More from a press release issued by Honda HRC: 

Hunter Lawrence Wins Denver Supercross, Closes Gap to 1 Point Ahead of Finale.

• Start-to-finish dominance for the Australian in the Mile High City
• Winner-take-all scenario heading to last round in Salt Lake City

Coming into the penultimate race of the 2026 AMA Supercross season, Hunter Lawrence found himself four points behind the championship leader, in a situation where performing was a must to keep his title hopes alive. The Australian delivered when it mattered, racing his CRF450RWE to a convincing victory and closing to within a single point, with just one round remaining.

Racing at altitude places added importance on starts, and the 450SX main event saw Lawrence get an epic launch down the start straight, although Jorge Prado was able to claim the actual holeshot by sneaking around the outside. Lawrence took over the lead by lap 2 and never looked back. As battles unfolded behind him, he leveraged his pace to steadily extend his lead, ultimately crossing the finish line with a 12.3-second advantage over second-place finisher and title-rival Ken Roczen.

Quad Lock Honda racer Dean Wilson finished ninth, while teammates Christian Craig and Shane McElrath completed the race in 12^th and 16^th, respectively.

In addition to closing the championship gap to just one point, Lawrence’s fifth victory of the season matches Roczen’s win total on the year, so the Australian now holds the advantage for a potential tiebreaker as the series heads into the final round in Salt Lake City.

NOTES

• Hunter Lawrence was featured during Friday’s media day, where he handled interviews and later participated in riding sessions.

• Peak Honda World, Colorado’s top Honda Powersports dealership, enhanced the fan experience within the Honda HRC Progressive pit area through a pop-up activation. Staff engaged directly with fans and customers at the display, which featured a CRF450R, CRF150R and CRF110F.

• Hunter Lawrence participated in a private autograph session in the Honda HRC Progressive pits during FanFest, creating a premium fan experience.

• Honda HRC Progressive Team Manager Lars Lindstrom appeared on Race Day Live, answering questions from Chase Cook relating to the altitude.

• During the broadcast, Mikayla Nielsen (SLR Honda) and Charli Cannon (Quad Lock Honda) were interviewed by Jason Thomas and Will Christien ahead of the WMX Championship, which will kick off at Hangtown June 6. Nielsen was also interviewed on Race Day Live.

• In 250SX West combined qualifying, participating Red Riders included SLR Honda’s Justin Rodbell in 14^th, Next Level’s Hunter Schlosser in 17^th, Western Honda Racing’s Ty Freehill in 27^th, and Lasting Impressions’ Ronnie Orres in 28^th. Rodbell and Schlosser qualified for the main event by finishing fifth and ninth in their respective heat races.

• Lawrence had the second-fastest time in 450SX qualifying. Quad Lock Honda riders Christian Craig, Dean Wilson and Shane McElrath qualified in 10^th, 12^th and 14^th, respectively. Jeremy Hand (Valley Motorsports) was 27^th, John Short IV (Short Racing) was 28^th, and privateer Red Rider Zack Williams (McGinley Clinic) qualified 30^th. 

• Joey Savatgy went down during the first qualifying session and was transported to a local hospital, where he was diagnosed with a dislocated wrist. He will undergo further evaluation this week. Savatgy has shown strong speed and impressive results this season, and American Honda wishes him a speedy recovery.

• Lawrence topped the first heat race, with Craig (fourth), Wilson (seventh) and McElrath (eighth) also advancing directly to the main event. 

• Heading into the last race of AMA Supercross season, Hunter Lawrence sits only one point behind points-leader Ken Roczen, setting up an exciting showdown at the season finale.

• Jett Lawrence, who is recovering from injury but plans to return for the upcoming AMA Pro Motocross series, attended the Formula 1 race in Miami over the weekend.

• Honda HRC Progressive heads to the final round of AMA Supercross in Salt Lake City on Saturday, May 9.

