For the first time in the 2026 Monster Energy Supercross season, Ken Roczen found his way to the top step of the podium. In the 250 class, Haiden Deegan made it four wins in a row, further extending his points lead. Aside from Eli Tomac’s first-turn crash, there wasn’t a whole lot of excitement in the racing. As we sit just shy of a third of the way through the Supercross season, it feels like the right time to zoom out and take a look at the title contenders, and what has stood out so far this year.
Going into the season, I don’t think anyone was predicting Hunter Lawrence to hold the red plate after five rounds. While he still hasn’t captured that elusive first win, a string of second-place finishes combined with the inconsistency of the rest of the field has put him exactly where he needs to be. I truly believe the win is coming soon, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that opens the door to a run of dominance. That said, the red plate brings a level of pressure Lawrence hasn’t yet faced in the premier class, so next week should give us a clearer picture of how he responds when the spotlight is firmly on him.
After a dominant performance in Glendale, Ken Roczen finds himself in a great position in the title fight. His speed has been strong, and his fitness late in the race looks to be in a good place. This isn’t Roczen’s first championship battle, and historically the early part of the season has never been an issue for him. The question, as always, is whether Kenny has enough left in the tank to carry it all the way to the end. I think he does, and his week-by-week approach may be exactly what keeps the pressure manageable and keeps him in this fight until the final rounds.
Eli Tomac started the season hot, winning the opening two rounds and establishing himself as the man to beat. While his riding has continued to look strong, a couple of costly mistakes have really set him back. His self-inflicted endo in Houston was softened by the Triple Crown format, but a first-turn tangle with Christian Craig proved far more damaging. Hopefully Tomac is healthy moving forward, as he looked banged up and slow to get going initially. He still has the speed and experience to be considered a favorite, but he’s chasing something that has never been done before. That said, if anyone is capable of pulling it off, it’s Eli Tomac.
After a rough January, Cooper Webb has rebounded with a win in Houston and a podium in Glendale. As the series begins to head east, we’re likely to see Webb at his best. While he currently sits fourth in points, he’s only 15 points down and very much in the title fight. Webb has proven time and time again that he can take a championship battle all the way to the final round. If you’re a Webb fan, there’s no reason to panic. In fact, I think being slightly down feeds into his underdog mentality, and we may see him start clicking off wins, possibly as soon as this weekend in Seattle.
The top four all have positives to build on, but for Chase Sexton, it’s been a rough start to the season. Sexton fans have been on an emotional roller coaster so far. After completely changing his bike setup following round one, Sexton has hit the gate, won, tucked the front, and followed it up with an underwhelming seventh in Glendale. So where does he go from here? His qualifying speed has been solid all year, but it hasn’t translated to the main events. It feels like a combination of growing pains with a new team and the pressure to win leading to mental mistakes. All things considered, Sexton is only 17 points back, so he’s far from out of contention, but something needs to change, and it needs to happen soon.
In the 250 class, Haiden Deegan is in complete control, winning four straight races. Levi Kitchen appears to be the closest in pure speed, but his starts continue to hold him back. Max Anstie has followed a familiar pattern from past seasons, starting strong before gradually fading from contention. Cameron McAdoo, however, has put together a solid rebuilding year. Simply making it through the season healthy would be a win, even if that means being the third-best guy. As this championship begins to get out of hand, we have just one more round before heading east, where a new group of riders will get a fresh start.
So far, this season has delivered more action than I can remember in recent years. There are legitimately five riders with a real shot at the title. A case can be made for each of them, but as we move into the heart of the season, I believe we’ll start to see real separation within the top five. As we head to the home of the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, weather could also play a factor, and that may shake things up even further.
