Charli Cannon Captures Victory as Championship Runner-Up
CRAWFORDSVILLE, Md. (August 30, 2026) – A breakthrough summer for the 2026 Women’s Motocross Championship Powered by Synchrony [WMX] came to an exciting conclusion from Ironman Raceway, as part of the historic U.S. Army Ironman National Finals. A championship was on the line at the sixth and final round of the WMX campaign, where the season-long rivalry between Altus Motorsports bLUcRU Yamaha’s Lachlan Turner [#1] and Quad Lock Honda’s Charli Cannon [#7] culminated with the summer’s final two motos on Friday and Saturday. Those remaining gate drops weren’t without drama for Turner, who battled through adversity across both days to prevail with her third consecutive WMX title as Cannon enjoyed her most dominant effort on U.S. soil.
Qualifying
- Turner made the first statement of the weekend by pacing each Qualifying session. Her time of 2:18.740 placed her well ahead of Cannon’s 2:21.082, with the title combatants separated by 2.3 seconds. In her U.S. debut, FIM MXW points leader Daniela Guillen [#255] placed third with a time of 2:21.157 for Wildcat Race Team GASGAS.
Moto 1 [12 Minutes + 1 Lap]
- The first moto of the weekend stormed out the gate on Friday with Cannon leading the field to the holeshot, followed by SLR Honda’s Mayla Herrick [#23] and Turner.
- With a clear track ahead of her the Australian pushed the pace on the opening lap and put some distance over Herrick and Turner, who battled for second briefly before the Yamaha rider slotted in behind her rival.
- As Turner began to close in on Cannon near the end of the opening lap, Herrick was forced to fend off pressure from Guillen, as the Spaniard took advantage of a fourth place start to break into the top three.
- It wasn’t long before Cannon and Turner started to pull away from the rest of the field to set the stage for a head-to-head battle. The two mirrored one another throughout the track, trading surges of momentum. Through it all, Cannon fended off any pressure from Turner.
- The leaders quickly approached lapped traffic, which forced both riders to search for alternate lines. As they traversed the track’s challenging woods section, Turner lost her balance in a rut and veered off course. She remained on two wheels, but lost ground to Cannon.
- The Honda rider was able to assert her hold on the lead, while Turner appeared to settle into second. However, as time expired on the race clock Turner made another costly error in the same section and went down. That allowed several riders to get by as she looked to pick up her motorcycle and reenter the race, eventually resuming in sixth place.
- With no pressure from behind, Cannon completed an impressive and much-needed winning effort with a wire-to-wire moto victory. Her second moto win of the season came by a margin of 24.4 seconds over Guillen, followed by Herrick in third, FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Brandy Richards [#198] in fourth, and Turner in fifth.
Moto 2 [12 Minutes + 1 Lap]
- After the outcome of Friday’s moto, Turner and Cannon returned to the starting gate on Saturday separated by 13 points. The final moto got underway with the pair side-by-side, with Cannon out front for the holeshot. Turner went on the attack and briefly took the lead but then tipped over in the same woods section that proved to be her nemesis. As Cannon ran away with the lead, Turner remounted in 17th place.
- Cannon looked to assert her hold of the top spot but had Herrick in tow keeping her honest. Behind them, Triumph rider Hannah Hodges [#172] slotted into third.
- As the leaders settled in, Turner fought to overcome her early misfortune. Needing to finish no worse than 10th, she was patient and picked off riders one-by-one, soon breaking into the top 10 with more than half the moto remaining.
- Inside the final five minutes, Cannon and Herrick moved more than 10 seconds clear of the field as Hodges dropped into the clutches of a multi-rider fight for third. Eventually, Guillen charged her way into podium position, with SLR Honda’s Mikayla Nielsen [#51] in fourth and a determined Turner in fifth.
- Cannon capped off a dominant weekend by completing the moto sweep, taking the checkered flag 3.4 seconds ahead of Herrick, with Guillen in third. Turner charged home in fourth in a 13-position comeback worthy of a champion.
Overall
- Cannon’s first 1-1 sweep in the U.S. resulted in her second win of the season and career, although it wasn’t enough to capture the title.