Hunter Lawrence: “The bike was working good, giving me what I needed. It was a really tough track, not much traction out there; I had to kind of pick and choose where I made my arcs in the corners and bank off stuff whenever I was turning. My starts weren’t amazing all day today; we were kind of fiddling, massaging some things, and we got them sorted for the main. I love having to work for it a little bit during the day. I feel like that’s when I have my best days, and I love working with the team; I feel like we work so great together, and it brings the best out in me. Everyone knows what I needed to do—win the last two rounds—and we checked the first box. Now we need to go to Salt Lake City and try to do the same thing. I’d rather be in the position I’m in now than seven points down if Kenny had won. This is my title to lose, and I feel like under pressure, I’ve been the best guy this year. So, we’ll go to Salt Lake City and enjoy it.”

Lars Lindstrom – Team Manager: “What a race! There’s nobody I’d rather have on my side going into these pressure-cooker races than Hunter; he just oozes confidence, and it bleeds into the entire team. We did our due diligence to give him the best advantage possible, on the track and on the start, and it seems that it worked out. His start in the main was quite possibly the most awesome start I’ve seen by our guys in SX; he just rocketed out of the gate and down the straight! The help from the IndyCar/IMSA team and the Honda Turbo Hybrid system was really cooking, haha—kidding, of course! We’re excited for the last race and will work on anything else that we can do to help Hunter have an advantage to win.”

More from a press release issued by Suzuki: 

Suzuki’s Ken Roczen defends points lead at Denver Supercross.Roczen Earns Second Place at the Penultimate Round of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship. 

The 5280-foot elevation of Empower Field at Mile High brought thin-air restrictions to the teams and riders at the Denver Supercross, Round 16 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross season. The hardpack track featured two sets of whoops with a tricky sand corner that followed one whoops pad. With only one more Supercross round remaining after Denver, the excitement was high and the packed stadium of fans was treated to great racing.  

Race Highlights:

• Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear ECSTAR Suzuki
  • 450 Class
    • Ken Roczen battled forward into second place and held the spot to protect his championship points lead.
• Twisted Tea Suzuki presented by Progressive Insurance
  • 450 Class
    • Colt Nichols continues to gain speed in his return to racing and scored championship points at the Denver round.

Ken Roczen (94) started the day with incredible speed; he set the fastest lap time in the second qualifying session, which stood as the fastest overall lap time in qualifying. In his heat race, Roczen crossed the holeshot stripe in eighth position then pushed his way into fourth within the first lap. Before the race’s midpoint Roczen had taken over third place, which he held to the finish. In the main event, Roczen held a tight inside line around the first corner and emerged in sixth. Two minutes into the 20-minute plus one lap race, Roczen blitzed the whoops and passed the third-place rider entering the track’s sand turn. Less than a lap later, Roczen took over second place and used his whoop speed to instantly distance himself from the pack. As the dry track lost traction, Roczen managed the race and strategized for the title. Roczen pulled a five second gap over the rider behind him then rode clean laps to maintain the cushion and earn second-place points. The performance protected Roczen’s championship lead heading into the final round.  

“Overall, we had a really good day,” said Roczen. “Being back at the altitude – the last time I was here it was at the 2023 [race] – it is always a surprise [regarding] the equipment [and] how much slower it is. Obviously, we’re all [of the teams] dealing with it, but it takes a lot getting used to it. From Q2 we had P-1 and went first [gate pick into] the night show. I had just an alright heat race; it was a third place, but I was really trying to figure out the track. I feel like we rode the best in the main event when it really counted. I wasn’t fast enough to get with [the rider in the lead], but I got into second place and just kind of maintained. Yeah, just wasn’t good enough for first, but good enough for second [tonight], so now we’re one point ahead and it’s really fun to see how this unfolds. Overall, I would say we had a really good day with a second place and we’re going into the last round happy and stoked to be in this position and we’re going to give this a shot.”

Colt Nichols (45) crossed the holeshot stripe of his heat race in sixth place, but first-lap chaos put him further back once the pack sorted itself out. Nichols put his head down and gained back positions to secure a direct transfer to the main. In the main, Nichols rounded the first corner outside the top fifteen. Nichols clicked off fast, steady laps and eared one track position before the checkered flag flew. 

