Australians Charli Cannon and Taylah McCutcheon Complete Overall Podium
LAKEWOOD, Colo. (June 14, 2026) – The mile-high altitude of scenic Thunder Valley Motocross Park provided the setting for the second round of the 2026 Women’s Motocross Championship Powered by Synchrony (WMX), where athletes were put to the test with the dramatic elevation and a demanding racetrack at the Toyota Thunder Valley National Presented by American Petroleum Institute. For Altus Motorsports bLU cRU Yamaha’s Lachlan “Lala” Turner [#1] it was business as usual, as the reigning back-to-back champion continued her successful start in pursuit of the three-peat with a second straight 1-1 performance to open the season.
Timed Qualifying
- The weekend started with an impressive initial statement from Quad Lock Honda’s Charli Cannon [#7], who set the pace in qualifying. The Australian laid down a blistering lap of 2:18.568, which placed her seven tenths clear of Turner (2:19.269) and set the tone for another potential showdown in the motos.
Moto 1 [12 Minutes + 1 Lap]
- Friday’s opening moto began with the Australian duo of Partzilla Blaster Power PRMX Kawasaki’s Taylah McCutcheon [#10] and Cannon side-by-side exiting the first turn, with the holeshot edge going to McCutcheon. Behind them SLR Honda’s Mikayla Nielsen [#51] and Turner slotted into third and fourth, respectively.
- Cannon took advantage of the opportunity to put some traffic between her and Turner, as the Honda rider charged into the lead early. Not long after, both Nielsen and Turner were also able to make their way around McCutcheon. Turner then went on the attack and was able to work her way around Nielsen for second before getting alongside Cannon as the pair launched off the finish line jump to begin the second lap. Turner took advantage of the momentum of an outside line to seize control of the moto.
- Despite losing the lead, Cannon didn’t relent and made a counterattack to try and regain the position. She was able to get alongside Turner but ceded the position.
- A couple laps later Cannon’s pursuit of the lead ended with a crash on the track’s uphill roller section. While she was able to remount quickly, losing just a single position to Nielsen, it allowed Turner to build an insurmountable advantage.
- The lead trio appeared to be in line for another 1-2-3 finish from the top three riders in the championship, but Nielsen’s bike lost power as she took the white flag and would result in a DNF. That allowed Cannon to reclaim second, while McCutcheon moved up to third.
- Out front, Turner cruised to a dominant moto win by a margin 27.8 seconds over Cannon. McCutcheon grabbed her first moto podium result in third, while reigning back-to-back FIM World Champion Lotte van Drunen [#401] finished fourth in her very first WMX moto aboard a stock Yamaha for HGS Slade Racing. Jordan Jarvis Racing Yamaha’s Jordan Jarvis [#301] rounded out the top five.
- Following the moto, race officials reviewed a red cross flag infraction by Turner, which resulted in a 10-point penalty in the season standings but did not change the results of the moto.
Moto 2 [12 Minutes + 1 Lap]
- Saturday’s second and deciding moto took place as the final race of the day for the Thunder Valley National, following a pair of motos for both the 450SMX and 250SMX classes. As a result, the WMX field was faced with a dramatically different racetrack than the first moto.
- The moto began with a massive launch out the gate for Turner, who easily secured the holeshot and the early lead. Cannon followed closely in second, while McCutcheon started third.
- The clear track allowed Turner to establish a considerable advantage early on, but that was erased when she lost traction with the rear tire and went down. She was able to remount quickly, but Cannon slipped by to take the lead just as Turner resumed aboard her Yamaha.
- It didn’t take long for Turner to make up for her miscue as she tracked down Cannon on the same lap and went on to mirror her pass for the lead from Friday, this time positioning herself on the inside of the finish line jump to reclaim the top spot. Cannon fought back and kept Turner within striking distance, ready to take advantage of any opportunity that presented itself.
- As the leaders sprinted away from the field, the battle for third heated up between McCutcheon and Nielsen, who fought her way forward from a seventh-place start. The Honda rider was patient and made the pass stick on the final lap.
- Back up front, Turner inched away from Cannon on the final lap to complete the sweep of the motos by a margin of 2.7 seconds, with Nielsen able to rebound from her Friday heartbreak in a distant third.
Overall
- For the second week in-a-row Turner completed a 1-1 effort, overcoming adversity along the way. It signified her seventh straight win dating back to last season.
- Cannon, who suffered a shoulder injury in the crash on Friday, fought through discomfort to secure a sixth consecutive runner-up finish following a 2-2 effort.
- In just her second WMX start, McCutcheon captured her first overall podium finish with 3-4 finishes, doing so while battling through tonsillitis.
- van Drunen’s anticipated debut in the U.S. resulted in a fifth-place finish (4-6).
- Turner and Cannon are separated by just four points in the championship standings, while McCutcheon has moved into third, 17 points out of the lead.
WMX Overall Results (Moto Finishes // Points)
- Lachlan Turner, Gardnerville, Nev., Yamaha (1-1 // 50)
- Charli Cannon, Maroochy River, Qld., Australia, Honda (2-2 // 44)
- Taylah McCutcheon, Cornubia, Qld., Australia, Kawasaki (3-4 // 38)
- Jordan Jarvis, Leesburg, Fla., Yamaha (5-5 // 34)
- Lotte van Drunen, Gorinchem, The Netherlands, Yamaha (4-6 // 34)
- Piper Bell, Sault Sainte Marie, Mich., KTM (6-7 // 31)
- Lilly-Ann Pettus, Hanceville, Ala., Triumphi (8-8 // 28)
- Emma Milesevic, Lal Lal, Victoria, Australia, Yamaha (7-9 // 28)
- Mikayla Nielsen, Riverside, Calif., Honda (16-3 // 26)
- Ava Silvestri, Tahoe City, Calif., Husqvarna (9-10 // 25)
WMX Championship Standings (Round 2 of 6)
- Lachlan Turner, Gardnerville, Nev., Yamaha – 90
- Charli Cannon, Maroochy River, Qld., Australia, Honda – 86
- Taylah McCutcheon, Cornubia, Qld., Australia, Kawasaki – 73
- Jordan Jarvis, Leesburg, Fla., Yamaha – 69
- Mikayla Nielsen, Riverside, Calif., Honda – 68
- Lilly-Ann Pettus, Hanceville, Ala., Triumphi – 60
- Piper Bell, Sault Sainte Marie, Mich., KTM – 58
- Emma Milesevic, Lal Lal, Victoria, Australia, Yamaha – 58
- Ava Silvestri, Tahoe City, Calif., Husqvarna – 38
- Lotte van Drunen, Gorinchem, The Netherlands, Yamaha – 34
Quotes
1st Place – Lachlan Turner | #1 Altus Motorsports bLU cRU Yamaha (1-1)
“They prepped the entire track, so it was kind of like a skating rink out there. I keep making it hard on myself [with the tip overs] but it’s definitely fun for the crowd to watch. That [second moto] holeshot was amazing, it was so much better than [Moto 1]. I’m just so hyped.”
2nd Place – Charli Cannon | #7 Quad Lock Honda (2-2)
“It’s become a pattern. I haven’t really been strong at the beginning of my motos, and [Turner] gets me. Then I get better towards the end. There’s a few things I did wrong that kind of ruined my flow and my intensity, but I kept in the fight. I was there; it just wasn’t my day today. Considering the weekend, 2-2 is okay. We’ll just keep chipping away to try and get that win.”
3rd Place – Taylah McCutcheon | #10 Partzilla Blaster Power PRMX Kawasaki (3-4)
“This was hard. My lungs were on fire that whole moto. I just wanted it to be done. That was hard work, but my dad always told me to never give up. I didn’t and ended up on the box.”
The 2026 Women’s Motocross Championship Powered by Synchrony will continue next weekend with Round 3 from Pennsylvania’s famed High Point Raceway. The WMX will be a part of the UFO Plast High Point National with two days of racing. Moto 1 will take place on Friday, June 19, with Moto 2 alongside the Pro Motocross Championship on Saturday, June 20. Live coverage of the second moto can be seen on Peacock as part of the network’s live comprehensive coverage of High Point that begins at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET.
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About the Women’s Motocross Championship
The Women’s Motocross Championship (WMX), an AMA National Championship, features the world’s fastest female outdoor motocross racers. The 6-round series begins with the Hangtown Motocross Classic in June and concludes at the Ironman National in August. It includes stops at premier facilities across America, with events in California, Colorado, Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland and Indiana. These female racers compete in a two-moto format on machines ranging from 125cc to 250cc. The WMX series is managed by MX Sports Pro Racing, a West Virginia-based company and industry leader in power sports event production.
For more information, please visit RaceWMX.com.
About MX Sports Pro Racing
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, whose 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 racing athletes each year and attracts millions of motorsports spectators.
Visit MXSportsProRacing.com for more information.
About the American Motorcyclist Association
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling.
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About the Monster Energy SMX World Championship
The Monster Energy SMX World ChampionshipTM 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 AMA Pro Motocross Championship into a 28-round regular season that culminates in a season-ending SMX World Championship Playoffs.
Visit SuperMotocross.com for more information.
About Synchrony
Synchrony (NYSE: SYF) is a leading consumer financing company at the heart of American commerce and opportunity. From health to home, auto to retail, our Synchrony products have been serving the needs of people and businesses for nearly 100 years. We provide responsible access to credit and banking products to support healthier financial lives for tens of millions of people, enabling them to access the things that matter to them. Additionally, through our innovative products and experiences, we support the growth and operations of some of the country’s most respected brands, as well as more than 400,000 small and midsize businesses and health and wellness providers that Americans rely on. Synchrony is proud to be ranked as the country’s #1 Best Company to Work For® by Fortune magazine and Great Place to Work®.
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