- Herrick capped off a consistent weekend with a career-best runner-up finish (3-2).
- Guillen’s WMX debut resulted in a well-deserved breakthrough podium result (2-3) before she returns to MXGP to try and capture her first MXW title.
- Ironically, Turner’s championship-clinching performance came on a weekend in which she failed to finish on the overall podium for the first time in her career. She finished fourth overall following a 5-4 effort.
- Turner and Cannon finished the championship separated by six points in the final standings.
- A dramatic multi-rider battle for the final spot on the championship podium saw Nielsen, who finished sixth after a 7-5 effort, finish in a tie with Dusty Rocks Yamaha’s Jordan Jarvis [#301], who finished seventh with 6-6 finishes, for third in the final point standings. The tiebreaker went in Nielsen’s favor, placing the Honda rider third in the championship for back-to-back seasons.
Results & Standings
WMX Overall Results (Moto Finishes // Points)
- Charli Cannon, Maroochy River, Qld., Australia, Honda (1-1 // 50)
- Mayla Herrick, Thornton, Colo., Honda (3-2 // 42)
- Daniela Guillen, Lloret de Mar, Girona, Spain, GASGAS (2-3 // 42)
- Lachlan Turner, Gardnerville, Nev., Yamaha (5-4 // 35)
- Brandy Richards, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., KTM (4-7 // 33)
- Mikayla Nielsen, Riverside, Calif., Honda (7-5 // 32)
- Jordan Jarvis, Leesburg, Fla., Yamaha (6-6 // 32)
- Taylah McCutcheon, Cornubia, Qld., Australia, Kawasaki (9-9 // 26)
- Hannah Hodges, Pierson, Fla., Triumph (11-8 // 25)
- Jamie Astudillo, Gilbertsville, Pa., GASGAS (8-11 // 25)
WMX Championship Final Standings (Round 6 of 6)
- Lachlan Turner, Gardnerville, Nev., Yamaha – 267
- Charli Cannon, Maroochy River, Qld., Australia, Honda – 261
- Mikayla Nielsen, Riverside, Calif., Honda – 190
- Jordan Jarvis, Leesburg, Fla., Yamaha – 190
- Taylah McCutcheon, Cornubia, Qld., Australia, Kawasaki – 187
- Lilly-Ann Pettus, Hanceville, Ala., Triumph – 142
- Piper Bell, Sault Sainte Marie, Mich., KTM – 133
- Mayla Herrick, Thornton, Colo., Honda – 122
- Ava Silvestri, Tahoe City, Calif., Husqvarna – 107
- Brandy Richards, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., KTM – 88
Quotes
1st Place – Charli Cannon | #7 Quad Lock Honda (1-1)
“Overall, I’m super happy to end the season like this. I didn’t come into the weekend really thinking about the championship, I just wanted to build and get back to the top step of the podium. I executed all weekend and I’m really proud of how I did. Two good starts, two moto wins, I couldn’t have asked for anything more this weekend.”
2nd Place – Mayla Herrick | #23 SLR Honda (3-2)
“It’s been an amazing season. I’m bummed I couldn’t be in the points [battle], but I didn’t have pressure and could just be myself. We had the highest of highs at High Point [with a moto win] and ended the summer on the podium. I’m really thankful for the opportunity and excited for the future.”
3rd Place – Daniela Guillen | #255 Wildcat Race Team GASGAS (2-3)
“I’m really happy. This is amazing. I’m so happy in my first race [in the U.S.] to get on the podium. I want to do more races. Thank you so much to the team for helping me get here. I’m so happy.”
WMX Champion – Lachlan Turner | #1 Altus Motorsports bLUcRU Yamaha
“There’s definitely a big weight lifted off my shoulders. It’s been an emotional two days. This just means so much. Back-to-back-to-back championships feels amazing. I can’t thank everyone enough for backing me and making this possible.”
While the 2026 championship season has concluded, the WMX will compete one more time with its postseason debut at the Monster Energy SMX World Championship Final. The showcase SMX WMX Invitational will take place on Saturday, September 26, from Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in Ridgedale, Missouri.
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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.
For more information, visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com.
Not a member? Join the AMA today: AmericanMotorcyclist.com/membership/join.
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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