COLUMBUS, Ohio – Playoff 1 for the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship got underway amidst rainy conditions inside Historic Crew Stadium, which presented an unpredictable and challenging dynamic for the start of the postseason. A passionate and enthusiastic sellout crowd braved the weather as a muddy afternoon of racing saw Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan break through for his first premier class victory in the 450SMX Class, while Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen came out on the winning end of a tiebreaker to prevail in the 250SMX Class.
Haiden Deegan Breaks Through for First Premier Class Victory at SMX World Championship Playoff 1 in Columbus.
Due to the weather and wet track conditions, the first motos for each class were shortened to 15 Minutes + 1 Lap, while the second motos were shortened to 12 Minutes + 1 Lap in an effort to help preserve the racing surface.
The opening moto for the 450SMX Class got underway with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado leading the field to the holeshot with Deegan and Quad Lock Honda’s Joey Savatgy in tow. Further back in the field Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence, the top seed and newly crowned Pro Motocross Champion, went down and started last.
Deegan closed in on the Spaniard and made the pass right before the completion of the first full lap. Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen, the reigning Supercross Champion, soon followed into second. As the leaders settled in, Lawrence encountered more misfortune and found himself on the ground once more, which effectively eliminated him from contention for the afternoon. Back up front, Deegan opened a multi-second lead over the field. Roczen started to take significant chunks out of his deficit, but Deegan responded to end the threat and carried on to his first checkered flag in the premier class by 17.2 seconds over his Suzuki counterpart. Prado finished in third, with Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati Factory Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis in fourth and Twisted Tea Suzuki Progressive’s Jason Anderson in fifth.
The second moto kicked off with Deegan leading the way to the holeshot ahead of Prado and Roczen. Deegan took advantage of the clear track and tried to inch away, but Roczen made the move on Prado and tracked down Deegan to begin a brief battle for the lead. Behind them, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb made the pass around Prado for third. Out front, Deegan fended off Roczen’s early pressure to stabilize his advantage.
As Deegan took advantage of lapped riders to extend his lead over Roczen, Webb and Prado traded positions, with the Spaniard able to briefly reclaim the position before Webb overtook him once more. Deegan, meanwhile, continued to show impressive poise in the treacherous conditions and completed a wire-to-wire moto win to sweep the day by 17.1 seconds over Roczen, who overcame a fall late in the race. Webb finished third, just ahead of Prado.
Deegan’s 1-1 performance netted him the first premier class victory in his 12th career start. Roczen enjoyed a consistent afternoon to finish in the runner-up spot (2-2) in his first start since capturing the Supercross title in May, while Prado rounded out the podium (3-4) in his SMX Playoff debut.
With his third-place finish, Prado improved upon his second seed in the 450SMX Playoff to move atop the standings and grab possession of the red plate for the first time. He holds a two-point lead over Deegan, who climbed from seventh to second, while Webb remains third, four points back. Roczen moved up from 10th to fourth (-8), while Lawrence’s 15th-place finish saw him drop from first to sixth (-10).
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan began the postseason with his highly anticipated maiden 450SMX Class victory in a 1-1 effort. Photo courtesy SMX.
Haiden Deegan (1-1) – 1st Place – 450SMX Class: “This is a dream come true. I just won a 450 race. This is crazy. I can’t express how happy I am right now. It’s just a weight off my shoulders, especially on a day like today when conditions were like this and I’m racing against guys with a lot more experience on a track like this. I’m just so happy and ready to keep it going.”
Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen enjoyed a consistent afternoon to finish runner-up in his return to action. Photo courtesy SMX.
Ken Roczen (2-2) – 2nd Place – 450SMX Class: “Just nice and content [today]. That was my gameplan coming into here. I had a blast out there. To get a 2-2 [effort], I couldn’t ask for anything more, honestly. What a solid weekend. I can’t wait for the next [race].”
The SMX Playoffs debut for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado was successful as he finished third overall and took over the points lead. Photo courtesy SMX.
Jorge Prado (3-4) – 3rd Place – 450SMX Class: “I really don’t know what to say. My worst races came in the mud this year and I got up here on the [podium], which is amazing for me. Just improvement, from being in the top 15 [earlier in the season] to getting on the podium. We’re now leading the SMX series, and I cannot be happier than this.”
