More from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb bounces back with a clutch Houston Supercross victory to keep title hopes alive.
After Anaheim 2, it was palpable that Cooper Webb could feel his championship hopes slipping away. The pressure was on, but few riders respond to pressure like Webb. One week later, the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider was standing on top of the podium at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, delivering a clutch victory at the first Monster Energy AMA Supercross Triple Crown event of the season.
“It feels amazing,” Webb said. “It’s been a really tough month – mentally, physically, and emotionally… It’s never over, like I said last week. I thought it was a nail in the coffin, but that’s why I’m proud of myself. It’s a Cooper Webb move right there, to come back a week later and put myself in position to win.”
Second on the all-time Triple Crown win list with six victories, Webb is no stranger to success with the three-race format. In the opening moto, he got a solid top-five start and fought his way to a fourth-place finish. He backed that up with another strong start to the second moto in fourth, fighting all the way to the end and crossing the line second to put him in contention for the overall victory.
The final moto nearly unraveled early. Webb was fifth on the opening lap when a mistake after the finish-line jump dropped him back to eighth. He quickly recovered to seventh and then launched a charge around the halfway point, making his way through to third in just a couple of laps. Calm under pressure, Webb held the position to the checkered flag, securing the overall victory with a 4-2-3 score and earning his 31st-career Supercross win. It was a championship-caliber ride that gave Webb’s title defense a much-needed boost, and he leaves Texas fifth in the standings, just 17 points off the lead.
“Qualifying went a lot better, a lot smoother, and then it was just a very consistent, solid night of racing,” Webb said, looking back on the day. “I rode really well all night and put myself in a good situation. The last one got a little hairy. I made a big mistake on the finish line jump on the first lap, and got pushed back. Then I made some good passes and put myself in position to get the win. It’s a sigh of relief for myself and the team. I’m just motivated to keep this feeling going.”
His teammate Justin Cooper continued to make progress, even if the results didn’t show on paper. In the first moto, he was 12th after the start and made his way to ninth before the halfway mark, where he would finish. The New Yorker got a much better start to the second moto, slotting in fifth behind Webb. It was a multi-rider fight with Cooper battling for position, ultimately moving into fourth and holding off challenges to finish there.
Another difficult start in the final race of the evening saw Cooper get pushed wide and in 16th after the opening lap. Undeterred, he put his head down and steadily worked his way through to 12th to end the night ninth overall with a 9-4-12 score.
“It was a tough day overall, but we learned a lot today, and we can take a lot of positives going into the next few races,” Cooper said. “I feel like this race went way better than the previous one, and there were improvements. I’ve just got to fine-tune some areas and will be ready to go racing again.”
“It was a good day overall,” said Rich Simmons, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s 450 Team Manager. “We had press day yesterday, and we found a few things with the bike that we could improve on and made some changes today. With this being the Triple Crown, it’s important to be consistent, and Webb’s the king of consistency. He rode his butt off. That last moto, after landing on the back side of the finish and coming through to third – it was a clutch performance. Justin got a good start in there, and he skimmed the whoops pretty much all day, so big improvements on his side, too. It was a much-needed win for the team, and we’ll move on to the next one.”
The team heads to Glendale, Arizona, next weekend for Round 5 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the Monster Energy SMX World Championship series at State Farm Stadium on February 7.
In 250SX, Deegan Delivers a Triple Crown Sweep in Houston.
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan earns his first Triple Crown sweep and makes it three victories in a row to extend his 250SX West Championship lead.
In 2023, a 17-year-old Haiden Deegan made his Monster Energy AMA Supercross debut in Houston, Texas. Three years later, the Californian returned to NRG Stadium as a five-time Monster Energy SMX World Championship titleholder—and left with another emphatic victory to further strengthen his 250SX West title defense.
After earning fastest qualifier honors for the third time this season, Deegan grabbed the holeshot in the opening moto and controlled the race from the front, remaining unchallenged to take the win. In the second moto, he got a top-five start and wasted no time charging forward, moving into third on the opening lap before taking the lead with four laps to go. The result put him firmly in control of the overall heading into the final race of the night.