“Round 16, Denver Supercross, done and dusted and it was kind of a struggle day once again,” stated Nichols. “I’m still struggling to get myself fully healthy, and altitude sickness got me a little bit this weekend as well, so it’s kind of a double whammy. But overall, I just need to be a lot better than what I was today; but one more round to go to finish off the season strong, so I’m looking forward to that.”

“A great night tonight for the team,” said Dustin Pipes, Team Principal for Twisted Tea/H.E.P. Motorsports/Suzuki presented by Progressive Insurance. “Ken qualified first and then [got] third in the heat race, which was great to see. In the main we got a sixth-place start and then got up to second, which is what we needed to do. We retained a one-point lead and the red plate, so we have a chance to win this next week at the final round, which is all that we could hope for going into this week. So, [we’re] very stoked on the way that Ken rode. Once we got into second, he managed the race, did very well to limit the mistakes, so it was great to see… I feel like we’re going into next week with a great team and a great group of people around us and I wouldn’t change that for the world. Colt had a so-so day. We’re really looking for more from him, but the good news is that I know he has it. Seventeenth in the main tonight, battled the altitude, so we’re going to go to the drawing board with him this week and see how we can help him get over that. So hopefully we finish the season strong and hopefully we finish it with a #1 plate. But [there are] a lot of tough guys out there so we’ll have to go racing.”

Based on the fan reaction for Ken Roczen during opening ceremonies in Denver, Suzuki and Roczen have incredible fan support to take the title. Roczen leads the season by a single point, but the AMA tiebreaker would not favor Roczen so it’s a true “winner take all” between Roczen and one other rider. The final Supercross of 2026 takes place on Saturday night inside Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Suzuki riders, team members, and an army of race fans will pull together to try to put Ken Roczen and his Suzuki RM-Z450 into the history books as the 2026 Supercross champion.  

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

More from a press release issued by KTM: 

Eli Tomac and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing return to 450SX podium in Denver.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac made a timely return to the 450SX podium with third position in Denver at Round 16 of the 2026 AMA Supercross Championship on Saturday night, as teammate Jorge Prado posted a solid P6 result after winning his Heat race.

Two-time premier class champion Tomac returned from injury for his home state race in Colorado after missing Philadelphia altogether, setting the sixth-fastest qualifying time onboard his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION in dry, technical track conditions.

Tomac finished fifth in his Heat Race, before completing the opening lap of the Main Event in fourth position, and in a strong place to race forward. A brief stall in the sand section then dropped him back to P7, however, he charged through the remainder of the race to secure a P3 finish.

Denver marks Cortez, Colorado, native Tomac’s ninth podium of the 2026 season – including four victories – and sees him ranked fourth in the 450SX standings with a single round remaining.

Eli Tomac: “I’m glad to land on this podium for the Colorado fans! I was so bummed when I stalled it in the sand. I just happened to stomp on my rear brake there and then, honestly, like double-stalled. Anyway, I was able to claw back there, had some fun on this track, and that was just a good bounce back. I’m happy to get back for these last two rounds, and love being on the West Coast, too – of course, home state in Colorado – and we’ll try to get another podium next week.”

Four-time world champion Prado set the seventh-fastest qualifying time onboard his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION within Empower Field at Mile High, before capturing the holeshot and a convincing fourth Heat Race victory of the year.

After securing the Main Event holeshot, the 25-year-old ran inside the top-five for the race’s duration, including a mid-race battle with teammate Tomac for third position, before ultimately claiming a hard-fought sixth-place result. He is positioned 10th in the 450SX championship points tally.

Jorge Prado: “I would say Denver was a pretty positive weekend for me – especially after a couple of tough weekends, it was nice to get back towards the front with a Heat Race win. I adapted to the track well for the night program, and small achievements like that Heat Race are a big confidence booster for me. And then in the Main Event, I got a good start and tried to race with the guys up front – their pace was a little stronger than mine, but I tried my best to hold on. I made a small mistake before the triple, which cost me, so I’d say 95 percent of the race was good, just that last five wasn’t perfect. P6 for the night was decent and now we have one round to go.”

