Ken Roczen made history at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, becoming the oldest Monster Energy AMA Supercross Champion at 32 years of age. The Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki rider clinched his maiden premier class title in dramatic fashion, holding off Hunter Lawrence by just three points in one of the closest championship battles in supercross history.
The season finale delivered championship drama as Roczen and Lawrence entered the 450SMX Class Main Event separated by a single point. Lawrence grabbed the holeshot, but Roczen quickly seized the lead as Jorge Prado and Chase Sexton battled behind them. The title combatants mirrored each other’s pace before Prado closed in, forcing Lawrence to increase his speed.
The turning point came when Lawrence suffered a brief off-track excursion followed by a costly crash that dropped him to seventh. Roczen carried on with a three-second advantage, but elected to slow his pace once clear of the immediate battle. This strategic decision opened the door for Sexton, who charged through to take over second from Prado before hunting down Roczen.
Sexton moved into the lead with minutes remaining and pulled away to claim his fourth consecutive Salt Lake City victory and second win of 2026. Justin Cooper made a last-lap pass on Prado to equal his career-best finish in second, whilst the Red Bull KTM rider secured his second career podium in third. Roczen settled into fifth position, two spots ahead of Lawrence in seventh—enough to claim the championship by three points.
“I was an emotional wreck today,” said Roczen, who secured the title in his 13th season of 450 competition. “I’ve been exhausted, physically and mentally, over these past few weeks, but I’ve dreamed of this since I was a little kid. This is just a testament of you never give up.”
Cooper Webb, the defending champion, completed the championship podium in third overall—his fourth consecutive season finishing in the top three.
In the Dave Coombs Sr. 250SMX East/West Showdown, Cole Davies put the finishing touch on his championship-winning campaign with an impressive victory. The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider engaged in a fierce battle with teammate and Western Regional Champion Haiden Deegan, trading positions multiple times before making an aggressive pass just past halfway.
Deegan attempted to retaliate but crashed after initiating contact, eventually remounting in fourth after a second fall in the sand section. Levi Kitchen capitalised on the chaos to claim second for Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki, with Max Anstie rounding out the podium in third.
“The pressure is off [with the championship] so I could come out here and ride full out,” said Davies after his sixth win of the season. “It was fun racing like that, going back and forth, cat and mouse.”
Deegan finished fourth in the final 250SMX race of his decorated career before moving to the 450 class. The Pro Motocross Championship begins 30th May at Fox Raceway in California.
Photo: Suzuki Media
