Having finished second to Charli Cannon at the previous round at High Point Raceway, defending series champion Lachlan Turner got back to her winning ways with a 1-1 sweep of round four of the Women’s Motocross Championship at Unadilla, August 14-15. The race kicked off the final three-round stretch of the 2026 WMX campaign, where just nine points separated points leader Turner and Quad Lock Honda’s Charli Cannon heading into the weekend.
Photos by Octopi Media
Turner stole the spotlight from the get-go at Unadilla. Launching from a fifth-place start in Friday’s first moto, the Altus Motorsports bLU cRU Yamaha rider systematically sliced through the field, passing Cannon and 17-year-old standout Mayla Herrick (SLR Honda) in quick succession. Once out front, Turner checked out from the pack and quickly established a comfortable advantage, navigating Unadilla’s deep ruts and rough terrain with precision to seal the first moto victory.
Behind her, chaos erupted in the fight for the podium. Cannon, who was riding through the discomfort of a broken shoulder blade suffered at round two of the Australian MXW Championship, battled fiercely with Herrick for second. Cannon managed to make the pass on Herrick, only to wash out and go down moments later. The luck didn’t hold for Herrick either, as she fell just a few turns later, relinquishing her position.
SLR Honda Racing’s Mikayla Nielsen suffered a mishap of her own and fell out of third position. Capitalizing on the midpack drama, Jordan Jarvis (Yamaha) rode a steady, mistake-free race to hold off Herrick at the line, capturing third behind Cannon, who managed to remount and salvage second place despite her crash.
With the overall still up for grabs, all eyes turned to the second and deciding moto on Saturday. At the start, JPM Kawasaki’s Taylah McCutcheon reacted perfectly and rocketed to the holeshot, leading the field into the opening corners. Behind her, KTM riders Piper Bell and Brandy Richards quickly slotted into contention, while Herrick and Turner worked to establish themselves among the front-runners. Cannon also emerged from the opening lap in a strong position and immediately began applying pressure to the riders ahead.
As the leaders completed the first lap, McCutcheon continued to set the pace up front while the pressure behind her intensified. Turner, who had started just inside the top 10, wasted no time charging forward. The championship leader put together a stunning opening lap, picking off riders one after another through Unadilla’s sweeping hills and deep braking bumps.
By the start of lap two, Turner had already moved into podium contention. Moments later she slipped past Bell and then closed the gap to McCutcheon. A decisive pass later in the lap allowed Turner to take the lead.
Cannon was equally impressive. After dispatching several riders, she closed in on McCutcheon and eventually made the move into second place behind Turner. The pass set up a highly anticipated showdown between the two championship rivals, with Cannon now chasing Turner.
For several laps, the gap between the leaders hovered within striking distance. Cannon pushed hard to keep Turner in check, refusing to let the Yamaha rider get away.
Meanwhile, Herrick continued to ride one of the strongest motos of her young career. After avoiding the mistakes that plagued her first moto, she settled into third and maintained a consistent pace while keeping the leaders within sight.
Behind the top three, the battle for fourth was equally intense, as Jarvis and Nielsen traded fast laps throughout the second half of the race.
Out front, Turner remained composed, despite repeated pressure from Cannon. When the checkered flag finally fell, Turner crossed the finish line 1.6 seconds clear of Cannon to claim another moto victory. Meanwhile, Cannon’s determined ride to second earned valuable championship points. Herrick secured a well-deserved third-place finish, while Jarvis and Nielsen rounded out the top five.
Turner’s perfect 1-1 scorecard earned her the overall victory, while Cannon’s consistent 2-2 finishes secured second overall. Herrick capped off an impressive outing by claiming her first professional overall podium with a 4-3 finish, marking a significant milestone in the young rider’s career and further establishing her as one of the sport’s rising stars.
Turner was pleased to be back on the center step of the podium after her runner-up finish at High Point.
“We’re back to 1-1, baby,” said Turner. “I was trying to stay on my bike; it was gnarly out there, and my bike’s not set up for that, so I was just holding on.”
With two rounds left on the calendar, Turner holds a 15-point lead over Cannon in the championship standings, with Jarvis another 27 points back in third.CN
2026 WMX Championship Round 4 Results
OVERALL (Top 10)
- Lachlan Turner (Yam) 1-1
- Charli Cannon (Hon) 2-2
- Mayla Herrick (Hon) 4-3
- Jordan Jarvis (Yam) 3-4
- Taylah McCutcheon (Kaw) 6-6
- Piper Bell (KTM) 5-8
- Nanami Honda (Yam) 7-9
- Brandy Richards (KTM) 11-7
- Hannah Hodges (Tri) 9-10
- Isla Phillips (Hus) 10-11