450SMX Class Podium (left to right): Ken Roczen, Haiden Deegan, and Jorge Prado. Photo courtesy SMX.
Levi Kitchen Emerges in 250SMX Class with Consistent Performance
The first moto for the 250SMX Class started with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies out front with the holeshot ahead of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Daxton Bennick and Kitchen. Davies, the top seed and reigning Eastern Divisional Supercross Championship and Pro Motocross Champion, took full advantage of the clear track to open a significant lead over the field.
Davies dominated the first 12 minutes of the moto, opening an advantage of nearly 20 seconds and lapping up to 10th place. However, with just over three minutes left on the race clock Davies appeared to encounter issues with his Yamaha and eventually came to a stop on one of the track’s jumps, ending his race. That allowed Bennick to move into the lead as the Husqvarna rider kept it on two wheels and captured the moto win by 18.1 seconds over Kitchen, while Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Ryder DiFrancesco followed in third. ClubMX Yamaha’s Max Vohland finished fourth, with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Caden Dudney in fifth. Davies’ DNF relegated him to 22nd place.
The second moto began with Bennick out front for the holeshot, but he was passed by Davies in the first rhythm section, while Honda HRC Progressive’s Chance Hymas slotted into third ahead of Kitchen. Much like the first moto, Davies stormed out to a healthy lead of more than 10 seconds, while Bennick asserted his hold of second. Behind them, the battle for third unfolded between Hymas and Kitchen, with the Kawasaki rider able to make the move.
As Davies continued to pull away, Bennick started to lose ground to Kitchen, who made a push over the second half of the race. He continued to inch closer to the Husqvarna and moved within striking distance coming to the white flag. Kitchen pulled the trigger on a quick and decisive pass to move into second, which had a significant impact on the overall classification.
Out front, Davies was in a class of his own and bounced back from the heartbreak of Moto 1 to take the second moto win by 16.5 seconds over Kitchen, with Bennick in third and DiFrancesco in fourth.
With his late pass and runner-up finish, Kitchen (2-2) and Bennick (1-3) finished the afternoon tied atop the overall classification with four points apiece. The second moto tiebreaker went in Kitchen’s favor to give him the first Playoff win of his career, while Bennick secured his fifth career SMX podium. DiFrancesco rounded out the overall podium in third (3-4), while Davies’ salvaged 11th overall (22-1).
Kitchen now sits atop the 250SMX Playoff standings after entering the weekend as the second seed. He holds a seven-point lead over DiFrancesco, who entered as the third seed, while Davies dropped to third, 10 points out of the lead.
Even though he missed out on a moto win, a consistent 2-2 effort from Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen gave him the win and points lead. Photo courtesy SMX.
Levi Kitchen (2-2) – 1st Place – 250SMX Class: “We were coming to the white flag and I saw Dax [Bennick]. I knew if I could get him I might have a chance, but I really had no idea. That was nice, I was able to put two motos together. This was a great race to have [to begin the Playoffs]. I’m feeling better and looking forward to next weekend.”
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Daxton Bennick captured his first moto win en route to a runner-up finish. Photo courtesy SMX.
Daxton Bennick (1-3) – 2nd Place – 250SMX Class: “I gotta be happy with [today]. Two solid motos. I had [the win] with two laps to go but Levi [Kitchen] was riding good. Gotta give it to him. I’m just grateful for a great day and excited to start the Playoffs like this.”
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Ryder DiFrancesco earned a quiet third place finish after a 3-4 performance. Photo courtesy SMX.
Ryder DiFrancesco (3-4) – 3rd Place – 250SMX Class: “I just tried to get a good start and ride consistent laps. I figured if I could do that it would work out and that’s what happened. Excited to try and keep this going into next weekend.”
250SMX Class Podium (left to right): Daxton Bennick, Levi Kitchen, and Ryder DiFrancesco. Photo courtesy SMX.
The SMX Next World All-Stars contested a shortened 6 Minutes + 1 Lap Main Event for the first of two Playoff races, which started with Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Kade Johnson out front with the holeshot. However, he was quickly passed by ClubMX Yamaha’s Ryder Malinoski while KTM Orange Brigade’s Wyatt Thurman gave chase from third.