In Moto 3, Deegan got another strong start, slotting into third behind teammate Max Anstie. He made the pass for second four laps into the moto, and took over the lead on the following lap. From there, he managed the race up front to complete a perfect evening in Houston, earning his first-career Triple Crown sweep and his 10th victory in the 250SX class. The reigning 250SX West Champion now heads to Round 4 riding a three-race win streak and a 19-point advantage in the standings.
“Yeah, tonight was another perfect day, so that was awesome,” said Deegan. “Being P1 in qualifying was huge. It was a Triple Crown, so qualifying is pretty much a heat race. I had a good gate pick and rocketed out to a holeshot in that first race, and kind of set the tone. Then, the next two, I was able to get a pretty good start around the top three and get to the lead. Going 1-1-1 on the night for my first ever triple crown sweep – that’s cool.”
It was a challenging start to the first Triple Crown of the season for Anstie, but the British rider showed poise and ended the evening on a high note. After going down in the first moto and charging from the back to finish 10th, Anstie rebounded in Moto 2, moving from 15th on the opening lap to sixth at the checkered flag. In the final moto, he got a great start and slotted into second, where he ran until being passed by Deegan, but later reclaimed the position with a pass on Max Vohland. His 10-6-2 score earned him sixth overall and moved him back into second in the championship standings.
“It was a tough night, but the last moto was better,” Anstie said. “I went down in the first one and came out 10th, then in the second moto, I got a bad start and got to sixth. The last one, I had a decent start and rode around in second. It’s not my best work, but we’ll go to work this week and come back swinging in Phoenix.”
Michael Mosiman had a strong start to the Triple Crown in Houston, but would later face challenges. He was sixth in the opening moto and quickly worked his way to fourth by Lap 2, where he would finish. Unfortunately, the second moto saw the Californian go down on the opening lap and rejoin at the back of the field. He charged forward in the latter half of the race to finish 14th. Then in the final moto, Mosiman got a solid start in fifth but dropped back to ninth early and ultimately finished eighth. His 4-14-8 score secured eighth overall on the night, placing him third in the championship standings.
“It was a tough night in Houston,” said Mosiman. “It started out solid in qualifying and the first main event, but in the second race, I fell early and struggled to get the bike started. I was able to work my way back some, but that mistake was costly. Then the last moto, I struggled to find a flow. Eighth overall was not the night I was hoping for, but there is a lot to learn from tonight, and I will make better decisions going forward. That’s how progress is made.”
With two rounds remaining before the 250SX East region kicks off, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing continues to enjoy a stellar start to the 250SX West season. The team has claimed victories at all four rounds, with all three riders currently sitting inside the top three in the championship standings.
“It was a great night for the entire team, winning all three classes,” said Wil Hahn, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s 250 Team General Manager. “Everyone deserves this after all the hard work we put in. We’ve got a couple more rounds of West before heading East, and we’re in a great spot in the championship. We’re going to keep working to keep this going.”
Next weekend, the team heads to Glendale, Arizona, for Round 5 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the Monster Energy SMX World Championship series at State Farm Stadium on February 7.
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More from a press release issued by Honda HRC:
Hunter Lawrence claims career-first 450 Triple Crown race win, finishes second overall.
・Regroups in the last two races after a crash in race 1
・Australian reduces championship gap by half, to just four points
The first Triple Crown race of the 2026 season, held at the domed NRG stadium in Houston, was a positive one for Honda HRC Progressive, as Hunter Lawrence earned his third consecutive runner-up overall result, finishing just one point shy of victory in a format that has not been friendly to him in the past. This is by far the best beginning to an AMA Supercross series of the Australian’s young 450SX career, and the Texas performance reduced his gap to championship-leader Eli Tomac by half, from eight points to just four. Lawrence continues to close in on his first premier-class win, with confidence building each weekend.
