The Pro Motocross season begins this week at Fox Raceway in Pala, California, as America’s best dirt bike racers continue to accumulate points for the 2026 SuperMotocross World Championship.
This race marks the highly anticipated 450 class debut of Haiden Deegan and what many believe will be a heated rivalry with Jett Lawrence, who returns from injury this week. Last year, similar questions about his health after returning from injury were met with seven consecutive victories to start the 2025 Motocross season.
Lawrence returns after suffering a severe ankle injury during the off-season prior to the start of the Supercross season that required multiple surgeries. In a recent episode of the Title 24 podcast, embedded below, he downplayed the importance of winning the opener, but it is difficult to believe that is his true attitude. He has been perfect on this track with eight overall wins in eight attempts, including 13 moto victories in 16 attempts. His domination dates to his 2020 250 Motocross debut.
Deegan believes he can beat Jett and wants to join his Australian rival and Frenchman Dylan Ferrandis, who won their 450 Motocross debuts. Ferrandis was victorious in 2021.
Injury notwithstanding, that is a steep hill for Deegan to climb. Jett has been beaten for an overall only three times in 27 starts, and his Pala perfection is further underscored by leading all 91 laps he’s turned at Fox Raceway, according to WeWentFast.com.
Fans can also expect Hunter Lawrence to be in the mix. He’s earned 22 top-five finishes in 22 starts.
250 Notes
With Deegan out of the picture, the 250 field is wide open, and it is incredibly important to win the opening round at this level. The winner of this race has gone on to score the 250 Motocross championship for the past seven seasons.
Five riders who finished in the top 10 in Motocross last year are returning to the 250 class for 2026. Jo Shimoda finished second in the 2025 title fight, Levi Kitchen was fourth, Seth Hammaker seventh, Max Vohland eighth, and Ryder DiFrancesco 10th.
Fox Raceway is a great venue for Shimoda, who has an average finish of fifth there and six moto podiums.
Along with Deegan, DiFrancesco is the only rider to score points in every moto of 2024 and 2025.
2026 SuperMotocross Top-10 finishers
450s
Hunter Lawrence (5 wins, 12 podiums, 14 top-fives, 16 top-10s) [3 Moto wins]
Ken Roczen (5 wins, 11 podiums, 15 top-fives, 17 top-10s) [3 Moto wins] *
Eli Tomac (4 wins, 9 podiums, 11 top-fives, 12 top-10s) [1 Moto win]
Chase Sexton (2 wins, 3 podiums, 9 top-fives, 13 top-10s)
Cooper Webb (1 win, 8 podiums, 12 top-fives, 15 top-10s)
Justin Cooper (4 podiums, 9 top-fives, 14 top-10s) [2 Moto wins]
Jorge Prado (2 podiums, 4 top-fives, 9 top-10s)
Malcolm Stewart (1 podium, 3 top-fives, 12 top-10s)
Joey Savatgy (4 top-fives, 11 top-10s)
Justin Hill (2 top-fives, 7 top-10s)
Jason Anderson (2 top-fives, 3 top-10s)
Dylan Ferrandis (11 top-10s)
Garrett Marchbanks (7 top-10s)
Aaron Plessinger (6 top-10s)
Shane McElrath (5 top-10s)
Christian Craig (3 top-10s)
Dean Wilson (3 top-10s)
Colt Nichols (2 top-10s)
RJ Hampshire (1 top-10)
Jordon Smith (1 top-10)
Justin Barcia (1 top-10)
*Supercross Champion
250s
Haiden Deegan (7 wins, 8 podiums, 10 top-fives, 10 top-10s) [3 Moto wins] **
Cole Davies (6 wins, 9 podiums, 10 top-fives, 10 top-10s) [4 Moto wins] +
Seth Hammaker (1 win, 6 podiums, 9 top-fives, 9 top-10s) [1 Moto win]
Max Anstie (1 win, 3 podiums, 5 top-fives, 9 top-10s)
Nate Thrasher (1 win, 2 podiums, 4 top-fives, 7 top-10s) [1 Moto win]
Pierce Brown (1 win, 2 podiums, 3 top-fives, 3 top-10s)
Levi Kitchen (5 podiums, 8 top-fives, 9 top-10s)
Ryder DiFrancesco (3 podiums, 8 top-fives, 9 top-10s)
Cameron McAdoo (3 podiums, 5 top-fives, 5 top-10s)
Jo Shimoda (3 podiums, 5 top-fives, 5 top-10s)
Daxton Bennick (2 podiums, 6 top-fives, 9 top-10s)
Michael Mosiman (2 podiums, 4 top-fives, 6 top-10s)
Devin Simonson (1 podium, 1 top-five, 7 top-10s)
Chance Hymas (1 podium, 1 top-five, 2 top-10s)
Landen Gordon (1 podium, 1 top-five, 2 top-10s)
Coty Schock (2 top-fives, 8 top-10s)
Maximus Vohland (2 top-fives, 8 top-10s)
Henry Miller (1 top-five, 5 top-10s)
Kayden Minear (1 top-five, 1 top-10)
Hunter Yoder (7 top-10s)
Parker Ross (4 top-10s)
Derek Kelley (4 top-10s)
Carson Mumford (3 top-10s)
Cullin Park (3 top-10s)
Nick Romano (3 top-10s)
Dilan Schwartz (2 top-10s)
Avery Long (2 top-10s)
Jalek Swoll (2 top-10s)
Maximus Vohland (2 top-10s)
Kyle Peters (2 top-10s)
Drew Adams (2 top-10s)
Marshal Weltin (2 top-10s)
Josh Varize (2 top-10s)
Anthony Bourdon (1 top-10)
Luke Neese (1 top-10)
Izaih Clark (1 top-10)
Gavin Towers (1 top-10)
Lux Turner (1 top-10)
Robbie Wageman (1 top-10)
** Supercross East Champion
+ Supercross West Champion
Recent Pala races
450s
2025: Jett Lawrence (Followed by Eli Tomac, Hunter Lawrence)
2024: Jett Lawrence (Hunter Lawrence, Chase Sexton)
2023: Jett Lawrence (Chase Sexton, Dylan Ferrandis)
2022, September: Eli Tomac (Chase Sexton, Jason Anderson)
2022, May: Chase Sexton (Ken Roczen, Christian Craig)
250s
2025: Haiden Deegan (Jo Shimoda, Tom Vialle)
2024: Haiden Deegan (Levi Kitchen, Tom Vialle)
2023: Hunter Lawrence (Haiden Deegan, RJ Hampshire)
2022, September: Jett Lawrence (Jo Shimoda, Justin Cooper)
2022, May: Jett Lawrence (Hunter Lawrence, Jo Shimoda) *
Jett also won in September 2021, May 2021, and 2020.
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