This is it! The final round of the 2026 SuperMotocross World Championship Playoffs takes place today in Ridgedale, Missouri at the Thunder Ridge Nature Arena. It’s a triple-points payout which makes for some exciting championship scenarios in the final gate drop of the season.
NOTES
- Tonight marks Eli Tomac’s final race
- Dylan Ferrandis is set to retire after tonight’s race
- Chance Hymas is out for the night after injuring his wrist
- Jorge Prado needs to finish third or better to clinch the 450SMX title
450 MOTO 1
Just like the 250 class, Haiden Deegan went wire-to-wire for the win to start the night. The 450 rookie still held a mathematical chance at winning the SMX title and a win put himself in the best position possible. He held off a hard-charging Ken Roczen to score a victory by just over three seconds.
“I got a start and I said, ‘We’re gonna lay it all out on the track.’ And we sent it,” Deegan said after the first moto. “Kenny [Roczen] was riding a great race and kept me on my toes. I saw the orange bike [Prado] pretty deep and I knew it’s time to make these guys crumble under the pressure.”
Hunter Lawrence kept his name in the running with a third place finish over Cooper Webb and Jorge Prado. A fifth for Prado forces him to bounce back in race two if he wants to finish in the top three overall.
450 MOTO 2
The final moto of the year saw a showdown between Jorge Prado and Haiden Deegan. The two rivals were dangerously close for the entire race with both riders making multiple mistakes as the laps wore on. Prado didn’t need to win the race as a second would still clinch the title in his favor. Still, the KTM rider held strong and led every lap to the checkered flag. 5-1 finishes put him second overall and in the clear for the championship.
Prado took a clutch holeshot over Haiden Deegan and led every one of the 17 laps. The two rivals were never more than two seconds apart and fans held their breath down to the final lap when a huge swap nearly put Prado on the ground. He crossed the line 1.7 seconds clear and went 5-1 for second overall, just enough to secure his first-ever SuperMotocross World Championship and the $1 Million prize money.
“One year ago, I was watching these races and didn’t know if I’d ever be here,” Prado said. “The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team did an awesome job preparing me all winter long, every single week, and I also prepared myself the best I could to bounce back. That’s what champions do, right? They bounce back, so I’m super-happy about this title – it’s my first championship here in the States. I’m a four-time world champion for a reason, and I think I showed that in this last moto where it mattered the most…When I saw the rain, I was dreading what might come, but it stopped and everything worked out. Haiden [Deegan] was riding incredible, so I did all I could to keep him behind me. I showed with hard work that dreams can come true.”
Deegan stalked Prado for all 17 laps but never managed to make a pass. He still took the overall win with 1-2 finishes but comes up just seven points short in the World Championship. No doubt the 450 rookie will come out swinging for his debut season in 450 Supercross.
The two traded their share of mistakes and yo-yo’d the gap in different parts of the track. Deegan attempted only one dive-bomb pass in the closing laps but Prado checked up and avoided the takedown. 1-2 results put Deegan on top for the night but just seven points shy in the final points standings. He ends the season second overall in 450SMX points and adds $500,000 to his bank account.
“I gave it everything I had,” Deegan said. “I got the overall but not the championship, and that hurts. Credit to Jorge [Prado], he was riding great. I’ll go into the offseason and work my butt off. There’s a Supercross championship I want and I’m going to do everything I can to get it.”
The Honda HRC rider was never truly in the hunt during either moto but still strung together a consistent pair of thirds. He circulated just behind the two leaders in both races and was there to pounce should either make a critical mistake. Third on the night put Lawrence third in the SMX points as he ends a breakout year with an extra $250,000.
“What a long year, but it was amazing,” Lawrence said. “I’ve got a lot of good things in my life right now. A great result tonight and now we go into the offseason looking for more next year.”
Roczen started the night right on Deegan’s heels but a fifth in moto two dropped him just off the overall podium in fourth. Cooper Webb also had a mathematical shot at the title but used a pair of fourths to round out the top five overall.
“I had a really good first moto out here,” said Roczen. “I was running second and closed right up on the leader, but lapped traffic affected the battle at the end. It was a strong ride and I was happy to come away with second. In the second moto, I hit a bump off the gate and had a terrible start, so I had to fight my way through the pack. I also tweaked my wrist early in the race, and the jump landings were really taking a toll as the track broke down. We gave it everything we had, finished fifth in the oto and fourth in the championship, and had a lot of fun doing it.”
