple of people got penalized in race one, which elevated me up the order to sixth, and then in Moto 2, I got a pretty solid start! I ran third for a while, then drifted back to seventh. Overall, it was a much better day today, the bike is feeling a lot better for me, the body is as well, and now we move on to High Point.”
Current MX2 World Championship leader Sacha Coenen also made his Pro Motocross debut in Colorado, qualifying second aboard the KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, and then recovering to 14th position in Moto 1 after an early-race fall.
A holeshot in Moto 2 saw Coenen settle into a fast and consistent rhythm out front, charging to an outstanding race victory. His 14-1 scorecard saw him salvage fourth overall for the weekend, also marking an encouraging first appearance in U.S. competition.
Sacha Coenen:”I’m really happy to come over [to America] – this was our dream! We made it happen and the second moto was really good. I had a good start and the riding was just perfect. I’m just bummed about the first moto, but we need to accept it, and I am just really happy with the second moto. Thanks to everyone, it’s good confidence to take knowing that I can win a moto, so I am feeling very confident.”
Following his first-career Pro Motocross podium at Hangtown, Julien Beaumer continued his strong form at Round 3 in Lakewood, qualifying third on his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION and racing to seventh in Moto 1.
The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider improved to fourth in Moto 2, with his consistent 7-4 scorecard earning sixth overall for the round. As a result, ‘Juju’ holds fourth position in the 250MX standings after three rounds.
Julien Beaumer:”I had a good qualifying at Thunder Valley, then struggled in Moto 1 after a couple of tip-overs, but my overall riding was where it needed to be. And then Moto 2, I didn’t get a great start – I had to fight from around 15th – and fought back to fourth. That shows that my riding and fitness are good, so I am happy with where we are right now. We’ll keep building week by week and get further toward the front!”
Next Race: June 20 – High Point, Pennsylvania
Results 450MX Class – Thunder Valley National
- Jett Lawrence (Honda)
- Lucas Coenen (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
- Hunter Lawrence (Honda)
- Jorge Prado (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
- Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
- RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna)
- Dante Oliveira (KTM)
Standings 450MX Class 2026 after 3 of 11 rounds
- Jett Lawrence, 138 points
- Hunter Lawrence, 130
- Haiden Deegan, 106
- RJ Hampshire, 94
- Jorge Prado, 85
- Aaron Plessinger, 68
- Lucas Coenen, 44
- Dante Oliveira, 25
- Malcolm Stewart, 10
Results 250MX Class – Thunder Valley National
- Jo Shimoda (Honda)
- Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki)
- Nick Romano (Kawasaki)
- Sacha Coenen (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
- Ryder DiFrancesco (Husqvarna)
- Julien Beaumer (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
- Casey Cochran (Husqvarna)
Standings 250MX Class 2026 after 3 of 11 rounds
- Levi Kitchen, 117 points
- Seth Hammaker, 117
- Jo Shimoda, 111
- Julien Beaumer, 104
- Ryder DiFrancesco, 80
- Sacha Coenen, 33
- Casey Cochran, 25
- Daxton Bennick, 24

GRANT DAVIS AND BRANDY RICHARDS CROWNED U.S. SPRINT ENDURO CHAMPIONS
KTM Offroad Update
U.S. SPRINT ENDURO SERIES – ROUND 7
Davis’ convincing run of form continued at the seventh and final round, claiming 11 of the event’s 12 test wins before topping the overall standings with a total time of 1:15:58.037 onboard his KTM 450 XC-F.
Last year’s Pro 2 Class Champion showed both pace and consistency across the 2026 series, finishing on the top step three times from seven rounds, while adding podium results in each of the remaining events to clinch with a day to spare.
Grant Davis:What a weekend and what a season! I got the win on Saturday and managed to lock the Pro 1 Class title up – it’s been a super-fun year. It sucks a bit with Johnny [Girroir] and Cody [Barnes] out, I wish that was different after our battles this year, but hey, I’m so stoked with this championship, and looking forward to more battles next year and trying to defend this thing!”
Also crowned a champion on the weekend in the Pro Women’s division was Richards, who swept both days of competition at the season finale, where double points were on offer.
Richards – equipped with the KTM 350 XC-F FACTORY EDITION – was able to rise to the occasion in Tennessee, winning 10 of the event’s 12 tests and securing the overall win with a combined time of 1:35:14.683.
A season-long title fight saw Richards claim five of the seven overall victories contested in the Pro Women’s category, after opening the year with runner-up finishes at both the Southland Sprint and Mac Daddy’s XC Paradise rounds.
Brandy Richards:“The last round of the U.S. Sprint Enduro went really well, where we had a good mixture of tests. The Cross Test was a fast grass track, and the Enduro was slower and technical with some rocky sections. I had fun all weekend, keeping my times consistent. Happy to get another win and secure the championship!”
Pro 1 Class Results
- Grant Davis, FMF KTM Factory Racing Team
- Gavin Simon, Husqvarna
- Ryan Amancio, KTM
Pro Women Results
- Brandy Richards, FMF KTM Factory Racing
- Danielle McDonald, Yamaha

