You’ve probably never heard of Horatio Alger. He was a very prolific author who, over the course of 30 years during the mid to late 1800s, wrote 135 books. Alger’s specialty was writing “rags to riches” narratives. You know the kind. “Local hood makes good.” “Poor, hardworking boy rises to middle-class comfort.”
If Alger had been born about a century later, he’d probably have written a book about Scott Russell.
Russell won the 1992 DAYTONA 200 and then added four more to his quiver over the next few years, cementing his status as “Mr. Daytona.” Photo courtesy MotoAmerica
Raymond Scott Russell was born in East Point, Georgia, on October 28, 1964. His parents divorced when he was in high school, and he had to drop out of the 11th grade “to take care of things on my own somehow,” as Russell put it.
So, at age 17, he went to work in a plastic-bag factory not far from his home. When he was a youngster, he did some motocross racing, so he already had riding skills and a love for motorcycles. Then, as a young adult trying to make ends meet, he traded in his Volkswagen for a Kawasaki Ninja 750 and rode it (quite fast, no doubt) on all the twisty north Georgia mountain roads.
All that hooliganism got Russell interested in road racing. By the mid 1980s, he started competing in WERA and became one of the best novice racers in the country. Russell honed his skills in the next few years racing WERA National Endurance and Suzuki Cup road races, and his raw talent was undeniable.
He began racing in AMA national events in 1987, and just one year later, he notched his first professional win, in AMA 750 Supersport, at his home track of Road Atlanta.
He finished the 1988 season as runner-up in the 750 Supersport Championship and was in the top 10 in both AMA Superbike and 600 Supersport. Russell was also named 1988 AMA Superbike Rookie of the Year.
In 1989, he won his very first AMA Superbike race, once again at his home track of Road Atlanta.
“That one was special not just because it was my first, but because it was in front of the home fans,” Russell said.
He went on to finish a close second to his Yoshimura Suzuki teammate Jamie James in the 1989 AMA Superbike Championship.
Russell was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2005 and the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame in 2021. Photo courtesy of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.
In 1990, Russell signed with Muzzy Kawasaki and won three consecutive 750 Supersport Championships.
He won the 1992 AMA Superbike Championship and, the following year, he won the 1993 Superbike World Championship.
Over the next few years, he won five Daytona 200s, which earned him the nickname of “Mr. Daytona.”
As we celebrate “50 Years Of Superbike Racing” and kick off the 2026 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship next weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, it is only fitting for us to honor Scott Russell as our first Superbike Grand Marshal at the very track where his rags to riches story began.
Congratulations, Chief. And thank you for thrilling us all throughout your legendary racing career.
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Commanding Victory for Lawrence, who Reclaims Sole Possession of Red Plate.
Australian delivers fourth win of the season with a statement ride in Nashville
Lawrence extends championship advantage to 10 points
With a crash and subsequent sore wrist having affected his performances at the previous two rounds, Honda HRC Progressive rider Hunter Lawrence came to the Nashville round feeling relatively fit. The outcome was a return to the form he had shown earlier in the season, with a composed and dominating ride, his fourth premier-class victory of the season and sole possession of the red plate. In challenging, deteriorating conditions, the Australian combined focus and speed to win comfortably and extend his championship lead to 10 points.
The 450SX main event saw Lawrence nearly claim the holeshot before he slid and was relegated to fifth by the end of the first lap. Remaining calm and calculated, he quickly worked his way through the field, moving into second in the opening minutes and setting his sights on the leading Ken Roczen. Lawrence studied the evolving track conditions, waiting to make his move until after the race’s halfway point. Immediately after executing a decisive pass, he established control of the race, showcasing superior pace and consistency as he steadily built a gap, ultimately crossing the line with an advantage of more than seven seconds over runner-up Cooper Webb.
Behind him, Quad Lock Honda Racing riders Shane McElrath, Dean Wilson, Christian Craig and Joey Savatgy finished 10th, 11th, 14th and 16th, respectively, while McGinley Clinic-backed privateer Zack Williams completed the main event in 20th place.
Hunter Lawrence (96) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Honda
NOTES
Ahead of race day, Hunter Lawrence and Jett Lawrence connected with fans during a meet-and-greet at Nashville’s Gibson Garage on Friday, signing autographs and taking part in an exclusive fan experience.
Currently sidelined with a foot/ankle injury, Jett remained engaged with fans throughout the weekend. He attended Saturday’s autograph session alongside Hunter, and helped call the 250SX East main event in the broadcast booth. Jett returned to riding on a turn track last week and is expected to resume motocross training soon, with the goal of lining up for the AMA Pro Motocross opener in Pala, California, May 30.
Three days after a crash at last week’s St. Louis round, Honda HRC Progressive’s Jo Shimoda was diagnosed with a small fracture in his left fibula. The Japanese racer will sit out the remainder of AMA Supercross in an effort to be ready for the AMA Pro Motocross season. The team’s injured 250SX West ride, Chance Hymas, is also hoping to be back for the start of the outdoors series.
Honda HRC Progressive sponsor SKDA prepared special guitar graphics for Hunter’s CRF450RWE race bike, as part of a collaboration with Gibson and Gibson Garage, complemented by custom Alpinestars riding gear. Hunter was also presented with a custom Gibson guitar (Gibson guitars were also presented to the podium finishers as trophies). “Gibson holds such a prestigious, elite aura in Nashville, with all the rock stars and artists that they support,” Hunter said. “When you’re in the Gibson Garage, and you’re walking through the backstage areas, you just can’t help but feel this presence of greatness, and it’s cool.”
Chattanooga, Tennessee, dealership Southern Honda Powersports enhanced the fan experience through an interactive activation within the Honda HRC Progressive pit area, where they showcased CRF450R and CRF250R machines and interacted with fans and customers.
A group of Honda associates and managers from American Honda’s Alpharetta, Georgia, Powersports Headquarters attended the Nashville race, cheering Hunter to his fourth victory of the season.
Despite the absence of Shimoda, Red Riders pushed hard in 250SX East qualifying, with Jeremy Hand (Valley Motorsports) the best of them in 11th. Phoenix Racing Honda riders Gavin Towers and Even Ferry were 14th and 20th, respectively, Storm Lake Honda riders Luke Neese and Izaih Clark qualified 15th and 17th, Ryder Floyd (Ti Lube Honda) was 22nd, and Short Racing’s John Short IV qualified in 25th.
Hunter posted the second-best time in 450SX combined qualifying. Quad Lock Honda riders Joey Savatgy, Dean Wilson, Christian Craig and Shane McElrath qualified close together, in 12th, 13th, 15th and 16th, respectively. Other Red Riders included Zack Williams (McGinley Clinic), Kyle Bitterman (Underdog Racing) and Ronnie Orres (Lasting Impressions) who qualified 25th, 30th and 42nd, respectively.
Several Red Riders advanced through the 250SX East heat races, including Towers, Clark, Hand and Neese, while Floyd secured his main-event position through the LCQ.
Hunter nailed a strong start in the first 450SX heat race, quickly moving into second place out of the first corner. He maintained the position throughout, securing a favorable gate pick for the main event. Savatgy and McElrath followed with fourth- and eighth-place finishes, respectively. In the second heat race, Craig and Wilson finished sixth and seventh, and Williams secured his place in the main event with a fourth-place finish in the 450 LCQ.
Neese was the top Honda rider in the 250SX East main event, with an 11th-place result. Towers and Floyd were 15th and 16th, respectively, while Hand and Clark were 20th and 21st.
Hunter turned the fastest lap time of the 450SX main event, on his way to the victory.
Hunter has a positive history with the Nashville round, as it’s where he clinched the 2023 250SX East Region crown, earning the final victory of his 250 supercross career.
With this year’s Nashville premier-class victory, Hunter now holds four 450SX wins on the season and in his career, and he takes a 10-point advantage in the title chase, with four rounds remaining.
Next, Honda HRC Progressive heads to Round 14 of AMA Supercross in Cleveland.
Hunter Lawrence (96) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Honda
Hunter Lawrence: “We’ve still got four more races. That’s a lot of racing, so I’m just trying to get as many points, trying to make up for the past two weekends. Looking back to Detroit, maybe I should’ve settled for third? Maybe I wouldn’t have crashed, and I’d still have a pretty healthy double-digit points lead. But it just puts an emphasis on how important it is to be the healthiest version of yourself at every round; I have a whole newfound respect for the boys that have been doing this year in and year out. We just left the bike as it was all day. It was good, and I feel like that kind of track was more about just getting in tune with the feeling and the traction. When you have so much horsepower and you have to be so smooth, it’s tricky.”
Lars Lindstrom: “What an incredible weekend here in Nashville, which is one of the rounds that everybody looks forward to because of its location. Hunter capped off an epic weekend and collaboration with Gibson guitars, with an epic ride to take the win and gain back a huge a chunk of the points we gave away in Detroit. The track couldn’t have been more different than it was last weekend, and I’m ecstatic on Hunter’s line choices, decision-making and aggressiveness to make his way to the front today. I think this gave us an injection of energy into the team, and we’re ready to take the next four rounds individually and make sure we do everything to get the best result at each one. I want to give a huge shout-out to SKDA for producing one of the coolest-looking kits that we’ve ever had—the positive feedback was overwhelming! I love guitars and am a bit of an amateur player myself, and for me, Gibson guitars are like factory Honda race bikes—the best in the world! I was super proud and stoked to be able to do this collaboration.”
More from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Cooper Webb Returns to the Podium in Nashville. Momentum shifts back in Cooper Webb’s direction as the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider overcomes adversity to score a runner-up finish in Nashville.
In addition to the stacked field in Monster Energy AMA Supercross’ premier class, it’s the elements that can test some of the best riders in the world. After the deep, rutted conditions at the previous round inside The Dome at America’s Center in St.Louis, Nashville’s Nissan Stadium delivered the opposite – a hard-packed, sun-baked surface that left little room for error on Saturday afternoon.
One thing never changes, however, and that is Cooper Webb’s drive to achieve the best results no matter what he’s faced with. That persistence and work ethic paid off in Tennessee, with the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider returning to the podium as he fought his way back from a bad start to finish second.
“Yeah, man, it was pretty gnarly,” said Webb about the conditions. “After last weekend, we had probably the softest track, and this one was like concrete. So yeah, it was tough – really sketchy. You wanted to push, but you really couldn’t. I’m happy with it, though. We made it through safe.”
Cooper Webb (1) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
It was a good day overall for the reigning 450SX Champion. After qualifying fourth, Webb got a strong start to the heat race in the top five and made his way to third on the second lap. He ran a good pace, setting the fastest lap on Lap 6 and ultimately crossing the line third. In the main event, Webb was 12th after the start. Despite the setback, he put his head down and made his way through to sixth, and then passed his teammate Justin Cooper on Lap 8. It was an eventful race in the tricky conditions, with multiple riders crashing.
“Qualifying went well, I was fourth and right in the mix,” said Webb. “Then I rode really well in the heat race, but ended up third. In the main event, I got a terrible start. I made some passes and got myself kind of into a podium position. I was catching (Justin) Hill and got around him, then Kenny (Roczen) gave us a little bit of a gift.”
After making the pass on Justin Hill for second, Webb ran a strong pace in the closing laps to move closer to Hunter Lawrence. In the end, there was too much time lost in the beginning to advance further. After a frustrating few rounds off the podium, it was a nice momentum shift for the three-time 450SX Champion to score the runner-up finish.
Cooper Webb (1) on the podium in Nashville. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
“It was good to get second and get the ball rolling in a good way after these last few weekends,” said Webb. “I needed a podium for sure. We’re a little under the weather, so we will regroup and hopefully come back and get a win next week.”
It was an up-and-down day for his teammate Justin Cooper. The New Yorker showed strength from the start, grabbing the holeshot in his heat race and setting the pace up front. As the clock ran out, Hunter Lawrence closed the gap, but Cooper kept cool under pressure and threw down his fastest lap of the race on the penultimate lap, riding on to score his second consecutive 450SX Heat Race win. The tide turned with a chaotic start that set the tone of his main event, but thankfully Cooper kept it on two wheels. Back in seventh on the opening lap, he made his way through to fifth and battled for position, but dropped back to seventh after the halfway mark, where he would finish.
“It was a really tough day, honestly,” said Cooper. “All the way from the start of practice, this track, I felt, was the worst dirt of the year, and it didn’t help that it was a day race, so the conditions were tough. I had a really good heat race. I was able to lead, start to finish. In the main event, I did everything but go down in the first turn. I hit a lot of people, and then just never found a flow. I continued to drop a couple of spots and ended up seventh. I’m just glad to get out of here on this one. It wasn’t a great race for me, but we’ll take the positives and bring it to next weekend.”
Justin Cooper (32) and Hunter Lawrence (96) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Yamaha
“Overall, it was a pretty decent day,” said Rich Simmons, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s 450 Team Manager. “Qualifying went well, and Justin had a great heat race – a good start and good lap times. Even Webb had good times in that heat race, but neither of the guys had a good start in the main event, and the track was horrendous. So yeah, happy to leave with a second-place finish. We will just keep working, take the positives from here, and move on to next weekend.”
The focus shifts to Round 14, which is the final Triple Crown event of the season and an all-new venue for everyone as Monster Energy AMA Supercross makes a long-awaited return to Cleveland, Ohio, on April 18. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb heads to Huntington Bank Field fourth in the 450SX standings and 28 points from the current points-leader, Hunter Lawrence, with teammate Justin Cooper maintaining fifth.
Cole Davies Extends 250SX East Lead with Commanding Nashville Supercross Victory.
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies continues to build momentum with his fourth victory of the season.
The mission is the 250SX East Championship. On Saturday afternoon in Nashville, Tennessee, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies took another big step toward that goal. The young New Zealander once again delivered a commanding performance on one of the most challenging tracks of the season to further advance his lead in the title chase.
Davies showed speed from the start in the hard-packed conditions, qualifying just shy of the top spot. After the first gate drop of the day, he got a great start, quickly claimed the lead, and remained unchallenged to score his fifth heat race win of the season. Although he didn’t repeat that start in the main event, he worked his way from sixth to second in the opening laps. After making the pass on teammate Nate Thrasher, he put his head down and built a comfortable gap to secure his fourth win of the season. It was another impressive ride from Davies, who now holds a 19-point lead in the 250SX East Championship with three rounds remaining.
Cole Davies (37) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
“It was a solid ride tonight,” Davies said. “I just focused on making passes where I could and didn’t force anything – I let the race come to me. The track was gnarly all day, especially the whoops; they were like walls. I made the pass for the lead with 11 minutes to go and just put my head down from there. Being a big country music fan, taking the win here feels pretty special. Championship lead extended – we’re right where we want to be.”
It was a home race for Nate Thrasher, who, now back to full fitness, got the day off to a strong start. After qualifying third, he grabbed the holeshot in his heat race and led for most of it before being passed in the final laps by Seth Hammaker and finished second.
Nate Thrasher (25) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
As the track conditions worsened throughout the day, Thrasher was outside of his comfort zone in the main event. Despite that, he put himself in position to contend for the podium. He got another good start in the main event, took the lead on the opening lap, and led the first four laps before Davies made his way through. The Tennessee rider got shuffled back to fourth but stayed in the fight. In the final laps, Daxton Bennick and Hammaker went down in front of the mechanic’s area, moving Thrasher back up to second, where he would finish to secure his first podium of the season.
