More from a press release issued by Honda HRC:

Overall-Win Sweep for Honda HRC Progressive at Thunder Valley MX. 

・Fourth consecutive premier-class overall win at Thunder Valley for Jett Lawrence

・Jo Shimoda tops 250 division, moves into title contention

・Hunter Lawrence takes third overall in 450 class

Honda HRC Progressive continued its strong showing in the 2026 AMA Pro Motocross Championship this weekend at Thunder Valley, not only winning both 450 motos (as they have done at every round so far), but also taking the overall victory in the 250 class, with Jett Lawrence and Jo Shimoda doing the honors. Also notable was Hunter Lawrence’s podium overall result in the 450 class.

Jett delivered a flawless performance, nailing both holeshots and leading every lap in both motos aboard his CRF450RWE. Despite needing to manage the effects of his still-recovering ankle injury, the Australian once again showed remarkable composure and adaptability. Faced with pressure from multiple challengers—including Hunter—he consistently responded and controlled the races from the front. Jett is the only rider to have ever scored four consecutive premier-class overall wins at the Colorado venue, and he also took over the championship points lead.

Hunter continued his strong run of form, topping the combined qualifying times and getting two excellent starts, putting himself in contention for the lead early in both motos. He regularly applied pressure at the front and overcame falls in each race, notching 4-4 moto scores for third overall (Hunter crossed the moto 1 finish line in third but was docked a position for inadvertently cutting a corner).

In the 250 class, Shimoda broke through for his first overall victory of the season, with consistent 3-3 moto scores. Despite starting 13^th in the opening moto and even suffering an early crash, Shimoda methodically worked his way forward, remaining composed and mounting a late-race charge to secure third place. The Japanese rider’s moto-2 start was a bit better (seventh), and he advanced into podium position around the midway mark. That was already enough to secure the overall victory, but Shimoda also overtook Ryder DiFrancesco near the end, further cementing the result.

Unfortunately, Chance Hymas entered the weekend feeling under the weather and was unable to repeat the past success he has enjoyed at Thunder Valley, going 20-13 for 11^th overall. Nonetheless, Hymas battled throughout the day and earned valuable championship points. The focus now shifts to recovery and preparation for the upcoming rounds, as the team remains confident in his ability to compete near the front.

With overall victories in both classes, Honda HRC Progressive leaves Thunder Valley with positive momentum heading east to High Point Raceway in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania.

NOTES

・All four Honda HRC Progressive riders took part in Friday’s media activities, conducting interviews with the attending outlets. They also took part in two 15-minute practice sessions. As was the case at the previous round, temperatures were much warmer on media day than on race day.

・Peak Honda World—a Powerhouse dealer about 25 minutes south of the track—worked a popup display in the Honda HRC Progressive pits, showing a 2026 CRF450R and CRF250R (Honda also had a 2027 CRF450R on display). Dealership staff took the opportunity to engage with local fans and customers.

・Between the first and second qualifying sessions, Honda HRC Progressive organized an autograph signing for fans, with all four team riders taking part.

・Thunder Valley marked the second round of the WMX series, and Quad Lock Honda’s Charli Cannon finished second overall with 2-2 results. SLR Honda’s Mikayla Nielsen was also in action but experienced a technical issue in the first moto and ended the day ninth overall, with a 16-3 tally.

・The first 250 first moto and the second 450 moto were televised on NBC, in addition to streaming on Peacock along with the other motos.

・Hunter Lawrence topped 450 combined qualifying for the second time in three weeks, while Jett Lawrence was third. Quad Lock Honda rider Christian Craig qualified in 13^th, while Short Racing’s John Short was 25^th and SLR Honda’s Justin Rodbell was 28^th. Hoag Racing’s Blake Hoag was 32^nd, Limited Decal-backed Sage Powers was 33^rd, GFR’s Dean Gall was 37^th, JCR Honda’s Ryan Surratt was 39^th, 110 Racing’s Brett Heidorn was 40^th, Clinton Racing’s KC Clinton was 48^th, Bloxom Racing’s Ashton Bloxom was 49^th, Lasting Impressions’ Ronnie Orres was 52^nd, Sun Powersports’ Raice Hernandez was 53^rd, Feine Tune Racing’s Gavin Tilford was 57^th and Storm Lake Honda’s Deegan Hepp was 61^st. Gall finished second in the 450 last-chance qualifier, slotting him into the motos.