450 OVERALL RESULTS (Top 10)
| 1. | Haiden Deegan | (Yam) | 1-2 |
| 2. | Jorge Prado | (KTM) | 5-1 |
| 3. | Hunter Lawrence | (Hon) | 3-3 |
| 4. | Ken Roczen | (Suz) | 2-5 |
| 5. | Cooper Webb | (Yam) | 4-4 |
| 6. | RJ Hampshire | (Hus) | 6-6 |
| 7. | Garrett Marchbanks | (Kaw) | 10-7 |
| 8. | Jordon Smith | (Tri) | 9-9 |
| 9. | Malcolm Stewart | (Hus) | 8-14 |
| 10. | Aaron Plessinger | (KTM) | 7-15 |
250 MOTO 1
Levi Kitchen kicked things off in Missouri with a critical holeshot over the rest of the field. The 250 points leader needed to start up front to keep his title hopes alive and he did just that. Kitchen led nearly the entire race but only gave up the top spot to Cole Davies with three laps left.
After two tough rounds to start the Playoffs, Davies was not a title threat and his pass did not prove to be consequential in the championship scheme. Davies took the win to start the night with Kitchen following him in for the runner-up spot.
Ryder DiFrancesco charge his way up to third after starting way back in seventh. He passed all the way into podium territory to keep his championship hopes alive going into the final moto of the season.
250 MOTO 2
Cole Davies put a stamp on the season with a dominant wire-to-wire win. The Star Racing Yamaha rider grabbed the holeshot and never relinquished the lead. Despite the first two rounds not going his way, Davies took a stellar 1-1 victory and claimed the overall win to end the Playoffs. The Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha rider was virtually out of the points race after a big crash and another DNF one week ago but he bounced back in Missouri and showed why he’s got the most race wins to his credit this season. Two wins on the night put him first overall and allowed him to jump to third in the SMX standings thanks to the triple points payout. Davies collected an extra $150,000 to finish off the year.
“I get to go into the offseason with a lot of momentum,” Davies said. “I had an unreal year. All the hard work paid off. Two championships in Supercross and Pro Motocross, so I’m really proud of myself. The playoffs didn’t go as I wanted, but we’ll reset and come back stronger next year.”
Kitchen turned up the heat when it mattered most and executed a near flawless night to clinch his first-ever professional championship. He crossed in the runner-up position again in race two while his championship rivals struggled to move forward. Rain in the second moto added another layer of difficulty but Kitchen kept it upright and used 2-2 finishes to take second overall and clinched the 250SMX crown by 24 points. He earned $500,000 in the process, the largest payout of his career, and ended Pro Circuit’s seven year title drought.
“It’s been tough,” Kitchen said. “I’ve been close [to a championship] a few times. I got a great start and just trusted my instincts. The rain was coming down, and I just needed to ride smart. It’s been a tough journey, for sure, and I couldn’t be more stoked…I was on course this summer to wrap up my first Pro Motocross title but had some issues at the final round that didn’t allow me to complete that goal, so being able to end the year with the SMX championship is exactly what I needed.”
Landen Gordon put himself on the box in third, making it two Monster Energy Star Racing Yamahas on the overall podium. Gordon was in the mix all night long and put up a fight against some of the 250 class heavyweights. His third place in moto two solidified his spot in third overall and the result couldn’t have come at a better time. Triple points for his third place finish boosted him to fifth in the SMX points and added $50,000 to his bottom line.
“I’ve made a big jump in my life, moving across the country to Florida,” Gordon said. “I had to warm up to it a bit. I’ve been working so hard, so I’m stoked. I don’t think people understand how much goes into this. I’ve put my whole heart into it and it’s paying off.”
Nate Thrasher and Pierce Brown rounded out the top five for their best finishes of the Playoffs. They also helped put four Star Racing Yamahas inside the top five.
As for Julien Beaumer and Ryder DiFrancesco? Both riders struggled with poor starts and finished outside the top five, sixth and seventh respectively. DiFrancesco still managed to take second in the SMX points and took home $250,000 while Beaumer dropped to fourth after Davies’ win.
250 OVERALL RESULTS (Top 10)
| 1. | Cole Davies | (Yam) | 1-1 |
| 2. | Levi Kitchen | (Kaw) | 2-2 |
| 3. | Landen Gordon | (Yam) | 6-3 |
| 4. | Nate Thrasher | (Yam) | 7-4 |
| 5. | Pierce Brown | (Yam) | 5-7 |
| 6. | Julien Beaumer | (KTM) | 4-9 |
| 7. | Ryder DiFrancesco | (Hus) | 3-10 |
| 8. | Daxton Bennick | (Hus) | 10-6 |
| 9. | Cameron McAdoo | (Kaw) | 13-5 |
| 10. | Caden Dudney | (Yam) | 8-11 |
WMX
Alongside the championship action in the 450 and 250 divisions, the SMX Final introduced the inaugural WMX Invitational Powered by Synchrony. The special event brought together 13 of the best female racers from around the world, including champions from four international series.