“I felt like I was riding really well in the heat race,” said Thrasher. “I just didn’t quite get the win in that one, but I felt like my speed was solid. The track just kept getting harder-packed, and I started struggling a bit. I’ve never really been a super hard-packed guy. I got a little lucky with it for sure, but we’ll take it. I put myself in a good situation to get on the podium, but just didn’t have the riding I needed to contend for the win. There’s a lot to improve on still, but the last two weeks have been a lot better, and we’ll keep building.”
Landen Gordon (180) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Making his pro debut in Monster Energy AMA Supercross in Nashville, Landen Gordon had a strong showing. He qualified sixth and got a good start to his heat race, slotting into third and running a strong pace to maintain the position to the checkers. Unfortunately, in the main event, he was involved in a first-turn incident that damaged his wheel. After pulling into the mechanic’s area for a wheel change, he rejoined the race and continued on to gain valuable experience, finishing 22nd.
“I had a good day in Nashville for my pro debut,” said Gordon. “I learned a lot and got third place in the heat race. I had a good start in the main, but caught another rider’s footpeg in the first turn, and ended up having to pull into the mechanic’s area to change my front wheel. I got back on the track three laps down, but overall it was a great experience – onto the next one.”
“Honestly, it was a good day all around,” said Wil Hahn, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s 250 Team General Manager. “A 1-2 finish, and Cole got the heat race win and showed a lot of maturity again in year two. Nate almost won his heat and showed some real fight in that race. Then, getting back on the podium this year – we’re heading in the right direction. With Landen stepping up this weekend, I thought he showed really good maturity, too. It’s a shame that his wheel was sacrificed in that first turn in the main event.”
Next up, the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship heads to Cleveland, Ohio, for Round 8 of the 250SX East Championship and the final Triple Crown event of the season at Huntington Bank Field on April 18.
More from a press release issued by Suzuki:
Suzuki’s Ken Roczen podiums Nashville Supercross. Roczen and Suzuki Take Over Second Place in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship Standings.
Slick track conditions and a daytime race schedule greeted riders at the Nashville Supercross, Round 13 of the 17-round Monster Energy AMA Supercross season. Hot, sunny weather baked the hardpack soil inside the open-air Nissan Stadium. As traction diminished throughout the racing, most of the track increasingly favored smooth riding, while the sand section was tight with a bold triple-in option.
Race Highlights:
Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear ECSTAR Suzuki
450 Class
Ken Roczen led 12 laps of the main event and advanced into second place in the title chase.
Twisted Tea Suzuki presented by Progressive Insurance
450 Class
Colt Nichols earned another top-ten result with a strong charge throughout the main event.
Ken Roczen (94) delivered his fourth-straight podium result; following back-to-back wins Roczen moved into second place in the championship standings. Photo courtesy Suzuki
Ken Roczen (94) delivered a third-place result in the second qualifying session and in the day’s overall qualifying standings. Roczen went into the racing optimistic to close in on his target of the 2026 Supercross championship. After a mid-pack start in his heat, Roczen moved quickly into fourth; he set the fastest times through track Sectors 6 (the whoops) and 9 in the process. A small mistake in the sand section put Roczen on the ground, but he rebounded for a fourth-place heat race result. In the main event, Roczen was pinched off down the start straight; he dove hard to the inside and emerged at the holeshot stripe in second place. With less than a minute off the race clock, Roczen sailed into the lead and defended for twelve laps while setting the fastest times through Sectors 1, 4, and 7. A minor slide-out before the triple on lap 13 resulted in Roczen needing to roll the jump and give up the lead, then a fall on lap 14 put Roczen back to fourth. The track deteriorated, yet Roczen finessed his way forward. Incredibly, Roczen set the race’s fastest time through the whoops (Sector 6) on lap 20 of the 24-lap race. When the checkered flag flew, Roczen claimed third place and his ninth podium of the season.
“It was a pretty tough day, [and] a super-early day. We knew with the warmer weather that the track was going to be extremely dry,” said Roczen. “After a tough heat race, I ended up fourth. We went into the main event still having high hopes though, and we led there for quite a few laps until [another rider] got by me. I was planning on bringing it home in second place; we had a little bit of a gap to third. [Then] I just made a mistake and lost it and tipped it over. After I got back up, luckily I was able to get it going quickly and ended up passing [the early race leader] for third and brought it home on the podium… Of course, I would have liked to have gotten those couple of [additional] points [from] being in second, but we will take what we got right now.”
Colt Nichols (45) used a top-ten result in Nashville to move up one position in the championship standings. Photo courtesy Suzuki
Colt Nichols (45) used season-best speed in the second qualifying session to match his season-best overall qualifying result. In his heat race, Nichols found himself outside of the top ten in the early laps but moved his way into a direct transfer spot at the checkered flag. In the main, he found himself back in the pack early; Nichols used his Suzuki RM-Z450’s smooth power delivery to find a flow on the slick track, climb through the field, and earn his second top-ten result of the season.
“It was a much better night for me,” stated Nichols. “I qualified a lot better, and the bike felt awesome; I was really stoked with the progress we made this week. The heat race was a little bit rough, and I started pretty poorly in the main. We just kept digging in, picking some guys off, some riders fell, but we ended up P-9 on the night. I’m really happy to be back [to a] single digit [result] and we’ll keep digging these last four [rounds].”
“It was a really good day for the team, considering a fall in the main for Ken,” said Dustin Pipes, Team Principal for the Twisted Tea/H.E.P. Motorsports/Suzuki presented by Progressive Insurance Team. “Qualifying went well, third and 11th for Ken and Colt. Ken fell in the heat and had to come back; he got fourth in the heat. The main event was going well for Ken, too. We led a very good portion of it, more than half of the main, and then we got passed by [another rider who] was riding a really good race. [Then] Ken just had a small, weird fall that dropped us down to fourth. But he recouped and got back up to third, so it’s good to have a podium with Ken. We’re now 10 points out of the title lead and I think that’s a good position to be in with four rounds to go. Colt rode his way from about 16th to ninth in the main; it was a really good main event for him. We made some fork and shock changes for him throughout the week; we knew he was in a better place going in, and it showed. I’m just glad to confirm that we’re heading in the right direction with Colt, and I look for him to close out these last four rounds strong.”
The riders will tackle the third and final Triple Crown event of the season on Saturday, April 18th inside Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio. The stadium is also open-air, and early weather reports indicate that rain may play a part at Round 14. The Suzuki riders and team members are excited to hold second-place in the points and look forward to capitalizing at the remaining rounds to capture the Supercross title.
More from a press release issued by Monster Energy Kawasaki:
Monster Energy Kawasaki riders capture Top 5 finishes in Nashville.
Monster Energy® Kawasaki rider Chase Sexton delivered a strong charge through the field at Round 13 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship in Nashville, finishing fourth in the 450 Main Event on a dry and slick race track. Teammate Garrett Marchbanks continued to build momentum throughout the night, earning an eighth-place finish. In the 250SX Class, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider Seth Hammaker showed front-running speed throughout the day, finishing fifth in the main event after battling up front. Teammates Nick Romano and Drew Adams added eighth and 10th-place finishes, respectively, with Adams turning in a determined ride in front of his hometown crowd in Tennessee.
Chase Sexton (4) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Kawasaki
Sexton and Marchbanks built momentum throughout the first day race of the season as they adapted to the track’s dry and difficult conditions. Sexton experienced an early setback in the first qualifying session after a mistake placed him 11th, but he was able to rebound with a stronger ride in the second session to secure eighth overall in qualifying under one second back from the fastest time. Marchbanks delivered consistent laps across both sessions, improving his times and positioning himself 14th overall, with both riders gaining a sense of comfort heading into the race program.
Garrett Marchbanks (36) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Kawasaki
During 450 Heat 1, Marchbanks capitalized on a strong start to place himself inside the Top 5 early, maintaining a competitive pace as the track conditions continued to deteriorate. He navigated the rhythm sections with confidence and remained in contention before ultimately finishing sixth. Sexton started deep in the field and demonstrated his ability to charge forward, making steady and controlled passes through the pack to secure a seventh-place finish and transfer directly into the main event.
Chase Sexton (4) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Kawasaki
The 450 Main Event saw both riders work forward from outside the Top 10, with each finding momentum as the race unfolded. Sexton settled into a strong rhythm and began methodically working his way through the field after rounding the first turn in 17th position, the No.4 Kawasaki executed clean passes and capitalized on opportunities as riders made mistakes. After a brief off-track moment, he quickly regrouped and continued his charge, making a decisive pass to move into fifth before advancing into fourth with another well-timed move. Maintaining a consistent pace through the closing laps, Sexton closed in on a podium finish but ultimately secured a fourth-place finish that reflected his late-race strength and progression throughout the night. Marchbanks also showed determination throughout the main event, pushing into the Top 10 and set the fastest segment time of the race across the slick start straight to the triple. He continued to advance, picking off riders with strong passes, ultimately taking eighth-place. Following Round 13, Sexton sits sixth in the 450 Championship standings, while Marchbanks holds 16th overall.
Seth Hammaker (10) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Kawasaki
Seth Hammaker: “Qualifying felt really good, I felt comfortable with the track right away and was able to put in some strong laps. The heat went well too. I got off to a good start, made the pass for the lead, and felt confident heading into the main event. In the main event, I didn’t get the best start, but I was able to work my way around the inside and come out near the front. I made a few quick passes and got up into second, then I was focused on chasing down first place. I made a mistake in the rhythm section and clipped a tuff block, which sent me off the bike and set me back. From there, I regrouped and was able to charge back into podium position. Late in the race, there was another incident that put me down again, but I kept pushing and fought back to finish third. It was a tough race, but overall I felt really good about my riding and the progress we made. It’s not over and we’ll push again next week to fight for this championship.”
Garrett Marchbanks: “It was a solid day overall. Qualifying wasn’t where we wanted it to be, but we made some really positive changes going into the night show. In the heat race, it took me a couple of laps to get going, but once I settled in, I started to feel more comfortable with the bike. In the main event, I had an OK start and got a little caught up in the first turn, but I was able to make some good passes early and start moving forward. Around halfway through, I found a good flow and was able to put in some strong laps and continue making progress. I got up to eighth and tried to push for seventh, but they were a bit too far ahead, so I focused on riding my own race and finishing strong. Overall, a solid step in the right direction.”
Garrett Marchbanks (36) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Kawasaki
In the 250SX Class, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki riders set the tone early with strong qualifying performances, led by Hammaker, who secured fastest overall qualifier after finishing second in the first qualifying session and topping the second session by almost four tenths of a second. Adams and Romano backed up the effort with consistent rides of their own, qualifying fourth and ninth overall, respectively, placing all three riders in a strong position heading into the race program.
Nicholas Romano (141) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Kawasaki
Adams returned from injuring his thumb and delivered a strong start in 250 Heat 1 by rounding the first corner in second and maintaining the position through the race with a composed and dominating ride to finish a hard fought second. In 250 Heat 2, Hammaker and Romano both started up front, immediately placing themselves in podium contention as Hammaker made an assertive move into the lead and controlled the race from there to take his 2nd heat race win of the season. Romano remained steady throughout the heat to finish fourth, giving the team strong representation heading into the main event. Kawasaki riders made of the most market share of the 250 Main Event with eight KX™250 riders transferring directly to the main.
Seth Hammaker (10) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Kawasaki
In the 250 Main Event, all three Pro Circuit riders launched to strong starts and positioned themselves inside the Top 10 on the opening lap, immediately placing the team in the mix at the front of the field. Adams showed early speed in the Top 5 before going down on Lap 4 and remounting to continue his charge, while Romano maintained a solid position inside the Top 10 as the race developed. Up front, Hammaker quickly established himself as a contender, engaging in a tight battle for position before making a decisive pass to move into second and applying pressure at the front of the field. While pushing to maintain momentum, Hammaker clipped a tuff block in the rhythm section and went down, dropping him back to fourth. Demonstrating resilience, he regrouped quickly and worked his way forward once again, reentering the battle for a podium position and reclaiming third place on track. In the closing laps, the second place rider lost traction, causing Hammaker to fall victim while preparing to pass on the inside. Hammaker maintained his focus to bring home a third-place podium finish, a result that tamed his front-running speed and determination throughout the night. Following a post-race penalty for missing a tuff block when remounting from his crash, Hammaker was officially penalized two positions and classified fifth overall. Romano crossed the line in eighth after a consistent ride, while Adams recovered from his early setback to work his way back to 10th. MX6 Racing riders Henry Miller and Marshal Weltin once again put their Kawasaki machines in the Top 10 finishing sixth and ninth, respectively. Going into the next round in Cleveland for the last Triple Crown, Hammaker sits second in the Eastern Divisional Championship standings 19 points back from the lead.
Seth Hammaker: “Qualifying felt really good, I felt comfortable with the track right away and was able to put in some strong laps. The heat went well too. I got off to a good start, made the pass for the lead, and felt confident heading into the main event. In the main event, I didn’t get the best start, but I was able to work my way around the inside and come out near the front. I made a few quick passes and got up into second, then I was focused on chasing down first place. I made a mistake in the rhythm section and clipped a tuff block, which sent me off the bike and set me back. From there, I regrouped and was able to charge back into podium position. Late in the race, there was another incident that put me down again, but I kept pushing and fought back to finish third. It was a tough race, but overall I felt really good about my riding and the progress we made. It’s not over and we’ll push again next week to fight for this championship.”
Nick Romano: “Qualifying was actually my best of the year, I ended up in ninth. As for the rest of the night, there’s not a whole lot to break down, it just wasn’t where I needed to be. I know I need to be more aggressive early on in the opening laps and focus on being more consistent throughout the main event. The speed is there, and the starts were there too, so it’s just about putting everything together for the race. We’ll keep working and look ahead to better results.”
Drew Adams: “It was good to be here in Nashville, especially with it being my home race, so that part was really cool. Overall, it was an alright day. The heat race was the highlight. I got off to a good start and finished second, and honestly, that’s where I felt the best all day. My starts were strong all day, which is something I can build off of. In the main event, I started up front again, but made a small mistake in the rhythm section that set me back quite a bit. From there, it was just about putting my head down and working back through the field, which I was able to do to get back to 10th. Not the result I was looking for, but there are definitely positives to take from it.”
More from a press release issued by KTM:
Mixed fortunes for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in Nashville Supercross.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing endured a mixed day out at Round 13 of the 2026 AMA Supercross Championship in Nashville, where Eli Tomac qualified quickest and won his Heat race before a difficult 450SX Main Event saw him finish outside of the top 10 and directly ahead of teammate Jorge Prado.
Two-time 450SX Champion Tomac entered this weekend jointly holding the series leader’s red plate, with the Colorado native qualifying fastest in both 450SX sessions onboard his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION with an eventual benchmark of a 51.407s lap-time.
That momentum continued in the afternoon’s racing program within Nissan Stadium for Tomac, who started the second 450SX Heat Race in third position, before making a move on Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Prado during the later stages to claim the victory.
A slow start to the Main Event proved costly for the number 3, who steadily climbed through the field to enter the top 10 in dry, technical track conditions, only to be impacted by a late-race crash on his way to finishing 12th. He now sits third in the 450SX standings with four rounds remaining, 15 points from the points lead.
Eli Tomac (3) in Nashville. Photo courtesy KTM
Eli Tomac:“What a day – the whole day was good, other than the Main Event result! I was comfortable with my setup all day, so I’m just frustrated not only with the bad gate selection – I should have avoided the inside on the start – but also the crash. That bad start really put me in a tough spot from the get-go and I had my work cut out for me trying to make passes on such a slick, tight track. I lost a bunch of points today, but all I can do at this point is ride my best at the remaining rounds and let the chips fall where they may.”
