Ken Roczen Seizes 450SMX Points Lead with Fifth Win of the Season
PHILADELPHIA (April 25, 2026) – The final East Coast stop of the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship became the biggest wild card of an already captivating season as Mother Nature became the great equalizer for Round 15 of the Monster Energy SMX World Championship inside Lincoln Financial Field. An afternoon of clear conditions and cool temperatures gave way to intermittent showers for the night show, which saturated the racetrack and made both track position and a patient approach the key to victory. Amidst the most difficult and treacherous conditions of the season, the Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class turned into a championship celebration as 18-year-old New Zealander Cole Davies navigated a chaotic Main Event to secure his fifth victory of the year and clinch his first professional title.
The penultimate race of the Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class Championship featured shortened 12 Minutes + 1 Lap Main Event, which began with Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker out front for the holeshot in front of the hometown crowd just ahead of Davies, who slotted in right behind Hammaker. Moments later, the Pennsylvania native crashed his Kawasaki, which nearly collected Davies, and dropped to the tail end of the 22-rider field. That briefly handed the top spot to MX6 Racing Kawasaki’s Derek Kelley before Davies made a pass for the lead. Davies then went down but was able to remount just ahead of Kelley and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Daxton Bennick. A red flag for a downed rider halted the race with 7:22 remaining on the race clock, which necessitated a staggered restart.
When racing resumed, Davies reclaimed his spot out front while Bennick moved up to second. Behind them, the ClubMX Yamaha duo of Devin Simonson and Coty Schock battled for third. Simonson briefly held the position, but Shock made the pass as Simonson tipped over. Hammaker, meanwhile, had fought his way to the cusp of the podium in fourth and made the move around Schock to take control of third. Back out front, Davies rode flawlessly and never faced any pressure en route to an impressive, championship-clinching victory by a margin of 12.9 seconds over Bennick. Hammaker closed within striking distance of Bennick on the final lap and needed a second-place finish to extend the title fight, but went down and was forced to settle for third in a resilient come-from-behind performance.
Hammaker’s inability to get by Bennick became the difference maker in the championship as it gave Davies the necessary advantage to clinch the title one race early. He became the second New Zealand native to win a Supercross title, joining his mentor Ben Townley, and gave Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing a clean sweep of the divisional titles alongside Haiden Deegan in the Western Division. Moreover, Davies’ victory was the 14th for Yamaha in the 250SMX Class this season, which equals the record for a single season set by both Honda (2023) and Kawasaki (2004). Two races remain for the bLU cRU to set a new all-time standard for success.
Cole Davies – 1st Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class Champion
“[This championship] means everything to me and my family. We’ve sacrificed everything to come over here [and race in the U.S.]. I cannot thank them enough. All the hard work, the ups and downs, it’s all worth it now. This track was treacherous, but we got it done. A dream come true.”
Daxton Bennick – 2nd Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class
“[That race] was tough. I rode good in my Heat Race, so I just kept that momentum going into the Main Event. I knew if I could keep my wheels off the ground as much as I could that would put me in a good spot. I’m glad to be back up on the podium.”
Seth Hammaker – 3rd Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class
“I’m definitely bummed. I had big title hopes for this season, but I was racing a tough competitor. Congratulations to Cole [Davies] and his team. He’s been riding unreal this year. I felt like, for me, I took a step [forward] this season, even though it may not show it on the results side of things. I felt like my consistency has improved and I’ve been riding good, but nothing fell into place like I would have hoped. All in all, it was still a good season, and we’ve still got one more race to go.”
A shortened 17 Minutes + 1 Lap 450SMX Class Main Event began with the class’ top three title contenders out front as Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence, Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen, and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb duked it out. The early edge went to Lawrence with the holeshot as he fended off Webb for the early lead, but Roczen then made his way from third to first just a couple minutes into the race. The lead trio then settled into their respective positions as Roczen and Lawrence inched away from Webb. Lawrence then started to pressure Roczen for the lead, as the championship rivals traded momentum. Then, with a little more than nine minutes remaining, Lawrence went down. He lost second to Webb but remounted in third, more than 20 seconds off the lead.