・Honda HRC Progressive riders Chance Hymas and Jo Shimoda had respectable showings in 250 combined qualifying, placing seventh and ninth, respectively. Phoenix Racing Honda’s Gavin Towers was 32^nd, three spots ahead of teammate Aden Keefer. MPS Enterprise-backed Ty Freehill was 52^nd, Sun Powersports’ John Douglas was 55^th and McGinley Clinic’s Kyle Czworkowski was 58^th.

・Jett posted the fastest lap times in both 450 motos. Hunter was third on the lap-time sheets in the second moto.

・This weekend takes Honda’s premier-class overall-win streak at Thunder Valley to six in a row, with Ken Roczen victorious in 2021 and ’22, and Jett Lawrence winning the last four times (Roczen also won on a Honda in 2019). This also extends Honda’s 450 overall-win record at the track to eight (three more than the next-closest manufacturer), with Ivan Tedesco having won in 2009.

・Meanwhile, Honda now has seven 250 overall wins at Thunder Valley, with Shimoda joining past winning Red Riders including Justin Barcia, Eli Tomac, Jeremy Martin, Jett Lawrence and Hunter Lawrence.

・Thunder Valley marked the 30^th AMA Pro Motocross premier-class event Jett has competed in. He has taken the overall wins at all but four of those, for an incredible 86.7% winning percentage (a record). Twenty of those 26 wins were two-moto sweeps.

・Shimoda’s Thunder Valley 250-class overall win was the seventh of his career.

・The last time Honda HRC Progressive posted a two-class overall-win streak was just four rounds ago, when the same two riders accomplished the feat at last year’s Unadilla event.

・With this win, Jett takes the premier-class points lead from Hunter, who is now eight points behind his brother. In the 250 ranks, Shimoda vaults to third place, just six points out of the lead.

・Honda HRC Progressive now heads to Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania, for the High Point round this Saturday, when Jett will carry the red plate on his CRF450RWE. The event will also mark the third round of the WMX Championship, where new SLR Honda rider Mayla Herrick will make her WMX debut and Storm Lake Honda’s Kyleigh Stallings will make her season debut. Charli Cannon and Mikayla Nielsen will be back in action as well.

Jett Lawrence: “I’m super pumped with that red plate; it’s obviously good to have, even if it doesn’t mean anything at this point, really—it’s more important if you have it in the last round. They added mulch to the track, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing; it’s adding it too close to the race that’s not ideal. If they would’ve added it months prior, where the mulch could work into the soil and mix together, then I think it would hold moisture better. My first few laps, I had both wheels sliding because of the mulch and the water on top of it. In that first moto, I didn’t have the flow of the track at all, and because I was so disjointed and didn’t have much of a fire, I almost got more tired in the first moto than I did in the second one—we were just in defense mode in the first one. To be fair, my ankle felt really good this weekend. I still can’t ride normal, but I just have a little bit less pain. It was still pretty stiff to move side to side, but this week we had a lot more range of motion.” 

Hunter Lawrence: “It was kind of a crappy day in the office. I just kind of struggled a little bit with connectivity—feeling what traction I had with the front and the rear—so I hit the ground way too many times today. I feel like my riding and my pacing speed were good enough to win. The starts were good, even though they weren’t holeshots, which I think is a huge difference, especially when battling Jett. I was trying to take different lines to pass Jett, and on this track, you pretty much took the same line from the first corner all the way to the end of the motos. Anytime you tried to take a different line, you just lost time, and that’s exactly how Haiden [Deegan] ended up getting me in that first moto; I was just trying a different line to go around Jett, I lost time and he was on the inside. For the penalty, I’ve never intentionally gone off the track or tried to run over markers, so kind of a bummer. I got 4-4 today when it was really 3-4, but my crashes were the main problem.” 

