In two previous editions of the Birmingham Supercross race at Protective Stadium, there have been four winners with Chase Sexton (defending 450 winner, 2025) and Jett Lawrence (2024) taking the trophy home in the premier division and Nate Thrasher (2025) and Tom Vialle (2024) winning in the 250 class. It’s time to find out who’ll find the sweet side of Alabama in Round 10 of the SuperMotocross World Championship.
All indications are that a new winner will probably emerge in both divisions. Sexton is not on the preliminary entry list for the 450 class after missing Daytona and Indianapolis. Jett is still recovering from an off-season crash.
The 250 divisional riders face their first East / West Showdown, which doubles the odds that Thrasher will not repeat. Tom Vialle returned to Europe after competing against the Americans last year.
But that does not diminish the excitement heading into the weekend. A tight four-point battle separates the championship leader, Hunter Lawrence, from Eli Tomac. In last week’s Triple Crown-format, Hunter became the second rider this season with multiple wins.
Tomac has won five races since 2017 following an off week, which also makes him a favorite.
With a worst finish of fourth, Hunter’s points lead is based on consistency, but the key to his success is his starts. According to WeWentFast.com, Lawrence’s average position in Lap 1 is 2.7 compared to Tomac’s 6.6. Tomac has been outside the top 10 during the first lap three times. Hunter has a worst Lap 1 position of sixth.
Cooper Webb has two wins following an off-week in the past decade. He won twice in 2024, when the Supercross series featured two off weeks.
Justin Cooper led 13 laps in Indy, which makes him one of eight riders to lead a Supercross feature in 2026.
250 Notes
The 250 class hosts its first (of three) East / West Showdown this week, which means Haiden Deegan has an opportunity to score a sixth consecutive win. He was one of three Showdown winners last year, icing his championship cake with a victory in Salt Lake City.
But Cole Davies is determined to show he is Deegan’s equal, and he also won a Showdown in Philadelphia last year.
Seth Hammaker was the other 2025 Showdown winner with his victory in Indianapolis.
The Eastern division has some ground to cover if those riders want to narrow the gap with the West. In 65 previous East / West Showdowns, the West has been victorious 36 times (55.4%).
Eight different riders have won the last nine Showdowns. Deegan won Salt Lake City two years in a row as the only repeat winner.
After Birmingham, the East and West meet again in St. Louis and Salt Lake City.
The West completed the majority of its races before the East took to the track. Deegan has a comfortable lead of 35 points over Max Anstie.
The Eastern riders are likely hungrier, with only two points separating first from fourth. Davies (64), Hammaker (63), Pierce Brown (62), and Jo Shimoda (62) not only want to win but also put a few Western divisional riders between themselves and the competition.
If Deegan wins, however, it will be the first time in 19 years that a rider has scored six straight victories. Ricky Carmichael holds the overall record with eight consecutive wins in 1998, a feat that is still in Deegan’s grasp.
Devin Simonson earned his best finish of the season last week after placing sixth. It was his second top-10 of the season.
2026 SuperMotocross Top-10 finishers
450s
Eli Tomac (4 wins, 7 podiums, 8 top-fives, 8 top-10s) [1 Moto win]
Hunter Lawrence (2 wins, 7 podiums, 9 top-fives, 9 top-10s) [2 Moto wins]
Cooper Webb (1 win, 5 podiums, 7 top-fives, 8 top-10s)
Ken Roczen (1 win, 4 podiums, 7 top-fives, 9 top-10s) [2 Moto wins]
Chase Sexton (1 win, 1 podium, 4 top-fives, 7 top-10s)
Justin Cooper (1 podium, 4 top-fives, 8 top-10s) [1 Moto win]
Jorge Prado (1 podium, 2 top-fives, 5 top-10s)
Joey Savatgy (2 top-fives, 7 top-10s)
Jason Anderson (2 top-fives, 3 top-10s)
Dylan Ferrandis (6 top-10s)
Aaron Plessinger (6 top-10s)
Malcolm Stewart (5 top-10s)
Justin Hill (2 top-10s)
Christian Craig (2 top-10s)
Shane McElrath (2 top-10s)
RJ Hampshire (1 top-10)
Garrett Marchbanks (1 top-10)
250s
Haiden Deegan (5 wins, 5 podiums, 6 top-fives, 6 top-10s) [3 Moto wins]
Max Anstie (1 win, 2 podiums, 3 top-fives, 6 top-10s)
Pierce Brown (1 win, 2 podiums, 3 top-fives, 3 top-10s)
Seth Hammaker (1 win, 2 podiums, 3 top-fives, 3 top-10s)
Cole Davies (1 win, 2 podiums, 3 top-fives, 3 top-10s) [3 Moto wins]
Cameron McAdoo (3 podiums, 5 top-fives, 5 top-10s)
Levi Kitchen (3 podiums, 4 top-fives, 5 top-10s)
Ryder DiFrancesco (2 podiums, 5 top-fives, 6 top-10s)
Michael Mosiman (2 podiums, 4 top-fives, 6 top-10s)
Jo Shimoda (2 podiums, 3 top-fives, 3 top-10s)
Daxton Bennick (1 podium, 3 top-fives, 3 top-10s)
Chance Hymas (1 podium, 1 top-five, 2 top-10s)
Maximus Vohland (2 top-fives, 5 top-10s)
Hunter Yoder (5 top-10s)
Parker Ross (4 top-10s)
Carson Mumford (3 top-10s)
Coty Schock (3 top-10s)
Devin Simonson (3 top-10s)
Cullin Park (3 top-10s)
Dilan Schwartz (2 top-10s)
Avery Long (2 top-10s)
Nate Thrasher (2 top-10)s
Jalek Swoll (2 top-10s)
Maximus Vohland (1 top-10)
Anthony Bourdon (1 top-10)
Josh Varize (1 top-10)
Drew Adams (1 top-10)
Kyle Peters (1 top-10)
Recent Birmingham races
450s
2025: Chase Sexton (followed by Malcolm Stewart, Aaron Plessinger)
2024: Jett Lawrence (Cooper Webb, Ken Roczen)
250s
2025 (East): Nate Thrasher (RJ Hampshire, Tom Vialle)
2024 (East): Tom Vialle (Cameron McAdoo, Seth Hammaker)
Supercross Previews
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