Lawrence vs.
Lawrence for Historic
Winner-Take-All
Pro Motocross
Championship Finale
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Australian Siblings Set
for Climactic Ending of
Landmark Summer Campaign
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MORGANTOWN, W.Va.
(August 25,
2026) –
One of the most
memorable
seasons in the
storied history
of the Pro
Motocross
Championship,
sanctioned by
AMA Pro Racing,
will culminate
with a
high-profile
season finale
destined to have
all eyes of the
sport’s global
audience locked
in this
Saturday, August
29, to the
outskirts of the
motorsports
epicenter of
Indianapolis,
Indiana and
Crawfordsville’s
Ironman Raceway.
The 28th and
final round of
the 2026 Monster
Energy SMX World
Championship regular
season will put
an exclamation
point on a
landmark winter,
spring, and
summer for the
world’s premier
off-road
motorcycle
racing series.
For the first
time, a trio of
champions will
be crowned at
the U.S.
Army Ironman
National Finals
Presented by
Tucker Freight
Lines,
as the 450SMX
Class, 250SMX
Class, and WMX
titles will be
decided.
“It’s hard to
put into words
how significant
and historic
this summer’s
Pro Motocross
Championship has
been. While we
expected to
witness a
memorable season
unfold at the
world’s most
iconic venues,
the action on
the racetrack
and the
overwhelming
support from our
fans has far
surpassed
expectations,”
said Davey
Coombs,
President, MX
Sports Pro
Racing. “This
has truly been a
banner year, not
just for Pro
Motocross, but
also Supercross
and the SMX
World
Championship as
a whole. We’ve
now had the
sport’s two most
prestigious
series come down
to the wire and
you really can’t
ask for anything
more. We are
incredibly
excited to see
how the 450SMX,
250SMX, and WMX
championships
conclude at
Ironman and
cannot think of
a better way to
welcome a new
partner in the
U.S. Army, with
one of the most
historic
weekends in
American
motocross
history.”
U.S. Army joined
the SMX World
Championship as
a partner ahead
of the 2027
season, with a
presence at
several Monster
Energy
Supercross
events in
addition to the
upcoming Playoff
rounds. The
military
branch’s maiden
support as a
title partner of
Pro Motocross
will be anchored
by a prominent
activation
within the
sponsor village
at the Ironman
National,
showcasing their
all-terrain
vehicles and an
interactive
gaming system.
Additionally, an
Army guitarist
will perform
Saturday’s
national anthem,
to formally kick
off the final
race of the
summer season.
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The 2026 Pro
Motocross Championship
will come to a dramatic
& historic conclusion in
the motorsports Mecca of
the Indianapolis area,
from Crawfordsville's
Ironman Raceway.
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Leading the
championship
storylines
coming into
Ironman is the
history-making,
winner-take-all
showdown between
Hunter and Jett
Lawrence. The
siblings have
been the class
of the field all
summer long,
trading moto
wins, overall
victories, and
the points lead
every step of
the way. In 55
years, the sport
has never
witnessed two
brothers compete
at such a high
level, setting
the standard for
speed and
performance.
Over the course
of the 10 races
leading up to
this milestone
moment in the
sport Hunter
Lawrence has
captured 12 moto
wins, with Jett
taking charge
during the
remaining eight.
When it comes to
overall
victories,
Hunter leads the
way with six
versus four for
Jett. While
Hunter has been
the best starter
in the class
with an average
of 2.1, compared
to Jett at 4.8,
it’s Jett who
has been a
better finisher,
with a class
leading average
of 2.3 compared
to 3.6 for
Hunter. Arguably
the biggest
difference maker
has been the
adversity each
rider has faced
along the way,
which both have
continuously
proven they can
overcome, no
matter how
significant.
This all
ultimately sets
the stage for
one of the most
highly
anticipated
races in series
history that can
truly go in
either
direction, with
the Edison Dye
Cup hanging in
the
balance. It’s
something no
race fan will
want to miss.
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Honda HRC
Progressive's Hunter
Lawrence holds a slim
one-point lead over his
younger brother heading
into a historic 450SMX
Class finale at Ironman.
MX Sports Pro
Racing, Inc.
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For the first time,
Honda HRC Progressive's
Jett Lawrence enters the
finale not in control of
the championship and
will look to defeat his
brother in a
winner-take-all
showdown.
MX Sports Pro
Racing, Inc.
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In the 250SMX
Class, the
penultimate race
of the summer
continued the
chaotic trend
that has defined
the smaller
displacement all
summer.
Consistency was
destined to pay
off in such a
wide-open
championship,
and no rider has
harnessed that
better than
Monster Energy
Yamaha Star
Racing’s Cole
Davies. The
sophomore rider
has shown
tremendous poise
this summer,
getting stronger
and more
confident with
each gate drop.
He’s found a way
to perform when
it matters most,
and it’s put him
in a position to
control his own
destiny at the
finale. The New
Zealander will
carry a 14-point
lead into
Ironman over
Monster Energy
Pro Circuit
Kawasaki’s Levi
Kitchen, who
once again
showed an
unparalleled
level of grit
and
determination at
Budds Creek, but
ultimately lost
his control of
the
championship.
Kitchen may be
the most
resilient rider
in the field,
having overcome
no shortage of
adversity this
summer. No
matter what
seems to come
his way, Kitchen
responds with
resolve, digging
deep and
fighting for
each and every
position and
championship
point on the
racetrack. It’s
why he has a
better
start-to-finish
ratio than
anyone at +8.3,
with a 4.9
finishing
average despite
an average start
outside the top
10. However,
that dynamic was
destined to
become
unsustainable in
terms of the
championship and
it caught up
with Kitchen in
the first moto
at Budds Creek
at the worst
possible time,
effectively
tilting the
championship
into Davies’
favor.