The first 450SX race saw Lawrence start inside the top five and make his way to third before a small mistake relegated him to an eventual seventh-place finish. After regrouping during the short turnaround, he executed another strong start, getting around Jason Anderson in the first turn to take over second position. As he had done in the previous rounds, Lawrence gained strength lap by lap; he made a decisive pass on Jorge Prado to take the lead and never looked back until the checkered flag, earning his first win in an individual 450SX Triple Crown race. The final race of the evening got underway with Lawrence in second position. For the first half of the race, he faced challenges from Tomac and Anderson and briefly dropped to third before regaining second position. With Lawrence provisionally tied on race points with Cooper Webb in the late going, the overall victory was ultimately decided behind him, as Webb made a late pass to secure the overall victory. Lawrence’s 7-1-2 tally earned him second overall.
NOTES
・Everyone on the Honda HRC Progressive team extends their sincere condolences to the friends and family of Team Faith president and founder Brian O’Rourke, who passed away over the race weekend due to an apparent heart attack.
・Honda of Houston activated a pop-up booth in Honda HRC Progressive’s pits, featuring a CRF450R and CRF110F. Dealership staff used the opportunity to connect directly with fans and customers.
・Fans in Houston enjoyed meeting Hunter Lawrence during a private autograph session while his teammates continue to recover from injuries.
・Hunter Lawrence placed third in 450SX combined qualifying, marking his best qualifying result of the season so far. Quad Lock Honda’s Joey Savatgy turned in the 11th-fastest time overall, followed by teammates Christian Craig in 14th and Shane McElrath in 17th. Other Red Riders included John Short IV in 30th (Short Racing), Zack Williams in 33rd (McGingley Clinic) and Kyle Bitterman in 34th (Underdog Racing).
・In 250SX West combined qualifying, participating Red Riders included SLR Honda racers Justin Rodbell and Matti Jorgensen in 14th and 25th, respectively; Next Level riders Hunter Schlosser and Colby Copp in 21st and 30th; and Lasting Impressions’ Ronnie Orres in 40th.
・Schlosser and Jorgensen advanced to the evening program through the 250 LCQ, in which they finished second and third, respectively.
・Lawrence participated in the Feld-organized podium-finisher media scrum following the 450 main event.
・Thanks to consistent podium finishes, Lawrence now sits just four points behind the championship leader, Eli Tomac.
・Next up for Honda HRC Progressive is AMA Supercross round 5 this Saturday in Glendale, Arizona.
Hunter Lawrence (96):
“It was a bit of a bummer in the first race—it was just a silly little mistake; it wasn’t really a crash, but then as soon as I went off the track where it meets the concrete, it’s just so slippery and it’s hard to save that. I just reset after that one, and I think we did pretty good. I’m happy with how the night went, honestly. This format is one of the tougher ones for me; those short-duration sprints don’t come easy. I find the short turnaround from the first to the second race easier than the last one, where you’re kind of waiting around a little bit longer. I feel like the longer you wait, the tougher it is because it’s like you’re starting fresh again. The start is everything—even in a normal main event, it just makes your night so much easier. You see the chaos that goes on and I’ve been on the other side of that, so I just try to give myself the best shot into that first turn. In the last moto, I didn’t get that one middle lane, and that gave Eli the inside; that was where that race was decided, I think. I still tried to push and get in a rhythm. I knew the night win was there, and I needed to get him, but I think that if I keep putting myself in the top five around the first turn every weekend and click off good laps, good things are going to start happening. I like my chances over the next couple races. From what it could’ve been, we did pretty good damage control, and we pulled four points back on the lead. We live to fight another day, and I’m looking forward to Glendale.”
Lars Lindstrom:
“It was another great weekend for us as a team, although we’re definitely missing Chance Hymas and Jett—it was quiet under the tent! We’re looking forward to having our teammates back (hopefully Jo soon). In the meantime, Hunter is going above and beyond to represent the team solo, and I think we’re doing well as a team to focus on the big picture: the championship. This race was his to win, but unfortunately the first-race bobble didn’t allow that. To me, it doesn’t matter; we made up important points, and if he would’ve won the overall, then people probably would’ve said that it’s ‘only’ a Triple Crown, and that he still hasn’t won a 20-minute race yet. As long as we’re scoring more points than the rivals, I’m happy.”
