Heartbreak for Hunter Lawrence in AMA Supercross finale

Lawrence went into the final round of the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship just one point behind Ken Roczen, but a crash in the decider ended his title hopes

Ken Roczen won the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship in dramatic fashion at Salt Lake City, while Hunter Lawrence saw his own title bid unravel in the deciding race of the season. The 17th and final round of the championship, held in front of a capacity crowd at Rice-Eccles Stadium, brought the first half of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship to a tense close.

Just one point separated Honda HRC Progressive’s Lawrence and Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Roczen going into the final 450SMX main event, setting up one of the tightest title fights in Supercross history. Lawrence had the chance to snatch the crown in a winner-take-all showdown, but the Australian’s challenge ended in disappointment.

The 20-minute-plus-one-lap main event started with Lawrence and Roczen immediately at the front. Lawrence took the holeshot, but Roczen quickly made a move and grabbed the lead. Behind them, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Chase Sexton battled over third as the title contenders settled into a tense rhythm out front.

After the first five minutes, Prado closed in and the race became a three-rider contest. The added pressure forced Lawrence to raise the pace and he closed onto Roczen’s rear wheel, but a brief off-track moment cost him time. Not long after, another mistake sent Lawrence to the ground. He remounted in seventh place, and with that his championship hopes were effectively over.

While Lawrence tried to recover, Prado moved into second and Sexton took over third. Roczen held a lead of around three seconds into the second half of the race, but the order changed again as Sexton charged forward. After passing Prado, Sexton quickly caught Roczen and took the lead in the closing stages. Roczen then slipped back through the field as Prado moved into second, followed by Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing teammates Justin Cooper and defending champion Cooper Webb.

Sexton went on to win the race, claiming his second victory of the season and a fourth straight Salt Lake City win by just over two seconds. Cooper passed Prado on the final lap to equal the best finish of his career with second, while Prado claimed the second podium of his Supercross career in third.

Roczen finished fifth, which was enough to secure his first premier-class Supercross title at 32 years of age in his 13th season at the top level. That made him the oldest champion in Supercross history. Lawrence came home seventh, two positions behind his title rival.

Only three points separated Roczen and Lawrence in the final standings. Both riders ended the season with five wins and 12 podiums, underlining just how tight the battle had been. Cooper Webb completed the championship top three, marking the fourth straight season he has finished inside the overall top three.

Ken Roczen – 5th Place – 450SMX Class Champion
“I was an emotional wreck today. It was not an easy task by any means. I’ve been exhausted, physically and mentally, over these past few weeks, but I’ve dreamed of this since I was a little kid. This is just a testament of you never give up. Anybody, at any age, whenever you’re competing and you feel anxiety, you feel strange emotions that rob your energy, you’re not alone. I feel those too, but I don’t give up. I work on it daily and [the championship] is how it pays off. You can do it too.”

Hunter Lawrence – 7th Place
“I was just asking a little too much of the front end coming into the corners, but oh well. Congrats to Kenny, well earned. He was a better man tonight in the main, so congrats to him and the team. It was fun battling with him and, yeah, we’ll get ready for outdoors.”

Chase Sexton – 1st Place
“I’ve known Kenny [Roczen] a long time. He was like a big brother to me growing up. It’s obviously a bit different now that we race each other, but I’m really proud of him. Hunter [Lawrence] was [also] great all year. Great competitors. I was watching their race from the back and didn’t know what to do, then stuff happened, I started riding better and got to the front. It means a lot for me, personally, to get a win. It’s been a really tough year, but this hopefully is a good omen for outdoors.”

Justin Cooper – 2nd Place
“I didn’t get off the gate great. I tried second gear and dropped the front. I need a little more gas, but it’s tough at elevation because we’re fighting between first or second gear. That didn’t pay off but I was able to work my way through. I had to trust my pace and wait for guys to wear down a little bit. Everything tightened up at the end, and it was a tough last couple minutes, but we got close [to the win] there.”

Jorge Prado – 3rd Place
“My main goal was to get a good start. I did that and was running third and at one point I was faster than the guys in front of me [Roczen and Lawrence]. I knew they were battling for the championship, so I didn’t want to interfere. I could have made a pass, but I wanted to stay there. Then Hunter [Lawrence] made a mistake, and I fell a little bit off rhythm. It was a great day of racing for me.”

2026 AMA SUPERCROSS ROUND 17 RESULTS

2026 AMA SUPERCROSS 450SX FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS