Lawrence brothers split by one point after Hunter sweeps Budds Creek

2026 AMA Pro Motocross Championship

Round Ten – Budds Creek

Images by Jeff Miller

The AMA Pro Motocross Championship arrived at Budds Creek with the Lawrence brothers separated by ten points in the 450MX title race and only a single point between Levi Kitchen and Cole Davies in 250MX. By the end of a slippery afternoon in Maryland, both red plates had changed hands.

Heavy morning rain turned qualifying into a mudfest, with the second 450 session effectively abandoned as riders chose not to circulate in the worst conditions. The rain had stopped before the opening motos and the circuit improved markedly throughout the afternoon, but Budds Creek remained extremely slippery.

Budds Creek is notoriously one-line even in favourable conditions, with its steep elevation changes, off-camber turns and narrow preferred racing line making overtaking difficult. The mud pushed that challenge to another level, placing an even greater premium on starts, visibility and patience in lapped traffic.

Hunter Lawrence delivered the perfect response to his Unadilla disappointment, sweeping both 450 motos to transform a ten-point deficit into a one-point championship lead over younger brother Jett.

The 250 title contest was turned on its head when Kitchen crashed, exhausted his supply of tear-offs and was penalised four positions in the opening moto. Davies capitalised to turn a one-point deficit into a 14-point advantage ahead of the Ironman finale.

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450MX

Haiden Deegan topped 450MX qualifying with a 1m54.734s lap, half a second clear of Jett Lawrence, with RJ Hampshire third.

Hunter Lawrence was classified fourth after his fastest lap was disallowed for jumping on a red cross flag. The fast times were set in the opening session before the rain came down.

Deegan then scored the opening-moto holeshot ahead of Hunter and Eli Tomac, while Jett endured a chaotic run through the opening turn.

Jett got untidy out of the gate and briefly ran onto the grass on the left side of the circuit before rejoining. Officials accepted that the excursion was unintentional and had cost him ground rather than provided an advantage, so no position penalty was imposed. The AMA did, however, add one penalty point to Jett’s licence.

Contact with another rider then pushed the defending champion further down the order. By the start of lap two, Jett was back in 22nd position on a slippery circuit where passing opportunities were already at a premium.

Hunter was much better placed. He jumped past Deegan at the end of the opening lap and immediately began building an advantage. Tomac held third ahead of Jorge Prado, Cooper Webb, Justin Barcia, Malcolm Stewart and Aaron Plessinger.

At half-race distance, Hunter led Deegan by four seconds. Tomac was another six seconds behind, with Prado a further six seconds back but enjoying a sizeable advantage over Webb.

Hunter frequently encountered lapped riders on the narrow racing line, allowing Deegan to close at times, but the Honda rider remained composed and re-established his advantage whenever he found clear track.

Further back, Jett was mounting one of the rides of the afternoon. He climbed to tenth by the halfway mark, although he remained 48 seconds behind his brother.

Prado eventually displaced Tomac for third, while Jett continued his charge by passing Mikkel Haarup, Plessinger, Barcia, Webb and Garrett Marchbanks to reach fifth.

Hunter completed the victory 5.6 seconds ahead of Deegan. Prado finished third, Tomac recorded his best moto result of the season in fourth, and Jett’s recovery from 22nd salvaged fifth. Hunter’s pace was such that he lapped through to 11th position in the 40-rider field.

RJ Hampshire had qualified an impressive third but damaged his gear shifter in early contact. Stuck in second gear for the remainder of the moto, he recovered from outside the top 20 to finish 12th.

Hunter and Prado charged towards the first turn together in Moto Two, but it was the Australian who emerged with the holeshot and clear track ahead.

Jett again made a poor start and completed the opening lap around tenth, while Deegan was eighth. Hunter immediately put his head down and established a lead of more than three seconds over Prado before the end of lap one.

Haarup held third ahead of Barcia and Hampshire as Jett and Deegan began working forward. Jett passed Dylan Ferrandis, Plessinger, Hampshire and Barcia to reach fourth on lap four.

Two laps later, Jett swept around the outside of Haarup to take third, but Prado remained more than ten seconds ahead. Hunter continued to control the race from the front as Jett steadily reduced the deficit to the KTM rider.

Jett reached Prado during the closing stages and used a lapped rider as a pick on the final lap to take second from the Spaniard, but Hunter was already beyond reach.

Hunter buttoned off and controlled the final laps to win by six seconds from Jett. Prado crossed the line another three seconds behind, with Deegan fourth, more than 42 seconds behind the winner.

Deegan’s fastest lap was more than two seconds slower than Jett’s and almost three seconds away from Hunter’s best, underlining the pace advantage the Lawrence brothers enjoyed once they found clear track.

Hunter’s 1-1 performance delivered his sixth overall victory of the season and seventh career 450MX win. More importantly, the maximum 50-point haul completed an 11-point swing against Jett and returned the red plate to the elder Lawrence brother.

Prado’s consistent 3-3 finishes earned him second overall for the second consecutive weekend. Deegan took the final podium position with 2-4 results, beating Jett’s 5-2 scorecard on the strength of his opening-moto runner-up finish.

It was Deegan’s fifth consecutive overall podium and eighth podium from the opening ten rounds of his rookie 450 campaign.

Jett’s fourth overall was only the third non-podium result of his 37-round premier-class career and his first not directly caused by a crash or finishing-position penalty.

Haarup delivered an impressive 8-5 scorecard for fifth overall aboard the Triumph, while Webb took sixth with 6-9 results. Plessinger finished seventh in his second race back from the tailbone injury suffered at RedBud.

Hampshire improved to sixth in Moto Two for tenth overall and retains fifth in the championship. Australian champion Jed Beaton recorded 16-15 finishes for 16th overall in his third AMA Pro Motocross appearance.

Hunter now leads Jett by a single point, 442 to 441, heading into the final two motos at Ironman. Regardless of which brother prevails, Honda, Australia and the Lawrence family are guaranteed the top two positions in the 2026 450MX Championship.

Deegan holds third with 376 points and carries a 25-point advantage over Prado into the finale.

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250MX

Levi Kitchen topped 250MX qualifying for the second week running, recording a 1m56.283s lap to edge title rival Cole Davies by three-tenths. Ryder DiFrancesco was third fastest, while Davies’ Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team-mate Kayden Minear qualified eighth.

Kitchen scored his first holeshot of the season in the opening moto ahead of Davies, but the route he took to secure it immediately drew the attention of officials.

Kitchen headed onto the grass on the wrong side of the track markers, where he found more traction than the riders who remained within the circuit boundaries. A penalty appeared inevitable, although it would not be confirmed until later in the race.

Chance Hymas was on an early charge and swept past Davies on the opening lap before immediately closing on Kitchen. Under pressure from the Honda rider, Kitchen went down in the treacherous conditions and rejoined outside the top 15.

Hymas inherited the lead, but Davies quickly responded. The New Zealander passed Hymas on lap three and began pulling away.

Landen Gordon held third after an excellent start, while Western Australian Minear moved into fourth ahead of Lux Turner, Julien Beaumer and Pierce Brown.

Kitchen was back inside the top ten less than ten minutes into the race, but his charge through the field had exhausted his supply of tear-offs. He attempted to clear his goggles with mud-covered gloves before eventually discarding them altogether and braving the roost from the riders ahead, along with the mud flung from his own front wheel.

Carson Mumford built into the moto and climbed to fourth before half-race distance, relegating Minear to fifth. At that point Davies led Hymas by six seconds, with another three seconds back to Gordon. Mumford was three seconds behind Gordon, with Minear a similar distance further back.

The punishing conditions also began taking a toll on machinery. Pit boards instructed riders whose motorcycles were blowing smoke to stay off the clutch.

Brodie Connolly was among those forced out. The New Zealander had run as high as 16th before his Quad Lock Honda expired with around six minutes remaining.

Kitchen’s vision problems continued, and he lost more positions late in the moto. The Kawasaki team was then informed that he would receive a four-position penalty for leaving the circuit at the start.

Davies took the chequered flag 2.273 seconds ahead of Hymas to claim maximum points. Gordon secured his maiden moto podium in third, followed by Mumford, Minear and DiFrancesco.

Kitchen crossed the line tenth but was classified 14th after the penalty. South Australian Alex Larwood finished 35th, while Connolly was classified 38th.

Conditions improved further for Moto Two, although the racing line remained slippery and passing opportunities were limited.

Hymas took the holeshot ahead of Parker Ross and Davies, while Kitchen completed the opening lap in sixth. Mumford crashed before the end of the first lap and was seen holding his wrist, a worrying end to the day for a rider who had recently become a regular top-five finisher.

Davies quickly moved past Ross for second, while Kitchen charged through to third. Hymas led Davies through the middle of the moto as Kitchen steadily reduced the gap.

With around six laps remaining, Davies made a mistake, and Kitchen swept through to second. Kitchen quickly closed on Hymas after the Honda rider suffered a moment of his own, and the pair began pulling away from Davies.

Kitchen moved within striking distance, but Hymas responded while negotiating lapped traffic and retained the upper hand. The Honda rider crossed the line 2.570 seconds ahead of Kitchen to secure both the moto and overall victories.

Davies was almost 30 seconds behind in third, but his 1-3 results were enough for second overall and a decisive swing in the championship.

Gordon’s 3-7 scorecard delivered the rookie his maiden Pro Motocross overall podium. Beaumer recovered from around 15th to finish fourth in Moto Two and fourth overall, while Kitchen’s 14-2 results left him fifth for the round.

Minear’s 5-10 scorecard secured sixth overall. The young Western Australian remains sixth in the championship with 269 points.

Hymas became the seventh different 250MX overall winner of 2026, setting a new record for the number of winners in a single season. It was the third overall victory of his career and his first of the current campaign.

The result moved Hymas 26 points clear of DiFrancesco and left him only five points behind Beaumer in the battle for third in the championship.

Kitchen entered Budds Creek one point ahead of Davies but leaves 14 points behind. Davies’ 45-point haul produced a 15-point championship swing, giving the New Zealander control of his destiny ahead of the final two motos at Ironman.

Larwood improved to 21st in Moto Two for 27th overall and one championship point. Connolly’s difficult afternoon ended with 38-34 finishes and 38th overall.

WMX

The penultimate WMX round at Budds Creek played out across two days and two markedly different racetracks. Friday’s opening moto was held in sunny conditions, while heavy rain on Saturday morning left an evolving and slippery surface for Moto Two despite the return of afternoon sunshine.

Defending champion Lachlan Turner arrived with the red plate and a 15-point advantage over Sunshine Coast’s Charli Cannon. Australian Taylah McCutcheon held third in the championship, narrowly ahead of Jordan Jarvis.

Weather-mitigation measures restricted Friday qualifying to a single session. Cannon topped the timesheets with a 2m08.261s lap, only 0.079 seconds quicker than Turner. Mayla Herrick was third fastest.

Misfortune struck Jarvis before the opening moto when her Yamaha lost power. She missed the start, eventually joined the race to complete one lap, then retired.

McCutcheon made the most of the opportunity and scored the holeshot ahead of fellow Australian Tayla Jones and Nanami Honda. Both championship protagonists had considerably more work ahead of them, with Cannon starting 12th and Turner 15th.

Mikayla Nielsen charged through to second on the opening lap, followed by team-mate Herrick and Cannon, while Turner climbed to fifth. A five-rider contest then developed at the front.

Nielsen displaced McCutcheon for the lead with around nine minutes remaining. Cannon moved into second and Turner soon reached third, while Herrick began losing touch with the leaders before eventually retiring when her Honda lost power.

Cannon and Turner traded second position as each attempted to find a way past Nielsen. Cannon finally took control of the moto with a little more than six minutes remaining, and Turner quickly followed her past Nielsen into second.

Cannon’s time at the front was short-lived. The Australian overjumped a section and ran wide in the following turn, opening the door for Turner to take the lead with around four minutes remaining.

Turner then dropped the hammer. Her next lap was 2.6 seconds faster than Cannon’s and immediately opened a gap of almost three seconds.

The defending champion continued to extend that advantage and secured her seventh moto victory of the season by 4.464 seconds. Cannon finished second, Nielsen completed the podium and McCutcheon brought her Kawasaki home fourth. Piper Bell rounded out the top five.

Heavy rain transformed the circuit ahead of Saturday’s second moto, although sunshine returned and conditions continued to improve as the afternoon progressed.

Nielsen scored the holeshot ahead of Turner and Cannon, while McCutcheon became caught up in a first-turn incident and was left deep in the field.

Turner attacked immediately and passed Nielsen within the opening sequence of corners. Cannon followed into second shortly afterwards, giving the championship rivals clear track at the front.

Turner quickly established a lead of almost three seconds. Nielsen held third ahead of Herrick, but Herrick crashed while closing on her team-mate and dropped to sixth.

Turner’s advantage over Cannon grew beyond eight seconds as the moto entered its final five minutes, then reached double figures during the closing laps.

Turner crossed the line 14.929 seconds ahead of Cannon to complete her fourth 1-1 sweep of the season. Nielsen finished third to secure her first overall podium since the opening round.

McCutcheon recovered from the first-turn incident and a 31st-place start to finish tenth. Her 4-10 results secured fourth overall and allowed her to retain third in the championship.

Tayla Jones recorded 10-11 finishes for tenth overall, while Jarvis rebounded from her opening-moto mechanical failure to finish fourth in Moto Two and 12th overall.

Turner’s fourth victory of the season extended her championship advantage over Cannon to 21 points ahead of the Ironman finale. Cannon has finished runner-up at four of the five rounds contested, including three 2-2 performances, but remains the only rider capable of denying Turner a third consecutive crown.

McCutcheon holds third in the championship with 161 points, two ahead of Nielsen and three clear of Jarvis. While Turner and Cannon will decide the title, the fight for the final championship podium position is even tighter.

Ironman next

The 2026 AMA Pro Motocross Championship concludes at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana, on August 29, with all three championships still to be decided.

Only one point separates Hunter and Jett Lawrence in 450MX, making the final two motos a straightforward contest between the Australian brothers. Whichever Lawrence finishes ahead across the Ironman round is overwhelmingly likely to leave with the championship.

Davies takes a 14-point advantage over Kitchen into the 250MX finale. Davies controls his own destiny, but Kitchen’s pace in the second Budds Creek moto showed that the Kawasaki rider remains capable of taking the fight down to the final chequered flag.

Turner heads to Ironman with a 21-point WMX lead over Cannon and is firmly favoured to secure a third consecutive championship. McCutcheon, Nielsen and Jarvis are separated by only three points in their fight for the final position on the championship podium.

Full Budds Creek results and updated championship standings follow below.

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450 Moto One Results

450 Moto Two Results

450 Round

450 Pro Motocross Points

450 SMX Points

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250 Moto One Results

250 Moto Two Results

 

250 Round

250 Pro Motocross Points

250 SMX Points

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WMX Race One Results

WMX Race Two Results

WMX Round

WMX Championship Points

WMX Qualifying