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More from a press release issued by KTM:
Top-five finish keeps 450SX red plate for Eli Tomac in Houston triple crown.
Fourth position overall for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac marked another convincing result at Round 4 of the 2026 AMA Supercross Championship in Houston’s NRG Stadium, with his Triple Crown performance – highlighted by a Race 3 victory – seeing him maintain the 450SX red plate.
After an exceptional start to this year’s SMX World Championship season, including two Main Event victories and a third-place result across the opening three rounds, Tomac entered this weekend targeting another competitive night in building on his 2026 campaign. The 33-year-old qualified P1 onboard his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION with a flying 46.684 lap-time set in the opening session.
A mid-field start in the opening race of the Triple Crown saw Tomac steadily climb forward, crossing the line in a hard-fought P3 as the checkered flag waved. Upon charging through the 450SX field in Race 2, the points-leader crashed while running P4, but was able to remount and salvage a spirited 13th-place finish.
Victory in the third and final outing of the night was enough for the double 450SX Champion to claim fourth place overall, and contributed valuable points toward his Supercross championship tally entering Glendale next weekend. He now holds a four-point advantage in the standings.
Eli Tomac: “That was such a high-speed on-off there, the triple on-off, and in the transition, I ended up stomping on my rear brake. Thankfully, I was able to get through my bars – I was like, ‘Wow, I really need to step through my bars right now.’ I felt a little tag by the bike, but the limbs are good, I’m good, and I’m excited I was able to get that rebound in the final race. If I’m going to toss one away, this is the one to do it at, and I’m just happy to get fourth overall, because that was a ride! Glad to move on to next week.”
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Jorge Prado was sixth-fastest in combined 450SX qualifying at Houston, before the four-time world champion powered his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to a strong start and a P5 result in the opening Triple Crown race.
A holeshot in the second one had the Spaniard leading a large portion of Race 2 on his way to third position, combined with 11th in Race 3 to earn seventh overall for the weekend. As a result, Prado has moved to eighth in the 450SX championship.
Jorge Prado: “Riding-wise, I think this was a very good event. I think I rode well all day – I got a solid start in the first race, same as the second race, and then in the third one I just messed it up big time in the first corner. I was really, really behind in that one, and it was very hard to pass a lot of riders in such a short time, so I am disappointed with the end result because I think that I could’ve done way better. It is what it is, we’ll take the learnings from tonight into next weekend in Arizona.”
Also equipped with the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, Aaron Plessinger set the 12th-fastest time in 450SX qualifying during the afternoon, before taking a P12 result in the first of three finals. ‘The Cowboy’ then raced to 11th in Race 2, and a P13 score in the final outing saw him claim 13th overall.
Aaron Plessinger: “Qualifying was going pretty well in Houston, before I cased a jump and hit my ankle pretty good. I got a decent start in the first Triple Crown race, but then made a few mistakes and dropped back – I was just really involved in those mid-field battles, which are tough. And then Race 2 was much the same – just didn’t execute as well as I should. And then, for the third one, I got a decent start again and was riding alright, but then my ankle started hurting, which sent me back. Overall, not a great night, but we’ll shift our focus to the next one in Glendale for a rebound.”
Next Race: February 7 – Glendale, Arizona
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More from a press release issued by Suzuki Motor USA:
Suzuki’s Ken Roczen earns third podium result of season at Houston Supercross.
Brea, CA – Round Four of the 17-Round Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship delivered the season’s first Triple Crown race and the first event inside a domed stadium. Triple Crown events combine results from three Races, each 12-minutes plus one lap in the 450SX Class, to determine the event’s overall standings. Long ruts through corner exits on the track inside NRG Stadium rewarded precise technique; The Houston Supercross was a test of minimizing mistakes through the rhythm sections rather than pushing the envelope of outright speed.
