Historic Supercross Campaign Sets Tone for Most Highly Anticipated Pro Motocross Championship Season this Summer

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (May 13, 2026) – One of the closest and most captivating seasons of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship resulted in a historic breakthrough for one of the sport’s most popular and high-profile athletes as German native Ken Roczen captured his first title in the discipline in his 13th attempt, cementing a decorated career that also includes a pair of Pro Motocross crowns. The long-awaited championship for the 32-year-old also made the Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki pilot the oldest champion in Supercross history, as he overcame a 31-point deficit to Australian rival Hunter Lawrence over the final seven weeks of the season. Given Roczen’s revered legacy overcoming adversity, it became one of the most popular championship efforts of the sport’s five decades of existence. The captivating 17-race campaign provided a truly memorable first half of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship and has set the tone for one of the most highly anticipated seasons of the Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, where the second half of the regular season will feature 11 races and a combined 44 motos for a grueling summer-long test of man and machine from the most storied venues in off-road motorcycle racing.
 
“The excitement, compelling drama, and unpredictability of Monster Energy Supercross was at its peak this season, with a historic title fight between two international superstars – one officially cementing himself as a perennial contender for years to come, the other finally breaking through in the twilight of his career with the one accolade that had always eluded him. You couldn’t script a better storyline than the one provided by Ken Roczen and Hunter Lawrence, but their battle was certainly cinematic,” said Davey Coombs, President, MX Sports Pro Racing. “As always, we commend and celebrate our SMX League partners at Feld Motor Sports for one of the most memorable title fights of all time, one that will forever be enshrined in the sport’s legacy. From sellout crowds at multiple stadiums to continued broadcast growth on Peacock, NBC, and the SMX Video Pass, Monster Energy Supercross continues to captivate audiences across the globe. Now it’s our turn to take it outside and open things up with 40-rider gates, legendary racetracks, and the most passionate fans in motorsports. We’re eager to keep the momentum rolling with what is poised to be a summer to remember in the Pro Motocross Championship.”

Headlining the impending start of the summer campaign is the formation of a new rivalry that will carry the sport into its next era – Jett Lawrence versus Haiden Deegan. Having already amassed every major championship in SMX by the time he was 20 years old, Lawrence is the reigning Pro Motocross champion and the proverbial face of the sport, possessing generational talent on the motorcycle and crossover appeal away from the track. Deegan, meanwhile, is a second-generation homegrown talent who possesses the same brash charisma, unwavering confidence, and killer instinct that made his father a freestyle motocross icon. He’s the sport’s first true social media star and has just completed one of the most prolific 250SMX Class careers of all time. For the first time, Lawrence will pilot his Honda HRC Progressive machine against Deegan’s Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing ride for the official start of what many believe will be a contentious clash between two young titans that will carry the sport for years to come. Adding to the intrigue of their impending showdown is Lawrence’s 2026 racing debut, as the reigning champion will line up for the first time since he underwent surgery to repair a broken ankle and foot suffered in the offseason. No one knows what to expect from Lawrence, but he’s proven over and over again to never count him out or underestimate what he’s capable of.