Haiden Deegan Claims Back-to-Back Western Divisional 250SMX Wins
ANAHEIM, Calif. (January 24, 2026) – The Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship hosted its third consecutive sold out crowd to open the 2026 campaign as the world’s best returned to the hallowed grounds of Angel Stadium for Round 3 of the Monster Energy SMX World Championship. After a high-profile move to Monster Energy Kawasaki during the offseason, Chase Sexton captured his first win for the decorated manufacturer following another captivating Main Event.
450SMX Class Highlights – Anaheim 2
The battle for the 450SMX Class victory began with the Twisted Tea Suzuki Presented by Progressive Insurance of Jason Anderson leading the field for the holeshot, with Sexton alongside. Anderson soon asserted his hold of the lead as Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence, Sexton, and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac, the winner of the opening two races and championship points leader, settled in behind the Suzuki rider. Sexton then found a groove and reclaimed second from Lawrence before tracking down Anderson.
A brief battle for the lead saw Sexton and Anderson trade passes before the Kawasaki rider got the upper hand and opened a multi-second lead over the field a little before the halfway point of the race. Behind them, Tomac passed Lawrence for third and set his sights on Anderson. The Suzuki rider fended off Tomac, which allowed Lawrence to retake third. Not long after, both Lawrence and Tomac made their way around Anderson, as the latter pushed Anderson off track. The top three remained unchanged the rest of the way as Sexton took his 17th career victory and first podium of the season by a margin of 3.3 seconds. It was the first win for Kawasaki since the 2022 season.
Tomac is now the lone rider to finish on the podium in each race thus far, with two wins and a third. He has an eight-point lead over Lawrence in the 450SMX Class standings, as Lawrence moved up to second on the heels of back-to-back runner-up finishes. Sexton moved into third, 13 points behind Tomac, while Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen dropped to fourth (-14) after he missed the podium for the first time in a valiant eighth-place finish that saw him fight back from 21st on the opening lap.
Chase Sexton – 1st Place – 450SMX Class
“It’s been a long few months, going back to the [crash at the] Vegas SMX finale. That was not good for me. It’s hard to get back here [atop the podium], honestly. It’s been a journey. Even after the Heat Race tonight I was wondering what I was doing wrong and knew I needed to just go out there and do my laps. I strapped up for the Main Event and just rode solid and more within myself. I can’t say enough about the team and everything they’ve done to get us to this point. It’s good to put Kawi back on top.”
Hunter Lawrence – 2nd Place – 450SMX Class
“I just need a little more consistency throughout the day. Every time I went on the track I made a change to the bike, so every time I was learning the track again and trying to adapt to the bike. However, we are learning a lot and hopefully we can carry that through the rest of the series. I need to be better from the start through the beginning of the race. You could see I was a bit slow to get going, but I picked it up towards the end.”
Eli Tomac – 3rd Place – 450SMX Class
“The big picture [championship] is great. That race was a whole lot of everything. A lot of offense, a lot of defense. I tried some moves and got passed, and vice versa. I’m happy to defend that podium spot, it was important for me, but that was a very intense race. Overall, I’m happy with the finish and looking forward to next weekend.”
Western Divisional 250SMX Class Highlights – Anaheim 2
The Western Divisional 250SMX Class once again saw the battle for the win come down to a pair of Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing teammates in Michael Mosiman and Haiden Deegan. Mosiman led the field through the first turn for the holeshot, ahead of Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Cameron McAdoo, ClubMX Yamaha’s Max Vohland, and Deegan. As Mosiman secured control of the race early on, Deegan charged up to second. From there, the duo pulled away from the field and paced one another for most of the 15 Minute + 1 Lap race. With three-and-a-half minutes to go Deegan closed in on Mosiman and made quick work of a pass for the lead. With the clear track, Deegan quickly moved more than five seconds clear of the field and easily claimed back-to-back wins to officially take hold of the early title fight.
Deegan took his ninth career win 8.5 seconds ahead of Mosiman, who now has third and second place finishes the past two races. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Ryder DiFrancesco came out on top of a tight battle with McAdoo for DiFrancesco’s second career podium result, his first coming at the Anaheim opener just two weeks ago.
Deegan has a nine-point lead over Mosiman in the Western Divisional standings. Their Star Yamaha teammate Max Anstie dropped from second to third, 10 points out of the lead, after his worst result of the season thus far in sixth.