Race Highlights:
- Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear ECSTAR Suzuki
- 450 Class
- Ken Roczen dominated Race 1 and earned third place overall with (1-5-4) Race scores.
- 450 Class
- Twisted Tea Suzuki presented by Progressive Insurance
- 450 Class
- Jason Anderson led laps in Race 3 and racked up (6-7-5) Race scores to earn sixth overall.
- Colt Nichols delivered season-best qualifying results and moved up one position in the championship standings.
- 450 Class
Ken Roczen (94) held a tight inside line in the first corner of Race 1; he nabbed the holeshot and quickly put a comfortable gap on the field. Roczen held strong under mid-race pressure and never relinquished the lead. Roczen spent the early laps of Race 2 recovering from a ninth-place start. Roczen made several passes early, and with two laps to go nearly took over fourth place until a small mistake in a rhythm relegated him to fifth place. Entering Race 3, Roczen was tied for the win in event points. When the gate dropped, Roczen bumped another rider down the start straight and emerged from the first turn in 11th spot. Then on the opening lap Roczen had a very close call with a mid-air collision over the finish line jump. Roczen kept it on two wheels and moved quickly into fourth place, where he held the event overall score in points. A small mistake in a rhythm section midway through the Race cost Roczen the spot that changed his overall event position to third in Houston.
“I was comfortable on the track [early], although when the racing came around the track was pretty sketchy; it was very high-speed and we had a couple odd obstacles that enhanced that a little bit,” said Roczen. “I started off the first Race with the holeshot, or a near holeshot. [From there I] was in the lead the whole time and was able to win that one. That felt really good to start the night off with a good result like that. The second Race was a little bit tougher, as I didn’t get off the gate as well. But I was able to ride my way up to fifth, and we ended up finishing there. That it made it tight for the for the overall going into Race three; I was tied with [one rider], and [another rider] was two points behind me… I knew what I had to do and where I had to be [at the checkered flag] to be able to pull off the overall. There was a lot of madness going on in that last one. Going over the finish line jump on the first lap [I had] a near-collision and it was very sketchy, but we all got out of it good. Then the battle started. In the middle of the Race, I lost a couple of spots because I missed the rhythm section, and I ended up being right behind [the rider I was tied with in event points]. Unfortunately, that put us from first to third [overall]. I don’t want to complain, because it is a podium, but it is tough when [a win is] right in front of you and you just didn’t get it. Nonetheless, we’re happy to finish it off healthy here on the podium. The championship is looking really good, too.”
Jason Anderson (21) battled just outside of the top five in Race 1 and was never far off the pace of the race leader, his Suzuki teammate. On the third lap Anderson posted the fasted time through Sector 1 of the track. In the second Race, Anderson arrived first at the first corner, but an outside gate pick put him outside in the corner and he crossed the holeshot stripe in second. Anderson put in strong laps, posted the fastest time through Sector 1, and carded seventh place. Anderson then went on a charge in Race 3; after crossing the holeshot stripe in third place, he pushed his way into the lead. Anderson led several laps and posted the fastest Sector 2 time; on the final lap he again nabbed the fastest Sector 1 time when the track was at its toughest.
“I feel like my speed is better than what my result shows. We fought hard, ended up sixth overall, and I was one point out of fourth,” stated Anderson. “So, it would have been nice to be able to stay in the top five, but we’ll keep working and see if we can get there next weekend; but obviously we want to be further up even than that.”
Colt Nichols (45) entered the night’s racing with his best speed of the year, but unfortunately emerged from the first turn of Race 1 well outside of the top 15. After dropping back a few more positions early, Nichols put on an incredible charge that took him past eight other riders. Nichols was off to a strong start in Race 2 with a top ten spot at the holeshot stripe. Nichols battled inside the top ten on the opening lap. Approximately four laps later Nichols had a tip over that cost him ten spots. In Race 3 Nichols earned another top-ten start and used fast, consistent times to deliver a top-15 Race result.