The battle for the lead continued as Johnson made the pass to regain control of the race. Malinoski made another push to try and pass for the lead but lost control and dismounted his Yamaha. That allowed Thurman to take control of second. Malinoski briefly resumed in third but went down again and eventually dropped out of contention as Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Vincent Wey slotted into podium position.
Johnson kept it clean the rest of the way and took the second SMX Next victory of his career by 10.6 seconds over Thurman, while Wey rounded out the podium. Johnson has now amassed a four-race podium streak in SMX Next competition and will lead the All-Stars standings entering next weekend’s championship-deciding race, with a two-point lead over Thurman and a five-point lead over Wey.
Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Kade Johnson took advantage of a good start and clean riding to capture the SMX Next World All-Stars win. Photo courtesy SMX.
Kade Johnson – 1st Place – SMX Next World All-Stars: “I was just patient. I’m trying to prove myself to get a pro contract. I just tried to ride my best, keep it on two wheels, and get the best result I could. I’ve been consistent recently and now have five podiums in-a-row. I think the start was critical there and it definitely helped [put me in a position to win].”
The Monster Energy SMX World Championship postseason will continue next Saturday, September 19, with Playoff 2 from Los Angeles’ Dignity Health Sports Park. Live comprehensive broadcast coverage will be available on Peacock, beginning at 1 p.m. ET with Race Day Live, followed by a Pre-Race Show at 6:30 p.m. ET and Gate Drop at 7 p.m. ET.
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:
Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing’s Bradley Smith won the MotoAmerica Mission King of The Baggers race two at Circuit of The Americas on Sunday. J&P Cycles/Motul/Vance & Hines Factory Indian’s Hayden Gillim was second, followed by SDI Racing’s Tyler O’Hara, Big Diehl x Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s James Rispoli and Gillim’s teammate Troy Herfoss.
Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Bobby Fong won the MotoAmerica Quad Lock Superbike race two at Circuit of The Americas on Sunday. Wrench Motorcycles’ Cameron Petersen was second, followed by OrangeCat Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly, Warhorse HSBK Ducati FLo4Law’s Cameron Beaubier and Fong’s teammate JD Beach.
BPR Racing Yamaha’s Bryce Kornbau won the MotoAmerica Mission Super Hooligan race two at Circuit of The Americas on Sunday. Teammate Andy DiBrino was second, followed by Edge Racing’s Jason Waters, Rodio Racing’s Ben Gloddy and Saddlemen Race Development’s Jake Lewis.
Celtic/Economy Lube + Tire/Warhorse Ducati’s Darryn Binder won the MotoAmerica Supersport race two at Circuit of The Americas on Sunday. Liberty Yamaha Racing’s Harrison Voight was second, followed by BPR Racing Yamaha’s Josh Hayes, Rahal Ducati Moto with Droplight’s Kayla Yaakov and Strack Racing’s Blake Davis.
Celtic/V1 Moto/Warhorse Ducati’s Mikey Lou Sanchez crossed the finish line second but was disqualified for being underweight.
Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane won the MotoAmerica Talent Cup race two at Circuit of The Americas on Sunday. Quarterley Racing’s Nathan Gouker was second, followed by Team Roberts’ Kensei Matsudaira, Team Hammer’s Jake Paige and Real Steel Honda’s Derek Sanchez King.
American Kristian Daniel Jr. finished 4th in Race 1 of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.
Riding the #70 KTM, Daniel completed the 15-lap race 1.114 seconds behind race winner Fernando Bujosa. The 17-year-old American earned 13 championship points for his fourth-place finish.
Kristian Daniel Jr.:“I got the track limits warning because I was being lazy in one corner,” admitted the 17-year-old American. “But after I got the warning, I concentrated and changed my line. I was running the shorter gearing, and that was costing me at the end of the back straight.
“I’m probably going to change that for tomorrow, and hopefully that will help me go for the win.”
In Race 2, Daniel Jr. finished second, just 0.055 seconds behind winner Carlos Cano after 15 laps at Misano. The result gave Daniel Jr. 20 championship points and his first podium of the weekend.
Kristian Daniel Jr.: “I knew I needed to change the gearing after yesterday; we went longer, and that worked for the last sector. I felt way more comfortable.I dropped back a few times because of a few collisions.”