Jorge Prado (26) in Nashville. Photo courtesy KTM
Also equipped with the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, Spanish standout Prado recorded the fifth-fastest combined qualifying time – highlighted by P3 in the opening session – before powering to the holeshot and a third-place finish in 450SX Heat 2.
The 25-year-old ran up front during the early stages of the Main Event, crossing the line in third on Lap 1, and was contending for a podium position through the first half of the race. An incident around the midway point unfortunately dropped him outside the top 10, as Prado would go on to claim 13th position.
Jorge Prado:“It was a frustrating Main Event in Nashville. I felt good all day, and I’m just upset with myself that I wasn’t able to execute the plan I had in my head for the race. I knew I had to push hard – push it to the limit every lap – if I wanted to be on the podium. I feel I had what it took to be on the podium tonight, so I’m disappointed. My bike was good all day and good enough to be up there, so it’s frustrating to know that one mistake cost me what could have been a great night. But the positive is I’m here to learn this year, and learning every week is what I’m doing. I will regroup, keep putting in the work this week, and be even better next weekend.”
Next Race: April 18 – Cleveland, Ohio
More from a press release issued by Ducati:
Hard Work Pays Off For Dylan Ferrandis Who Leads Team to Milestone Finish in Nashville on the Desmo450 MX.
Under perfect, warm conditions in Nashville, Tennessee, Round 13 of the AMA Supercross Championship delivered a milestone evening for the Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati Factory Racing Team. Competing on a challenging, rocky, hard-pack dirt surface in the heart of country music, Dylan Ferrandis and the team showcased determination, progress, and performance, earning their best Supercross result to date in the United States.
Ferrandis entered the night show with consistent qualifying performances, finishing 10th in both sessions with times of 53.084 and 52.629, which secured 10th overall. Carrying confidence and making slight adjustments to his setup, he lined up for the heat race ready to contend.
In the heat race, Ferrandis launched from the gate in approximately 8th position and completed the opening lap in 7th. Demonstrating strong pace and consistency, he moved into 6th and steadily closed the gap to 5th. Using effective lap times throughout the middle portion of the race, he advanced to 5th place. While challenging for 4th, a small bobble and a line choice in the sand section briefly halted his momentum, but he maintained composure and finished 5th.
The main event saw Ferrandis cross the holeshot line in 7th before settling into 10th on the opening lap—an all-too-familiar position this season. However, his pace quickly became evident as he climbed to 8th within the opening laps. Building momentum, he advanced to 7th by lap 9, then to 6th two laps later. With calculated, precise passes, Ferrandis pushed into 5th place, continuing to close the gap to the leaders.
Dylan Ferrandis (14) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Ducati.
After a brief off-track excursion that cost him a position, Ferrandis regrouped and fought back to reclaim 5th before the checkered flag. Despite crossing the line in a top-five position, a post-race penalty for reentering the track resulted in a final classification of 6th overall.
“Best finish for the myself and for the team this season, so it was great and I was still closing the gap on guys in front of me, so it was awesome,” said Ferrandis. “The position dock is annoying because going off the track I did lose a position and lost time but the good thing is the changes, time, and work we put in this week was the right direction and we are making progress. We put this bike in a top five position, so we achieved that goal and now we can aim for something higher and do even better.”
Even with the penalty, the result marks a historic achievement for Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati Factory Racing, representing the team’s best Supercross finish in US racing. With clear progress and momentum building, the team looks ahead to the upcoming rounds with confidence and ambition to push even further up the standings
More from a press release issued by Husqvarna:
Daxton Bennick races to top-five result in 250SX East at Nashville. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider third in points.
Daxton Bennick and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing finished with a hard-fought P4 result at Round 13 of the AMA Supercross Championship in Nashville this afternoon, maintaining third in the 250SX East standings.
The 20-year-old qualified fifth on the combined 250SX timesheets in Nashville, improving to third in his Heat Race and earning a direct transfer to the upcoming Main Event in difficult, dry track conditions.
Equipped with the Husqvarna FC 250 Factory Edition, Bennick launched to the holeshot in the Main Event, executing solid laps inside the top-three positions as the race developed.
Bennick held second-place until the closing stages, with a late-race incident eventually seeing him claim fourth position once the checkered flag flew and results were tallied. He retains third in the point-standings with three rounds left to contest in the Eastern Division.
Daxton Bennick (58) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Husqvarna.
“All-in-all, Nashville was good,”Bennick reflected.“It’s obviously frustrating since I was in P2 until the last couple of laps… I had a good start to the Main Event, which I was pumped about, then me and [Seth] Hammaker got together, so that is what it is and is part of racing. I’d have liked to have fought a little harder at the end, but we’ll learn from this and be better next weekend.”
450SX teammate Malcolm Stewart posted the seventh-fastest qualifying time around the hard-packed Nissan Stadium layout, finding comfort onboard his Husqvarna FC 450 Factory Edition before powering to a strong P2 finish in his Heat Race.
An early-race incident proved costly for Stewart, who salvaged an 18th-place finish in the Main Event and he currently sits eighth in the 450SX standings with four rounds remaining in Supercross.
Malcolm Stewart (27) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Husqvarna.
“I actually felt great all day in Nashville,”said Stewart.“Both qualifying and the Heat Race went really well, and we just ended up having a little problem in the Main Event – me and another rider came together – and it was just a wrong place, wrong time racing incident. But, at the end of the day, I was glad to be able to finish out the Main Event, and now we’ll keep digging and look forward to the next one in Cleveland.”
Editorial Note: Americans Kensei Matsudaira (2-2) and Mahdi Salem (DNF-3) both finished on the Moto4 Latin Cup podium at Interlagos, Brazil. American Ulises Weyrauch finished 6th in both races and American Aidan Hancock finished 12th in both races.
Team Roberts Rider Kensei Matsudaira Takes Double Podiums in Moto4 Latin Cup Round 2 in Brazil
Fresh off his MotoAmerica Talent Cup race victory at the Circuit of the
Americas last month with MotoGP, Team Roberts rider Kensei Matsudaira
continued his podium streak by taking two 2nd-place finishes this
weekend at Round 2 of the FIM Moto4 Latin Cup held at Interlagos Circuit
in São Paulo, Brazil.
Kensei started the weekend strong on Friday, finishing all sessions in
both dry and wet conditions in P2, less than a second off the local
Brazilian rider topping the sessions. Kensei finished Q1 in 2nd, 0.1
seconds from P1.
After a red-flag during Q2 on Saturday cut short his qualifying effort,
Kensei lined up for the two races starting 4th on the grid.
In race 1, Kensei fought in the front group from the beginning, with the
3-rider group eventually breaking away from the rest of the field.
Kensei took over the lead on the final lap of the race heading into the
final sector, and with a flurry of position changes in the final corner
it was a 3-way photo finish with Kensei taking 2nd place, just 0.04
seconds behind the winner.
Kensei Matsudaira (left) on the Race 1 Podium at Interlagos Circuit in São Paulo, Brazil. Moto4 Latin Cup photo.
Race 2 on Sunday was a similar affair, with a 4-rider front group
breaking away from the rest of the field with Kensei leading the charge
for a significant part of the race. Once again he tried to manage the
gap and draft in the final run to the finish line, but again crossed the
line in 2nd place, 0.05 seconds behind the race winner.
Kensei was disappointed with the results of the races, but leaves Brazil
with the track lap record at Interlagos Circuit sitting 2nd in the
championship, just 8.5 points behind the early points leader.
“Honestly I can’t be happy getting 2nd in both races when the win was
just within reach, but looking on the bright side I’m the only rider
with 3 podiums out of 3 races so far and I think I’ve shown my speed at
both tracks so far in all conditions so that gives me plenty of
confidence for the future. It’s still very early in the season, I will
definitely keep pushing and start getting those wins that I’ve been
working so hard for.”
Arney Wick, Team Roberts Co-Principal:
“Once again, Kensei making a strong statement in the 2nd round of the
Moto4 Latin Cup series. As close as every finish has been for him thus
far, it seems as though it is only a matter of time that he breaks free
from the pack and puts an exclamation point on his full potential. Time
will tell of course but spirits are certainly high for the time being.”
The next round on the Moto4 Latin Cup calendar will be held at San
Nicolás Circuit in Argentina on June 19-21.
Before that, Kensei will be back in action next week with Team Roberts
at Road Atlanta in Georgia for round 2 of the MotoAmerica Talent Cup,
where he will competing on the Team Roberts Krämer APX-350 MA.
Note: Matsudaira’s team sent us a press release and the photos seen above. After we found two usable photos on Salem’s Facebook page, Salem sent us three additional photos, and they can all be seen below.
Mahdi Salem (10) leads Kensei Matsudaira (74) at Interlagos. Moto4 Latin Cup photo.Mahdi Salem (10) leads Andoni Dominguez (34) of Nicaragua and Santiago Gossa (11) of Argentina. Moto4 Latin Cup photo.Mahdi Salem (10) in FIM Moto4 Latin Cup action at Interlagos. Moto4 Latin Cup photo.Kensei Matsudaira (left) and Mahdi Salem (right) on the Moto4 Latin Cup race 2 podium at Interlagos. Alberto Enriquez (center) of Equador won both Moto4 races.Mahdi Salem celebrates his third place finish after Moto4 race 2 at Interlagos.
It’s tiny. It’s kind of hard to reach. It gets used at the start of the race, and then it gets folded away. Oh, and for riders and engineers it’s the last big tool to shave off precious time in the corners.
That’s right, this week Peter’s coming in clutch with a deep dive into…the clutch! How does it work, what influence does it have and why are these devices so different in MotoGP, compared to the ones on your own bike?
Mat wants to know, and Peter has got the know-how. Some of it is proven, other bits are reconstructed from observation. So come with us as we courageously construct critical clutch knowledge…cheers!
Want more? Visit our website or support us on Patreon. With big thanks as always to Brad Baloo from The Next Men and Gentleman’s Dub Club for writing our theme song. Check out The Nextmen for more great music!
Oh, and a quick word in regards to sponsors:
If you’re interested in connecting with a really unique MotoGP audience — we’re working with Smash Brand Group out of Sydney to manage partnerships. Curious? Just head to smashbrandgroup.com.au and get in touch!
NASHVILLE – The Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship made its anticipated return to “Music City” for Round 13 of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship as a massive crowd gathered inside Nissan Stadium to witness the closest three-rider title fight in 450SMX Class history. When the dust settled, Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence stepped up and seized control of the championship battle with an emphatic victory that saw him take sole possession of the points lead heading into the final four races of the season.
Hunter Lawrence Rises to the Occasion in Nashville to Seize Control of Monster Energy Supercross Title Fight
The start of the premier class 20 Minutes + 1 Lap Main Event saw Quad Lock Honda’s Shane McElrath grab the holeshot, but he was quickly surpassed by several riders that ultimately moved Team Tedder Racing KTM’s Justin Hill into the lead ahead of Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado. Lawrence slotted into the top five as Roczen went on the attack and seized control of the early lead. Behind them, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac, the championship co-leader, was mired outside the top 10.
As Roczen paced the field, Lawrence charged up to second and was the fastest rider on the track. The pace up front stabilized through the middle of the Main Event with a gap that hovered between one to two seconds as the top two pulled away from the rest of the field. With just over eight minutes to go Roczen lost traction before a triple jump, which allowed Lawrence to jump by into the lead. Roczen attempted to fight back, but Lawrence completed the pass and sprinted away to a gap of nearly two seconds. Roczen went down a short time later and dropped to fourth behind Hill and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb.
Lawrence found himself more than 15 seconds clear of the field through the final five minutes, while the battle for the podium raged on behind him. Webb attempted to make a pass on Hill for second but was initially denied. Webb regrouped and made the move stick a short time later. Roczen then followed through into third, with Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Chase Sexton pressing from fourth.
Back up front, Lawrence never put a wheel wrong and rode to a decisive fourth win this season by a margin of 7.1 seconds over Webb, as the reigning champion earned his first podium in four races. Roczen grabbed a fourth consecutive podium in third. Tomac, who was fastest qualifier and won his Heat Race, never factored into the Main Event and ran as high as eighth before a late crash relegated him to 12th, equaling his worst result of the season.
With four races to go Lawrence has opened a 10-point lead in the championship standings over Roczen, who moved from third to second. Tomac fell to third and now sits 15 points out of the lead after sharing possession of the red plate entering Nashville.
Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence captured a crucial fourth win of the season to take sole possession of the 450SMX Class points lead. Photo courtesy SMX
Hunter Lawrence – 1st Place – 450SMX Class:
“It feels great [to be back on top of the podium]. I’m so happy my wrist wasn’t holding me back today. That’s probably the coolest thing. Every Saturday I want to go out and have no limitations holding me back from anything. It feels like a home race with my collaboration with Gibson [Guitars] and how welcoming everyone is and I always look forward to coming back.”
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb overcame a start outside the top 10 for the first podium in four races for the reigning Supercross champion. Photo courtesy SMX
Cooper Webb – 2nd Place – 450SMX Class:
“This race was hard. The track was sketchy and you wanted to push, but you couldn’t. I’m happy with [second] and we got through safe. I had another terrible start, which is not how you want to draw it up. We’ve got some work to do to catch that lead group, but I’ll take the podium after the past few weekends. It’s a good boost of confidence for me.”
Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen continued his late season momentum surge with a fourth straight podium finish. Photo courtesy SMX
Ken Roczen – 3rd Place – 450SMX Class:
“I just felt a little bit off today compared to the past few weekends, but nonetheless we still have only four races to go, and anything goes in the Main Event. I was doing pretty good and once Hunter [Lawrence] got by me, I was going to settle for second and that felt like it was a win for me today. I ended up tossing it right before the finish line and luckily, I got the bike started and back going. I would have loved to finish second, but I’ll take a podium. That’s like a win for us. We’ve got a bunch of racing to go.”
450SMX Class Podium (left to right): Cooper Webb, Hunter Lawrence, and Ken Roczen. Photo courtesy SMX
Eli Tomac – 12th Place – 450SMX Class:
“What a day – the whole day was good, other than the Main Event result. I was comfortable with my setup all day, so I’m just frustrated not only with the bad gate selection – I should have avoided the inside on the start – but also the crash. That bad start really put me in a tough spot from the get-go and I had my work cut out for me trying to make passes on such a slick, tight track. I lost a bunch of points today, but all I can do at this point is ride my best at the remaining rounds and let the chips fall where they may.”
Despite a win in his Heat Race, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac never factored into the Main Event and finished 12th after a late-race crash. Photo courtesysy SMX
Cole Davies Dominant En Route to Fourth Eastern Divisional 250SMX Win
The 15 Minutes + 1 Lap Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class Main Event began with the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing machine of Daxton Bennick out front for the holeshot ahead of Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Nate Thrasher and Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Drew Adams. Also in the mix were the East’s two title combatants, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies and Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker. Thrasher was able to take advantage of his strong start to quickly power by Bennick, and grab hold of the early lead.
Davies and Hammaker latched on to one another and made a march forward, with Davies capitalizing on his explosive whoop speed to make passes. Less than five minutes into the race Davies moved to the front of the field, while Hammaker bided his time and worked his way up to second a short time later. As he looked to make up ground on the lead Hammaker made a costly miscue when his foot hit a tuff block and shot his Kawasaki sideways, which sent Hammaker to the ground. He quickly remounted in fourth, but several seconds outside podium contention.
Davies built a lead of more than five seconds halfway into the Main Event and added to a dominant advantage through the remainder of the race. Meanwhile, Hammaker dug deep and clawed his way back onto the podium. He passed Thrasher for third and with time running out on the race clock was all over Bennick for second. The Husqvarna rider lost traction with his rear tire in his attempt to fend off Hammaker, which initiated a collision between the pair and sent both riders to the ground. Thrasher slipped by into second, while Hammaker remounted in third and Bennick in fourth.