“It was a much better day for me, start to finish; the results don’t show it, but practice was way better. I was single digit [in qualifying] for a long time, and ended up qualifying overall P-13,” said Nichols. “In the first Race I got 13th. In the second Race I crashed and then just could not get going; I had a really bad finish there. And then in the third Race I got out of the gate a lot better and then just didn’t quite ride like I wanted to for the first few laps. We have some stuff to work on, per usual, but I feel like I’m in a much better spot; I’m finally knocking the sickness I had, so we’ll be good to go for next weekend.”
“It was a good night in Houston; back on the podium for Ken Roczen with a great ride for the win in the first Race,” reported Dustin Pipes, Principal for the Twisted Tea/H.E.P. Motorsports/Suzuki presented by Progressive Insurance Team. “We were just a couple mistakes away from a win, and the riding was great. Jason Anderson continues to improve as well with a sixth place. He’s getting great starts and putting himself in position to succeed. Although the results won’t show it because of a fall in the second race, Colt Nichols’ day was much improved as well. Phoenix is up next and it’s a venue that’s been good to us in the past.”
The Supercross schedule next takes the riders to State Farm Stadium in Glendale Arizona on Saturday, February 7th. The Suzuki riders and team members are excited about the successes in Houston and will keep the strong momentum going into the Glendale round.
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 Monster Energy Kawasaki:
Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki earns double 250SX podium at Houston triple crown.
Monster Energy® Pro Circuit Kawasaki riders Levi Kitchen and Cameron McAdoo rose to the occasion at the Houston Triple Crown, navigating the demanding three-race format to earn second and third-place overall finishes in the 250SX Class. Kitchen posted finishes of 2-2-3 on the night, while McAdoo followed closely with consistent 3-3-4 results, as the duo combined strong starts, calculated passes, and steady execution to secure a double podium for Kawasaki. In the 450SX Class, Monster Energy® Kawasaki rider Chase Sexton battled through a challenging night marked by fluctuating track conditions and difficult starts to finish fifth overall with race scores of 2-9-6. Teammate Garrett Marchbanks continued to show consistency throughout the evening, ultimately securing 15th overall after finishes of 14-15-16. Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green riders Vincent Wey and Kade Johnson lined up for a second weekend in a row in the SMX Next Main Event, with Wey finishing 12th after leading early and Johnson taking home 22nd following an injury sustained earlier in the day.
Qualifying set the tone for a competitive night in Houston, with the Kawasaki 250SX riders immediately establishing themselves as front-runners. Kitchen opened the day with a strong third-place result in the first session before delivering a statement lap in the second, jumping to the top of the board and earning second overall. McAdoo complemented his teammate with steady, composed riding in both sessions, placing seventh in the first and improving to sixth in the second to secure sixth overall.
Race 1 began with both Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki riders launching cleanly off the gate, immediately establishing themselves at the front of the pack. Kitchen settled into second while McAdoo ran close behind in third. The pair maintained steady pressure on the leader while managing the intensity of the race. Despite a tightly packed field and multiple challenges from behind, both riders rode composed races to bring home second and third-place finishes. The second race saw McAdoo seize the moment early, grabbing the holeshot on his KX™250 to lead the field early, but Kitchen quickly joined him to take over the lead on Lap 1 and the duo controlled the pace. What followed was a race-long battle with Kitchen and the leader trading lines and momentum throughout the main lanes. A late-race move in the closing minutes moved Kitchen to second after missing the tricky triple after the whoops, but he remained composed to secure another strong finish. McAdoo continued his consistent night with a third-place result, keeping himself firmly in podium contention. Race 3 tested patience and execution, as both riders were forced to fight forward from the middle of the pack following difficult starts. McAdoo methodically worked his way into fourth while Kitchen followed closely in fifth, the pair maintaining a steady pace through the middle stages of the race. As the time wound down, both riders pushed forward, capitalizing on late-race opportunities to cross the line second and third, respectively. Their combined results across all three races earned Kitchen second overall and McAdoo third overall, marking a successful night in one of the most demanding formats of the season.