Haiden Deegan – 1st Place – Western Divisional 250SMX Class
“That was amazing. Good ride. Solid ride. I need to give it up to [Mosiman], when people put in that extra work a lot of the time it goes unnoticed. He’s the only guy I see out there putting in the extra effort. I gotta give him credit and that’s what makes him such a tough competitor.”
Michael Mosiman – 2nd Place – Western Divisional 250SMX Class
“It feels great [to be on the podium]. Every time I go to the gate I look up at the stands, see all the fans, and make sure I appreciate the moment. We put in so much work just to be able to perform and when that happens it’s just an amazing feeling. I’m stoked on the race and stoked on my start. Whenever you can get a holeshot that makes a world of difference.”
Ryder DiFrancesco – 3rd Place – Western Divisional 250SMX Class
“I knew if I could keep [McAdoo] close that I could get him. It didn’t happen [initially] but I figured I could wear him down and get it done at the end. I guess Anaheim is my place. It’s close to home.”
SMX Next
Accompanying the action of the 450SMX and 250SMX classes was the first race of SMX Next – Supercross, featuring the most talented and high-profile A and B class prospects in amateur motocross. The race featured a hand-selected field of 22 racers and was dominated by young Australian Kayden Minear, who went wire-to-wire in his first-ever Supercross race. The 18-year-old was never challenged throughout the 8 Minute + 1 Lap race and spearheaded an impressive sweep of the podium by Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing. Minear took the checkered flag 1.7 seconds ahead of 16-year-old Caden Dudney, who was followed by 18-year-old Landen Gordon. Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Vincent Wey, the 16-year-old son of former SMX star Nick Wey, was in podium contention throughout the race, but ultimately settled for fourth.
with a dominant wire-to-wire effort.
The Anaheim 2 race also signified the launch of the Love Moto Stop Cancer text-to-donate campaign benefitting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for the 2026 season. This marks the landmark 10th year of the SMX community’s support of St. Jude, featuring a new, exclusive design for the Love Moto Stop Cancer t-shirt. The only way for fans to get the shirt is by donating to St. Jude and texting SUPER to 785-833. More information can be found at the St. Jude page on SupercrossLIVE.com.
In 2025, the SMX community raised over $650,000 and surpassed $3 million raised for the children of St. Jude. When fans and the industry support St. Jude, it helps make cures possible for kids with cancer. Together with St. Jude, SMX won’t stop fighting until no child dies from cancer.
The Monster Energy SMX World Championship and Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship will continue next Saturday with the fourth race of the season and the first outside the state of California as Houston’s NRG Stadium welcomes the world’s best on January 31. Live broadcast coverage on Peacock will begin at 1 p.m. ET with Race Day Live, followed by the Gate Drop at 7 p.m. ET. Additionally, a domestic Spanish language broadcast is available on Peacock while international viewers can choose from dedicated English, French, and Spanish broadcasts via SMX Video Pass (www.SMXVideoPass.com).
All 17 rounds of the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and 11 rounds of the Pro Motocross Championship are on sale. Tickets for the SMX World Championship Playoff Rounds and Final will go on pre-sale Tuesday, Jan. 27, with general tickets on-sale to the public on Tuesday, Feb. 3 at SuperMotocross.com. Saturday FanFest will take place at all postseason races, Friday FanFest and camping will be available in Columbus and Ridgedale, additional details to follow.
For information about the Monster Energy SMX World Championship, please visit www.SuperMotocross.com and be sure to follow all of the new SMX social media channels for exclusive content and additional information on the latest news:
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About the 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.
About Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship:
Monster Energy AMA Supercross is the most competitive and highest-profile off-road motorcycle racing championship on the planet. Founded in America and sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) since 1974. Over 17 weeks, Supercross attracts some of the largest and most impressive crowds inside the most recognizable and prestigious stadiums in North America to race in front of nearly one million live fans and broadcast to millions more worldwide. For more information, visit SupercrossLIVE.com.
About 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.
About Feld Motor Sports, Inc.:
Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is the worldwide leader in producing and presenting specialized arena and stadium-based motorsports entertainment. Properties include Monster Jam®, Monster Energy AMA Supercross, and the Monster Energy SMX World Championship. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is a subsidiary of Feld Entertainment, Inc. Visit monsterjam.com, SupercrossLIVE.com, and feldentertainment.com for more information.
About MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.:
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.