Jo Shimoda: “Winning normally comes from getting starts and just running away in the first few laps. My first-lap position in the first moto wasn’t bad; I just crashed right before the small double and then fell back to 15th or whatever and had to come back, but it was a good day overall. I think one of my strong points is keeping my pace up till the end, and kind of making some moves when everybody else drops. Compared to the first two rounds, my pace and riding were better today. We made some suspension changes, and we found some things where I could push through to another level. Overall, I think my riding was a lot better today, so I was able to come back through and win.” 

Chance Hymas: “Round 3 at Thunder Valley wasn’t the greatest for me. I came in under the weather, and it was just more about starts on the weekend, which wasn’t ideal. We’re just doing our best to be better each weekend and get back to where I need to be.” 

More from a press release issued by KTM:

Lucas Coenen earns second overall in Thunder Valley Pro Motocross debut. 

Round 3 of the 2026 AMA Pro Motocross Championship proved to be a successful outing for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing at Thunder Valley, with Lucas Coenen claiming second overall on debut in 450MX, while twin brother Sacha Coenen raced to the Moto 2 victory and fourth overall in 250MX.

Current MXGP points-leader Coenen qualified second onboard his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION with a 2:02.201 lap-time, making an immediate impression in his first outing at the fast-paced, technical Colorado circuit.

The 19-year-old Belgian translated that speed into a hard-fought second-place finish in 450MX Moto 1, charging through the field and closing to within 1.4 seconds of the victory by the checkered flag.

Another convincing P2 score in Moto 2 saw Coenen secure an impressive runner-up result overall, completing what was a successful first Pro Motocross appearance for the talented teenager.

Lucas Coenen: “This was amazing! My start wasn’t that good, but I managed to go quick in the first corner and then just enjoy [myself] out there. I can’t thank the team enough for making this happen, and with the Roger De Coster kit, it’s amazing – I loved every lap out there. The second moto was hectic with lapped riders, but you know, I am racing the best riders in the world and it’s a lot of fun. Now, I will go back racing our series in MXGP and we’ll see when we can come back again in the future.”

Also equipped with the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, Jorge Prado qualified fourth fastest with a 2:04.286 lap-time as he and the team looked to rebound from a difficult Hangtown weekend.

The four-time world champion started inside the top-10 in Moto 1 and charged forward to fifth place by race’s end, before a post-race penalty dropped him two positions in the final classification. Fifth in Moto 2 saw the Spaniard claim fifth overall, and he climbed to sixth in the 450MX standings.

Jorge Prado: “Not the best weekend for me at Thunder Valley – I struggled with starts and then also just finding a flow all day. When you don’t start up front, it’s hard to make up time on the leaders, especially when there are many lapped riders. So not my best performance, but we will regroup and bounce back at High Point.”

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450MX teammate Aaron Plessinger was the 11th-fastest 450MX qualifier this morning, and he raced to a sixth-place finish in Moto 1. ‘The Cowboy’ featured inside the top-three in Moto 2, before ultimately scoring P7 in the race and seventh overall. As a result, he’s positioned eighth in the championship following the opening three rounds.

Aaron Plessinger: “Thunder Valley was a much better day for me. I got a pretty good start in Moto 1 and then fell back on the opening laps, but I smoothed it out a little and found a flow from there. A couple of people got penalized in race one, which elevated me up the order to sixth, and then in Moto 2, I got a pretty solid start! I ran third for a while, then drifted back to seventh. Overall, it was a much better day today, the bike is feeling a lot better for me, the body is as well, and now we move on to High Point.”

Current MX2 World Championship leader Sacha Coenen also made his Pro Motocross debut in Colorado, qualifying second aboard the KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, and then recovering to 14th position in Moto 1 after an early-race fall.

A holeshot in Moto 2 saw Coenen settle into a fast and consistent rhythm out front, charging to an outstanding race victory. His 14-1 scorecard saw him salvage fourth overall for the weekend, also marking an encouraging first appearance in U.S. competition.

Sacha Coenen: “I’m really happy to come over [to America] – this was our dream! We made it happen and the second moto was really good. I had a good start and the riding was just perfect. I’m just bummed about the first moto, but we need to accept it, and I am just really happy with the second moto. Thanks to everyone, it’s good confidence to take knowing that I can win a moto, so I am feeling very confident.”

