GLENDALE, Ariz. (February 7, 2026) – The fifth round of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship was headlined by the largest audience ever for a Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship race inside State Farm Stadium, which also included unprecedented attendance at FanFest. The record crowd was treated to a memorable night of racing that provided a shakeup of the early 450SMX Class title fight as Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen became the fourth different winner in the first five races, while Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence took over the points lead. It all unfolded after misfortune hindered entering points leader and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Eli Tomac to a finish outside the top 10.
Ken Roczen Wins in Glendale to Become Fourth Different Winner in Five Races to Open 2026 Monster Energy Supercross Season.
The 450SMX Class Main Event began with ISRT MX4Christ Kawasaki’s Vince Friese briefly out front for the holeshot before Lawrence grabbed the early lead ahead of Roczen and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb, the defending series champion and winner of last weekend’s race in Houston. Behind them, Tomac was taken to the ground entering the first turn by Quad Lock Honda’s Christian Craig, who lost traction and collided with his KTM-mounted counterpart. Tomac took his time to re-enter the race and resumed well back of the field in 22nd place. Back up front, Lawrence paced the field for the opening stint of the 20 Minutes + 1 Lap Main Event until Roczen went on the attack and seized control of the lead with about 16 minutes left on the race clock. The German’s impressive pace allowed him to establish a lead of about 3.5 seconds, which he managed for the majority of the race. Lawrence asserted a firm hold of second, as Webb slowly lost touch with the lead duo and soon settled in all by himself in third. As the lead trio strengthened their respective positions, the attention shifted to Tomac and his recovery from the early misfortune. Once he caught the rear of the field, Tomac methodically worked his way up the running order, picking off riders one-by-one until he found himself on the cusp of the top 10 in the closing stages of the race.
Roczen went unchallenged en route to his fifth victory inside State Farm Stadium, where he took the checkered flag 3.3 seconds ahead of Lawrence, who captured a fourth straight runner-up finish. Webb followed up his win with a third-place effort, while Tomac climbed up to 12th and salvaged what could have been a devastating night in the championship.
Roczen’s triumph was the 24th of his decorated career and he has now emerged victorious across seven consecutive seasons. It served as an emotional win for the veteran, following a Friday announcement from Pipes Motorsports Group that revealed esteemed team manager Larry Brooks has been diagnosed with cancer and has taken a leave from the races as he undergoes treatment.
Lawrence, whose fifth career runner-up is tied for the second-most without a win in series history, moved atop the 450SMX Class standings and took possession of the red plate for the first time in the premier division. He currently holds a five-point lead over Roczen, while Tomac dropped to third, eight points behind Lawrence.


Hunter Lawrence – 2nd Place – 450SMX Class:
“It’s bittersweet. I got a great start and was in a great position. Kenny [Roczen] was riding unreal tonight. He was riding a lot better than me in the first 10 minutes and opened that gap. I just didn’t quite have it. I didn’t feel amazing, just flat, but not bad. We’ll take it. [Getting] the red plate is cool, but we’ve got a long season ahead.”



Haiden Deegan Goes Wire-to-Wire for Fourth Straight 250SMX Class Victory.
The fifth race of the Western Divisional 250SMX Class was arguably the most dominant yet for Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan, the reigning West champion. He stormed out the gate to open the 15 Minutes + 1 Lap Main Event with a convincing holeshot that he turned into a multi-second lead just a couple laps into the race. From there, Deegan never looked back and continued to add to his advantage. Fellow Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider Michael Mosiman gave chase from second, while Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Cameron McAdoo and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Ryder DiFrancesco battled for third. McAdoo held the position initially but gave way to DiFrancesco for several laps before the Kawasaki rider reclaimed the position and inched away from his rival. As the race wore on, all eyes centered on Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen, who was on an incredible charge through the field after he rounded the first turn in 19th place. The Washington native made an improbable climb into the top five and then passed his teammate McAdoo to move into podium position with less than three minutes remaining. Kitchen’s journey forward didn’t end there as he caught and passed Mosiman for second with 90 seconds to go and even had Deegan in his sights on the final lap.
Deegan’s command of the Main Event was never threatened, and he easily amassed a wire-to-wire performance for his fourth straight victory. He took the 11th win of his career by 4.1 seconds over Kitchen, who passed 17 riders to secure back-to-back runner-up finishes. McAdoo made a late charge to catch and pass Mosiman and finish third for the second consecutive race, which resulted in an identical podium from the previous race.
Deegan further solidified his command of the Western Divisional standings and has a lead of more than a single race, at 27 points over Mosiman, who finished fourth. DiFrancesco, who finished fifth, sits third, 29 points out of the lead. McAdoo and Kitchen sit fifth and sixth, respectively.




The Monster Energy SMX World Championship and Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship will continue next Saturday for the sixth race of the season from Seattle’s Lumen Field. Live broadcast coverage on Peacock will begin at 1 p.m. ET with Race Day Live, followed by the Gate Drop at 7 p.m. ET. Additionally, a domestic Spanish language broadcast is available on Pea cock while international viewers can choose from dedicated English, French, and Spanish broadcasts via SMX Video Pass (www.SMXVideoPass.com).
All 17 rounds of the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and 11 rounds of the Pro Motocross Championship are on sale. Tickets for the SMX World Championship Playoff Rounds and Final will go on pre-sale Tuesday, Jan. 27, with general tickets on-sale to the public on Tuesday, Feb. 3 at Supermotocross.com. Saturday FanFest will take place at all postseason races, Friday FanFest and camping will be available in Columbus and Ridgedale, additional details to follow.
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