he first half of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship drew to a close in dramatic fashion in the “Crossroads of the West” as the 17th and final race of a historic Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship concluded in front of a capacity crowd inside Rice-Eccles Stadium. A single point separated Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen, from Germany, and Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence, from Australia, in one of the closest title fights of all-time and set the stage for a winner-take-all 450SMX Class Main Event. After fighting for the lead early, it was Roczen who emerged with his maiden premier class title at 32 years of age to become the oldest champion in Supercross history, in his 13th season at the highest level.
“I was an emotional wreck today. It was not an easy task by any means. I’ve been exhausted, physically and mentally, over these past few weeks, but I’ve dreamed of this since I was a little kid. This is just a testament of you never give up. Anybody, at any age, whenever you’re competing and you feel anxiety, you feel strange emotions that rob your energy, you’re not alone. I feel those too, but I don’t give up. I work on it daily and [the championship] is how it pays off. You can do it too.” said Roczen
A mere three points separated Roczen and Lawrence at season’s end, as both finished with five wins and 12 podiums, where two positions decided the outcome. Webb completed the championship podium in third, the fourth consecutive season he’s finished in the top three.
Sextons takes the win!
Sexton carried on to take his second win of the season and his fourth straight in Salt Lake City by a margin of just over two seconds. Cooper made a last lap pass on Prado to equal the best result of his career in second, while the Spaniard captured his second career podium in third. Roczen did enough to clinch the championship in fifth, ahead of Lawrence in seventh.
“I’ve known Kenny [Roczen] a long time. He was like a big brother to me growing up. It’s obviously a bit different now that we race each other, but I’m really proud of him. Hunter [Lawrence] was [also] great all year. Great competitors. I was watching their race from the back and didn’t know what to do, then stuff happened, I started riding better and got to the front. It means a lot for me, personally, to get a win. It’s been a really tough year, but this hopefully is a good omen for outdoors.” said Sexton.
450SX HIGHLIGHTS
Davies vs Deegan in the last 250SX Showdown
Haiden Deegan and Cole Davies once again stole the spotlight in the East/West Showdown, even with both titles already secured coming into the night. With the championship pressure gone, the battle turned into a pure rivalry fueled by pride, intensity, and ego.
Deegan grabbed the holeshot and quickly moved into the lead after passing Max Anstie, while Davies steadily closed the gap from behind. Once the New Zealander reached him, the race exploded into an aggressive back-and-forth fight, with both riders trading attacks and pushing the limit lap after lap.
Davies eventually found a way through and forced Deegan into a mistake while trying to answer back. A second error in the sand section ended Deegan’s chances completely and left him off the podium in his final 250SX appearance. That opened the door for Levi Kitchen to finish second ahead of Anstie.
Davies claimed a statement victory, while Deegan’s 250SX farewell ended without silverware. Judging by the tension between the two, this rivalry feels far from over.
HIGHLIGHTS