Next Race: May 9 – Salt Lake City, Utah

More from a press release issued by Husqvarna: 

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Ryder DiFrancesco races to Denver podium. 450SX teammate Malcolm Stewart claims a well-earned fourth-place finish in Colorado.

 

 

In 250SX Qualifying, both Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki riders came out swinging at altitude, consistently dropping lap times as the track developed throughout the day. Kitchen traded the top spot throughout the second session before ultimately claiming second fastest in the class, only three tenths of a second off the leader’s time. McAdoo put in a solid effort to qualify eighth overall heading into the night show.

In 250 Heat 1, McAdoo got a strong jump off the gate sitting just outside the Top 5, while Kitchen was shuffled towards the back of the field. Following the opening lap, McAdoo went down after the finish line. Buried in the field, he was forced to charge his way forward in the short six-minute race format. Kitchen flew by his competitors one by one while recording the fastest lap of the heat race. The No. 47 Kawasaki crossed the line in fourth place, setting up a strong gate pick for the main event. After dropping to last, McAdoo was able to pass 11 riders to move into ninth place. Although crossing the line in a transfer position, McAdoo was issued a two-position penalty for jumping on a red cross flag, forcing him into the last chance qualifier.

In the 250 LCQ, McAdoo pulled another strong start inside the Top 5. Within the opening lap, he moved into third and had his eyes set on the lead. McAdoo applied pressure on the riders in front of him and was able to make up two positions to move into the lead on Lap 3 and secure his spot in the main event with the LCQ win. 

In the 250 Main Event, Kitchen redeemed his start from the heat race, rounding the first turn inside the Top 10 and quickly moving into podium position before the end of the opening lap. McAdoo’s far inside gate pick led to him being squeezed off down the start straight after contact with another rider resulted in a tipover. He remounted and put his head down to charge back through the field. Up front, Kitchen searched for an opportunity to move into second on the difficult-to-pass track. The unique layout in Denver featured two whoop sections, which Kitchen used to his advantage as he made a decisive pass to move into the runner-up position. Although outpacing the leader’s lap times, Kitchen was unable to close the gap to first and took home a well-earned second-place finish. McAdoo faced a demanding and fast-paced race, as he charged past an impressive nine riders to claim 13th place.

Levi Kitchen: “I’m actually really happy with this result. I took quite a bit of time off the bike to recover and rode for the first time on Monday this week. I felt good, so Mitch [Payton] and I had a conversation and decided to race Denver. This was a pretty last-minute decision, so to come in and have a good weekend like this feels great. In the main event, I got into second and just focused on putting in solid laps. The track was really difficult and could catch you pretty quick, so it was all about staying consistent. Overall, after a full race day, my back finally feels good again, and I’m relieved, especially with outdoors just a few weeks away. I really appreciate everyone sticking behind me through it. I’m looking forward to finishing strong next weekend in Salt Lake and moving on to outdoors.”

Cameron Mcadoo: “It wasn’t the day I was looking for, but it felt good to be back racing. We had some things go wrong early that put me behind right away, and from there it was just damage control all day. Going through the LCQ and having to fight from the back in the main definitely made it tough, but I just kept putting my head down and getting laps in. There are a few positives to take from it, especially just being back behind the gate and getting a full day in. We’ll keep working and focus on getting better.”

In 450 Qualifying, both Kawasaki riders put down fast laps in the opening session. Sexton laid it all out on the final lap to secure the fastest qualifying time in the first session. In the second session, both riders improved their times, with Sexton once again putting on a heater for the final lap, placing him third overall, less than three tenths of a second off the fastest time. Marchbanks backed up his pace with two consistent sessions to qualify ninth overall. 

In 450 Heat 2, Sexton and Marchbanks both got off to commanding starts, running third and fifth, respectively. On the opening laps, Sexton set the fastest lap time while holding off pressure from behind and started to close in on the leader. As the battle intensified, Sexton’s corner speed allowed him to close right up to the rear tire of the leader and made brief contact as the leader cut down before the whoops section. The bobble forced Sexton to take a calculated approach and settle for second place at the line. Marchbanks would ultimately get shuffled back a few positions on the intense opening laps. The No. 36 Kawasaki regrouped to get back near the Top 5 fight, regaining positions to finish sixth in the heat race.