Davies cruised to his fourth win of the season by a margin of 17.2 seconds over Thrasher, who benefitted from the misfortunes of his rivals to capture his first podium result of the season. Hammaker salvaged a podium result in third after an adversity filled race but was later penalized two positions by race officials after he cut the track re-entering the race following his first crash. That moved ClubMX Yamaha’s Devin Simonson, who passed Bennick on the final lap, up to third for a maiden podium result.
Following the penalty to Hammaker, Davies’ points lead expanded to 29 points with three races to go. Bennick sits third, 40 points out of the lead.
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies was dominant on the way to his fourth win of the season to extend his Eastern Divisional points lead. Photo courtesy SMX
Cole Davies – 1st Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class:
“The whoops were sketchy today. They were super steep and since [the track crew] left them all day the cups were really gnarly. I’m stoked, that was a good race. I didn’t get off to a good start, but I made it happen and I’m stoked with that.”
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Nate Thrasher earned an unexpected runner-up finish for his first podium result of the season. Photo courtesy SMX
Nate Thrasher – 2nd Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class:
“Honestly, I did not ride good at all. I just didn’t have a flow. I was really great in practice and solid in the Heat Race. The track just kept getting harder packed and I started struggling a little bit. I got a little pumped up and did the best I could. I’m pumped to be on the podium, but we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
ClubMX Yamaha’s Devin Simonson ended up with the first podium result of his career after a post-race penalty was given to Seth Hammaker. Photo courtesy SMX
Devin Simonson – 3rd Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class*:
“I was able to pick up on some lines battling with Henry [Miller] and made the pass on him quick [for fifth]. A bunch of carnage was happening out front, I honestly don’t know what, but I saw on the pit board I was battling for fourth, so I gave it everything I had and came out with this one.”
*Quote provided prior to penalty.
Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class Podium (left to right): Nate Thrasher, Cole Davies, and Seth Hammaker. Hammaker was later penalized two positions for cutting the track. Photo courtesy SMX
Even though he crossed the line in third place, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker was penalized two positions for cutting the track and dropped to fifth, which lost him valuable points in the championship standings. Photo courtesy SMX
The Monster Energy SMX World Championship and Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship will continue next Saturday, April 18, with Round 14 from Huntington Bank Field for the sport’s first visit to Cleveland in 30 years. Live broadcast coverage will be highlighted by a network showcase on NBC at 3 p.m. ET, in addition to comprehensive coverage on Peacock, beginning at 9 a.m. ET with Race Day Live, followed by the Gate Drop at 3 p.m. ET. A special encore network presentation will air on NBC as well on Sunday, April 19, at 2 p.m. ET. Additionally, a domestic Spanish language broadcast is available on Peacock while international viewers can choose from dedicated English, French, and Spanish broadcasts via SMX Video Pass (www.SMXVideoPass.com).
All 17 rounds of the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and 11 rounds of the Pro Motocross Championship are on sale. Tickets for the SMX World Championship Playoff Rounds and Final are now on sale at Supermotocross.com. Saturday FanFest will take place at all postseason races, Friday FanFest and camping will be available in Columbus and Ridgedale, additional details to follow.
For information about the Monster Energy SMX World Championship, please visit www.SuperMotocross.com and be sure to follow all of the new SMX social media channels for exclusive content and additional information on the latest news:
STATEMENT: GOVERNOR EVERS’ VETO OF RIGHT-TO-RACE BILL STALLS WISCONSIN’S ECONOMIC ENGINE
The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) and its Performance Racing Industry (PRI) subsidiary issued the following statement following Gov. Tony Evers’ veto of AB 880:
Governor Tony Evers claims to have fond childhood memories growing up near a Wisconsin racetrack, but just vetoed AB 880, the Right-to-Race bill, just so his trial-lawyer buddies can keep suing tracks out of business.
Evers acted despite overwhelming support from lawmakers from across the state who know the value of small businesses and the cultural importance of motorsports. There was no registered opposition to this bill, and for good reason: motorsports matter.
Wisconsin’s racetracks foster an industry that is the soul of Wisconsin’s small, multi-generational business community and the engine of the state’s economic viability, including:
• $2.46 billion in total economic impact
• 10,601 jobs
• $697.92 million in wages and benefits
• $271.60 million in tax revenue.
Motorsports is an industry that has enlivened life in Wisconsin for nearly a century. Instead of protecting Wisconsin’s economy and network of family-owned dirt ovals, drag strips, and every motorsports facility in between, and instead of fostering American manufacturing, STEM education, and engineering innovation, Evers made it crystal clear whose side he’s on: lawyers and NIMBYs.
SEMA and PRI instead will continue to stand with the working families, racers, mechanics, concession workers, and fans who lose when tracks close. This race isn’t finished. In fact, our coalition is stronger than ever, and we’re just getting started.
BACKGROUND
AB 880, which was passed in the Wisconsin State Legislature with strong support in the Assembly and Senate, would protect long-standing racetracks from nuisance-based lawsuits brought by nearby property owners who moved into the area after the tracks were already established.
SEMA and PRI support “Right-to-Race” laws like AB 880 that protect legally compliant, long-standing tracks from nuisance claims. These protections ensure facilities that follow all laws and permits can operate without constant legal threats, preserving racing heritage, jobs, and revenue generated by motorsports.
The automotive aftermarket and motorsports industries annually contribute a combined $406 billion to the national economy, including $69 billion by the motorsports industry alone, and support millions of jobs nationwide. Lawmakers should champion commonsense policies to protect racetrack operations, prosperity, and longevity.
SEMA and PRI work with lawmakers, track operators, sanctioning bodies, and parts manufacturers to advance these protections through advocacy, coalition building, and grassroots engagement. Tracks have operated for decades and deserve stability. This commonsense legislation ensures facilities that predate neighbors are legally protected, preserving both urban and rural jobs, tourism, and community tradition.
Motorsports venues are vital to local economies, small businesses, tourism, and heritage. Still, many face lawsuits from neighbors who moved in after the track was established and seek to limit operations or shut down the venue entirely.\
ABOUT PERFORMANCE RACING INDUSTRY
Performance Racing Industry fuels the passion for motorsports by building, promoting, and protecting the worldwide racing community. PRI supports the interests of racers, enthusiasts, builders, tracks, sanctioning bodies and businesses through legislative action and advocacy, its monthly business magazine Performance Racing Industry, and the world’s premier motorsports trade show, the PRI Trade Show. PRI also supports businesses by providing market research, education and best practices in motorsports business and racing technology. For more information, visit PerformanceRacing.com.
ABOUT SEMA
The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) serves as a leading voice for the worldwide car culture, representing over 7,000 member companies that create, buy, sell, and use specialty-automotive parts that make vehicles more unique, attractive, convenient, safer, fun, and even like new again. Business member benefits include product development resources, market research, networking, education, legislative advocacy and more. The Association organizes the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nev., and actively supports the career and business opportunities that the aftermarket generates. The industry contributes nearly $337 billion in economic impact to the U.S. economy, supports 1.3 million jobs nationally, and generates nearly $53 billion in parts sales annually. For more information, visit www.sema.org.
Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT) Government Agency Honors Ducati
Ducati is among the companies to which the MIMIT has dedicated a stamp of the series “Excellence of the Production System and Made in Italy.”
The issue pays tribute to the 100-year history of the Borgo Panigale company, recognizing its contribution to the promotion of Made in Italy around the world.
The stamp design features an iconic Ducati motorcycle crossed by the colours of the Italian flag, symbolizing the company’s identity and connection to its Italian roots.
Rome/Borgo Panigale – On the occasion of its Centenary, Ducati is being celebrated by the Italian State with a special stamp dedicated to the history, vision and achievements that have made the Borgo Panigale-based manufacturer a global benchmark in the motorcycle industry. The issue is part of the thematic series “Excellence of the Production System and Made in Italy” dedicated to companies that have made a significant contribution to the Country’s development and innovation.
The official presentation took place on Thursday 9 April in the Sala degli Arazzi of Palazzo Piacentini, headquarters of the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, in the presence of Undersecretary of State for Philately, Fausta Bergamotto.
“2026 represents an extraordinary milestone for Ducati, embodying one hundred years of history, passion and expertise” said Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati, during the ceremony. “Made in Italy is part of our identity: a way of working that combines tradition and innovation and has enabled us to establish a distinctive vision of technology, design, and performance on the international stage. A journey that today receives further recognition through institutional initiatives such as this one, for which we would like to express our gratitude to Minister Adolfo Urso and the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy.”
Founded in 1926 in Borgo Panigale (Bologna), Ducati has built a unique identity over the course of a century, evolving from its early days in radio technology to become a global excellence in motorcycling and motorsport. The values of Style, Sophistication, and Performance have always guided the Company’s choices and are reflected in motorcycles that combine advanced technology, distinctive design and an unmistakably Italian sporting character.
These elements come together in the commemorative stamp dedicated to the Centenary, featuring an iconic Ducati motorcycle–the Ducati Superleggera V4 Centenario Tricolore– crossed by the colors of the Italian flag: a tribute to the Company’s identity and its deep connection to the Country’s creativity, technological innovation, and tradition.
This is not the first time Ducati has been celebrated through philately. In 2022, a stamp in the thematic series “Sport” was dedicated to the MotoGP World Championship victory, featuring the Desmosedici GP22 of Francesco Bagnaia reinterpreted in the colours of the Italian flag.
The Centenary stamp is issued at the B rate.
For the occasion, a special A4 three-fold philatelic folder has also been produced, containing a block of four stamps, a single stamp, a stamped and postmarked postcard, a philatelic card, a first-day cover and an illustrated bulletin. The folder is available at post offices with philatelic counters, in Philately Spaces, and on the website filatelia.it.
The Ducati stamp will also be included in the “Book of Stamps 2026,” the annual publication that collects all the year’s issues, combining collecting, institutional memory and the story of the Country.
Gilbert to Introduce Reigning Supercross Champion and Close Friend Cooper Webb in Special Opening Ceremonies Tribute.Gilbert’s new single “Good Damn” among the most added songs at country radio two weeks in a row.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Multi-platinum selling country artist Brantley Gilbert has been named the official Grand Marshal for Round 13 of the Monster Energy SMX World ChampionshipTM taking place this Saturday, April 11 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.
Amassing over 8.3 BILLION career streams and seven No. 1 singles with hit songs such as “Bottoms Up,” “Country Must Be Country Wide,” and “You Don’t Know Her Like I Do”, Gilbert is also an accomplished songwriter, lending his world-class pen to Jason Aldean’s “Dirt Road Anthem” and “My Kinda Party.” An ACM, CMA and AMA Award winner, Gilbert’s latest single “Good Damn” was enthusiastically embraced both by fans and country radio, landing among the most-added songs two weeks in a row. “Good Damn” is the lead single from Gilbert’s eighth studio album, set for release later in the year.
Gilbert recently attended his first SMX event a couple of weeks ago in Birmingham, Alabama and enjoys a close friendship with reigning Supercross Champion Cooper Webb. Webb will be donning Brantley Gilbert artwork on his racing gear in a unique collaboration between the two superstars. Webb’s FLY Racing gear kit, helmet and Alpinestars boots will be revealed at a special event taking place at Tootsies on Friday night. Gilbert will also have a bike on hand with special event graphics.
Gilbert will play an integral role in opening ceremonies, make an appearance on the pre-race Race Day Live show, plus deliver the customary “gentleman start your engines” heard famously at motorsports events around the world. Gilbert will also wave the green flag for the official start of the premier 450SMX Class Main Event.
FanFest and Qualifying kick off at Nissan Stadium at 7:00 a.m. with opening ceremonies starting at 1:30 p.m. and racing at 2:00 p.m. CT. Tickets can be purchased at SupercrossLIVE.
For information about the Monster Energy SMX World Championship, please visit www.SuperMotocross.com and be sure to follow all of the new SMX social media channels for exclusive content and additional information on the latest news:
New Global Brand Platform Sets Stage For New Era of Harley-Davidson, While Honoring Its Heritage
Harley-Davidson reignites the brand with the global launch of RIDE, a refreshed brand platform that honors more than a century of driving motorcycle culture, designed for the riders of today, and paves a path forward for Harley-Davidson.
More than a word, RIDE is, at its core, the very idea that defines and drives Harley-Davidson. It is an action, a feeling, and a way of life that has been embedded into the brand since its founding in 1903. Harley-Davidson doesn’t have merely owners, rather a community of passionate riders. The very notion of RIDE brings people together, clears the mind, and turns miles into stories, reaffirming that life is better on two wheels.
“I’m thrilled to launch the RIDE platform as a full reset of the brand ahead of our company strategy rollout in May. It celebrates the fun and joy people experience riding the world’s greatest motorcycle, a Harley-Davidson,” said Artie Starrs, President and CEO, Harley-Davidson.
With the launch of RIDE, Harley-Davidson unveils a new visual identity, anchored by the return of the historic Harley-Davidson bar and shield logo; a nod to where it all began and a signal to the role heritage continues to play in shaping the future of Harley-Davidson.
The platform debut comes to life through a video set to the iconic Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again,” featuring raw, authentic footage of real riders and the joy of the RIDE. The visual spotlights the true spirit of the open road and the culture that exists around it, a community Harley-Davidson originated and continues to champion. The video will air nationally across broadcast and streaming platforms, along with a comprehensive internal and external integrated campaign.
For over a century, Harley-Davidson has defined what it means to ride. RIDE is the next chapter, celebrating every rider, those who have been with us from the beginning and opening the road to anyone ready to join in. More riders. More rides. More freedom. More stories to be told.
Harley-Davidson, Inc. is the parent company of Harley-Davidson Motor Company and Harley-Davidson Financial Services. Our vision: Building our legend and leading our industry through innovation, evolution and emotion. Our mission: More than building machines, we stand for the timeless pursuit of adventure. Freedom for the soul. Since 1903, Harley-Davidson has defined motorcycle culture with an expanding range of leading-edge, distinctive and customizable motorcycles in addition to riding experiences and exceptional motorcycle accessories, riding gear and apparel. Harley-Davidson Financial Services provides financing, insurance and other programs to help get Harley-Davidson riders on the road. Learn more at www.harley-davidson.com.
Live Streaming Test Going On This Weekend From CMP
ASRA is testing live streaming from Carolina Motorsports Park but is encountering track bandwidth issues even after deploying multiple Starlink satellite internet systems.
ASRA’s Alex Spellman says he’s confident the live streaming will be functional at tracks with better internet connections, including Summit Point May 23-24.
If ASRA gets the system working at CMP, watch it here:
The organization plans to expand its live-streaming program to seven other events during the 2026 season. More information is available from www.asra.com and [email protected].
Fine Feathered Send: Scott “Screamin’ Chief” Russell wheelies his AMA Superbike Championship-winning 1992 Muzzy Kawasaki Ninja ZX-7R. Photo courtesy MotoAmerica
You’ve probably never heard of Horatio Alger. He was a very prolific author who, over the course of 30 years during the mid to late 1800s, wrote 135 books. Alger’s specialty was writing “rags to riches” narratives. You know the kind. “Local hood makes good.” “Poor, hardworking boy rises to middle-class comfort.”
If Alger had been born about a century later, he’d probably have written a book about Scott Russell.
