More from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM:

Eli Tomac and Red Bull KTM earn back-to-back 450SX wins in San Diego.

Aaron Plessinger: “San Diego was pretty good! I’ve been sick all week, but I was feeling better in practice than I did last weekend, and I was actually feeling really good going into the Heat Race. Once I got done with that one, my chest was on fire and I had a headache, so it was tough… No excuses, though. I went into the Main Event and did what I could – I was around sixth for a while, and then was there until the last lap before a lapped rider held me up. It’s racing, but we’ll go back this week, return to 100 percent, and then be ready for A2.”

Jorge Prado: “Round 2 was a positive day. Even though the Main Event didn’t go as well as I would have liked, I was still P2 in qualifying and then was also second in the Heat Race, so up until then, things were going very well. Then in the Main, I missed the start and after that I was riding tight. I didn’t really ride like myself, I would say, and it was a bit of a struggle. I kind of fell into some other riders’ pace around me, so I’ll need to learn from this, and again, it’s a good learning experience to be better in the future. We’ll come back solid for A2.”

Next Race: January 24 – Anaheim, California

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More from a press release issued by Suzuki Motor USA:

Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki Solidifies Second Place in the Standings.

Brea, CA  – Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California provided ideal weather and track conditions for Round 2 of the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season. The 17-round Supercross series also pays points toward the 31-round SMX World Championship. The San Diego track crew overcame some early timing equipment challenges with an extended second qualifying session for the top 450SMX Class racers. 

Race Highlights:

• Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki
  • 450 Class
    • Ken Roczen never ran outside of the top-three positions and delivered his second straight podium performance of the year. 
• Twisted Tea Suzuki presented by Progressive Insurance
  • 450 Class
    • Jason Anderson notched a heat race podium and battled up front in the main event.
    • Colt Nichols used his speed to move forward five positions throughout the main event.

Ken Roczen (94) maintained the momentum of an opening round podium at Anaheim 1 with fast qualifying times in San Diego. After a timing & scoring session-length adjustment, Roczen powered to a top-three spot in the second session and overall qualifying times. Ken Roczen was brilliant in his heat race, nabbing the holeshot and leading every lap. As he stretched out a five second lead, Roczen used his RM-Z450’s precise throttle response to adjust to the changing traction conditions of the California soil. When the gate dropped for the main, Roczen emerged from the first corner in second place. Roczen applied heavy pressure and took over the lead six minutes into the race. He defended a challenge with an inspiring blitz through the whoops on lap 10, then Roczen led the three-rider break-away pack for six laps. At the checkered flag, Roczen earned his second podium in the first two rounds of 2026 and crossed the finish line within three seconds of the lead. The San Diego points keep Rozcen in sole possession of second place in the championship standings with 15 rounds remaining on the Supercross season. 

“We had a really good day overall,” said Roczen. “We were third in qualifying, we won our heat race, and we had an insane battle throughout the main event. The race leader and I went back and forth a couple of times. I led a bunch of laps in the beginning, and I ended up third, but not far off the leaders. I lacked just 3 to 5 percent, you know? It’s very minimal, but I definitely wasn’t the best guy tonight. Overall, we had a really good night. I’m not going to complain about a podium by any means. So, the second round is done and dusted and we’re looking forward to Anaheim 2.”

Jason Anderson (21) was fast and aggressive from his first gate drop in San Diego. In his heat race, Anderson pressured the leader for most of the race. In the closing laps, Anderson was forced to ride defensively and held on for a podium heat race finish. In the main, Anderson held strong inside the top five for the first seven laps before relinquishing a few spots in the second half of the race. 

“This weekend was not as good as last weekend,” stated Anderson. “We ended up 11th in the main event; I just kind of hit a wall there in the main and then went backwards a little bit. But we’ll be ready for next weekend, and hopefully we can come out and do some damage.”