SLR Honda’s Mayla Herrick grabbed the holeshot in the 10-minute-plus-one-lap main event, followed by Quad Lock Honda’s Charli Cannon and Triumph Racing’s Hannah Hodges. Cannon narrowly escaped an early incident, allowing Hodges to move into second before taking over the lead. Altus Motorsports bLUcRU Yamaha’s Lachlan Turner, a three-time WMX champion, settled into third.
Herrick later challenged Hodges but crashed after clipping a tuff block. Turner eventually moved into first, passing both Cannon and Hodges with Cannon advancing to second. Cannon mounted a final-lap challenge but a mistake in the rhythm-section mistake cost her. Turner held on to win by 1.9 seconds, with Cannon second and Hodges third.
“I was just being patient,” Turner said. “If I made one wrong move I knew she’d get me, so I was just trying to be smart on the final lap. I completed everything on my vision board this season and it feels amazing. This is such a historic moment for WMX, and I hope there’s more opportunities like this in the future.”
WMX RESULTS (Top 10)
| 1. | Lachlan Turner | (Yam) | 8 Laps |
| 2. | Charli Cannon | (Hon) | 1.964 |
| 3. | Hannah Hodges | (Tri) | 13.510 |
| 4. | Jordan Jarvis | (Yam) | 15.389 |
| 5. | Mikayla Nielsen | (Hon) | 17.143 |
| 6. | Piper Bell | (KTM) | 49.829 |
| 7. | Lily-Ann Pettus | (Tri) | 1:02.471 |
| 8. | Kaylie Kayer | (Yam) | 1:07.394 |
| 9. | Mayla Herrick | (Hon) | 1:07.883 |
| 10. | Jamie Astudillo | (GG) | 1:08.790 |
450 QUALIFYING
Haiden Deegan is back on top with the fastest lap in the 450SMX qualifying session. The 450 rookie is looking to close out his season with a bang and was one of only three riders in the 1:13 range. His time was nearly half a second quicker than anyone else. Deegan still has a shot at this title and goes to the line with the first gate pick tonight. Hunter Lawrence clocked a fast-lap in second overall with points leader Jorge Prado rounding out the top three. Prado leads the series by 16 points and controls the championship heading into the night show.
450 OVERALL QUALIFYING RESULTS (Top 10)
| 1. | Haiden Deegan | (Yam) | 1:13.296 |
| 2. | Hunter Lawrence | (Hon) | 1:13.707 |
| 3. | Jorge Prado | (KTM) | 1:13.936 |
| 4. | Ken Roczen | (Suz) | 1:14.597 |
| 5. | RJ Hampshire | (Hus) | 1:14.727 |
| 6. | Cooper Webb | (Yam) | 1:14.775 |
| 7. | Eli Tomac | (KTM) | 1:14.960 |
| 8. | Justin Hill | (KTM) | 1:15.062 |
| 9. | Garrett Marchbanks | (Kaw) | 1:15.204 |
| 10. | Jordon Smith | (Tri) | 1:15.384 |
250 QUALIFYING
Julien Beaumer is once again the fastest 250 rider of the day. The Red Bull KTM rider is on a roll right now and won last weekend’s round in Los Angeles. He has a mathematical chance at the 250 title and is giving himself the best shot at this year’s finale. Cole Davies is 0-2 in this year’s Playoffs and goes to the line with the second-fastest lap, .05 seconds behind Beaumer. Points leader Levi Kitchen controls the championship and was third best in qualifying.
250 OVERALL QUALIFYING RESULTS (Top 10)
| 1. | Julien Beaumer | (KTM) | 1:15.001 |
| 2. | Cole Davies | (Yam) | 1:15.052 |
| 3. | Levi Kitchen | (Kaw) | 1:15.318 |
| 4. | Ryder DiFrancesco | (Hus) | 1:15.383 |
| 5. | Landen Gordon | (Yam) | 1:15.683 |
| 6. | Jo Shimoda | (Hon) | 1:15.888 |
| 7. | Drew Adams | (Kaw) | 1:16.059 |
| 8. | Kayden Minear | (Yam) | 1:16.065 |
| 9. | Caden Dudney | (Yam) | 1:16.082 |
| 10. | Daxton Bennick | (Hus) | 1:16.291 |