Lachlan Turner Goes Back-to-Back to Begin Defense of Women’s Motocross Championship with Thunder Valley Victory
| The mile-high altitude of scenic Thunder Valley Motocross Park provided the setting for the second round of the 2026 Women’s Motocross Championship Powered by Synchrony (WMX), where athletes were put to the test with the dramatic elevation and a demanding racetrack at the Toyota Thunder Valley National Presented by American Petroleum Institute. For Altus Motorsports bLU cRU Yamaha’s Lachlan “Lala” Turner [#1] it was business as usual, as the reigning back-to-back champion continued her successful start in pursuit of the three-peat with a second straight 1-1 performance to open the season. |
| Timed QualifyingThe weekend started with an impressive initial statement from Quad Lock Honda’s Charli Cannon [#7], who set the pace in qualifying. The Australian laid down a blistering lap of 2:18.568, which placed her seven tenths clear of Turner (2:19.269) and set the tone for another potential showdown in the motos. Moto 1 [12 Minutes + 1 Lap]Friday’s opening moto began with the Australian duo of Partzilla Blaster Power PRMX Kawasaki’s Taylah McCutcheon [#10] and Cannon side-by-side exiting the first turn, with the holeshot edge going to McCutcheon. Behind them SLR Honda’s Mikayla Nielsen [#51] and Turner slotted into third and fourth, respectively.Cannon took advantage of the opportunity to put some traffic between her and Turner, as the Honda rider charged into the lead early. Not long after, both Nielsen and Turner were also able to make their way around McCutcheon. Turner then went on the attack and was able to work her way around Nielsen for second before getting alongside Cannon as the pair launched off the finish line jump to begin the second lap. Turner took advantage of the momentum of an outside line to seize control of the moto.Despite losing the lead, Cannon didn’t relent and made a counterattack to try and regain the position. She was able to get alongside Turner but ceded the position.A couple laps later Cannon’s pursuit of the lead ended with a crash on the track’s uphill roller section. While she was able to remount quickly, losing just a single position to Nielsen, it allowed Turner to build an insurmountable advantage.The lead trio appeared to be in line for another 1-2-3 finish from the top three riders in the championship, but Nielsen’s bike lost power as she took the white flag and would result in a DNF. That allowed Cannon to reclaim second, while McCutcheon moved up to third.Out front, Turner cruised to a dominant moto win by a margin 27.8 seconds over Cannon. McCutcheon grabbed her first moto podium result in third, while reigning back-to-back FIM World Champion Lotte van Drunen [#401] finished fourth in her very first WMX moto aboard a stock Yamaha for HGS Slade Racing. Jordan Jarvis Racing Yamaha’s Jordan Jarvis [#301] rounded out the top five.Following the moto, race officials reviewed a red cross flag infraction by Turner, which resulted in a 10-point penalty in the season standings but did not change the results of the moto. Moto 2 [12 Minutes + 1 Lap]Saturday’s second and deciding moto took place as the final race of the day for the Thunder Valley National, following a pair of motos for both the 450SMX and 250SMX classes. As a result, the WMX field was faced with a dramatically different racetrack than the first moto.The moto began with a massive launch out the gate for Turner, who easily secured the holeshot and the early lead. Cannon followed closely in second, while McCutcheon started third.The clear track allowed Turner to establish a considerable advantage early on, but that was erased when she lost traction with the rear tire and went down. She was able to remount quickly, but Cannon slipped by to take the lead just as Turner resumed aboard her Yamaha.It didn’t take long for Turner to make up for her miscue as she tracked down Cannon on the same lap and went on to mirror her pass for the lead from Friday, this time positioning herself on the inside of the finish line jump to reclaim the top spot. Cannon fought back and kept Turner within striking distance, ready to take advantage of any opportunity that presented itself.As the leaders sprinted away from the field, the battle for third heated up between McCutcheon and Nielsen, who fought her way forward from a seventh-place start. The Honda rider was patient and made the pass stick on the final lap.Back up front, Turner inched away from Cannon on the final lap to complete the sweep of the motos by a margin of 2.7 seconds, with Nielsen able to rebound from her Friday heartbreak in a distant third.OverallFor the second week in-a-row Turner completed a 1-1 effort, overcoming adversity along the way. It signified her seventh straight win dating back to last season.Cannon, who suffered a shoulder injury in the crash on Friday, fought through discomfort to secure a sixth consecutive runner-up finish following a 2-2 effort.In just her second WMX start, McCutcheon captured her first overall podium finish with 3-4 finishes, doing so while battling through tonsillitis.van Drunen’s anticipated debut in the U.S. resulted in a fifth-place finish (4-6).Turner and Cannon are separated by just four points in the championship standings, while McCutcheon has moved into third, 17 points out of the lead. |
![]() Lala Turner [#1] has gone back-to-back to open the 2026 WMX season, prevailing at Thunder Valley for her seventh win in-a-row. MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc. |
![]() Turner holds a four-point lead in the WMX standings after two rounds. MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc. |

AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Announces Class of 2026
The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame announced the six distinguished motorcyclists that will be inducted into its hallowed halls during the 2026 AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Sept. 10 in Pickerington, Ohio.
The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2026 includes Russell Bobbitt, Damon Bradshaw, Eraldo Ferracci, Jake Johnson, Gary Sellers and Dale Walker.
“Induction into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame is among the highest honors our sport can bestow — a recognition reserved for those who have truly shaped the course of motorcycling,” AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman said. “Russell, Damon, Eraldo, Jake, Gary, and Dale have each done exactly that. Through their achievements, their passion and their lasting contributions to our community, they have moved motorcycling forward for every rider who follows. We look forward to welcoming them into the Hall of Fame and celebrating their legacies at the Induction Ceremony this September.”
The AMA Hall of Fame Class of 2026 was decided by a weekslong voting process, in which thousands of ballots were submitted. The inductees were selected from nine areas of influence within the motorcycle industry: Ambassadors, Industry, Design & Engineering, Dirt Track, Leadership & Motorcycle Rights, Motocross & Supercross, Off-Road, Road Racing and Specialty Competition.
The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will be honored at the AMA Induction Ceremony on Sept. 10 at The Event Center at Violet Woods in Pickerington, Ohio, followed by a cocktail ceremony at the AMA Hall of Fame Museum. Tickets for the Induction Ceremony are available for purchase at MotorcycleMuseum.org/events-experiences/induction-ceremony/ .
For sponsorship opportunities, contact AMA Business Development Manager Michael Kula at (949) 466-7833 or mkula@ama-cycle.org.
RUSSELL BOBBITT — OFF-ROAD
Georgia native Russell Bobbitt is an icon of modern AMA off-road racing, renowned for his technical precision in the woods. Representing the factory KTM team, Bobbitt became a dominant force in the AMA National Enduro Series, securing five championships (2006, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2016). His 2016 title was particularly impressive, marking a triumphant comeback following significant injuries.
A master of the traditional enduro timekeeping format, Bobbitt was named AMA Athlete of the Year in 2011 and represented the U.S. with distinction at the International Six Days Enduro. Even after retiring from full-time racing, he proved his enduring talent by winning the 2019 National Enduro season opener. Today, he shares his passion through Gnarly Routes, leading adventure tours across the American West.
DAMON BRADSHAW — MOTOCROSS & SUPERCROSS
Few riders left a mark on American motocross like Damon Bradshaw. Known for his aggressive style and raw speed, the Mooresville, N.C., native — dubbed “The Beast from the East” — signed with Factory Yamaha at just 15. He quickly became the youngest rider to win an AMA Supercross race in 1989.
Competing against legends throughout the 1990s, Bradshaw tallied 19 premier-class Supercross wins and six National Motocross victories. His 1992 season remains legendary yet heartbreaking, as he dominated nine rounds but lost the title by only three points. After a shocking early retirement at 21 and a brief 1996 comeback, he transitioned to Monster Jam, winning the 2009 World Finals Freestyle Championship. Today, he remains an influential mentor and industry ambassador.
ERALDO FERRACCI — ROAD RACING
Born in 1938 in Italy, Eraldo Ferracci established himself first as a National Championship-winning road racer and, after moving to the U.S., a record-setting drag racer and producer of go-fast parts through his Fast by Ferracci business, which launched in 1980. Racers of all stripes clamored for his expertise, and the late 1980s Ducati asked him to form the first American-based factory road racing team. The team roared to two FIM World Superbike Championships in ’91 and ’92 with Doug Polen aboard, and two more AMA Superbike championships, in ’93 with Polen and ’94 with Troy Corser.