Russell won the 1992 DAYTONA 200 and then added four more to his quiver over the next few years, cementing his status as “Mr. Daytona.” Photo courtesy MotoAmerica
Raymond Scott Russell was born in East Point, Georgia, on October 28, 1964. His parents divorced when he was in high school, and he had to drop out of the 11th grade “to take care of things on my own somehow,” as Russell put it.
So, at age 17, he went to work in a plastic-bag factory not far from his home. When he was a youngster, he did some motocross racing, so he already had riding skills and a love for motorcycles. Then, as a young adult trying to make ends meet, he traded in his Volkswagen for a Kawasaki Ninja 750 and rode it (quite fast, no doubt) on all the twisty north Georgia mountain roads.
All that hooliganism got Russell interested in road racing. By the mid 1980s, he started competing in WERA and became one of the best novice racers in the country. Russell honed his skills in the next few years racing WERA National Endurance and Suzuki Cup road races, and his raw talent was undeniable.
He began racing in AMA national events in 1987, and just one year later, he notched his first professional win, in AMA 750 Supersport, at his home track of Road Atlanta.
He finished the 1988 season as runner-up in the 750 Supersport Championship and was in the top 10 in both AMA Superbike and 600 Supersport. Russell was also named 1988 AMA Superbike Rookie of the Year.
In 1989, he won his very first AMA Superbike race, once again at his home track of Road Atlanta.
“That one was special not just because it was my first, but because it was in front of the home fans,” Russell said.
He went on to finish a close second to his Yoshimura Suzuki teammate Jamie James in the 1989 AMA Superbike Championship.
Russell was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2005 and the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame in 2021. Photo courtesy of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.
In 1990, Russell signed with Muzzy Kawasaki and won three consecutive 750 Supersport Championships.
He won the 1992 AMA Superbike Championship and, the following year, he won the 1993 Superbike World Championship.
Over the next few years, he won five Daytona 200s, which earned him the nickname of “Mr. Daytona.”
As we celebrate “50 Years Of Superbike Racing” and kick off the 2026 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship next weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, it is only fitting for us to honor Scott Russell as our first Superbike Grand Marshal at the very track where his rags to riches story began.
Congratulations, Chief. And thank you for thrilling us all throughout your legendary racing career.
For the full 2026 MotoAmerica schedule, and to purchase tickets for MotoAmerica events, CLICK HERE
For information on how to watch the MotoAmerica series,CLICK HERE
Honda HRC Progressive's Hunter Lawrence captured a crucial fourth win of the season to take sole possession of the 450SMX Class points lead. Photo courtesy SMX
More from a press release issued by Honda HRC:
Commanding Victory for Lawrence, who Reclaims Sole Possession of Red Plate.
Australian delivers fourth win of the season with a statement ride in Nashville
Lawrence extends championship advantage to 10 points
With a crash and subsequent sore wrist having affected his performances at the previous two rounds, Honda HRC Progressive rider Hunter Lawrence came to the Nashville round feeling relatively fit. The outcome was a return to the form he had shown earlier in the season, with a composed and dominating ride, his fourth premier-class victory of the season and sole possession of the red plate. In challenging, deteriorating conditions, the Australian combined focus and speed to win comfortably and extend his championship lead to 10 points.
The 450SX main event saw Lawrence nearly claim the holeshot before he slid and was relegated to fifth by the end of the first lap. Remaining calm and calculated, he quickly worked his way through the field, moving into second in the opening minutes and setting his sights on the leading Ken Roczen. Lawrence studied the evolving track conditions, waiting to make his move until after the race’s halfway point. Immediately after executing a decisive pass, he established control of the race, showcasing superior pace and consistency as he steadily built a gap, ultimately crossing the line with an advantage of more than seven seconds over runner-up Cooper Webb.
Behind him, Quad Lock Honda Racing riders Shane McElrath, Dean Wilson, Christian Craig and Joey Savatgy finished 10th, 11th, 14th and 16th, respectively, while McGinley Clinic-backed privateer Zack Williams completed the main event in 20th place.
Hunter Lawrence (96) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Honda
NOTES
Ahead of race day, Hunter Lawrence and Jett Lawrence connected with fans during a meet-and-greet at Nashville’s Gibson Garage on Friday, signing autographs and taking part in an exclusive fan experience.
Currently sidelined with a foot/ankle injury, Jett remained engaged with fans throughout the weekend. He attended Saturday’s autograph session alongside Hunter, and helped call the 250SX East main event in the broadcast booth. Jett returned to riding on a turn track last week and is expected to resume motocross training soon, with the goal of lining up for the AMA Pro Motocross opener in Pala, California, May 30.
Three days after a crash at last week’s St. Louis round, Honda HRC Progressive’s Jo Shimoda was diagnosed with a small fracture in his left fibula. The Japanese racer will sit out the remainder of AMA Supercross in an effort to be ready for the AMA Pro Motocross season. The team’s injured 250SX West ride, Chance Hymas, is also hoping to be back for the start of the outdoors series.
Honda HRC Progressive sponsor SKDA prepared special guitar graphics for Hunter’s CRF450RWE race bike, as part of a collaboration with Gibson and Gibson Garage, complemented by custom Alpinestars riding gear. Hunter was also presented with a custom Gibson guitar (Gibson guitars were also presented to the podium finishers as trophies). “Gibson holds such a prestigious, elite aura in Nashville, with all the rock stars and artists that they support,” Hunter said. “When you’re in the Gibson Garage, and you’re walking through the backstage areas, you just can’t help but feel this presence of greatness, and it’s cool.”
Chattanooga, Tennessee, dealership Southern Honda Powersports enhanced the fan experience through an interactive activation within the Honda HRC Progressive pit area, where they showcased CRF450R and CRF250R machines and interacted with fans and customers.
A group of Honda associates and managers from American Honda’s Alpharetta, Georgia, Powersports Headquarters attended the Nashville race, cheering Hunter to his fourth victory of the season.
Despite the absence of Shimoda, Red Riders pushed hard in 250SX East qualifying, with Jeremy Hand (Valley Motorsports) the best of them in 11th. Phoenix Racing Honda riders Gavin Towers and Even Ferry were 14th and 20th, respectively, Storm Lake Honda riders Luke Neese and Izaih Clark qualified 15th and 17th, Ryder Floyd (Ti Lube Honda) was 22nd, and Short Racing’s John Short IV qualified in 25th.
Hunter posted the second-best time in 450SX combined qualifying. Quad Lock Honda riders Joey Savatgy, Dean Wilson, Christian Craig and Shane McElrath qualified close together, in 12th, 13th, 15th and 16th, respectively. Other Red Riders included Zack Williams (McGinley Clinic), Kyle Bitterman (Underdog Racing) and Ronnie Orres (Lasting Impressions) who qualified 25th, 30th and 42nd, respectively.
Several Red Riders advanced through the 250SX East heat races, including Towers, Clark, Hand and Neese, while Floyd secured his main-event position through the LCQ.
Hunter nailed a strong start in the first 450SX heat race, quickly moving into second place out of the first corner. He maintained the position throughout, securing a favorable gate pick for the main event. Savatgy and McElrath followed with fourth- and eighth-place finishes, respectively. In the second heat race, Craig and Wilson finished sixth and seventh, and Williams secured his place in the main event with a fourth-place finish in the 450 LCQ.
Neese was the top Honda rider in the 250SX East main event, with an 11th-place result. Towers and Floyd were 15th and 16th, respectively, while Hand and Clark were 20th and 21st.
Hunter turned the fastest lap time of the 450SX main event, on his way to the victory.
Hunter has a positive history with the Nashville round, as it’s where he clinched the 2023 250SX East Region crown, earning the final victory of his 250 supercross career.
With this year’s Nashville premier-class victory, Hunter now holds four 450SX wins on the season and in his career, and he takes a 10-point advantage in the title chase, with four rounds remaining.
Next, Honda HRC Progressive heads to Round 14 of AMA Supercross in Cleveland.
Hunter Lawrence (96) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Honda
Hunter Lawrence: “We’ve still got four more races. That’s a lot of racing, so I’m just trying to get as many points, trying to make up for the past two weekends. Looking back to Detroit, maybe I should’ve settled for third? Maybe I wouldn’t have crashed, and I’d still have a pretty healthy double-digit points lead. But it just puts an emphasis on how important it is to be the healthiest version of yourself at every round; I have a whole newfound respect for the boys that have been doing this year in and year out. We just left the bike as it was all day. It was good, and I feel like that kind of track was more about just getting in tune with the feeling and the traction. When you have so much horsepower and you have to be so smooth, it’s tricky.”
Lars Lindstrom: “What an incredible weekend here in Nashville, which is one of the rounds that everybody looks forward to because of its location. Hunter capped off an epic weekend and collaboration with Gibson guitars, with an epic ride to take the win and gain back a huge a chunk of the points we gave away in Detroit. The track couldn’t have been more different than it was last weekend, and I’m ecstatic on Hunter’s line choices, decision-making and aggressiveness to make his way to the front today. I think this gave us an injection of energy into the team, and we’re ready to take the next four rounds individually and make sure we do everything to get the best result at each one. I want to give a huge shout-out to SKDA for producing one of the coolest-looking kits that we’ve ever had—the positive feedback was overwhelming! I love guitars and am a bit of an amateur player myself, and for me, Gibson guitars are like factory Honda race bikes—the best in the world! I was super proud and stoked to be able to do this collaboration.”
More from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Cooper Webb Returns to the Podium in Nashville. Momentum shifts back in Cooper Webb’s direction as the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider overcomes adversity to score a runner-up finish in Nashville.
In addition to the stacked field in Monster Energy AMA Supercross’ premier class, it’s the elements that can test some of the best riders in the world. After the deep, rutted conditions at the previous round inside The Dome at America’s Center in St.Louis, Nashville’s Nissan Stadium delivered the opposite – a hard-packed, sun-baked surface that left little room for error on Saturday afternoon.
One thing never changes, however, and that is Cooper Webb’s drive to achieve the best results no matter what he’s faced with. That persistence and work ethic paid off in Tennessee, with the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider returning to the podium as he fought his way back from a bad start to finish second.
“Yeah, man, it was pretty gnarly,” said Webb about the conditions. “After last weekend, we had probably the softest track, and this one was like concrete. So yeah, it was tough – really sketchy. You wanted to push, but you really couldn’t. I’m happy with it, though. We made it through safe.”
Cooper Webb (1) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
It was a good day overall for the reigning 450SX Champion. After qualifying fourth, Webb got a strong start to the heat race in the top five and made his way to third on the second lap. He ran a good pace, setting the fastest lap on Lap 6 and ultimately crossing the line third. In the main event, Webb was 12th after the start. Despite the setback, he put his head down and made his way through to sixth, and then passed his teammate Justin Cooper on Lap 8. It was an eventful race in the tricky conditions, with multiple riders crashing.
“Qualifying went well, I was fourth and right in the mix,” said Webb. “Then I rode really well in the heat race, but ended up third. In the main event, I got a terrible start. I made some passes and got myself kind of into a podium position. I was catching (Justin) Hill and got around him, then Kenny (Roczen) gave us a little bit of a gift.”
After making the pass on Justin Hill for second, Webb ran a strong pace in the closing laps to move closer to Hunter Lawrence. In the end, there was too much time lost in the beginning to advance further. After a frustrating few rounds off the podium, it was a nice momentum shift for the three-time 450SX Champion to score the runner-up finish.
Cooper Webb (1) on the podium in Nashville. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
“It was good to get second and get the ball rolling in a good way after these last few weekends,” said Webb. “I needed a podium for sure. We’re a little under the weather, so we will regroup and hopefully come back and get a win next week.”
It was an up-and-down day for his teammate Justin Cooper. The New Yorker showed strength from the start, grabbing the holeshot in his heat race and setting the pace up front. As the clock ran out, Hunter Lawrence closed the gap, but Cooper kept cool under pressure and threw down his fastest lap of the race on the penultimate lap, riding on to score his second consecutive 450SX Heat Race win. The tide turned with a chaotic start that set the tone of his main event, but thankfully Cooper kept it on two wheels. Back in seventh on the opening lap, he made his way through to fifth and battled for position, but dropped back to seventh after the halfway mark, where he would finish.
“It was a really tough day, honestly,” said Cooper. “All the way from the start of practice, this track, I felt, was the worst dirt of the year, and it didn’t help that it was a day race, so the conditions were tough. I had a really good heat race. I was able to lead, start to finish. In the main event, I did everything but go down in the first turn. I hit a lot of people, and then just never found a flow. I continued to drop a couple of spots and ended up seventh. I’m just glad to get out of here on this one. It wasn’t a great race for me, but we’ll take the positives and bring it to next weekend.”
Justin Cooper (32) and Hunter Lawrence (96) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Yamaha
“Overall, it was a pretty decent day,” said Rich Simmons, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s 450 Team Manager. “Qualifying went well, and Justin had a great heat race – a good start and good lap times. Even Webb had good times in that heat race, but neither of the guys had a good start in the main event, and the track was horrendous. So yeah, happy to leave with a second-place finish. We will just keep working, take the positives from here, and move on to next weekend.”
The focus shifts to Round 14, which is the final Triple Crown event of the season and an all-new venue for everyone as Monster Energy AMA Supercross makes a long-awaited return to Cleveland, Ohio, on April 18. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb heads to Huntington Bank Field fourth in the 450SX standings and 28 points from the current points-leader, Hunter Lawrence, with teammate Justin Cooper maintaining fifth.
Cole Davies Extends 250SX East Lead with Commanding Nashville Supercross Victory.
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies continues to build momentum with his fourth victory of the season.
The mission is the 250SX East Championship. On Saturday afternoon in Nashville, Tennessee, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies took another big step toward that goal. The young New Zealander once again delivered a commanding performance on one of the most challenging tracks of the season to further advance his lead in the title chase.
Davies showed speed from the start in the hard-packed conditions, qualifying just shy of the top spot. After the first gate drop of the day, he got a great start, quickly claimed the lead, and remained unchallenged to score his fifth heat race win of the season. Although he didn’t repeat that start in the main event, he worked his way from sixth to second in the opening laps. After making the pass on teammate Nate Thrasher, he put his head down and built a comfortable gap to secure his fourth win of the season. It was another impressive ride from Davies, who now holds a 19-point lead in the 250SX East Championship with three rounds remaining.
Cole Davies (37) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
“It was a solid ride tonight,” Davies said. “I just focused on making passes where I could and didn’t force anything – I let the race come to me. The track was gnarly all day, especially the whoops; they were like walls. I made the pass for the lead with 11 minutes to go and just put my head down from there. Being a big country music fan, taking the win here feels pretty special. Championship lead extended – we’re right where we want to be.”
It was a home race for Nate Thrasher, who, now back to full fitness, got the day off to a strong start. After qualifying third, he grabbed the holeshot in his heat race and led for most of it before being passed in the final laps by Seth Hammaker and finished second.
Nate Thrasher (25) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
As the track conditions worsened throughout the day, Thrasher was outside of his comfort zone in the main event. Despite that, he put himself in position to contend for the podium. He got another good start in the main event, took the lead on the opening lap, and led the first four laps before Davies made his way through. The Tennessee rider got shuffled back to fourth but stayed in the fight. In the final laps, Daxton Bennick and Hammaker went down in front of the mechanic’s area, moving Thrasher back up to second, where he would finish to secure his first podium of the season.
“I felt like I was riding really well in the heat race,” said Thrasher. “I just didn’t quite get the win in that one, but I felt like my speed was solid. The track just kept getting harder-packed, and I started struggling a bit. I’ve never really been a super hard-packed guy. I got a little lucky with it for sure, but we’ll take it. I put myself in a good situation to get on the podium, but just didn’t have the riding I needed to contend for the win. There’s a lot to improve on still, but the last two weeks have been a lot better, and we’ll keep building.”
