Playoff 1 of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship delivered drama and breakthrough performances as Haiden Deegan secured his first premier class victory in challenging muddy conditions at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider dominated both motos to claim a perfect 1-1 scorecard in just his 12th career 450SMX start.
A sellout crowd braved rainy weather on 12 September as treacherous track conditions forced race organisers to shorten moto lengths to preserve the racing surface. The opening 450SMX moto was reduced to 15 Minutes + 1 Lap, whilst the second moto ran for 12 Minutes + 1 Lap.
Deegan seized the initiative early in Moto 1, passing holeshot winner Jorge Prado (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) before completing the first lap. Despite pressure from Ken Roczen (Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki), Deegan pulled away to win by 17.2 seconds. Top seed and newly crowned Pro Motocross Champion Hunter Lawrence (Honda HRC Progressive) suffered multiple crashes and finished last, effectively ending his victory hopes.
The second moto followed a similar script as Deegan grabbed the holeshot and led wire-to-wire. Roczen mounted an early challenge but couldn’t sustain the pace, whilst Cooper Webb (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) battled Prado for third. Deegan’s commanding 17.1-second victory sealed the overall win ahead of Roczen (2-2) and Prado (3-4).
“This is a dream come true. I just won a 450 race,” said Deegan. “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.”
Prado’s third-place finish vaulted him from second seed to the top of the playoff standings with the red plate, holding a two-point advantage over Deegan. Webb sits third, four points back, whilst Lawrence dropped from first to sixth following his difficult afternoon.
In the 250SMX class, Levi Kitchen (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) emerged victorious after a dramatic tiebreaker. Top seed Cole Davies (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) dominated Moto 1 before mechanical issues forced him to retire with three minutes remaining, handing victory to Daxton Bennick (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing). Kitchen finished second.
Davies bounced back emphatically in Moto 2, storming to a 16.5-second victory. However, Kitchen’s decisive late pass on Bennick for second position proved crucial. Both riders finished on four points, but Kitchen claimed the overall win via the second-moto tiebreaker, with Bennick runner-up and Ryder DiFrancesco (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) third.
Kitchen now leads the 250SMX playoff standings by seven points over DiFrancesco, whilst Davies dropped to third, 10 points adrift. The championship continues on 19 September with Playoff 2 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Los Angeles.
Photo: Yamaha Star Racing Media