Ferracci is a member of the FIM World Superbike Hall of Fame, as well as a founding member of the Ducati North America Hall of Fame. But, perhaps more importantly, Ferracci helped make Ducati a world road racing powerhouse, and one of the world’s most successful producers of performance motorcycles.
JAKE JOHNSON — DIRT TRACK
Jake Johnson stands out as one of the most accomplished riders of the modern AMA Pro Flat Track era, and is known for his technical precision and versatility. Born in Camden, N.J., he started out on a Honda Z50, rose through the grassroots dirt track ranks, and turned professional in the early 2000s. He earned AMA Flat Track Rookie of the Year honors in 2002, then captured AMA Grand National Singles Championships in 2006 and 2008. Johnson reached his peak with back-to-back Grand National Championships in 2010 and 2011, including an “Overall” title in 2010.
Over his career, he tallied 20 Grand National wins, excelling — and winning — across all track types: TT, Short Track, Half-Mile and Mile. Renowned for adaptability, he won titles on multiple brands and remained competitive well beyond his championship years, later transitioning into a respected mentor and development rider.
GARY SELLERS — LEADERSHIP & RIGHTS
Since the 1970s, Gary Sellers has given his life to motorcycle education and advocacy in his home state of Ohio and throughout the country. Sellers was one of the founding members of ABATE of Ohio and served as legislative agent for the organization for a decade. He was awarded the honorary Life Membership Award by ABATE of Ohio in 1997.
Alongside John “Farmer” Eggers, Sellers built a successful motorcycle safety training program in Ohio; it’s estimated the program has saved thousands of lives over the years. Sellers is also a member of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation and Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Freedom Fighters halls of fame.
DALE WALKER — DESIGN & ENGINEERING
A lifelong devotion to drag racing led Dale “Holeshot” Walker to become one of the most noteworthy engineers in all of motorcycle racing. Walker not only produced top-tier products for racers, including a clutch-less air shifter and an engine-management system, but also transformed how people tuned their machines. Walker created detailed guides — including illustrations and videos — so those with a basic understanding of mechanics could install and utilize his groundbreaking equipment.
Walker was also a successful national-level drag racer with a noteworthy résumé, which included 50 national event wins and four National Drag Racing Championships. He continues to design and build high-level racing equipment with his brand, Dale Walker’s Holeshot Performance.
Love Moto Stop Cancer Text-to-Donate Campaign Continues into Pro Motocross Season
The yearlong Love Moto Stop Cancer text-to-donate campaign benefitting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital continues into the summer Pro Motocross Championship with a new and exclusive t-shirt now available to new donors. The limited-edition Red, White, and Blue shirt is available now through August 31 when supporters text SUPER to 785-833 or visit the St. Jude Donation page. St. Jude has helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate in the U.S. from 20% in 1962 to more than 80% today. Thanks to generous donors, St. Jude can give our doctors and researchers the tools and technology they need to make the next groundbreaking discovery.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
- Give $19 or more each month to receive the “LOVE MOTO STOP CANCER” Red, White, and Blue t-shirt. Show the world that you help save lives!
- Text “SUPER” to 785-833 or visit the St. Jude Donation page to help today.