Landen Gordon (180) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Making his pro debut in Monster Energy AMA Supercross in Nashville, Landen Gordon had a strong showing. He qualified sixth and got a good start to his heat race, slotting into third and running a strong pace to maintain the position to the checkers. Unfortunately, in the main event, he was involved in a first-turn incident that damaged his wheel. After pulling into the mechanic’s area for a wheel change, he rejoined the race and continued on to gain valuable experience, finishing 22nd.
“I had a good day in Nashville for my pro debut,” said Gordon. “I learned a lot and got third place in the heat race. I had a good start in the main, but caught another rider’s footpeg in the first turn, and ended up having to pull into the mechanic’s area to change my front wheel. I got back on the track three laps down, but overall it was a great experience – onto the next one.”
“Honestly, it was a good day all around,” said Wil Hahn, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s 250 Team General Manager. “A 1-2 finish, and Cole got the heat race win and showed a lot of maturity again in year two. Nate almost won his heat and showed some real fight in that race. Then, getting back on the podium this year – we’re heading in the right direction. With Landen stepping up this weekend, I thought he showed really good maturity, too. It’s a shame that his wheel was sacrificed in that first turn in the main event.”
Next up, the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship heads to Cleveland, Ohio, for Round 8 of the 250SX East Championship and the final Triple Crown event of the season at Huntington Bank Field on April 18.
More from a press release issued by Suzuki:
Suzuki’s Ken Roczen podiums Nashville Supercross. Roczen and Suzuki Take Over Second Place in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship Standings.
Slick track conditions and a daytime race schedule greeted riders at the Nashville Supercross, Round 13 of the 17-round Monster Energy AMA Supercross season. Hot, sunny weather baked the hardpack soil inside the open-air Nissan Stadium. As traction diminished throughout the racing, most of the track increasingly favored smooth riding, while the sand section was tight with a bold triple-in option.
Race Highlights:
Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear ECSTAR Suzuki
450 Class
Ken Roczen led 12 laps of the main event and advanced into second place in the title chase.
Twisted Tea Suzuki presented by Progressive Insurance
450 Class
Colt Nichols earned another top-ten result with a strong charge throughout the main event.
Ken Roczen (94) delivered his fourth-straight podium result; following back-to-back wins Roczen moved into second place in the championship standings. Photo courtesy Suzuki
Ken Roczen (94) delivered a third-place result in the second qualifying session and in the day’s overall qualifying standings. Roczen went into the racing optimistic to close in on his target of the 2026 Supercross championship. After a mid-pack start in his heat, Roczen moved quickly into fourth; he set the fastest times through track Sectors 6 (the whoops) and 9 in the process. A small mistake in the sand section put Roczen on the ground, but he rebounded for a fourth-place heat race result. In the main event, Roczen was pinched off down the start straight; he dove hard to the inside and emerged at the holeshot stripe in second place. With less than a minute off the race clock, Roczen sailed into the lead and defended for twelve laps while setting the fastest times through Sectors 1, 4, and 7. A minor slide-out before the triple on lap 13 resulted in Roczen needing to roll the jump and give up the lead, then a fall on lap 14 put Roczen back to fourth. The track deteriorated, yet Roczen finessed his way forward. Incredibly, Roczen set the race’s fastest time through the whoops (Sector 6) on lap 20 of the 24-lap race. When the checkered flag flew, Roczen claimed third place and his ninth podium of the season.
“It was a pretty tough day, [and] a super-early day. We knew with the warmer weather that the track was going to be extremely dry,” said Roczen. “After a tough heat race, I ended up fourth. We went into the main event still having high hopes though, and we led there for quite a few laps until [another rider] got by me. I was planning on bringing it home in second place; we had a little bit of a gap to third. [Then] I just made a mistake and lost it and tipped it over. After I got back up, luckily I was able to get it going quickly and ended up passing [the early race leader] for third and brought it home on the podium… Of course, I would have liked to have gotten those couple of [additional] points [from] being in second, but we will take what we got right now.”
Colt Nichols (45) used a top-ten result in Nashville to move up one position in the championship standings. Photo courtesy Suzuki
Colt Nichols (45) used season-best speed in the second qualifying session to match his season-best overall qualifying result. In his heat race, Nichols found himself outside of the top ten in the early laps but moved his way into a direct transfer spot at the checkered flag. In the main, he found himself back in the pack early; Nichols used his Suzuki RM-Z450’s smooth power delivery to find a flow on the slick track, climb through the field, and earn his second top-ten result of the season.
“It was a much better night for me,” stated Nichols. “I qualified a lot better, and the bike felt awesome; I was really stoked with the progress we made this week. The heat race was a little bit rough, and I started pretty poorly in the main. We just kept digging in, picking some guys off, some riders fell, but we ended up P-9 on the night. I’m really happy to be back [to a] single digit [result] and we’ll keep digging these last four [rounds].”
“It was a really good day for the team, considering a fall in the main for Ken,” said Dustin Pipes, Team Principal for the Twisted Tea/H.E.P. Motorsports/Suzuki presented by Progressive Insurance Team. “Qualifying went well, third and 11th for Ken and Colt. Ken fell in the heat and had to come back; he got fourth in the heat. The main event was going well for Ken, too. We led a very good portion of it, more than half of the main, and then we got passed by [another rider who] was riding a really good race. [Then] Ken just had a small, weird fall that dropped us down to fourth. But he recouped and got back up to third, so it’s good to have a podium with Ken. We’re now 10 points out of the title lead and I think that’s a good position to be in with four rounds to go. Colt rode his way from about 16th to ninth in the main; it was a really good main event for him. We made some fork and shock changes for him throughout the week; we knew he was in a better place going in, and it showed. I’m just glad to confirm that we’re heading in the right direction with Colt, and I look for him to close out these last four rounds strong.”
The riders will tackle the third and final Triple Crown event of the season on Saturday, April 18th inside Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio. The stadium is also open-air, and early weather reports indicate that rain may play a part at Round 14. The Suzuki riders and team members are excited to hold second-place in the points and look forward to capitalizing at the remaining rounds to capture the Supercross title.
More from a press release issued by Monster Energy Kawasaki:
Monster Energy Kawasaki riders capture Top 5 finishes in Nashville.
Monster Energy® Kawasaki rider Chase Sexton delivered a strong charge through the field at Round 13 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship in Nashville, finishing fourth in the 450 Main Event on a dry and slick race track. Teammate Garrett Marchbanks continued to build momentum throughout the night, earning an eighth-place finish. In the 250SX Class, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider Seth Hammaker showed front-running speed throughout the day, finishing fifth in the main event after battling up front. Teammates Nick Romano and Drew Adams added eighth and 10th-place finishes, respectively, with Adams turning in a determined ride in front of his hometown crowd in Tennessee.
Chase Sexton (4) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Kawasaki
Sexton and Marchbanks built momentum throughout the first day race of the season as they adapted to the track’s dry and difficult conditions. Sexton experienced an early setback in the first qualifying session after a mistake placed him 11th, but he was able to rebound with a stronger ride in the second session to secure eighth overall in qualifying under one second back from the fastest time. Marchbanks delivered consistent laps across both sessions, improving his times and positioning himself 14th overall, with both riders gaining a sense of comfort heading into the race program.
Garrett Marchbanks (36) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Kawasaki
During 450 Heat 1, Marchbanks capitalized on a strong start to place himself inside the Top 5 early, maintaining a competitive pace as the track conditions continued to deteriorate. He navigated the rhythm sections with confidence and remained in contention before ultimately finishing sixth. Sexton started deep in the field and demonstrated his ability to charge forward, making steady and controlled passes through the pack to secure a seventh-place finish and transfer directly into the main event.
Chase Sexton (4) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Kawasaki
The 450 Main Event saw both riders work forward from outside the Top 10, with each finding momentum as the race unfolded. Sexton settled into a strong rhythm and began methodically working his way through the field after rounding the first turn in 17th position, the No.4 Kawasaki executed clean passes and capitalized on opportunities as riders made mistakes. After a brief off-track moment, he quickly regrouped and continued his charge, making a decisive pass to move into fifth before advancing into fourth with another well-timed move. Maintaining a consistent pace through the closing laps, Sexton closed in on a podium finish but ultimately secured a fourth-place finish that reflected his late-race strength and progression throughout the night. Marchbanks also showed determination throughout the main event, pushing into the Top 10 and set the fastest segment time of the race across the slick start straight to the triple. He continued to advance, picking off riders with strong passes, ultimately taking eighth-place. Following Round 13, Sexton sits sixth in the 450 Championship standings, while Marchbanks holds 16th overall.
Seth Hammaker (10) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Kawasaki
Seth Hammaker: “Qualifying felt really good, I felt comfortable with the track right away and was able to put in some strong laps. The heat went well too. I got off to a good start, made the pass for the lead, and felt confident heading into the main event. In the main event, I didn’t get the best start, but I was able to work my way around the inside and come out near the front. I made a few quick passes and got up into second, then I was focused on chasing down first place. I made a mistake in the rhythm section and clipped a tuff block, which sent me off the bike and set me back. From there, I regrouped and was able to charge back into podium position. Late in the race, there was another incident that put me down again, but I kept pushing and fought back to finish third. It was a tough race, but overall I felt really good about my riding and the progress we made. It’s not over and we’ll push again next week to fight for this championship.”
Garrett Marchbanks: “It was a solid day overall. Qualifying wasn’t where we wanted it to be, but we made some really positive changes going into the night show. In the heat race, it took me a couple of laps to get going, but once I settled in, I started to feel more comfortable with the bike. In the main event, I had an OK start and got a little caught up in the first turn, but I was able to make some good passes early and start moving forward. Around halfway through, I found a good flow and was able to put in some strong laps and continue making progress. I got up to eighth and tried to push for seventh, but they were a bit too far ahead, so I focused on riding my own race and finishing strong. Overall, a solid step in the right direction.”
Garrett Marchbanks (36) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Kawasaki
In the 250SX Class, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki riders set the tone early with strong qualifying performances, led by Hammaker, who secured fastest overall qualifier after finishing second in the first qualifying session and topping the second session by almost four tenths of a second. Adams and Romano backed up the effort with consistent rides of their own, qualifying fourth and ninth overall, respectively, placing all three riders in a strong position heading into the race program.
Nicholas Romano (141) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Kawasaki
Adams returned from injuring his thumb and delivered a strong start in 250 Heat 1 by rounding the first corner in second and maintaining the position through the race with a composed and dominating ride to finish a hard fought second. In 250 Heat 2, Hammaker and Romano both started up front, immediately placing themselves in podium contention as Hammaker made an assertive move into the lead and controlled the race from there to take his 2nd heat race win of the season. Romano remained steady throughout the heat to finish fourth, giving the team strong representation heading into the main event. Kawasaki riders made of the most market share of the 250 Main Event with eight KX™250 riders transferring directly to the main.
Seth Hammaker (10) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Kawasaki
In the 250 Main Event, all three Pro Circuit riders launched to strong starts and positioned themselves inside the Top 10 on the opening lap, immediately placing the team in the mix at the front of the field. Adams showed early speed in the Top 5 before going down on Lap 4 and remounting to continue his charge, while Romano maintained a solid position inside the Top 10 as the race developed. Up front, Hammaker quickly established himself as a contender, engaging in a tight battle for position before making a decisive pass to move into second and applying pressure at the front of the field. While pushing to maintain momentum, Hammaker clipped a tuff block in the rhythm section and went down, dropping him back to fourth. Demonstrating resilience, he regrouped quickly and worked his way forward once again, reentering the battle for a podium position and reclaiming third place on track. In the closing laps, the second place rider lost traction, causing Hammaker to fall victim while preparing to pass on the inside. Hammaker maintained his focus to bring home a third-place podium finish, a result that tamed his front-running speed and determination throughout the night. Following a post-race penalty for missing a tuff block when remounting from his crash, Hammaker was officially penalized two positions and classified fifth overall. Romano crossed the line in eighth after a consistent ride, while Adams recovered from his early setback to work his way back to 10th. MX6 Racing riders Henry Miller and Marshal Weltin once again put their Kawasaki machines in the Top 10 finishing sixth and ninth, respectively. Going into the next round in Cleveland for the last Triple Crown, Hammaker sits second in the Eastern Divisional Championship standings 19 points back from the lead.
Seth Hammaker: “Qualifying felt really good, I felt comfortable with the track right away and was able to put in some strong laps. The heat went well too. I got off to a good start, made the pass for the lead, and felt confident heading into the main event. In the main event, I didn’t get the best start, but I was able to work my way around the inside and come out near the front. I made a few quick passes and got up into second, then I was focused on chasing down first place. I made a mistake in the rhythm section and clipped a tuff block, which sent me off the bike and set me back. From there, I regrouped and was able to charge back into podium position. Late in the race, there was another incident that put me down again, but I kept pushing and fought back to finish third. It was a tough race, but overall I felt really good about my riding and the progress we made. It’s not over and we’ll push again next week to fight for this championship.”
Nick Romano: “Qualifying was actually my best of the year, I ended up in ninth. As for the rest of the night, there’s not a whole lot to break down, it just wasn’t where I needed to be. I know I need to be more aggressive early on in the opening laps and focus on being more consistent throughout the main event. The speed is there, and the starts were there too, so it’s just about putting everything together for the race. We’ll keep working and look ahead to better results.”
Drew Adams: “It was good to be here in Nashville, especially with it being my home race, so that part was really cool. Overall, it was an alright day. The heat race was the highlight. I got off to a good start and finished second, and honestly, that’s where I felt the best all day. My starts were strong all day, which is something I can build off of. In the main event, I started up front again, but made a small mistake in the rhythm section that set me back quite a bit. From there, it was just about putting my head down and working back through the field, which I was able to do to get back to 10th. Not the result I was looking for, but there are definitely positives to take from it.”
More from a press release issued by KTM:
Mixed fortunes for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in Nashville Supercross.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing endured a mixed day out at Round 13 of the 2026 AMA Supercross Championship in Nashville, where Eli Tomac qualified quickest and won his Heat race before a difficult 450SX Main Event saw him finish outside of the top 10 and directly ahead of teammate Jorge Prado.
Two-time 450SX Champion Tomac entered this weekend jointly holding the series leader’s red plate, with the Colorado native qualifying fastest in both 450SX sessions onboard his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION with an eventual benchmark of a 51.407s lap-time.
That momentum continued in the afternoon’s racing program within Nissan Stadium for Tomac, who started the second 450SX Heat Race in third position, before making a move on Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Prado during the later stages to claim the victory.
A slow start to the Main Event proved costly for the number 3, who steadily climbed through the field to enter the top 10 in dry, technical track conditions, only to be impacted by a late-race crash on his way to finishing 12th. He now sits third in the 450SX standings with four rounds remaining, 15 points from the points lead.
Eli Tomac (3) in Nashville. Photo courtesy KTM
Eli Tomac:“What a day – the whole day was good, other than the Main Event result! I was comfortable with my setup all day, so I’m just frustrated not only with the bad gate selection – I should have avoided the inside on the start – but also the crash. That bad start really put me in a tough spot from the get-go and I had my work cut out for me trying to make passes on such a slick, tight track. I lost a bunch of points today, but all I can do at this point is ride my best at the remaining rounds and let the chips fall where they may.”
Jorge Prado (26) in Nashville. Photo courtesy KTM
Also equipped with the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, Spanish standout Prado recorded the fifth-fastest combined qualifying time – highlighted by P3 in the opening session – before powering to the holeshot and a third-place finish in 450SX Heat 2.