Colt Nichols (45) found lines around other riders to move his Twisted Tea Suzuki RM-Z450 forward in each of his races. In his heat, Nichols carded a mid-pack start but advanced into a direct transfer position in the early laps. From there, Nichols nabbed two more spots to improve his gate pick for the main. In the San Diego Supercross main, Nichols was not able to capitalize on his gate pick; he rounded the first corner in 21st spot out of 22 riders. Nichols went to work and moved past five riders to finish just outside the top fifteen, a spot that did not reflect his track speed. 

“Round 2 was not a great night for me,” said Nichols. “I started [at the back] in the main, and you just can’t do that in this field. I’ve got a lot of work to do to get out of the gate and give myself a chance. But overall, I’m riding the bike really well. We’re going to be okay, and that group that I want to be in is right there in front of me. We just need to clean it up and give myself a good chance, and we’re going to do that next weekend.”

“It was a good night for us,” summed up Larry Brooks, Twisted Tea/H.E.P. Motorsports/Suzuki presented by Progressive Insurance Team Manager. “We finished on the podium again; Ken Roczen finished third. Jason Anderson finished 11th, he showed some promise; he ran at the front of the pack at the beginning and then ran into some trouble. And Colt Nichols finished 16th, so it was a good night for the team. We’re going to just keep in the fight and keep moving forward. There’s a lot of racing left this year in this series, so I think we’re in a good spot right now. Ken’s going to stay in California this week, so we get to do a little testing, and it should be fun.”

The Supercross season moves back up the California coast for the second race inside Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California on January 24th. The Suzuki RM-Z450 race bikes are ready to lead more laps, and the riders and team members are excited to deliver more strong performances and results.

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

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More from a press release issued by Honda HRC Progressive:

Hard-Fought Second-Place Result for Hunter Lawrence in San Diego.

• Australian challenges for the 450SX win and finishes strong 
• Up-and-down day for Chance Hymas, who finishes sixth in 250SX West 

After posting a calculated fourth-place result at last week’s season-opening AMA Supercross, Honda HRC Progressive rider Hunter Lawrence was more aggressive at San Diego’s round 2. The Australian led much of the 450SX main event before taking a close second-place finish, showing that he has the pace to match anyone, particularly in the late stages. Lawrence’s teammate Chance Hymas showed strong form at times during the day, but a close call in the 250SX West main event meant he ultimately had to settle for sixth. 

Lawrence nailed the holeshot in the 450SX main and led the first portion aboard his CRF450RWE. He fended off repeated challenges from Ken Roczen, with Eli Tomac soon joining the battle, and the racing between the top three was aggressive but clean. Roczen and Tomac both got by Lawrence on lap 8, but the Honda rider regrouped and stayed in contact. As the race entered its final quarter, Lawrence mounted one of his signature late surges, passing Roczen before the whoops with six laps remaining. He then reeled in the leading Tomac and attempted a last-lap pass before finishing just 1.6 seconds behind. Also impressive was Quad Lock Honda’s Joey Savatgy, who finished a solid fifth. 

Hymas was third across the holeshot line in the 250SX West main event before running fourth early on and challenging Cameron McAdoo for much of the race. Both riders picked up a position when Max Anstie went down, but Hymas made a mistake over a jump; while an amazing save kept him on two wheels, the Idaho native lost three positions and held on to cross the finish line in sixth place. 

NOTES 

• Hunter Lawrence and Chance Hymas were featured in Friday’s media day, and afterward the Honda HRC Progressive teammates both participated in a riding session on the track. 

• San Diego dealership Fun Bike Center staffed a pop-up activation booth in the Honda HRC Progressive pits, where they displayed a CRF450R and engaged with fans and customers. 

• For the second week in a row, Jett Lawrence and Jo Shimoda—both recovering from injuries—were on hand at the event, signing autographs and supporting their Honda HRC Progressive teammates. 

• Justin Brayton’s No. 10 CRF450WE was displayed under the Honda HRC Progressive tent this weekend after the 2018 Daytona Supercross winner hit the track Friday for a preview with Adam Cianciarulo, which aired Saturday on Race Day Live during a full track breakdown. 