In the 450 Main Event, Marchbanks pulled a strong start inside the Top 10, while Sexton was pinched off going into the first turn. Both riders worked their way through the field, briefly linking up midway to make forward progress together. In the closing laps of the race, two separate racing incidents unfolded in front of the teammates, allowing both riders to make up ground on their competition. Both Kawasaki riders rode strong to push through to the checkered flag, with Sexton passing 11 riders to secure fifth and Marchbanks seventh. Marchbanks’ finish ties his career-best result from Daytona earlier this year. 

Chase Sexton: “I had a good start to the day with fastest qualifier in the first session. I didn’t expect to go to the top in the final lap, but it felt good to back up there. The track having two sets of whoops played into my favor a bit. I felt good in the heat race, but played it safe to finish in second place. I had a bad start in the main event. I had to work my way through the field and struggled to feel comfortable. The last few laps, I was able to capitalize on a few guys that went down, putting me fifth on the night.”

Garrett Marchbanks: “I had a good day here in Denver. Qualifying went well, and the bike felt good. I didn’t have to make any changes throughout the day. I qualified ninth overall and felt good going into the heat race. It took me a little bit of time in the heat race to get comfortable. I had to adapt to how much the track had changed since qualifying. I got another solid start in the main event and just focused on putting in some good laps. Once Chase [Sexton] got around me, I just latched on and knew if I could stay with him, we’d make some passes, and that’s what we did. We got helped out a bit with some guys tipping over at the end, but that’s part of it. Another seventh-place finish, which I’m pretty pumped on.”

More from a press release issued by Yamaha:

Late Race Chaos Derails Results for Cooper Webb and Justin Cooper in Denver. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb and Justin Cooper finish 11th and 13th, respectively, at Denver Supercross.

As the saying goes, sometimes you’re the windshield, sometimes you’re the bug. Denver Supercross was one of those nights. At the penultimate round of the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season, things didn’t quite come together for Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb and Justin Cooper. Despite good starts and flashes of speed inside Empower Field at Mile High, both riders saw promising main event rides unravel late.

The hard-packed, technical track challenged riders all day. Webb got off to a strong start to his heat race in third and battled with Ken Roczen before ultimately finishing fourth. In the main event, the reigning 450SX Champion quickly moved to third, but it was an intense race with multiple riders in the mix. Webb ultimately dropped back to fifth but continued to fight, holding off his teammate who closed in the latter half of the main event. In the final laps, he and Jorge Prado came together with Webb going down. He rejoined in 11th and, with little time left, would finish there.

“Denver was a tough day all around, honestly,” said Webb. “From qualifying, to the heat, to the main event – we just struggled all day. It was one of those days where you’re just off. I was around fifth and trying to make the pass on (Jorge) Prado. We were playing a lot of cat and mouse, and he kind of came over, and we locked bars. My front brake got stuck, and I ended up going down. So that ended my night results-wise. It was an overall bummer.”

Justin Cooper also showed determination throughout the night. He started fourth in his heat race, moved into third, and after a red flag reset shuffled him back, fought his way once again to a third-place finish. In the main event, Cooper didn’t get the start he was hoping for but quickly went to work, charging from around 15th to sixth by the halfway point. On the heels of his teammate, he made his move, but Webb reclaimed the position shortly after. It then turned into a multi-rider fight for fourth. With four laps to go, he and Dylan Ferrandis came together in the sand, with both riders going down. Cooper rejoined in 13th, where he would ultimately finish.

“It was really hard-packed today, which is typical Denver,” said Cooper. “So we were challenged all day with that. It was a really tough track, honestly. I was third in the heat, but just didn’t get the greatest of starts in the main. I think I started around 15th and got up to sixth. I just got caught behind Coop (Webb) there for a little bit, and went back and forth with him. I got stuck in a battle with him, Jorge, and then Dylan (Ferrandis) caught up there. We came together, and that was kind of it. I made some really good progress. I really felt like I had the speed to continue moving forward, but as you move up, the competition gets harder to pass. I gotta be better there. We’ll move on to the last one.”