The 25-year-old ran up front during the early stages of the Main Event, crossing the line in third on Lap 1, and was contending for a podium position through the first half of the race. An incident around the midway point unfortunately dropped him outside the top 10, as Prado would go on to claim 13th position.
Jorge Prado:“It was a frustrating Main Event in Nashville. I felt good all day, and I’m just upset with myself that I wasn’t able to execute the plan I had in my head for the race. I knew I had to push hard – push it to the limit every lap – if I wanted to be on the podium. I feel I had what it took to be on the podium tonight, so I’m disappointed. My bike was good all day and good enough to be up there, so it’s frustrating to know that one mistake cost me what could have been a great night. But the positive is I’m here to learn this year, and learning every week is what I’m doing. I will regroup, keep putting in the work this week, and be even better next weekend.”
Next Race: April 18 – Cleveland, Ohio
More from a press release issued by Ducati:
Hard Work Pays Off For Dylan Ferrandis Who Leads Team to Milestone Finish in Nashville on the Desmo450 MX.
Under perfect, warm conditions in Nashville, Tennessee, Round 13 of the AMA Supercross Championship delivered a milestone evening for the Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati Factory Racing Team. Competing on a challenging, rocky, hard-pack dirt surface in the heart of country music, Dylan Ferrandis and the team showcased determination, progress, and performance, earning their best Supercross result to date in the United States.
Ferrandis entered the night show with consistent qualifying performances, finishing 10th in both sessions with times of 53.084 and 52.629, which secured 10th overall. Carrying confidence and making slight adjustments to his setup, he lined up for the heat race ready to contend.
In the heat race, Ferrandis launched from the gate in approximately 8th position and completed the opening lap in 7th. Demonstrating strong pace and consistency, he moved into 6th and steadily closed the gap to 5th. Using effective lap times throughout the middle portion of the race, he advanced to 5th place. While challenging for 4th, a small bobble and a line choice in the sand section briefly halted his momentum, but he maintained composure and finished 5th.
The main event saw Ferrandis cross the holeshot line in 7th before settling into 10th on the opening lap—an all-too-familiar position this season. However, his pace quickly became evident as he climbed to 8th within the opening laps. Building momentum, he advanced to 7th by lap 9, then to 6th two laps later. With calculated, precise passes, Ferrandis pushed into 5th place, continuing to close the gap to the leaders.
Dylan Ferrandis (14) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Ducati.
After a brief off-track excursion that cost him a position, Ferrandis regrouped and fought back to reclaim 5th before the checkered flag. Despite crossing the line in a top-five position, a post-race penalty for reentering the track resulted in a final classification of 6th overall.
“Best finish for the myself and for the team this season, so it was great and I was still closing the gap on guys in front of me, so it was awesome,” said Ferrandis. “The position dock is annoying because going off the track I did lose a position and lost time but the good thing is the changes, time, and work we put in this week was the right direction and we are making progress. We put this bike in a top five position, so we achieved that goal and now we can aim for something higher and do even better.”
Even with the penalty, the result marks a historic achievement for Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati Factory Racing, representing the team’s best Supercross finish in US racing. With clear progress and momentum building, the team looks ahead to the upcoming rounds with confidence and ambition to push even further up the standings
More from a press release issued by Husqvarna:
Daxton Bennick races to top-five result in 250SX East at Nashville. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider third in points.
Daxton Bennick and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing finished with a hard-fought P4 result at Round 13 of the AMA Supercross Championship in Nashville this afternoon, maintaining third in the 250SX East standings.
The 20-year-old qualified fifth on the combined 250SX timesheets in Nashville, improving to third in his Heat Race and earning a direct transfer to the upcoming Main Event in difficult, dry track conditions.
Equipped with the Husqvarna FC 250 Factory Edition, Bennick launched to the holeshot in the Main Event, executing solid laps inside the top-three positions as the race developed.
Bennick held second-place until the closing stages, with a late-race incident eventually seeing him claim fourth position once the checkered flag flew and results were tallied. He retains third in the point-standings with three rounds left to contest in the Eastern Division.
Daxton Bennick (58) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Husqvarna.
“All-in-all, Nashville was good,”Bennick reflected.“It’s obviously frustrating since I was in P2 until the last couple of laps… I had a good start to the Main Event, which I was pumped about, then me and [Seth] Hammaker got together, so that is what it is and is part of racing. I’d have liked to have fought a little harder at the end, but we’ll learn from this and be better next weekend.”
450SX teammate Malcolm Stewart posted the seventh-fastest qualifying time around the hard-packed Nissan Stadium layout, finding comfort onboard his Husqvarna FC 450 Factory Edition before powering to a strong P2 finish in his Heat Race.
An early-race incident proved costly for Stewart, who salvaged an 18th-place finish in the Main Event and he currently sits eighth in the 450SX standings with four rounds remaining in Supercross.
Malcolm Stewart (27) in Nashville. Photo courtesy Husqvarna.
“I actually felt great all day in Nashville,”said Stewart.“Both qualifying and the Heat Race went really well, and we just ended up having a little problem in the Main Event – me and another rider came together – and it was just a wrong place, wrong time racing incident. But, at the end of the day, I was glad to be able to finish out the Main Event, and now we’ll keep digging and look forward to the next one in Cleveland.”
Kensei Matsudaira leading on Sunday at Interlagos Circuit in São Paulo, Brazil. Moto4 Latin Cup photo.
Editorial Note: Americans Kensei Matsudaira (2-2) and Mahdi Salem (DNF-3) both finished on the Moto4 Latin Cup podium at Interlagos, Brazil. American Ulises Weyrauch finished 6th in both races and American Aidan Hancock finished 12th in both races.
Team Roberts Rider Kensei Matsudaira Takes Double Podiums in Moto4 Latin Cup Round 2 in Brazil
Fresh off his MotoAmerica Talent Cup race victory at the Circuit of the
Americas last month with MotoGP, Team Roberts rider Kensei Matsudaira
continued his podium streak by taking two 2nd-place finishes this
weekend at Round 2 of the FIM Moto4 Latin Cup held at Interlagos Circuit
in São Paulo, Brazil.
Kensei started the weekend strong on Friday, finishing all sessions in
both dry and wet conditions in P2, less than a second off the local
Brazilian rider topping the sessions. Kensei finished Q1 in 2nd, 0.1
seconds from P1.
After a red-flag during Q2 on Saturday cut short his qualifying effort,
Kensei lined up for the two races starting 4th on the grid.
In race 1, Kensei fought in the front group from the beginning, with the
3-rider group eventually breaking away from the rest of the field.
Kensei took over the lead on the final lap of the race heading into the
final sector, and with a flurry of position changes in the final corner
it was a 3-way photo finish with Kensei taking 2nd place, just 0.04
seconds behind the winner.
Kensei Matsudaira (left) on the Race 1 Podium at Interlagos Circuit in São Paulo, Brazil. Moto4 Latin Cup photo.
Race 2 on Sunday was a similar affair, with a 4-rider front group
breaking away from the rest of the field with Kensei leading the charge
for a significant part of the race. Once again he tried to manage the
gap and draft in the final run to the finish line, but again crossed the
line in 2nd place, 0.05 seconds behind the race winner.
Kensei was disappointed with the results of the races, but leaves Brazil
with the track lap record at Interlagos Circuit sitting 2nd in the
championship, just 8.5 points behind the early points leader.
“Honestly I can’t be happy getting 2nd in both races when the win was
just within reach, but looking on the bright side I’m the only rider
with 3 podiums out of 3 races so far and I think I’ve shown my speed at
both tracks so far in all conditions so that gives me plenty of
confidence for the future. It’s still very early in the season, I will
definitely keep pushing and start getting those wins that I’ve been
working so hard for.”
Arney Wick, Team Roberts Co-Principal:
“Once again, Kensei making a strong statement in the 2nd round of the
Moto4 Latin Cup series. As close as every finish has been for him thus
far, it seems as though it is only a matter of time that he breaks free
from the pack and puts an exclamation point on his full potential. Time
will tell of course but spirits are certainly high for the time being.”
The next round on the Moto4 Latin Cup calendar will be held at San
Nicolás Circuit in Argentina on June 19-21.
Before that, Kensei will be back in action next week with Team Roberts
at Road Atlanta in Georgia for round 2 of the MotoAmerica Talent Cup,
where he will competing on the Team Roberts Krämer APX-350 MA.
Note: Matsudaira’s team sent us a press release and the photos seen above. After we found two usable photos on Salem’s Facebook page, Salem sent us three additional photos, and they can all be seen below.
Mahdi Salem (10) leads Kensei Matsudaira (74) at Interlagos. Moto4 Latin Cup photo.Mahdi Salem (10) leads Andoni Dominguez (34) of Nicaragua and Santiago Gossa (11) of Argentina. Moto4 Latin Cup photo.Mahdi Salem (10) in FIM Moto4 Latin Cup action at Interlagos. Moto4 Latin Cup photo.Kensei Matsudaira (left) and Mahdi Salem (right) on the Moto4 Latin Cup race 2 podium at Interlagos. Alberto Enriquez (center) of Equador won both Moto4 races.Mahdi Salem celebrates his third place finish after Moto4 race 2 at Interlagos.
Joan Mir (36), Maverick Viñales (12) and Francesco Bagnaia (63) during the Sepang Test. Photo courtesy Mat Oxley.
By Mat Oxley:
It’s tiny. It’s kind of hard to reach. It gets used at the start of the race, and then it gets folded away. Oh, and for riders and engineers it’s the last big tool to shave off precious time in the corners.
That’s right, this week Peter’s coming in clutch with a deep dive into…the clutch! How does it work, what influence does it have and why are these devices so different in MotoGP, compared to the ones on your own bike?
Mat wants to know, and Peter has got the know-how. Some of it is proven, other bits are reconstructed from observation. So come with us as we courageously construct critical clutch knowledge…cheers!
Want more? Visit our website or support us on Patreon. With big thanks as always to Brad Baloo from The Next Men and Gentleman’s Dub Club for writing our theme song. Check out The Nextmen for more great music!
Oh, and a quick word in regards to sponsors:
If you’re interested in connecting with a really unique MotoGP audience — we’re working with Smash Brand Group out of Sydney to manage partnerships. Curious? Just head to smashbrandgroup.com.au and get in touch!
The 13th race of Monster Energy Supercross signified the championship's first visit to Nashville since the 2024 season. Photo courtesy SMX
NASHVILLE – The Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship made its anticipated return to “Music City” for Round 13 of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship as a massive crowd gathered inside Nissan Stadium to witness the closest three-rider title fight in 450SMX Class history. When the dust settled, Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence stepped up and seized control of the championship battle with an emphatic victory that saw him take sole possession of the points lead heading into the final four races of the season.
Hunter Lawrence Rises to the Occasion in Nashville to Seize Control of Monster Energy Supercross Title Fight
The start of the premier class 20 Minutes + 1 Lap Main Event saw Quad Lock Honda’s Shane McElrath grab the holeshot, but he was quickly surpassed by several riders that ultimately moved Team Tedder Racing KTM’s Justin Hill into the lead ahead of Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado. Lawrence slotted into the top five as Roczen went on the attack and seized control of the early lead. Behind them, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac, the championship co-leader, was mired outside the top 10.
As Roczen paced the field, Lawrence charged up to second and was the fastest rider on the track. The pace up front stabilized through the middle of the Main Event with a gap that hovered between one to two seconds as the top two pulled away from the rest of the field. With just over eight minutes to go Roczen lost traction before a triple jump, which allowed Lawrence to jump by into the lead. Roczen attempted to fight back, but Lawrence completed the pass and sprinted away to a gap of nearly two seconds. Roczen went down a short time later and dropped to fourth behind Hill and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb.
Lawrence found himself more than 15 seconds clear of the field through the final five minutes, while the battle for the podium raged on behind him. Webb attempted to make a pass on Hill for second but was initially denied. Webb regrouped and made the move stick a short time later. Roczen then followed through into third, with Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Chase Sexton pressing from fourth.
Back up front, Lawrence never put a wheel wrong and rode to a decisive fourth win this season by a margin of 7.1 seconds over Webb, as the reigning champion earned his first podium in four races. Roczen grabbed a fourth consecutive podium in third. Tomac, who was fastest qualifier and won his Heat Race, never factored into the Main Event and ran as high as eighth before a late crash relegated him to 12th, equaling his worst result of the season.
With four races to go Lawrence has opened a 10-point lead in the championship standings over Roczen, who moved from third to second. Tomac fell to third and now sits 15 points out of the lead after sharing possession of the red plate entering Nashville.
Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence captured a crucial fourth win of the season to take sole possession of the 450SMX Class points lead. Photo courtesy SMX
Hunter Lawrence – 1st Place – 450SMX Class:
“It feels great [to be back on top of the podium]. I’m so happy my wrist wasn’t holding me back today. That’s probably the coolest thing. Every Saturday I want to go out and have no limitations holding me back from anything. It feels like a home race with my collaboration with Gibson [Guitars] and how welcoming everyone is and I always look forward to coming back.”
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb overcame a start outside the top 10 for the first podium in four races for the reigning Supercross champion. Photo courtesy SMX
Cooper Webb – 2nd Place – 450SMX Class:
“This race was hard. The track was sketchy and you wanted to push, but you couldn’t. I’m happy with [second] and we got through safe. I had another terrible start, which is not how you want to draw it up. We’ve got some work to do to catch that lead group, but I’ll take the podium after the past few weekends. It’s a good boost of confidence for me.”
Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen continued his late season momentum surge with a fourth straight podium finish. Photo courtesy SMX
Ken Roczen – 3rd Place – 450SMX Class:
“I just felt a little bit off today compared to the past few weekends, but nonetheless we still have only four races to go, and anything goes in the Main Event. I was doing pretty good and once Hunter [Lawrence] got by me, I was going to settle for second and that felt like it was a win for me today. I ended up tossing it right before the finish line and luckily, I got the bike started and back going. I would have loved to finish second, but I’ll take a podium. That’s like a win for us. We’ve got a bunch of racing to go.”
450SMX Class Podium (left to right): Cooper Webb, Hunter Lawrence, and Ken Roczen. Photo courtesy SMX
Eli Tomac – 12th Place – 450SMX Class:
“What a day – the whole day was good, other than the Main Event result. I was comfortable with my setup all day, so I’m just frustrated not only with the bad gate selection – I should have avoided the inside on the start – but also the crash. That bad start really put me in a tough spot from the get-go and I had my work cut out for me trying to make passes on such a slick, tight track. I lost a bunch of points today, but all I can do at this point is ride my best at the remaining rounds and let the chips fall where they may.”
Despite a win in his Heat Race, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac never factored into the Main Event and finished 12th after a late-race crash. Photo courtesysy SMX
Cole Davies Dominant En Route to Fourth Eastern Divisional 250SMX Win
The 15 Minutes + 1 Lap Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class Main Event began with the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing machine of Daxton Bennick out front for the holeshot ahead of Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Nate Thrasher and Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Drew Adams. Also in the mix were the East’s two title combatants, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies and Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker. Thrasher was able to take advantage of his strong start to quickly power by Bennick, and grab hold of the early lead.
Davies and Hammaker latched on to one another and made a march forward, with Davies capitalizing on his explosive whoop speed to make passes. Less than five minutes into the race Davies moved to the front of the field, while Hammaker bided his time and worked his way up to second a short time later. As he looked to make up ground on the lead Hammaker made a costly miscue when his foot hit a tuff block and shot his Kawasaki sideways, which sent Hammaker to the ground. He quickly remounted in fourth, but several seconds outside podium contention.