SMX athletes continue to lead the charge in support of the fight against childhood cancer, helping the moto community raise over 3.5 million dollars for the kids at St. Jude.
WHY IT MATTERS:
- The Love Moto Stop Cancer initiative unites the Pro Motocross community to support St. Jude, where families never receive a bill for treatment, travel, housing, or food.
- The racing community has raised more than $3.5 million for St. Jude through this partnership and related initiatives.
- The 2026 Monster Energy Supercross season set a new single season fundraising record of $800K, led by Ken Roczen’s Kick Start for a Cause which raised $300K.

Also joining the fight against childhood cancer are the stars of the Women’s Motocross Championship Powered by Synchrony.
As the campaign continues into the Pro Motocross season, supporters have another opportunity to show the power of the moto community and help push fundraising efforts toward the $4 million mark for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Through continued donations and support, the racing community can help St. Jude advance its mission of finding cures and saving children.

Gaige Herrera Wins All-RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki Final at NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
Gaige Herrera capped a near-perfect race weekend for the RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki team by riding his Gen 3 Hayabusa to victory over teammate Richard Gadson at the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway in Bristol, TN, on Sunday.
Race Highlights:
- Gaige Herrera qualified number one and won his second race of the year
- Richard Gadson qualified second, won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge and advanced to his fourth final-round appearance this year with a runner-up finish

Gaige Herrera raced his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki Gen 3 Hayabusa to victory at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, earning the 30th win of his Pro Stock Motorcycle career.
Two-time world champion Gaige Herrera posted the team’s first number one qualifying performance of the season on Saturday with a 6.831-second/197.88 mph run, capturing the top spot in the elimination ladder for the 32nd time in his career.
Racing was briefly interrupted on Sunday morning by rain showers that came in the middle of Pro Stock Motorcycle first-round eliminations. After action resumed, Herrera ran 6.840 seconds at 198.03 mph on a bye run before defeating Joey Gladstone (6.908 seconds/196.82 mph) in round two with a 6.804-second/198.67 mph pass that was the quickest run of the event.
In the semi-finals, Herrera survived a scare against Steve Johnson (9.452 seconds/91.47 mph) when his motorcycle drifted dangerously close to the outside retaining wall, forcing him to shut off early and coast to a 6.985-second/173.43 mph run against the veteran rider, who slowed with problems of his own.
The final round hosted a repeat of last year’s matchup between Herrera and his Vance & Hines teammate Richard Gadson. Despite spotting him with a starting line advantage, Herrera chased the reigning world champion down by mid-track with a 6.838-second/198.47 mph run and denied Gadson (6.883-seconds/196.36 mph) a back-to-back win in Thunder Valley.
The victory, Herrera’s second this season and 30th of his career, elevated him one spot to third place in the championship standings, just 5 points behind Angie Smith. More crucially the win put Herrera’s quest for a third world championship firmly back on track and helped erase the disappointment of a rare first-round loss two weeks ago in Maryland.
“Starting off with the number one qualifier always gives you a boost going into Sunday and it gave me a lot of confidence today. The only thing that caught me off guard was a crosswind in the run against Steve. I probably stayed in it too long, but luckily, he didn’t make a clean run, and I was able to get the win and move on. That was a hairy ride for sure,” Herrera said. “It was cool being back in the final with Richard after he got his first win here last year. Any day we put two Vance & Hines bikes in the final is a good day. I feel like my motorcycle is back to normal after having a little bit of bad luck lately. That’s part of racing, but I got a big boost of confidence back after this weekend, in how my Hayabusa is running and how I felt as a rider. I really needed this win and I’m very happy leaving Bristol with it.”