Following his first-career Pro Motocross podium at Hangtown, Julien Beaumer continued his strong form at Round 3 in Lakewood, qualifying third on his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION and racing to seventh in Moto 1.

The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider improved to fourth in Moto 2, with his consistent 7-4 scorecard earning sixth overall for the round. As a result, ‘Juju’ holds fourth position in the 250MX standings after three rounds.

Julien Beaumer: “I had a good qualifying at Thunder Valley, then struggled in Moto 1 after a couple of tip-overs, but my overall riding was where it needed to be. And then Moto 2, I didn’t get a great start – I had to fight from around 15th – and fought back to fourth. That shows that my riding and fitness are good, so I am happy with where we are right now. We’ll keep building week by week and get further toward the front!”

Next Race: June 20 – High Point, Pennsylvania

More from a press release issued by Kawasaki: 

Monster Energy Kawasaki stacks career-best results at Thunder Valley. 

Monster Energy® Pro Circuit Kawasaki delivered a standout performance at Round 3 of the Pro Motocross Championship in Lakewood, Colorado, proving the team is a force to be reckoned with this season. Levi Kitchen made a late-race pass in Moto 1 to capture the victory and ultimately secured second overall (1-8), moving into a tie for the championship points lead. Nick Romano put together a consistent day with 4-5 moto finishes to earn third overall, marking both his first career overall podium and career-best overall finish. Seth Hammaker showed front-running speed throughout the day, but was forced to charge through the field in Moto 2 after an early-race incident. The No. 10 Kawasaki salvaged seventh overall and continues to hold the red plate, tied atop the championship standings with teammate Kitchen. Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green™ rider Enzo Temmerman made the step up to compete with Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki at Thunder Valley, delivering a solid performance to finish 16th overall (10-21) in his debut with the team. Drew Adams made his return to racing this weekend and gained valuable seat time as he worked back into race pace, ultimately finishing 24th overall (26-23). Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Garrett Marchbanks recorded a career-best fourth overall with impressive 3-6 moto scores, while teammate Chase Sexton missed Round 3 due to injuries sustained in a crash during the Friday riding session ahead of race day.

Prior to race day, riders were given two 15-minute practice sessions on Friday, allowing teams to fine-tune their setups and adapt to the unique challenges presented by both the track and elevation. At 6,100 feet above sea level, the elevation of Thunder Valley added another layer of difficulty to an already demanding race day. The dry track conditions led to deep ruts that developed throughout the day, along with slick and loose conditions due to freshly added mulch to the dirt. 

In 250 Qualifying, teammates Hammaker and Kitchen laid down fast laps on the technical track to take fourth and fifth overall, respectively. Romano followed in 12th, with Temmerman and Adams qualifying 19th and 21st overall, respectively, as Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki navigated the challenging conditions.

In 250 Moto 1, Hammaker grabbed an incredible holeshot on his KX™250 up the treacherous uphill start. Teammates Romano, Kitchen, and Adams emerged from the first turn around the Top 10, while Temmerman had a less-than-ideal start in 28th. On the opening lap, Romano quickly moved into fourth, with Kitchen close behind in fifth. The teammates worked their way through the field together, steadily picking off riders and closing in on the leaders. Romano made an assertive move into second, and Kitchen quickly followed into third, giving Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki an impressive 1-2-3 running order.

As the moto continued, Kitchen set his sights on the lead. He first moved past Romano before making the decisive pass on Hammaker with just two laps remaining to secure the moto win. Hammaker maintained a strong pace to finish in second, while Romano held on for an impressive fourth-place result. Temmerman delivered a standout ride, charging from 28th to 10th after passing 18 riders. Adams, meanwhile, battled arm pump after his strong start and ultimately crossed the line 26th.

In 250 Moto 2, Romano rocketed out of the gate, placing himself third through the first turn, with Adams close behind in eighth, while Kitchen and Hammaker got tangled together, resulting in both riders going down in the first turn. Temmerman, while trying to avoid the first-turn pileup, emerged at the back of the pack. The two Kawasaki riders remounted and immediately went to work on moving through the field. Kitchen launched an early charge, passing 17 riders in the first six minutes as he surged back into contention, while Hammaker steadily worked his way through the field.