Without the pressure from Lawrence, Roczen was able to ride at his own pace and managed a comfortable margin over Webb through the heart of the Main Event, which became crucial as Roczen was faced with heavy lapped traffic throughout the entirety of the race’s second half. Webb made a final push as time ran out on the race clock and closed within a couple bike lengths of Roczen to initiate a last lap battle for the win. Roczen responded and kept Webb at bay to capture his 28th career victory by a slim margin of 2.4 seconds. Lawrence followed in a distant third on a night when just four riders finished on the lead lap.
Roczen’s class leading fifth win of the season vaulted him to the top of the championship standings on the heels of four wins over the past five races. It marks the first time in his decorated career that Roczen has had possession of the red plate in the second half of a championship campaign. The German native holds a four-point lead over Lawrence with two races remaining, while Webb lurks in third, 24 points back.
Ken Roczen – 1st Place – 450SMX Class
“The pressure has been there for a long time, but now I’m just dealing with it on an [every] weekend basis. I just do whatever I need to keep myself calm or whatever mindset I need to be in. There’s certain weekends where you need to be more aggressive and whatnot. This was such an important race. In these conditions things can go sideways in a heartbeat. I am so pumped and proud of my crew and myself for putting all this together when it’s really important. I’m really enjoying it. Hard work pays off.”
Cooper Webb – 2nd Place – 450SMX Class
“It got crazy at the end. I just went full send. It’s a bummer to get second after riding that flawless of a race but we were pushing hard. I got close at the end, but lappers dictated some of it at the end and helped Kenny [Roczen] or hurt me, or vice versa. I felt like tonight was an opportunity I needed to make the most of and just didn’t quite pull it off. Overall, a great ride.”
Hunter Lawrence – 3rd Place – 450SMX Class
“I’ve got a little extra fuel during the week [losing the points lead]. I look forward to Denver and Salt Lake [City]. They’ve been good to me, and I like racing at altitude. Happy to get out of here in one piece. I had a few ‘oh crap’ moments out there. Damage control with that little crash, so happy with that all things considered because once it happens sometimes the train can go off the tracks. Happy to bring it home.”
The 6 Minutes + 1 Lap SMX Next – Supercross AMA National Championship Main Event saw the top 18 amateur prospects battle it out in the challenging conditions for a shot at a coveted national title. The action kicked off with the Triumph Factory Racing machine of Deacon Denno out front exiting the first turn, which gave him a clear track to build a gap and assume control of the race. Behind him, Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Kade Johnson settled into a firm hold of second, while KTM Orange Brigade’s Jeremy Fappani slotted into third. The field quickly spread out as riders navigated the rain-soaked track, with Denno’s lead growing to more than a dozen seconds over the field. The newly turned 18-year-old from Texas kept his Triumph clean and on two wheels and easily completed a wire-to-wire performance by a margin of 9.3 seconds for the biggest win of his budding career. Johnson went unchallenged on the way to a runner-up finish, while Fappani did the same to round out the championship podium in third. Denno, who prevailed at Daytona in March, became the first repeat winner in SMX Next – Supercross this season and was also the only prospect to secure a top five finish at all five races.
Deacon Denno – SMX Next – Supercross AMA National Champion
“I was just focused on the start. That’s a big part of [racing in] the mud and it’s a big part of any race. I got the rhythms clean and I felt like I rode smooth and calm, which is what you need in the mud. It feels good to make it known I can make it happen anywhere, Daytona, in the mud, wherever I want. A lot of confidence for me heading into the pros.”
The Monster Energy SMX World Championship and Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship will continue next Saturday, May 2, with Round 16 from Denver’s Empower Field at Mile High. Live comprehensive broadcast coverage will be available exclusively on Peacock, beginning at 1 p.m. ET with Race Day Live, followed by the Gate Drop at 7 p.m. ET. A special encore network presentation will air on NBC on Sunday, May 3, at 2 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 are now on sale 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.
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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.
