Hunter Lawrence perfect as 2026 AMA Pro Motocross fires into life

2026 AMA Pro Motocross Championship

Round One – Fox Raceway National – Pala

Australian Hunter Lawrence made the strongest possible start to the 2026 AMA Pro Motocross Championship at Fox Raceway, topping qualifying and then sweeping both 450MX motos at Pala, California, while Seth Hammaker claimed a maiden 250MX overall victory for Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki.

The opening round of the 55th Pro Motocross Championship doubled as Round 18 of the Monster Energy SMX World Championship regular season, and it began with a distinctly Australian flavour at the front of the premier class.

Lawrence was quickest in 450 qualifying with a 2m16.832, then converted that pace into a 1-1 scorecard for Honda HRC Progressive. Jorge Prado made an impressive Pro Motocross debut with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing to finish second overall via a pair of runner-up finishes, while defending champion Jett Lawrence recovered from poor starts to complete the podium with 4-3 results.

In the 250MX ranks, Hammaker turned a 2-1 day into his first career Pro Motocross overall, edging out Caden Dudney and Cole Davies after a wild second moto reshuffled the podium contenders.

Hunter Lawrence had already set the tone before the first 450MX gate drop, leading qualifying ahead of Prado and Jett Lawrence.

450 Moto One

Mikkel Haarup then grabbed the Moto 1 holeshot for Triumph, briefly leading the opening premier-class moto of the outdoor season before Hunter moved to the front.

Prado quickly followed him into second, and from there the two established themselves at the head of the race. Jett Lawrence, meanwhile, had work to do after starting deep in the pack. The defending Pro Motocross and SMX World Champion was only 16th on the opening lap, ending his long Fox Raceway laps-led streak, and then had to carve his way forward.

Haiden Deegan, making his 450MX outdoor debut after two 250SMX titles, was also buried early, but he and Jett both picked their way through the field. Jett eventually reached fourth, while Deegan finished fifth behind Justin Cooper.

Out front, Hunter had control. He won Moto 1 by 8.765 seconds over Prado, with Cooper third, Jett fourth and Deegan fifth.

450 Moto Two

Moto 2 briefly threatened to become more of a fight. Hunter grabbed the holeshot, Prado attacked immediately and took the lead on the opening lap, but the Australian responded on the next lap and retook control. Once back in front, Hunter built a buffer of more than five seconds and never gave Prado a genuine look back in.

Jett was better placed in Moto 2 than he had been in the opener, and by half-distance he had worked his way to third. Deegan again climbed into fourth, while Chase Sexton completed the top five.

Hunter’s second moto victory came by 6.090 seconds over Prado, with Jett only another half-second behind in third.

“I feel awesome,” Hunter said after the 1-1. “It was a great day. P1, a perfect day. On top in every session. I’m just fired up. I can’t really ask for anything more.”

The result gives Hunter an early six-point lead over Prado in the 450MX standings, with Jett 12 points behind his brother after the opening round.

Prado’s 2-2 scorecard was an impressive first outdoor national aboard the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F Factory Edition. The four-time world champion was second quickest in qualifying, ran with Hunter in both motos, and even led the second race in the opening stages.

“This is a great start to the season with second overall,” Prado said. “It was a good day of racing – we were battling up front, and even got into the lead during the opening stages of Moto 2, so I am happy. I think we can build from here.”

Aaron Plessinger also returned to racing for Red Bull KTM, finishing eighth and ninth for eighth overall. He was inside the top three early in Moto 2 before settling into ninth at the flag.

Eli Tomac’s outdoor opener ended almost before it had started. The four-time 450MX Champion crashed on the opening lap of Moto 1 and took no further part in the day. Initial on-site scans reportedly showed no broken bones after he strained his neck, with further evaluation to follow during the week.

Jett Lawrence was clearly not at his normal Fox Raceway level off the starts, but third overall still represented a strong salvage ride. Across the two motos he improved a combined 20 positions, going 4-3 on a day when Hunter and Prado had track position and pace from the outset.

“Motocross is a lot harder than I remember,” Jett said. “I was just trying to figure it out today. I found out what arm pump was in the first moto. It wasn’t the best conditions for my foot, but I thought I rode great. I just didn’t get the starts today and need to work on that.”

Behind the podium, Cooper went 3-6 for fourth overall, Deegan’s 5-4 gave him fifth in his 450MX outdoor debut, and Sexton finished sixth after a 7-5 day for Monster Energy Kawasaki.

RJ Hampshire led Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing in seventh overall on his 450MX return. Hampshire qualified 13th, then rode to sixth in Moto 1 and seventh in Moto 2.

“Fox Raceway was positive for me,” Hampshire said. “I was in the fight around that top-five area for most of the day – I wish I could’ve finished the motos off a little better, but this was one of my better Pala results.”

Kyle Webster went 16-12 for 13th overall on the Quadlock Honda, while countryman Mason Semmens finished 29th overall after 27-30 results.

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250

Levi Kitchen was the benchmark in qualifying, topping the 250 class with a 2m19.854, almost two seconds clear of Pro Circuit Kawasaki team-mate Hammaker. The first moto then opened with Hammaker taking the holeshot ahead of Nick Romano and Caden Dudney, before Kitchen worked forward from eighth and joined the Kawasaki fight at the front.

Kitchen eventually passed Romano and then closed on Hammaker. When Hammaker made an off-track mistake with around nine and a half minutes remaining, Kitchen inherited the lead and cleared out to win by 5.511 seconds. Hammaker finished second, Cole Davies charged through to third, Jo Shimoda took fourth and Romano completed the top five.

Moto 2 turned the round on its head. Julien Beaumer grabbed the holeshot for Red Bull KTM and built an early lead, while Kitchen was caught in first-lap trouble and resumed outside the top 30.

Hammaker settled into third, moved forward, then caught and passed Beaumer around mid-race. From there the Kawasaki rider controlled the final phase to claim his first Pro Motocross moto win and, with it, his first overall victory.

“First outdoor national of the year and my first Pro Motocross overall win, so it feels amazing,” Hammaker said. “Practice went pretty well, and we made a few bike adjustments to get more comfortable with the track conditions. In Moto 1, I grabbed the holeshot and led for a while, but made a mistake and lost the lead. In Moto 2, I got another good start, made a couple quick passes, and got into the lead. From there, I just focused on hitting my marks and being consistent.”

Hammaker’s 2-1 scorecard gave him 47 points and a clear early lead in the 250MX Championship.

Kitchen’s day showed both his speed and the volatility of 250 racing. His qualifying pace and Moto 1 win underlined his title potential, but the second moto pile-up left him needing a recovery ride simply to protect points.

Despite remounting outside the top 30 with damage to his motorcycle, Kitchen charged back to 13th. That was enough for fourth overall on 34 points, tied with Dudney and Davies but behind both on countback.

“The speed is there, and the bike is great,” Kitchen said. “We’ll keep building, keep working, and come back ready for Hangtown.”

Romano completed a strong day for Pro Circuit Kawasaki, finishing fifth in Moto 1 and 11th in Moto 2 for ninth overall in his first outdoor appearance with the team.

Julien Beaumer’s first moto was compromised by a Lap 1 crash, but he recovered to 11th before taking the Moto 2 holeshot and finishing second. His 11-2 scorecard secured fifth overall, one point behind the trio tied for second.

Ryder DiFrancesco also rebounded strongly in the second moto. After qualifying seventh, the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna rider crashed on the opening lap of Moto 1 and recovered to 19th. In Moto 2 he pushed forward late, passed Dudney for third with just over two minutes remaining, and salvaged 10th overall.

“It was a good weekend for me overall,” DiFrancesco said. “My first moto crash meant that I had to salvage as much as I could, so then in Moto 2, I was up there in the fight to finish third, which makes me excited heading into next weekend.”

Australian Kayden Minear began his outdoor campaign with 12th overall in 250MX. The Perth rider qualified ninth, finished 15th in Moto 1 and improved to 10th in Moto 2 for Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing.

The championship now moves to Hangtown, California, on June 6 for the second round of the 2026 AMA Pro Motocross Championship.

450 Moto One Results

450 Moto Two Results

450 Round

450 SMX Points

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250 Moto One Results

250 Moto Two Results

250 Round

250 SMX Points

 

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450 Combined Qualifying

250 Combined Qualifying