• Chance and Hunter each qualified fourth in their respective combined qualifying sessions. Other Red Riders in the 250SX class included SLR Honda’s Justin Rodbell in 17th and Western Honda’s Hunter Schlosser in 23rd. SLR’s Matti Jorgensen finished 26th, Ty Freehill Racing’s Ty Freehill placed 40th, Lasting Impressions’ Ronnie Orres ended the session in 42nd and Next Level’s Colby Copp qualified 35th. In the 450SX class, additional Red Riders included Quad Lock Honda Racing trio Shane McElrath (12th), Joey Savatgy (14th) and Christian Craig (17th), along with McGinley Clinic’s Zack Williams, who qualified 31st. 

• Hymas nearly grabbed the holeshot in his heat race, but he lost a couple positions in the first rhythm section, putting him in fifth. After fending off some attacks and making passes, he finished in third, giving him a decent gate pick for the main event. 

• After starting his heat race in fourth, Lawrence lost a position to fellow Red Rider Joey Savatgy, while yet another Red Rider, Shane McElrath, sat behind him in sixth. The positions remained that way until the checkered flag. 

• Hunter helped the family of Honda HRC Progressive 450 crew chief Grant Hutcheson with a special gender reveal during the San Diego race day. As the seconds counted down before the starting gate dropped for Hunter’s heat race, the broadcasting team zoomed in on his Alpinestars goggles, with the strap’s pink color revealing that Hutcheson will soon have a new niece. 

• Formula One driver Liam Lawson—a racer for the Racing Bulls team—was in attendance at San Diego and took time to meet with fellow Red Bull athletes Hunter Lawrence and Chance Hymas. 

• Hunter participated in the post-race media scrum organized by Feld.  

• Hunter remains third in the 450SX standings, just two points behind second-place Ken Roczen. Chance sits third in the 250SX West points, four behind second-place Max Anstie. 

• Next up for Honda HRC Progressive is AMA Supercross round 3 this Saturday, back at Angel Stadium in Anaheim.  

Hunter Lawrence (96): 

“I definitely feel more confident on the bike; we tried a lot of things during the week to help where I felt like we struggled [at Anaheim]. That’s one thing I pride myself on: being able to show up in the main event when it counts. We were close, it was a good race. I feel like the first 15 minutes was just trying to get it under my belt, as I feel like the last five minutes is where I can make up that gap. Honestly, for me the heat race is the hardest race of the night—it was just a frustrating one—but I shook that off and put all the chips on the main. I really love what I can do in 20 minutes and just hit my marks. All day, I look forward to the main event.”

Chance Hymas (29):

“It was a little bit of an up-and-down day for me; I just felt a little bit off all day but had some really good showings for me. I just made a couple of mistakes in the main, but overall blessed to be okay. We’re five points down in the championship—not too bad after this weekend—so we’ll regroup and go after A2.”

Lars Lindstrom – Team Manager: 

“We had another relatively smooth weekend, and as a team I think we executed well. We definitely seem to have a better idea of what direction we should be going with Hunter and his bike setup, which is encouraging. I don’t think we had on our bingo card that Hunter would do what he did in the main; he wasn’t exactly stoked on himself or the bike during the day, but it was awesome to see him lock in and show up when it mattered most. That’s a quality not all athletes have, but I feel like the elite do, and I couldn’t be prouder of him for that. Chance was so close to having the red plate, which would’ve been awesome, but he was a bit too nice to McAdoo, and probably could have picked up on a few things in the main that would’ve helped him out. Still, to only be five points down in a turbulent class is great, and I expect more great rides out of him.”

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More from a press release issued by Husqvarna Factory Racing:

Ryder DiFrancesco and Malcolm Stewart record top 10 finishes inside Snapdragon Stadium.

 

 

Following a promising week of testing onboard his Husqvarna FC 450 Factory Edition, Hampshire arrived in San Diego with added confidence as the Florida native continued his first full season in the 450SX class by qualifying seventh. The 29-year-old then showed more speed throughout the round, running up front in his Heat Race before a minor fall resulted in a P7 finish.