Up front, Romano held strong, moving up to second for the beginning of the moto, before ultimately slipping back to fifth at the checkered flag for third overall. Kitchen completed his impressive charge to finish eighth, securing second overall on the day, while Hammaker recovered to 12th after his early fall for seventh overall. After avoiding the downed riders through the first turn, Temmerman fought his way from 33rd to 21st in a determined ride through the pack for 16th overall for his first ride with the team, and will aim to carry this momentum into High Point. After running inside the Top 10 early, Adams slipped back to 23rd as he continued to regain his rhythm back at the races.

Seth Hammaker: “Today here at Thunder Valley was pretty good. I finished out qualifying in fourth overall. I felt okay, just didn’t gel well with the track early on. In the first moto, I ripped an amazing start and pulled the holeshot. I led all the way up until about a lap and a half to go, and Levi [Kitchen] was charging really hard. He was riding really well and ended up getting around me. I was feeling good heading into Moto 2, then got into another first-turn pile-up. I just picked my bike up and had to dig for another long moto. I got back up to 12th, so 2-12 for seventh overall, and I’m tied for the point lead now with Levi. I at least still have the red plate heading into High Point. I’m looking forward to doing one more race before the weekend off, and just continuing to work on myself every weekend and try and be more consistent than I have been the past two weeks.”

Nicholas Romano: “Getting my first career podium today feels unreal. It has been a work in progress and a lot of trial and error to get to this moment. There were a lot of unknowns a year ago; at one point I told myself and my family that I was quitting, and it was a bit of a dark road for a couple of years while I was injured. I told myself about 6-8 months ago that if I can get back on a factory bike, then I know I can do it. I am so thankful for Mitch [Payton], who gave me this opportunity, and everyone on the team that has helped and supported me. On paper I am the fill-in guy, but I’m trying to establish myself to be a full-time guy on the team. I look forward to keep putting up results like this, and hopefully we can do it again next weekend.”

Levi Kitchen: “I was a bit disappointed with the day, but I did what I could and put trust in my fitness to salvage as many points and positions as possible. If I want to be in it for the title, those are the kinds of rides I need to keep putting in, where I keep fighting until the end. My eyes were set to leave here with the red plate; that was the goal, and I now have it shared with my teammate. Glad we’re both alright after going down, glad I can keep fighting and chipping away at the championship.”

In 450 Qualifying, Marchbanks put in two consistent sessions to qualify ninth overall and set himself up with a strong gate pick going into Moto 1. 

In 450 Moto 1, Marchbanks got off to a strong start, railing the outside line to position himself inside the Top 10. After a few laps, the No. 36 Kawasaki settled into a rhythm, finding his lines and beginning his charge forward. He made back-to-back passes while setting his fastest lap of the race on Lap 5, advancing to sixth place. Marchbanks maintained a strong pace for the remainder of the moto and crossed the line sixth. Following post-race penalties issued to several riders for cutting the course, Marchbanks was credited with third position in the final Moto 1 results, earning his first moto podium finish of the season.

In 450 Moto 2, Marchbanks got off to another solid start just outside the Top 10 and quickly began working his way forward. The No. 36 steadily picked off riders throughout the moto, eventually moving into sixth place. Marchbanks continued to push to the finish, spending several laps pressuring the rider in fifth before crossing the line sixth to secure a career-best fourth overall finish. Although he finished the day tied in points with the third-place rider, the overall tiebreaker placed Marchbanks fourth overall.

Garrett Marchbanks: “Fourth overall today, I’m feeling really good about it. It’s a career-best finish for me. I didn’t know I was battling for fourth or third the whole moto until two laps to go, so I really wish I got third, but for how stacked the class is and how the day was going, I’m super pumped on my result here. I’m really happy with the consistency on my starts so far, that was a career-best today as well. I’m really happy with the team and everyone, and happy with my personal best.”

More from a press release issued by Yamaha:

Deegan Returns to the Podium in Moto 2 at Thunder Valley. 