Richard Gadson continued his consistent title defense with a runner-up finish and a 68-point lead in the Pro Stock Motorcycle standings after six rounds of competition.
Richard Gadson qualified second with a 6.839-second/197.74 mph run on Saturday and won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge. It was the reigning world champion’s first win this season and second overall in the specialty race-within-a-race held during Saturday’s qualifying sessions that carries a cash purse and championship bonus points.
After the rain delay, Gadson defeated Wesley Wells (foul) in round one with a 6.846-second/196.82 mph run. In round two, Gadson defeated Chase Van Sant (7.616 seconds/134.75 mph) with a 6.851-second/197.45 mph run to advance to the semi-final round for the fifth time in six races this season. Gadson defeated Chris Bostick (15.822 seconds/47.56 mph) in the semis with a 6.891-second/195.96 mph run to advance to a final round for the 13th time in his career and fourth against Herrera.
The defending Bristol race winner was hoping for a repeat of last year’s all-Vance & Hines final at the track where he secured his first career Pro Stock Motorcycle win, but Gadson had to settle for runner-up after Herrera proved too fast to overcome.
The runner-up finish extended Gadson’s championship lead over Angie Smith to 68 points with two races remaining in the regular season championship, which concludes at the U.S. Nationals over Labor Day weekend in Indianapolis. After Indy, points for the top 10 class contenders will reset for the six-race Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
“We won the 2Fast2Tasty Challenge and I had a good bike all day today. It was exactly the weekend I was looking for minus a Diamond Wally,” Gadson said. “Of course, I always want to win, but I’m not chasing peaks and valleys this season. I’m heavy on the steady-does-it train right now. If I just keep turning on win lights and going rounds, it’s all good, and with that mentality more wins will come. This is the biggest points lead I’ve had all year, so it’s playing out great.”
RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki crew chief Andrew Hines said infrastructure investments made to Bristol Dragway after last year’s race resulted in an improvement to the track surface that the team capitalized on to maximize traction early in the run.
“They poured new concrete all the way from the starting line to the eighth-mile mark. It was like a completely different racing surface compared to previous years. We had our 60-foot times dialed in compared to anybody else here. Nobody could touch what we did off the starting line today and that made all the difference,” Hines said.
“We’ve got our ducks in a row for what we need to do to run better at sea level tracks, and we’ll see if that holds true over the next couple of races,” he added. “Historically Norwalk has been good to us. There’s less elevation there compared to Bristol, so we should run a little quicker than here. It could be hot and humid, but we figured that out this weekend so we’re looking good.”
After the sixth of 14 rounds in the 2026 Pro Stock Motorcycle season, Gadson and Herrera sit first and third in the championship standings with 557 and 484 points, respectively.
The RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines team returns to action June 25-28 at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Norwalk, OH.

Deegan Returns to the Podium in Moto 2 at Thunder Valley
It was another thrilling battle in the Pro Motocross 450 class this past weekend at the Thunder Valley National, with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan running the pace up front. It was also a trying day for the rookie at the Thunder Valley Motocross Park. Despite tricky conditions and a couple of mistakes, the 20-year-old kept fighting and returned to the podium with a third-place finish in Moto 2.
Deegan got the day off to a strong start with consistently fast times and qualified fourth. He then got a good start to the first moto inside the top 10, quickly making his way from seventh to third on that opening lap. With the Lawrence brothers ahead, he closed the gap and made the pass on Hunter on Lap 3. It was an exciting race with the three title contenders in the lead group. At the halfway mark, Deegan hit the deck while battling up front. He quickly rejoined the moto in fourth, which he maintained to the checkered flag. After the moto, Deegan was assessed a seven-position penalty for cutting the track, dropping him from fourth to 11th in the final results.

In Moto 2, the Californian got another good start and was fifth on the opening lap behind his teammate Webb, whom he passed on the following lap. Deegan then closed the gap to Aaron Plessinger, passing him on Lap 5 to claim third. As the clock wound down, Hunter Lawrence made the pass for third with four laps remaining. However, a tip-over one lap later allowed Deegan to reclaim the position and secure sixth overall with his 11-3 score. Just three rounds into his rookie season, Deegan continues to hold third in the standings, 32 points from the top spot.
“It was a solid day of racing,” said Deegan. “We made some progress during the week that paid off in the motos. I made a few mistakes that I need to clean up, and we’ll be right there.”

Webb had a good start to the day in Colorado, with his best qualifying so far this year in seventh. Then, for the first gate drop, he continued his run of good starts and slotted into the runner-up spot. Hunter Lawrence and teammate Haiden Deegan worked their way past on the opening lap, moving Webb to fourth. The North Carolina rider held a top-five position through the opening laps before dropping back and ultimately finishing 10th.
In Moto 2, Webb got another good start and quickly made his way to fourth, but was shuffled back to ninth in those opening laps. He continued to fight all the way to the finish, crossing the line 10th to secure 10th overall.

“Today in Colorado was a good day,” said Webb. “I qualified seventh, which was the best so far this year. Then in the first moto, I got a great start, almost pulled the holeshot, and ran up front for a bit, but got shuffled back and ended up 10th. In Moto 2, I was running in the top five, and yeah, kind of the same thing. I got shuffled back, but I actually rode a lot better in the second moto and had a battle with Dylan (Ferrandis) all the way to the end for 10th. So 10-10 for 10th overall, and another top 10. We’ll get rolling once we go east.”
“I thought qualifying went well for Haiden and Webb,” said Rich Simmons, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s 450 Team Manager. “Both guys had really good starts. Unfortunately, some penalties for Haiden in that first moto pushed him back outside the top 10. The track was really tough today. Haiden did a good job managing that and getting it back on the podium, and Webb was up front with two good starts and had a better qualifying. So overall, a good day for the guys. Obviously, we want to be better. We’ll just keep working at it and move on to High Point.”
The series continues to head east for the High Point National next weekend – Round 4 of the Pro Motocross Championship and Round 21 of the Monster Energy SuperMotocross World Championship at High Point Raceway in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania, on June 20.