“The middle of the race was difficult, but I upped the intensity, almost won, but I had a little moment at the end.”
Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing’s Bradley Smith was fastest in the MotoAmerica Mission King of The Baggers warmup at Circuit of The Americas on Sunday. J&P Cycles/Motul/Vance & Hines Factory Indian’s Hayden Gillim was second, followed by teammate Troy Herfoss, Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing’s Kyle Wyman and Big Diehl x Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s James Rispoli.
Wrench Motorcycles’ Cameron Petersen was fastest in the MotoAmerica Quad Lock Superbike warmup at Circuit of The Americas on Sunday. Warhorse HSBK Ducati FLo4Law’s Cameron Beaubier was second, followed by Strack Racing’s Mathew Scholtz, OrangeCat Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly and Rahal Ducati Moto with XPEL’s PJ Jacobsen.
Bobby Fong (50), Sean Dylan Kelly (40), Cameron Beaubier (1), JD Beach (95), Mathew Scholtz (11) and PJ Jacobsen (15) during the Superbike race 2 at COTA. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Missed the action at Circuit of The Americas? Catch all the race highlights from Superbike, Supersport, Talent Cup, Super Hooligans and Baggers.
A sellout crowd braved the weather inside Historic Crew Stadium to kick off the
2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship Playoffs. Photo courtesy SMX.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Playoff 1 for the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship got underway amidst rainy conditions inside Historic Crew Stadium, which presented an unpredictable and challenging dynamic for the start of the postseason. A passionate and enthusiastic sellout crowd braved the weather as a muddy afternoon of racing saw Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan break through for his first premier class victory in the 450SMX Class, while Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen came out on the winning end of a tiebreaker to prevail in the 250SMX Class.
Haiden Deegan Breaks Through for First Premier Class Victory at SMX World Championship Playoff 1 in Columbus.
Due to the weather and wet track conditions, the first motos for each class were shortened to 15 Minutes + 1 Lap, while the second motos were shortened to 12 Minutes + 1 Lap in an effort to help preserve the racing surface.
The opening moto for the 450SMX Class got underway with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado leading the field to the holeshot with Deegan and Quad Lock Honda’s Joey Savatgy in tow. Further back in the field Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence, the top seed and newly crowned Pro Motocross Champion, went down and started last.
Deegan closed in on the Spaniard and made the pass right before the completion of the first full lap. Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen, the reigning Supercross Champion, soon followed into second. As the leaders settled in, Lawrence encountered more misfortune and found himself on the ground once more, which effectively eliminated him from contention for the afternoon. Back up front, Deegan opened a multi-second lead over the field. Roczen started to take significant chunks out of his deficit, but Deegan responded to end the threat and carried on to his first checkered flag in the premier class by 17.2 seconds over his Suzuki counterpart. Prado finished in third, with Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati Factory Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis in fourth and Twisted Tea Suzuki Progressive’s Jason Anderson in fifth.
The second moto kicked off with Deegan leading the way to the holeshot ahead of Prado and Roczen. Deegan took advantage of the clear track and tried to inch away, but Roczen made the move on Prado and tracked down Deegan to begin a brief battle for the lead. Behind them, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb made the pass around Prado for third. Out front, Deegan fended off Roczen’s early pressure to stabilize his advantage.
As Deegan took advantage of lapped riders to extend his lead over Roczen, Webb and Prado traded positions, with the Spaniard able to briefly reclaim the position before Webb overtook him once more. Deegan, meanwhile, continued to show impressive poise in the treacherous conditions and completed a wire-to-wire moto win to sweep the day by 17.1 seconds over Roczen, who overcame a fall late in the race. Webb finished third, just ahead of Prado.
Deegan’s 1-1 performance netted him the first premier class victory in his 12th career start. Roczen enjoyed a consistent afternoon to finish in the runner-up spot (2-2) in his first start since capturing the Supercross title in May, while Prado rounded out the podium (3-4) in his SMX Playoff debut.
With his third-place finish, Prado improved upon his second seed in the 450SMX Playoff to move atop the standings and grab possession of the red plate for the first time. He holds a two-point lead over Deegan, who climbed from seventh to second, while Webb remains third, four points back. Roczen moved up from 10th to fourth (-8), while Lawrence’s 15th-place finish saw him drop from first to sixth (-10).