Haiden Deegan’s progression continued in Colorado, with the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider battling his title rivals and earning a third-place finish in Moto 2.

It was another thrilling battle in the Pro Motocross 450 class this past weekend at the Thunder Valley National, with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan running the pace up front. It was also a trying day for the rookie at the Thunder Valley Motocross Park. Despite tricky conditions and a couple of mistakes, the 20-year-old kept fighting and returned to the podium with a third-place finish in Moto 2.

Deegan got the day off to a strong start with consistently fast times and qualified fourth. He then got a good start to the first moto inside the top 10, quickly making his way from seventh to third on that opening lap. With the Lawrence brothers ahead, he closed the gap and made the pass on Hunter on Lap 3. It was an exciting race with the three title contenders in the lead group. At the halfway mark, Deegan hit the deck while battling up front. He quickly rejoined the moto in fourth, which he maintained to the checkered flag. After the moto, Deegan was assessed a seven-position penalty for cutting the track, dropping him from fourth to 11th in the final results.

In Moto 2, the Californian got another good start and was fifth on the opening lap behind his teammate Webb, whom he passed on the following lap. Deegan then closed the gap to Aaron Plessinger, passing him on Lap 5 to claim third. As the clock wound down, Hunter Lawrence made the pass for third with four laps remaining. However, a tip-over one lap later allowed Deegan to reclaim the position and secure sixth overall with his 11-3 score. Just three rounds into his rookie season, Deegan continues to hold third in the standings, 32 points from the top spot.

“It was a solid day of racing,” said Deegan. “We made some progress during the week that paid off in the motos. I made a few mistakes that I need to clean up, and we’ll be right there.”

Webb had a good start to the day in Colorado, with his best qualifying so far this year in seventh. Then, for the first gate drop, he continued his run of good starts and slotted into the runner-up spot. Hunter Lawrence and teammate Haiden Deegan worked their way past on the opening lap, moving Webb to fourth. The North Carolina rider held a top-five position through the opening laps before dropping back and ultimately finishing 10th.

In Moto 2, Webb got another good start and quickly made his way to fourth, but was shuffled back to ninth in those opening laps. He continued to fight all the way to the finish, crossing the line 10th to secure 10th overall.

“Today in Colorado was a good day,” said Webb. “I qualified seventh, which was the best so far this year. Then in the first moto, I got a great start, almost pulled the holeshot, and ran up front for a bit, but got shuffled back and ended up 10th. In Moto 2, I was running in the top five, and yeah, kind of the same thing. I got shuffled back, but I actually rode a lot better in the second moto and had a battle with Dylan (Ferrandis) all the way to the end for 10th. So 10-10 for 10th overall, and another top 10. We’ll get rolling once we go east.”

“I thought qualifying went well for Haiden and Webb,” said Rich Simmons, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s 450 Team Manager. “Both guys had really good starts. Unfortunately, some penalties for Haiden in that first moto pushed him back outside the top 10. The track was really tough today. Haiden did a good job managing that and getting it back on the podium, and Webb was up front with two good starts and had a better qualifying. So overall, a good day for the guys. Obviously, we want to be better. We’ll just keep working at it and move on to High Point.”

The series continues to head east for the High Point National next weekend – Round 4 of the Pro Motocross Championship and Round 21 of the Monster Energy SuperMotocross World Championship at High Point Raceway in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania, on June 20.

More from a press release issued by Husqvarna:

Ryder DiFrancesco races to a solid fifth overall in 250MX at Thunder Valley. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing teammate RJ Hampshire P8 in 450MX. 

Following three rounds of competition, DiFrancesco sits seventh in the 250MX standings, with the High Point National scheduled next on June 20.

 

250MX teammate Casey Cochran finished 11th in Moto 1 aboard his Husqvarna FC 250 Factory Edition, while 20th in Moto 2 classified him 15th overall for the round. 

“Thunder Valley wasn’t the best day for me,” reflected Cochran. “I struggled mostly all day with comfort and confidence, but I had a better first moto than the second. We’ll head east now and keep the head held high – and get ready to run back up front.”