Minear Earns Career-Best Result as Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250 Riders Continue to Progress Outdoors
It was another up-and-down day for the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing squad in tricky conditions at the Thunder Valley Motocross Park, but there were some silver linings in Lakewood, Colorado, with career-best results, strong starts, and three riders finishing inside the top 10. With a team rich in up-and-coming talent, the entire lineup continued to make gains three rounds into the 2026 outdoor season.
Leading the way was Kayden Minear, who earned a career-best eighth-overall finish, followed by Michael Mosiman, who earned a top-five finish in Moto 1 to end the day ninth overall. Joining them in the top 10 was Cole Davies, who overcame adversity to score valuable points in the title chase.
Although it was a bit of a rocky start for Minear, the young Australian rallied back. After qualifying 18th and starting 20th after the opening lap of Moto 1, he put his head down and steadily made his way through to 13th. Minear’s upward trend continued with a much better start to Moto 2 inside the top 10. He made his way to sixth by Lap 4, and continued to battle for position, making the pass in the final laps to reclaim sixth for a career-best moto finish and eighth overall.

“I started off a little slow in qualifying,” said Minear. “The first moto, I didn’t execute my start. That was my mistake, but I fought my way through to 13th. So it was a rough start, but in the second moto, I bounced back, got a good start, and ended up sixth. So, it was a good day.”
Despite not feeling 100%, Mosiman continued to make improvements at Round 3. The Northern Californian qualified sixth, and although he did not get the start he was looking for in Moto 1, he charged from 14th to third by the halfway mark. Unfortunately, in the closing laps, he dropped back to fifth, where he would finish. In Moto 2, he was 16th after the start and quickly worked his way up to 11th. He continued to fight but ultimately finished 14th, ending the day ninth overall.
“In the first moto, I didn’t get the best start, but I was able to work my way up to third and held it for a while,” said Mosiman. “Then I made a silly mistake, down the stretch, with two laps to go, and ended up fifth. The second moto was a little bit messy. I was just really depleted all day. I wasn’t feeling well, and my stomach was upset, and it caught up to me in the second moto. I was just a bit flat, but even still, I was pushing to the end.”

“It was massive progress,” Mosiman continued. “I’m really thankful for the team. We put in a ton of work over the past three weeks – testing and developing the bike – and it got me a lot happier. Just from press day on, it was a pretty good feeling. There were a couple of laps where I was fast on track, and you really wouldn’t have expected that a couple of weeks ago. Coming back from injuries is a process, and the process has gone well. Overall, I’m gonna look fondly on this weekend with the progress made, and I’m looking forward to High Point to move on and be a little bit more solid.”
As for Davies, the day started out great as the 2026 250SX East Champion earned fastest qualifier honors. But bad starts and a crash in Moto 2 made for an uphill battle at the Colorado track, which was difficult to make passes on. After not getting the start he was hoping for in Moto 1, he made an impressive charge through the field to eighth before the halfway mark, and then in the final laps made passes in successive laps to sixth, where he would finish.
In Moto 2, Davies was 11th after the start but quickly went to work making his way through to fourth. After making the pass on Nick Romano for third, Davies set his sights on second before unfortunately going down. He rejoined in eighth and made his way back to seventh a couple of laps later, but some damage to the bike made for a tough moto, and he ultimately dropped back to 15th, ending the day 10th overall. He leaves Colorado sixth in the championship, 24 points from the top spot.

“I started the weekend strong, qualifying fastest, but bad starts in both motos made the races challenging from the beginning,” said Davies. “In Moto 1, I worked my way from 20th to sixth, which showed the pace is there. In Moto 2, a crash pushed me down the field, and I finished 15th for 10th overall. It’s not where I want to be or where I feel I belong. I’ve got work to do to claim back points and get back in the fight for the championship. Eyes forward to High Point.”
In just his third round of Pro Motocross, Landen Gordon also earned a career-best result in the class. The rookie had a solid qualifying in 11th and got two great starts. He was second after the start to Moto 1, but dropped back to seventh on that first lap. He continued to fight and regained sixth, but as the moto wore on, he fell back to 15th. In Moto 2, he once again slotted into the runner-up spot. Although he dropped back to fourth on that opening lap, he continued to battle for a top-five result, but ultimately would cross the line seventh, for his best moto result thus far, securing 11th overall for another personal best.
“I was 11th overall at Thunder Valley,” said Gordon. “I’m stoked on the second moto, and there were definitely a lot of positives to take from the weekend. I’m excited to keep building these next few weekends.”