The smaller
displacement has
shown throughout
the summer that
anything can and
will happen when
the gate drops.
While Davies
enjoys a large
enough lead to
lean into a more
cautious
approach, this
unpredictable
title fight and
the quest to
capture the Gary
Jones Cup is
still far from
over.
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Monster Energy
Yamaha Star Racing's
Cole Davies has showed
championship poise
throughout the summer
and sits within reach of
his first AMA National
Championship.
MX Sports Pro
Racing, Inc.
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In a season defined
by his resiliency,
Monster Energy Pro
Circuit Kawasaki's Levi
Kitchen will need to dig
deep and leave it all on
the racetrack at Ironman
Raceway.
MX Sports Pro
Racing, Inc.
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Fittingly, the namesake
of the 250SMX Class
championship trophy has
also been named as Grand
Marshal of the Ironman
National Finals. Gary
Jones was the first-ever
250cc champion in Pro
Motocross, capturing the
inaugural title in 1972
before embarking on a
dominant three-peat that
made him a pioneer of
the sport during the
infancy of American
motocross. Adding to
that feat was the fact
that each of Jones'
championships came while
representing three
different manufacturers
– Yamaha, Honda, and
Can-Am – something that
has never been
duplicated. His
decorated career also
included success beyond
motocross, with a
victory at the 1971 Baja
500 and 1982 SCORE
Off-Road World
Championship. The
California native's
legacy was enshrined in
the AMA Motorcycle Hall
of Fame in 2000 and the
trophy was named in his
honor ahead of the 2009
season. He'll have the
coveted distinction of
handing the Gary Jones
Cup to either Davies or
Kitchen on Saturday
afternoon, in addition
to taking part in
several other ceremonial
festivities at Ironman.
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Joining the action of
the finale weekend will
be the Women’s Motocross
Championship Powered by
Synchrony [WMX] and SMX
Next – Motocross. The
WMX will also crown a
champion on Saturday, as
Altus Motorsports bLUcRU
Yamaha’s Lachlan Turner
and Quad Lock Honda’s
Charli Cannon bring
their title fight down
to the wire. Currently,
21 points separate the
close friends and
rivals. Meanwhile, the
Ironman Scouting Moto
Combine will bring 25 of
the most high profile
prospects in amateur
motocross together for a
special showcase of the
sport’s next generation
of elite talent.
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The Women's
Motocross Championship
will also crown a
champion at Ironman
Raceway.
MX Sports Pro
Racing, Inc.
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The top prospects in
amateur motocross will
return at Ironman
Raceway for the second
gathering of the SMX
Next – Motocross
Scouting Moto Combine.
MX Sports Pro
Racing, Inc.
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The U.S. Army Ironman
National will get
underway this Saturday,
August 29, with on-track
action starting at 5
a.m. PT / 8 a.m. ET,
followed by opening
ceremonies at 9:15 a.m.
PT / 12:15 p.m. ET
before the gate drops on
motos at 10 a.m. PT / 1
p.m. ET. Comprehensive
live streaming coverage
from Ironman will air
exclusively on Peacock,
beginning with Race Day
Live at 7 a.m. PT / 10
a.m. ET before coverage
of the motos gets
underway at 10 a.m. PT /
1 p.m. ET.
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For information
about the Pro
Motocross
Championship,
please visit ProMotocross.com and
be sure to
follow all of
the Pro
Motocross social
media channels
for exclusive
content and
additional
information on
the latest news:
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MX Sports Pro
Racing
MX Sports Pro Racing,
Inc., manages and
produces the world's
premier motocross racing
series - the Pro
Motocross Championship,
sanctioned by AMA Pro
Racing. MX Sports Pro
Racing is an industry
leader in off-road
powersport event
production and
management, its mission
is to showcase the sport
of professional
motocross competition at
events throughout the
United States. Through
its various racing
properties, partnerships
and affiliates, MX
Sports Pro Racing, Inc.,
organizes events for
thousands of action
sports athletes each
year and attracts
millions of motorsports
spectators.
Visit MXSportsProRacing.com for
more information.
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Pro Motocross
Championship
The Pro Motocross
Championship features
the world's fastest
outdoor motocross
racers, competing aboard
homologated bikes from
one of seven competing
manufacturers on a
collection of the
roughest, toughest
tracks on the planet.
Racing takes place each
Saturday afternoon, with
competition divided into
two classes: one for
250cc machines, and one
for 450cc machines. MX
Sports Pro Racing, the
industry leader in
off-road powersports
event production,
manages the Pro
Motocross Championship.
For more information,
visit ProMotocross.com.
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Monster Energy
SMX World Championship
The Monster Energy SMX
World Championship™ is
the premier off-road
motorcycle racing series
in the world that
combines the technical
precision of stadium
racing with the all-out
speed and endurance of
outdoor racing. Created
in 2022, the Monster
Energy SMX World
Championship Series
combines the Monster
Energy AMA Supercross
Championship and the AMA
Pro Motocross
Championship into a
28-round regular season
that culminates with the
season-ending SMX World
Championship Playoffs.
Visit SuperMotocross.com for
more information.
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AMA Pro Racing
AMA Pro Racing is the
premier professional
motorcycle racing
organization for North
America, operating a
full schedule of events
and championships for a
variety of motorcycle
disciplines. It serves
as the sanctioning body
of the Pro Motocross
Championship.
Learn more about AMA Pro
Racing at
AMAProRacing.com.
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