Davies built a lead of more than five seconds halfway into the Main Event and added to a dominant advantage through the remainder of the race. Meanwhile, Hammaker dug deep and clawed his way back onto the podium. He passed Thrasher for third and with time running out on the race clock was all over Bennick for second. The Husqvarna rider lost traction with his rear tire in his attempt to fend off Hammaker, which initiated a collision between the pair and sent both riders to the ground. Thrasher slipped by into second, while Hammaker remounted in third and Bennick in fourth.
Davies cruised to his fourth win of the season by a margin of 17.2 seconds over Thrasher, who benefitted from the misfortunes of his rivals to capture his first podium result of the season. Hammaker salvaged a podium result in third after an adversity filled race but was later penalized two positions by race officials after he cut the track re-entering the race following his first crash. That moved ClubMX Yamaha’s Devin Simonson, who passed Bennick on the final lap, up to third for a maiden podium result.
Following the penalty to Hammaker, Davies’ points lead expanded to 29 points with three races to go. Bennick sits third, 40 points out of the lead.
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies was dominant on the way to his fourth win of the season to extend his Eastern Divisional points lead. Photo courtesy SMX
Cole Davies – 1st Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class:
“The whoops were sketchy today. They were super steep and since [the track crew] left them all day the cups were really gnarly. I’m stoked, that was a good race. I didn’t get off to a good start, but I made it happen and I’m stoked with that.”
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Nate Thrasher earned an unexpected runner-up finish for his first podium result of the season. Photo courtesy SMX
Nate Thrasher – 2nd Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class:
“Honestly, I did not ride good at all. I just didn’t have a flow. I was really great in practice and solid in the Heat Race. The track just kept getting harder packed and I started struggling a little bit. I got a little pumped up and did the best I could. I’m pumped to be on the podium, but we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
ClubMX Yamaha’s Devin Simonson ended up with the first podium result of his career after a post-race penalty was given to Seth Hammaker. Photo courtesy SMX
Devin Simonson – 3rd Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class*:
“I was able to pick up on some lines battling with Henry [Miller] and made the pass on him quick [for fifth]. A bunch of carnage was happening out front, I honestly don’t know what, but I saw on the pit board I was battling for fourth, so I gave it everything I had and came out with this one.”
*Quote provided prior to penalty.
Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class Podium (left to right): Nate Thrasher, Cole Davies, and Seth Hammaker. Hammaker was later penalized two positions for cutting the track. Photo courtesy SMX
Even though he crossed the line in third place, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker was penalized two positions for cutting the track and dropped to fifth, which lost him valuable points in the championship standings. Photo courtesy SMX
The Monster Energy SMX World Championship and Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship will continue next Saturday, April 18, with Round 14 from Huntington Bank Field for the sport’s first visit to Cleveland in 30 years. Live broadcast coverage will be highlighted by a network showcase on NBC at 3 p.m. ET, in addition to comprehensive coverage on Peacock, beginning at 9 a.m. ET with Race Day Live, followed by the Gate Drop at 3 p.m. ET. A special encore network presentation will air on NBC as well on Sunday, April 19, at 2 p.m. ET. Additionally, a domestic Spanish language broadcast is available on Peacock while international viewers can choose from dedicated English, French, and Spanish broadcasts via SMX Video Pass (www.SMXVideoPass.com).
All 17 rounds of the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and 11 rounds of the Pro Motocross Championship are on sale. Tickets for the SMX World Championship Playoff Rounds and Final are now on sale at Supermotocross.com. Saturday FanFest will take place at all postseason races, Friday FanFest and camping will be available in Columbus and Ridgedale, additional details to follow.
For information about the Monster Energy SMX World Championship, please visit www.SuperMotocross.com and be sure to follow all of the new SMX social media channels for exclusive content and additional information on the latest news:
Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Photo courtesy Road America.
STATEMENT: GOVERNOR EVERS’ VETO OF RIGHT-TO-RACE BILL STALLS WISCONSIN’S ECONOMIC ENGINE
The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) and its Performance Racing Industry (PRI) subsidiary issued the following statement following Gov. Tony Evers’ veto of AB 880:
Governor Tony Evers claims to have fond childhood memories growing up near a Wisconsin racetrack, but just vetoed AB 880, the Right-to-Race bill, just so his trial-lawyer buddies can keep suing tracks out of business.
Evers acted despite overwhelming support from lawmakers from across the state who know the value of small businesses and the cultural importance of motorsports. There was no registered opposition to this bill, and for good reason: motorsports matter.
Wisconsin’s racetracks foster an industry that is the soul of Wisconsin’s small, multi-generational business community and the engine of the state’s economic viability, including:
• $2.46 billion in total economic impact
• 10,601 jobs
• $697.92 million in wages and benefits
• $271.60 million in tax revenue.
Motorsports is an industry that has enlivened life in Wisconsin for nearly a century. Instead of protecting Wisconsin’s economy and network of family-owned dirt ovals, drag strips, and every motorsports facility in between, and instead of fostering American manufacturing, STEM education, and engineering innovation, Evers made it crystal clear whose side he’s on: lawyers and NIMBYs.
SEMA and PRI instead will continue to stand with the working families, racers, mechanics, concession workers, and fans who lose when tracks close. This race isn’t finished. In fact, our coalition is stronger than ever, and we’re just getting started.
BACKGROUND
AB 880, which was passed in the Wisconsin State Legislature with strong support in the Assembly and Senate, would protect long-standing racetracks from nuisance-based lawsuits brought by nearby property owners who moved into the area after the tracks were already established.
SEMA and PRI support “Right-to-Race” laws like AB 880 that protect legally compliant, long-standing tracks from nuisance claims. These protections ensure facilities that follow all laws and permits can operate without constant legal threats, preserving racing heritage, jobs, and revenue generated by motorsports.
The automotive aftermarket and motorsports industries annually contribute a combined $406 billion to the national economy, including $69 billion by the motorsports industry alone, and support millions of jobs nationwide. Lawmakers should champion commonsense policies to protect racetrack operations, prosperity, and longevity.
SEMA and PRI work with lawmakers, track operators, sanctioning bodies, and parts manufacturers to advance these protections through advocacy, coalition building, and grassroots engagement. Tracks have operated for decades and deserve stability. This commonsense legislation ensures facilities that predate neighbors are legally protected, preserving both urban and rural jobs, tourism, and community tradition.
Motorsports venues are vital to local economies, small businesses, tourism, and heritage. Still, many face lawsuits from neighbors who moved in after the track was established and seek to limit operations or shut down the venue entirely.\
ABOUT PERFORMANCE RACING INDUSTRY
Performance Racing Industry fuels the passion for motorsports by building, promoting, and protecting the worldwide racing community. PRI supports the interests of racers, enthusiasts, builders, tracks, sanctioning bodies and businesses through legislative action and advocacy, its monthly business magazine Performance Racing Industry, and the world’s premier motorsports trade show, the PRI Trade Show. PRI also supports businesses by providing market research, education and best practices in motorsports business and racing technology. For more information, visit PerformanceRacing.com.
ABOUT SEMA
The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) serves as a leading voice for the worldwide car culture, representing over 7,000 member companies that create, buy, sell, and use specialty-automotive parts that make vehicles more unique, attractive, convenient, safer, fun, and even like new again. Business member benefits include product development resources, market research, networking, education, legislative advocacy and more. The Association organizes the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nev., and actively supports the career and business opportunities that the aftermarket generates. The industry contributes nearly $337 billion in economic impact to the U.S. economy, supports 1.3 million jobs nationally, and generates nearly $53 billion in parts sales annually. For more information, visit www.sema.org.
The Italian government has issued a postage stamp and associated collectibles in honor of Ducati's 100th anniversary.
Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT) Government Agency Honors Ducati
Ducati is among the companies to which the MIMIT has dedicated a stamp of the series “Excellence of the Production System and Made in Italy.”
The issue pays tribute to the 100-year history of the Borgo Panigale company, recognizing its contribution to the promotion of Made in Italy around the world.
The stamp design features an iconic Ducati motorcycle crossed by the colours of the Italian flag, symbolizing the company’s identity and connection to its Italian roots.
Rome/Borgo Panigale – On the occasion of its Centenary, Ducati is being celebrated by the Italian State with a special stamp dedicated to the history, vision and achievements that have made the Borgo Panigale-based manufacturer a global benchmark in the motorcycle industry. The issue is part of the thematic series “Excellence of the Production System and Made in Italy” dedicated to companies that have made a significant contribution to the Country’s development and innovation.
The official presentation took place on Thursday 9 April in the Sala degli Arazzi of Palazzo Piacentini, headquarters of the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, in the presence of Undersecretary of State for Philately, Fausta Bergamotto.
“2026 represents an extraordinary milestone for Ducati, embodying one hundred years of history, passion and expertise” said Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati, during the ceremony. “Made in Italy is part of our identity: a way of working that combines tradition and innovation and has enabled us to establish a distinctive vision of technology, design, and performance on the international stage. A journey that today receives further recognition through institutional initiatives such as this one, for which we would like to express our gratitude to Minister Adolfo Urso and the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy.”
Founded in 1926 in Borgo Panigale (Bologna), Ducati has built a unique identity over the course of a century, evolving from its early days in radio technology to become a global excellence in motorcycling and motorsport. The values of Style, Sophistication, and Performance have always guided the Company’s choices and are reflected in motorcycles that combine advanced technology, distinctive design and an unmistakably Italian sporting character.
These elements come together in the commemorative stamp dedicated to the Centenary, featuring an iconic Ducati motorcycle–the Ducati Superleggera V4 Centenario Tricolore– crossed by the colors of the Italian flag: a tribute to the Company’s identity and its deep connection to the Country’s creativity, technological innovation, and tradition.
This is not the first time Ducati has been celebrated through philately. In 2022, a stamp in the thematic series “Sport” was dedicated to the MotoGP World Championship victory, featuring the Desmosedici GP22 of Francesco Bagnaia reinterpreted in the colours of the Italian flag.
The Centenary stamp is issued at the B rate.
For the occasion, a special A4 three-fold philatelic folder has also been produced, containing a block of four stamps, a single stamp, a stamped and postmarked postcard, a philatelic card, a first-day cover and an illustrated bulletin. The folder is available at post offices with philatelic counters, in Philately Spaces, and on the website filatelia.it.
The Ducati stamp will also be included in the “Book of Stamps 2026,” the annual publication that collects all the year’s issues, combining collecting, institutional memory and the story of the Country.
Multi-platinum selling country artist Brantley Gilbert named Grand Marshal for the Nashville Supercross race being held at Nissan Stadium. Photo courtesy SMX
Gilbert to Introduce Reigning Supercross Champion and Close Friend Cooper Webb in Special Opening Ceremonies Tribute.Gilbert’s new single “Good Damn” among the most added songs at country radio two weeks in a row.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Multi-platinum selling country artist Brantley Gilbert has been named the official Grand Marshal for Round 13 of the Monster Energy SMX World ChampionshipTM taking place this Saturday, April 11 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.
Amassing over 8.3 BILLION career streams and seven No. 1 singles with hit songs such as “Bottoms Up,” “Country Must Be Country Wide,” and “You Don’t Know Her Like I Do”, Gilbert is also an accomplished songwriter, lending his world-class pen to Jason Aldean’s “Dirt Road Anthem” and “My Kinda Party.” An ACM, CMA and AMA Award winner, Gilbert’s latest single “Good Damn” was enthusiastically embraced both by fans and country radio, landing among the most-added songs two weeks in a row. “Good Damn” is the lead single from Gilbert’s eighth studio album, set for release later in the year.
Gilbert recently attended his first SMX event a couple of weeks ago in Birmingham, Alabama and enjoys a close friendship with reigning Supercross Champion Cooper Webb. Webb will be donning Brantley Gilbert artwork on his racing gear in a unique collaboration between the two superstars. Webb’s FLY Racing gear kit, helmet and Alpinestars boots will be revealed at a special event taking place at Tootsies on Friday night. Gilbert will also have a bike on hand with special event graphics.
Gilbert will play an integral role in opening ceremonies, make an appearance on the pre-race Race Day Live show, plus deliver the customary “gentleman start your engines” heard famously at motorsports events around the world. Gilbert will also wave the green flag for the official start of the premier 450SMX Class Main Event.
FanFest and Qualifying kick off at Nissan Stadium at 7:00 a.m. with opening ceremonies starting at 1:30 p.m. and racing at 2:00 p.m. CT. Tickets can be purchased at SupercrossLIVE.
For information about the Monster Energy SMX World Championship, please visit www.SuperMotocross.com and be sure to follow all of the new SMX social media channels for exclusive content and additional information on the latest news:
Bradley Smith (38) on his Harley-Davidson Bagger racebike at Daytona. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON LAUNCHES RIDE
New Global Brand Platform Sets Stage For New Era of Harley-Davidson, While Honoring Its Heritage
Harley-Davidson reignites the brand with the global launch of RIDE, a refreshed brand platform that honors more than a century of driving motorcycle culture, designed for the riders of today, and paves a path forward for Harley-Davidson.
More than a word, RIDE is, at its core, the very idea that defines and drives Harley-Davidson. It is an action, a feeling, and a way of life that has been embedded into the brand since its founding in 1903. Harley-Davidson doesn’t have merely owners, rather a community of passionate riders. The very notion of RIDE brings people together, clears the mind, and turns miles into stories, reaffirming that life is better on two wheels.
“I’m thrilled to launch the RIDE platform as a full reset of the brand ahead of our company strategy rollout in May. It celebrates the fun and joy people experience riding the world’s greatest motorcycle, a Harley-Davidson,” said Artie Starrs, President and CEO, Harley-Davidson.
With the launch of RIDE, Harley-Davidson unveils a new visual identity, anchored by the return of the historic Harley-Davidson bar and shield logo; a nod to where it all began and a signal to the role heritage continues to play in shaping the future of Harley-Davidson.
The platform debut comes to life through a video set to the iconic Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again,” featuring raw, authentic footage of real riders and the joy of the RIDE. The visual spotlights the true spirit of the open road and the culture that exists around it, a community Harley-Davidson originated and continues to champion. The video will air nationally across broadcast and streaming platforms, along with a comprehensive internal and external integrated campaign.
For over a century, Harley-Davidson has defined what it means to ride. RIDE is the next chapter, celebrating every rider, those who have been with us from the beginning and opening the road to anyone ready to join in. More riders. More rides. More freedom. More stories to be told.
Harley-Davidson, Inc. is the parent company of Harley-Davidson Motor Company and Harley-Davidson Financial Services. Our vision: Building our legend and leading our industry through innovation, evolution and emotion. Our mission: More than building machines, we stand for the timeless pursuit of adventure. Freedom for the soul. Since 1903, Harley-Davidson has defined motorcycle culture with an expanding range of leading-edge, distinctive and customizable motorcycles in addition to riding experiences and exceptional motorcycle accessories, riding gear and apparel. Harley-Davidson Financial Services provides financing, insurance and other programs to help get Harley-Davidson riders on the road. Learn more at www.harley-davidson.com.
Live Streaming Test Going On This Weekend From CMP
ASRA is testing live streaming from Carolina Motorsports Park but is encountering track bandwidth issues even after deploying multiple Starlink satellite internet systems.
ASRA’s Alex Spellman says he’s confident the live streaming will be functional at tracks with better internet connections, including Summit Point May 23-24.
If ASRA gets the system working at CMP, watch it here:
The organization plans to expand its live-streaming program to seven other events during the 2026 season. More information is available from www.asra.com and [email protected].
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