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan began the postseason with his highly anticipated maiden 450SMX Class victory in a 1-1 effort. Photo courtesy SMX.
Haiden Deegan (1-1) – 1st Place – 450SMX Class: “This is a dream come true. I just won a 450 race. This is crazy. I can’t express how happy I am right now. It’s just a weight off my shoulders, especially on a day like today when conditions were like this and I’m racing against guys with a lot more experience on a track like this. I’m just so happy and ready to keep it going.”
Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen enjoyed a consistent afternoon to finish runner-up in his return to action. Photo courtesy SMX.
Ken Roczen (2-2) – 2nd Place – 450SMX Class: “Just nice and content [today]. That was my gameplan coming into here. I had a blast out there. To get a 2-2 [effort], I couldn’t ask for anything more, honestly. What a solid weekend. I can’t wait for the next [race].”
The SMX Playoffs debut for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado was successful as he finished third overall and took over the points lead. Photo courtesy SMX.
Jorge Prado (3-4) – 3rd Place – 450SMX Class: “I really don’t know what to say. My worst races came in the mud this year and I got up here on the [podium], which is amazing for me. Just improvement, from being in the top 15 [earlier in the season] to getting on the podium. We’re now leading the SMX series, and I cannot be happier than this.”
450SMX Class Podium (left to right): Ken Roczen, Haiden Deegan, and Jorge Prado. Photo courtesy SMX.
Levi Kitchen Emerges in 250SMX Class with Consistent Performance
The first moto for the 250SMX Class started with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies out front with the holeshot ahead of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Daxton Bennick and Kitchen. Davies, the top seed and reigning Eastern Divisional Supercross Championship and Pro Motocross Champion, took full advantage of the clear track to open a significant lead over the field.
Davies dominated the first 12 minutes of the moto, opening an advantage of nearly 20 seconds and lapping up to 10th place. However, with just over three minutes left on the race clock Davies appeared to encounter issues with his Yamaha and eventually came to a stop on one of the track’s jumps, ending his race. That allowed Bennick to move into the lead as the Husqvarna rider kept it on two wheels and captured the moto win by 18.1 seconds over Kitchen, while Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Ryder DiFrancesco followed in third. ClubMX Yamaha’s Max Vohland finished fourth, with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Caden Dudney in fifth. Davies’ DNF relegated him to 22nd place.
The second moto began with Bennick out front for the holeshot, but he was passed by Davies in the first rhythm section, while Honda HRC Progressive’s Chance Hymas slotted into third ahead of Kitchen. Much like the first moto, Davies stormed out to a healthy lead of more than 10 seconds, while Bennick asserted his hold of second. Behind them, the battle for third unfolded between Hymas and Kitchen, with the Kawasaki rider able to make the move.
As Davies continued to pull away, Bennick started to lose ground to Kitchen, who made a push over the second half of the race. He continued to inch closer to the Husqvarna and moved within striking distance coming to the white flag. Kitchen pulled the trigger on a quick and decisive pass to move into second, which had a significant impact on the overall classification.
Out front, Davies was in a class of his own and bounced back from the heartbreak of Moto 1 to take the second moto win by 16.5 seconds over Kitchen, with Bennick in third and DiFrancesco in fourth.
With his late pass and runner-up finish, Kitchen (2-2) and Bennick (1-3) finished the afternoon tied atop the overall classification with four points apiece. The second moto tiebreaker went in Kitchen’s favor to give him the first Playoff win of his career, while Bennick secured his fifth career SMX podium. DiFrancesco rounded out the overall podium in third (3-4), while Davies’ salvaged 11th overall (22-1).
Kitchen now sits atop the 250SMX Playoff standings after entering the weekend as the second seed. He holds a seven-point lead over DiFrancesco, who entered as the third seed, while Davies dropped to third, 10 points out of the lead.
Even though he missed out on a moto win, a consistent 2-2 effort from Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen gave him the win and points lead. Photo courtesy SMX.
Levi Kitchen (2-2) – 1st Place – 250SMX Class: “We were coming to the white flag and I saw Dax [Bennick]. I knew if I could get him I might have a chance, but I really had no idea. That was nice, I was able to put two motos together. This was a great race to have [to begin the Playoffs]. I’m feeling better and looking forward to next weekend.”