In the 450SX Class, Sexton continued to showcase elite pace, qualifying second in the opening session before laying down the fastest lap of the second session. His consistency across both sessions earned him second overall heading into the night program. Marchbanks worked struggling to put in a clean lap in both sessions, but focused on building rhythm, ultimately qualifying 18th overall.
In the opening 450SX race, Sexton started near the front of the pack and immediately positioned himself in podium contention. Settling into a measured pace early, he made a decisive pass midway through the race to take over second place and maintained consistent pressure through the closing laps to secure the podium result. Marchbanks worked steadily through the field after a mid-pack start, managing traffic and rhythm sections to finish 14th. Race 2 presented new challenges, as both riders found themselves buried mid-pack off the start. Sexton mounted an aggressive charge from 17th, slicing his way through the field to reach seventh before a late mistake dropped him back to ninth as the track continued to break down. Marchbanks focused on maintaining flow and minimizing mistakes, climbing to 15th by the checkered flag. The final race of the night saw Sexton battle from the middle of the pack, charging through the field and passing up into a podium position before missing the crucial triple-triple-triple section across the start. The time lost in that section dropped him to sixth place where he’d finish the race. Marchbanks shot out the gate fast, rounding the first turn in fourth. He persevered through the same triple section in Sector 4, posting the fastest time of the evening, and finished 16th after another demanding effort. Sexton’s consistency across all three races tied him in points for fourth overall, but earned fifth overall based on the final race finish, while Marchbanks secured 15th overall.
Garrett Marchbanks:
“This weekend was about continuing to build and get more comfortable every time I was on the bike. It wasn’t an easy night, especially when you’re working through the pack in multiple races, but I felt better as the night went on. Each race I was able to settle in, find a rhythm, and make progress, even when the starts weren’t ideal. There are definitely positives to take away, and I’m happy with the direction we’re heading. I’m grateful to be back racing and putting laps together, and I know we’ll keep improving as the season goes on.”
Chase Sexton:
“Tonight was tough. The first race was solid, and I felt like I was right where I needed to be, but the second race made things harder with the start, and I had to work my way forward and be smart about it. Going into the third race, it was about salvaging the best overall result possible and staying consistent. The speed is there, and I know we’re close. The team never stopped pushing, and we’ll learn more about the bike and apply it moving forward.”
Levi Kitchen:
“Tonight was intense. The second race was a battle from start to finish. I was close the entire time, and it really forced me to stay locked in. I focused on learning and resetting from last weekend, and being consistent. Getting second overall at a Triple Crown feels good, especially with how stacked the field was.”
Cameron McAdoo:
“Honestly, I’m prouder of this third than I was of my second in San Diego. Triple Crowns are brutal, you don’t get a reset, and every race builds on the last. We stayed consistent, made smart decisions, and put ourselves in good positions all night. I have a lot of good things going for me in my life right now, and that’s something to be proud of.”
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More from a press release issued by Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing:
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing in the fight at Houston Triple Crown.
On the high-speed and technically challenging layout within NRG Stadium, Stewart continued his return to form while recovering from a fractured scapula, qualifying 10th fastest aboard his Husqvarna FC 450 Factory Edition during the afternoon sessions.
“Houston was trending in the right direction for me!” said Stewart. “I felt pretty good through all three races tonight. We’ve just been making sure to do all of the right things regarding recovery, and I have been working with Dr. G all week. I’m starting to feel a lot better and getting closer to feeling normal, so this is a very positive night. I know on paper it doesn’t look that good, but under the circumstances from Anaheim 1, this is a big win for us. So, all we need to do is keep moving forward, keep putting in the work, and I know I can get back up to where I need to be. Glendale is always a fun one and one of my favorites, so I am looking forward to that race next week.”
Also onboard the Husqvarna FC 450 Factory Edition, full-time 450SX newcomer RJ Hampshire raced to 10th in Race 1, before a late fall in Race 2 saw him credited P14. In the third and final race, the 30-year-old posted a ninth-place result in the ultra-competitive premier class field, earning 11th position overall for the round.