Despite having a less-than-ideal gate pick after qualifying 15th, Caden Dudney got a great start to the first moto right behind his teammate and was fourth on the opening lap. He rode in fifth for the first half of the moto, but ultimately finished eighth. In Moto 2, a bad start had him back in 21st, but he continued to push and made his way to 18th, finishing 13th overall.
“The day was good, overall,” said Dudney. “Qualifying was all right. I need to work on that a little bit more, but the first moto was good. Then the second moto, I got a bad start, and just tried to push my way up there. Overall, there are a lot of positives to take away, and I’m happy with it.”
Carson Wood made his pro debut in Colorado this weekend, and it was a strong showing for the young rider from Florida. He qualified 13th and got two top-10 starts. In the first moto, he was 10th after the start and running around 14th before dropping back to 27th with four laps remaining. In Moto 2, he got an even better start in sixth, despite having the 27th gate pick. Wood then battled for a top 10 result all the way to the finish, coming back from 12th to finish 10th and end the day 17th overall.

“The day went really well. I qualified 13th and then was 27th in my first moto, and 10th in my last moto. I was really excited for my pro debut, and I definitely learned a lot. I was having a good time and learning from everyone. It was sick.”
“It was definitely an up-and-down day for what seemed like the entire class,” said Wil Hahn, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s 250 Team General Manager. “Cole had a really good second moto going. He was going to the front pretty quick and then crashed. Unfortunately, it broke some throttle cables, and the front brake went out, so that was a shame. We had a lot of good results for the guys, and with some of the young guys, like in Moto 2, with Landen and Minear getting their best results of the year, and a top 10 for Carson in his pro debut. Then Dudney and Mosiman in Moto 1. We’ve just got to get the overall results better, but a good weekend overall.”
The focus shifts to the High Point National – Round 4 of the Pro Motocross Championship and Round 21 of the Monster Energy SuperMotocross World Championship, at High Point Raceway in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania, on June 20.

Lachlan Turner Stays Perfect with Another WMX Sweep
Lachlan Turner continues to reign supreme in the WMX Championship, winning both motos at the Thunder Valley National in Lakewood, Colorado, remaining undefeated thus far in her 2026 title campaign aboard the Altus Motorsports BLU CRU Yamaha YZ250F.
The back-to-back champ put together another commanding performance in Friday’s opening moto. She qualified second, and although she didn’t get off the gate as she had hoped in fifth, Turner made passes early, claiming the lead on the opening lap and riding away from the competition.
“I shifted in second on the start before the gate dropped, and I bogged and didn’t get the best start, and I had to work my way up,” she said. “Charli (Cannon) left the door open, and I just snuck in the inside and passed her. After I passed her, I was just gone, and I cruised it in.”

After the moto, she and other riders were assessed a penalty for jumping under a red-cross flag, with the reigning champion having 10 points deducted. With a new day for Moto 2, Turner continued her top form. She grabbed the holeshot, her second of the season, and started to build a gap. Unfortunately in the slick conditions, she slid out after the start of Lap 2 and rejoined the moto in second, with around a 4.5-second deficit to her title rival, Charli Cannon.
Turner put her head down and quickly closed the gap, reclaiming the lead on the following lap. From there, she remained unchallenged en route to her fourth win in four starts and her second-consecutive overall victory in 2026.

“If we raced that moto at 12 o’clock, that would’ve been a sick race,” she said. “We raced at 5 pm, and they prepped the entire track. It was like an ice-skating rink. I pulled the holeshot, and it felt so good. I came around the finish line and passed the holeshot thing, and I just slid the backend out. I get mad when I fall, so I got back up and charged, passed Charli, and won the moto. It was a good race. I’m stoked on the weekend and looking forward to High Point.”
Turner leaves Colorado with a nine-point lead and looks to continue her momentum this weekend at Round 3, held during the High Point National on June 19-20 at High Point Raceway in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania.