“A bit of a rough day here in Denver,” said Rich Simmons, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s 450 Team Manager. “The guys were just a little bit off, but there were some positives. We had decent starts. Justin rode really well in the main event. He came from 15th and caught up to his teammate. The speed he showed and how he rode, in that main event, I’m happy with that. We have these nights in racing, so we’ll just regroup and try to be back on the podium next weekend.”

The team heads to Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah, for the Monster Energy AMA Supercross season finale and Round 17 of the Monster Energy SuperMotocross World Championship on May 9. Webb remains third in the standings, with Cooper holding fifth, as both look to finish the season strong.

Haiden Deegan Dominance Continues in Denver. Deegan’s victory secures a record-breaking season win total for Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing.

With the 250SX Western Division returning to action at Empower Field at Mile High, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan picked up right where he left off – winning. His seventh victory of the season also secured a record-breaking 15th 250SX win for Yamaha and the team – the most by any manufacturer or team in a single season.

Adding to the standout night were a pair of heat race wins and all three riders finishing inside the top five, with Max Anstie fourth and Kayden Minear fifth in his Monster Energy AMA Supercross pro debut.

“Honestly, it was a big night for us,” said Wil Hahn, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s 250 Team General Manager. “It’s nice to get another win with Haiden, but breaking the record tonight for manufacturer wins and team wins was really cool. And with Minear showing up for his first pro supercross race, and having all three guys in the top five – we’re stoked.”

It was another perfect day for Deegan. He earned his seventh fastest qualifier honor of the season, then went on to claim his eighth heat race win of the year. After getting a solid start, he took over the lead on Lap 2 and built a comfortable gap to kick off the night show with a victory. In the main event, he narrowly missed the holeshot but quickly took control, claiming the lead and riding away to earn his 14th-career 250SX win.

“Today was solid,” said Deegan. “I qualified first, P1 in the heat, and then the main event was solid. Another perfect day, which is pretty nice. I got a good start, which makes the race a lot easier, especially here, where it’s going to be really hard to pass. It’s really one-lined and hard-packed. So, I’m glad I was able to get a good start and bring her on home.”

After qualifying fourth, Anstie got a strong start in the first heat race, slotting into second before taking the lead on Lap 2. From there, he went unchallenged to earn his second heat race win of the season.

In the main event, Anstie grabbed the holeshot but was passed shortly after by Deegan and shuffled back to fourth. After briefly losing another position, he regrouped and reclaimed fourth a couple laps later, maintaining a strong pace to finish there. Anstie heads into the season finale third in the 250SX West standings, just seven points shy of second.

“It was a decent night,” said Anstie. “I ended up fourth in the main and got the win in my heat. I’m looking forward to the final round in Salt Lake next weekend.”

Minear’s pro debut was a roller coaster from start to finish. The young Australian was eighth after the start of his heat race and worked his way up to fourth, holding the position for much of the race. However, in the closing moments, he was pushed wide and did not cross the finish line jump at the checkered flag, and was credited with a 12th-place finish, requiring a trip to the LCQ.

In the LCQ, Minear showed resilience. After a crash in the sand while pushing toward the front, he quickly regrouped and charged back to finish second and transfer to the main event. Despite that less-than-ideal gate pick, he got a good start to the main event in 11th and quickly made his way through to sixth by Lap 3. Breaking into the top five with five laps remaining, Minear went on to secure a fifth-place finish.

“I made my pro debut in Denver this weekend, and wow, what a roller coaster of emotions,” said Minear. “Having to go through the LCQ because of an unfortunate incident in the heat race, and then the main event went really well. I felt like I proved what I was capable of doing.”

Next up is the Monster Energy AMA Supercross season finale and East-West Showdown at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah, on May 9. With both 250SX titles already secured by Deegan and Cole Davies, the stage is set for a final showdown and bragging rights between East and West.