In 250SX Heat 1, Kitchen got boxed in off the start and shuffled to the back of the field, but the No. 47 Kawasaki made quick, strategic passes to work his way forward, clocking the fastest lap time on the second-to-last lap to secure fourth place. In 250SX Heat 2, McAdoo pulled a strong start aboard his KX™250, placing himself inside the Top 5. He quickly moved up to fourth by the second lap, where he would ultimately finish the race.

In the 250SX Main Event, McAdoo pulled another incredible start. Nearly grabbing the holeshot, he put himself in a desirable second-place position. Kitchen launched a strong start off the gate to command the inside of the first turn until he caught a tough block, causing him to go down. Kitchen would quickly remount his bike and waste no time passing his competitors. Midway through the race, he posted his fastest lap time and had already climbed back up to sixth place. In the final two minutes, Kitchen gave it everything he had to be right on the rear wheel of the podium contenders to take a hard-earned fourth-place finish. Meanwhile, McAdoo rode a strong and consistent race while dealing with pressure from behind. McAdoo showed that he is right back where he left off last year, picking up his first podium of the season with a second-place finish. 

Levi Kitchen: “The day was pretty good. I had another good qualifying session, and the heat race was alright, but I started pretty far back. In the main event, I had a really good start, but I clipped a tough block in the first turn and fell. I was able to move my way from last to fourth. I finished two spots higher than last week, from starting last, but I need to stop starting last. The goal for next week is better starts.”

Cameron McAdoo: “I didn’t expect to finish 22nd last weekend, so I definitely had something to prove to myself. I want to win, and I expect myself to win. This is one position behind what I wanted to do tonight. I know I’m capable of always being on the box, and I expect myself to stay up here moving forward. These last 10 months have been a long road to get back, and as everyone knows, this sport isn’t easy. I’ve always taken pride in being able to respond, and tonight was pretty special. Being off the bike for that long and then being able to race at that pace again means a lot. I’m grateful for my family, my team, and everyone who has stuck with me. I can’t thank the Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki team enough for believing in me, and I’ll always stand behind them.”

In 450SX Qualifying, Sexton laid down strong laps in the first session, but timing issues led to an inaccurate display of most of the field’s results. As a result, the second qualifying session was extended to 15 minutes. During that session, two separate red flags paused the field, disrupting Sexton’s rhythm and affecting his ability to put in a solid, fast lap. Despite only posting a sixth-place qualifying position, the former champion was confident in his setup and speed.

In 450SX Heat 1, Sexton started just outside the Top 5 and quickly moved through the field, picking off two riders in a single lap. With the leader in his sights, he made two bold passes to go from third to first, securing his first heat race win of the season.

In the 450SX Main Event, eager to get a good jump, Sexton flinched as riders next to him shifted in the gate, causing him to hit the gate and round the first turn in last place. Fired up and determined, Sexton put his head down and went to work to move forward through the field. By Lap 2, Sexton had already moved up to eighth place and was still steadily moving forward. He continued to fight, logging lap times faster than the leaders, but with over 16 seconds of a gap to close, he was forced to settle for fourth on the night. An impressive come-from-behind effort from the No. 4 Kawasaki.

San Diego also served as the perfect round to recognize the dominant history and achievements that Carmichael left on the sport of supercross while with Kawasaki. San Diego supercross was the first race Carmichael won before dominating the 2001 season and securing his first championship in the premier class. Monster Energy Kawasaki celebrated Carmichel’s legacy by displaying his original 2001 KX™250SR along with building a 2026 KX™450SR replica race bike, built to pay a modern homage to a memorable era of racing. 

Chase Sexton: “The day was up and down. I had good speed during qualifying, but issues with timing didn’t reflect the effort I put in on the track. I’m happy with my heat race win, and I felt prepared going into the night after that. The main event went well for me based on the circumstances. I had good speed for about 15 minutes of it and then fell off a little bit, but I had to put in a big effort coming from last to fourth. I was frustrated that I put myself in that position off the start, but we fought back and saved a lot of points tonight. I had the bike to win tonight, but I made a mistake on my part. I’m going to put those mistakes behind me and focus on next weekend.”