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Daxton Bennick captured his first moto win en route to a runner-up finish. Photo courtesy SMX.
Daxton Bennick (1-3) – 2nd Place – 250SMX Class: “I gotta be happy with [today]. Two solid motos. I had [the win] with two laps to go but Levi [Kitchen] was riding good. Gotta give it to him. I’m just grateful for a great day and excited to start the Playoffs like this.”
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Ryder DiFrancesco earned a quiet third place finish after a 3-4 performance. Photo courtesy SMX.
Ryder DiFrancesco (3-4) – 3rd Place – 250SMX Class: “I just tried to get a good start and ride consistent laps. I figured if I could do that it would work out and that’s what happened. Excited to try and keep this going into next weekend.”
250SMX Class Podium (left to right): Daxton Bennick, Levi Kitchen, and Ryder DiFrancesco. Photo courtesy SMX.
The SMX Next World All-Stars contested a shortened 6 Minutes + 1 Lap Main Event for the first of two Playoff races, which started with Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Kade Johnson out front with the holeshot. However, he was quickly passed by ClubMX Yamaha’s Ryder Malinoski while KTM Orange Brigade’s Wyatt Thurman gave chase from third.
The battle for the lead continued as Johnson made the pass to regain control of the race. Malinoski made another push to try and pass for the lead but lost control and dismounted his Yamaha. That allowed Thurman to take control of second. Malinoski briefly resumed in third but went down again and eventually dropped out of contention as Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Vincent Wey slotted into podium position.
Johnson kept it clean the rest of the way and took the second SMX Next victory of his career by 10.6 seconds over Thurman, while Wey rounded out the podium. Johnson has now amassed a four-race podium streak in SMX Next competition and will lead the All-Stars standings entering next weekend’s championship-deciding race, with a two-point lead over Thurman and a five-point lead over Wey.
Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Kade Johnson took advantage of a good start and clean riding to capture the SMX Next World All-Stars win. Photo courtesy SMX.
Kade Johnson – 1st Place – SMX Next World All-Stars: “I was just patient. I’m trying to prove myself to get a pro contract. I just tried to ride my best, keep it on two wheels, and get the best result I could. I’ve been consistent recently and now have five podiums in-a-row. I think the start was critical there and it definitely helped [put me in a position to win].”
The Monster Energy SMX World Championship postseason will continue next Saturday, September 19, with Playoff 2 from Los Angeles’ Dignity Health Sports Park. Live comprehensive broadcast coverage will be available on Peacock, beginning at 1 p.m. ET with Race Day Live, followed by a Pre-Race Show at 6:30 p.m. ET and Gate Drop at 7 p.m. ET.
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:
Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing’s Bradley Smith won the MotoAmerica Mission King of The Baggers race two at Circuit of The Americas on Sunday. J&P Cycles/Motul/Vance & Hines Factory Indian’s Hayden Gillim was second, followed by SDI Racing’s Tyler O’Hara, Big Diehl x Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s James Rispoli and Gillim’s teammate Troy Herfoss.
Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Bobby Fong won the MotoAmerica Quad Lock Superbike race two at Circuit of The Americas on Sunday. Wrench Motorcycles’ Cameron Petersen was second, followed by OrangeCat Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly, Warhorse HSBK Ducati FLo4Law’s Cameron Beaubier and Fong’s teammate JD Beach.
BPR Racing Yamaha’s Bryce Kornbau won the MotoAmerica Mission Super Hooligan race two at Circuit of The Americas on Sunday. Teammate Andy DiBrino was second, followed by Edge Racing’s Jason Waters, Rodio Racing’s Ben Gloddy and Saddlemen Race Development’s Jake Lewis.
Celtic/Economy Lube + Tire/Warhorse Ducati’s Darryn Binder won the MotoAmerica Supersport race two at Circuit of The Americas on Sunday. Liberty Yamaha Racing’s Harrison Voight was second, followed by BPR Racing Yamaha’s Josh Hayes, Rahal Ducati Moto with Droplight’s Kayla Yaakov and Strack Racing’s Blake Davis.
Celtic/V1 Moto/Warhorse Ducati’s Mikey Lou Sanchez crossed the finish line second but was disqualified for being underweight.
Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane won the MotoAmerica Talent Cup race two at Circuit of The Americas on Sunday. Quarterley Racing’s Nathan Gouker was second, followed by Team Roberts’ Kensei Matsudaira, Team Hammer’s Jake Paige and Real Steel Honda’s Derek Sanchez King.
Kristian Daniel Jr. on the podium after finishing second in Red Bull Rookies Cup Race 2 at Misano, 2026. Photo courtesy Red Bull.
American Kristian Daniel Jr. finished 4th in Race 1 of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.
Riding the #70 KTM, Daniel completed the 15-lap race 1.114 seconds behind race winner Fernando Bujosa. The 17-year-old American earned 13 championship points for his fourth-place finish.
Kristian Daniel Jr.:“I got the track limits warning because I was being lazy in one corner,” admitted the 17-year-old American. “But after I got the warning, I concentrated and changed my line. I was running the shorter gearing, and that was costing me at the end of the back straight.
“I’m probably going to change that for tomorrow, and hopefully that will help me go for the win.”
In Race 2, Daniel Jr. finished second, just 0.055 seconds behind winner Carlos Cano after 15 laps at Misano. The result gave Daniel Jr. 20 championship points and his first podium of the weekend.
Kristian Daniel Jr.: “I knew I needed to change the gearing after yesterday; we went longer, and that worked for the last sector. I felt way more comfortable.I dropped back a few times because of a few collisions.”
“The middle of the race was difficult, but I upped the intensity, almost won, but I had a little moment at the end.”
Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing’s Bradley Smith was fastest in the MotoAmerica Mission King of The Baggers warmup at Circuit of The Americas on Sunday. J&P Cycles/Motul/Vance & Hines Factory Indian’s Hayden Gillim was second, followed by teammate Troy Herfoss, Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing’s Kyle Wyman and Big Diehl x Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s James Rispoli.
Wrench Motorcycles’ Cameron Petersen was fastest in the MotoAmerica Quad Lock Superbike warmup at Circuit of The Americas on Sunday. Warhorse HSBK Ducati FLo4Law’s Cameron Beaubier was second, followed by Strack Racing’s Mathew Scholtz, OrangeCat Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly and Rahal Ducati Moto with XPEL’s PJ Jacobsen.
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Cognitive Disability Mode
Helps to focus on specific content
This mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode
Reduces distractions and improve focus
This mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode
Allows using the site with your screen-reader
This mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Online Dictionary
Readable Experience
Content Scaling
Default
Text Magnifier
Readable Font
Dyslexia Friendly
Highlight Titles
Highlight Links
Font Sizing
Default
Line Height
Default
Letter Spacing
Default
Left Aligned
Center Aligned
Right Aligned
Visually Pleasing Experience
Dark Contrast
Light Contrast
Monochrome
High Contrast
High Saturation
Low Saturation
Adjust Text Colors
Adjust Title Colors
Adjust Background Colors
Easy Orientation
Mute Sounds
Hide Images
Hide Emoji
Reading Guide
Stop Animations
Reading Mask
Highlight Hover
Highlight Focus
Big Dark Cursor
Big Light Cursor
Cognitive Reading
Virtual Keyboard
Navigation Keys
Voice Navigation
Accessibility Statement
www.roadracingworld.com
November 10, 2026
Compliance status
We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience,
regardless of circumstance and ability.
To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level.
These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible
to all people: blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more.
This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific
disabilities to adjust the website’s UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs.
Additionally, the website utilizes an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level constantly. This application remediates the website’s HTML,
adapts Its functionality and behavior for screen-readers used by the blind users, and for keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments.
If you’ve found a malfunction or have ideas for improvement, we’ll be happy to hear from you. You can reach out to the website’s operators by using the following email
Screen-reader and keyboard navigation
Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with
screen-readers are able to read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive
a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here’s how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements,
alongside console screenshots of code examples:
Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website.
In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels;
descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups),
and others. Additionally, the background process scans all the website’s images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag
for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology.
To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on
as soon as they enter the website.
These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.
Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside it.
Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Disability profiles supported in our website
Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments
Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over seven different coloring options.
Animations – person with epilepsy can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to