“Houston was a long day for me,” reflected Hampshire. “I didn’t qualify well – even though I felt good on the bike – and then my first race was decent after riding strong the whole time. Second one, I had a decent start inside the top 10 and then ended up going down pretty late in it, which dropped me back a few spots. Last race, I had a pretty good start again, but it was just decent, nothing overly special tonight. I still feel like there was progress made from our time on the bike, so we’ll head back home this week and come out swinging in Arizona.”
DiFrancesco began the day in positive fashion at the first Triple Crown of the year, qualifying third on 250SX combined times and finding competitive pace early with his Husqvarna FC 250 Factory Edition ahead of the night’s rapid, three-race program.
The 20-year-old showed speed in the opening Western Divisional race after starting outside the top 10, climbing to sixth before advancing to P5 in Race 2, and setting himself up well for the third and final race in Texas this weekend.
An additional fifth-place result capped off a consistent night for the impressive young Californian, who earned P5 overall and now sits fourth in the 250SX West standings, just two points outside of second position.
“Houston Triple Crown was good for me,” commented DiFrancesco. “I started off the day with good speed in qualifying, and then the first race didn’t begin very well with a bad start. The track was tough tonight – it was super-technical and fast, and you needed to concentrate a lot on hitting your marks every lap. There weren’t a lot of passing opportunities, so where you started made it tough to move forward. We need to clean a couple of things up, be a little more consistent with my laps, but I’m super-stoked to get to Glendale and Seattle because those have been two of my better rounds!”
Late Race Charge Caps Strong Night for Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati in Houston.
Sunnyvale, CA — The Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati Factory Racing Team took on Round 4 of the AMA Supercross Championship in Houston, Texas, marking the first stop outside of California and the first Triple Crown event of the 2026 season. With three gate drops and a fast, demanding track, the Houston Supercross delivered cold conditions and intense racing that challenged riders and teams in new ways.
The Houston track proved to be one of the fastest of the season so far, with extremely quick lap times across the field and conditions that tested both rider and machine. Early in the day, the team struggled to find the ideal setup, resulting in a difficult first qualifying session where Dylan Ferrandis posted the 15th fastest time. Continued adjustments paid off in the second session, where Ferrandis improved to 9th, showing clear progress as the track developed.
Ferrandis lined up for the first Triple Crown moto and delivered his best start of the night, coming around the opening lap in 8th. While battling within a tightly packed group just outside the top ten, he dropped back as far back as 14th during intense mid-race exchanges. Refusing to give in, Ferrandis charged forward, regained multiple positions, and crossed the line in 11th. In Moto 2, Ferrandis faced his toughest start of the evening, crossing the holeshot line in 16th, but immediately put his head down and began pushing forward. Running faster lap times than the riders ahead of him, he carved through the field, moving into 12th on the opening lap and continuing his charge to finish 10th, earning one of the biggest position gains of the race. Entering Moto 3 determined to finish strong, Ferrandis once again fought from mid-pack after starting 13th on the first lap. Showing increased comfort and confidence on his Ducati Desmo450 MX, he made key passes to break into the top ten by lap nine. With aggression and calculated race craft, Ferrandis advanced to 8th with three laps remaining and executed a decisive last-lap pass to secure 7th at the checkered flag. His consistent improvement across the three races resulted in a 10th overall finish for the night.
“I think my first moto was just bad. I got a good start, but I was fighting with the bike and myself a little bit and was not very comfortable in the first laps and made a lot of mistakes,” said Dylan Ferrandis. “My starts were not very good, but by the last moto I had a better feeling on the bike and I think we started to really get a very good base, chassis-wise. This week we need to work and improve on starts as we keep learning the bike. I feel super good and super comfortable, but when you’re out there with so much competition, you have to have the mind, the body, the bike, everything perfect to fight with these boys.”
With a solid setup direction established in the final moto and continued progress shown throughout the day, the Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati Factory Racing Team leaves Houston motivated and confident as the AMA Supercross Championship moves on to the next round in Glendale, Arizona.
