Another season of Pro Motocross is upon us, and there’s a great deal of excitement surrounding this year’s championship which is set to get underway at Fox Raceway this weekend. A range of storylines are on offer as we commence a brand new series of racing, with this Top 10 feature outlining the key narratives to watch at round one.

1. The Lawrence’s return:

Perhaps the biggest storyline of them all is the return of the Lawrence brothers to professional competition, and in particular, the 2023 Pro Motocross 450MX champion, Jett. The younger of the two brothers departed the Monster Energy Supercross series this year due to a torn ACL sustained at round four in Glendale, and has since been racing the clock to return to full fitness for the Pro Motocross opener. Hunter, on the other hand, broke his collarbone at Tampa just one round later, with the Honda HRC Progressive duo parked ever since. We’re full of questions when it comes to these two – and again – especially Jett. Is he the same version of the rider that went 22-0 in 2023? Is he at full strength, and if not, where is he on the recovery timeline? We’ve got a firing field of racers who are ready to go at Fox Raceway, and it’ll take the best version of these two to return to their former placements.

2. Deegan and Sexton defend:

The number one plates will live on both Chase Sexton and Haiden Deegan’s motorcycles for the 2025 season. Starting with Sexton, he’s arguably in the form of his life at the moment after going 17 rounds with Cooper Webb for the Supercross crown, with the momentum rolling for the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider. He really took hold of this series during the second half last year, and somewhere deep down, we think that Chase beating both Eli and Jett straight up in the championship would mean a great deal for both he and his legacy. Deegan, on the other hand, is probably just contemplating how much he can dominate the 250MX class by. He’s sealed this championship now, so he knows how to do it, and he also enters in maybe the form of his life after capturing the Supercross title. All things considered, the outlook is fairly promising for our defending champions.

Image: Octopi Media.

3. Eli is back:

Right up there with the return of the Lawrence brothers is this one – Eli Tomac is back. True to the 32-year-old’s nature throughout his career, no one seems to know where Eli is at on his overall racing timeline. Any talk of retirement seems only to fire him up and add a further two years to his already decorated reign at the top of the sport. Where is all of this motivation coming from? Well, he’s not stoked with these last couple of injuries, and the one he picked up in Tampa makes total sense. He didn’t fall, just dabbed a foot, and broke his fibula, which drew an end to Supercross. Whatever is happening, it seems like we’ll get a lot more Eli than really any of us thought, and with four Pro Motocross 450MX championships to his name, it goes without saying that the number three is going to add a great deal to this year’s series. Be prepared to hear a screaming Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing YZ450F in absolute agony at a circuit near you!

4. The Prado effect:

Oh yes, the Jorge Prado effect is real. This is another complete question mark, and you’ll hear a vastly different response depending on who you talk to. GP enthusiasts will be right behind the Monster Energy Kawasaki rider, who is their current shining light in the ever-long debate of MXGP vs Pro Motocross. To take a stab in between, look for Prado to be in that fourth to eighth place range, at least initially, with steady progression towards the front of the field as the series progresses, then make a full-fledged attack in 2026. This being said, Prado has indicated that he wants to win this year’s championship! It’s bold, and perhaps the recommendation would be to keep the motorcycle on the track and gain United States experience in your first season, especially after missing essentially all of Supercross, but hey, champions are going to be champions. He’s the reigning MXGP world champion and is looking to be crowned in America at the conclusion of 11 rounds.

5. Hampshire’s 450 debut:

RJ Hampshire has been a staple in the 250 category since his debut in 2014, and 11 years later, the now 29-year-old steps up to the 450 division, making his debut in the premier class at Fox Raceway. RJ has the moniker of an ‘all in’ type rider, putting 120% into his racing at all times. The 250s can favor this approach a little more with the flexibility of less power, so seeing how Hampshire and his style translate to the big leagues will be super interesting. This marks a milestone in the Floridian’s career, and although he’s coming off a fresh post-Supercross season wrist surgery, he’ll be an interesting one to watch both at Fox Raceway and throughout the championship.

Image: Octopi Media.

6. Martin’s revival:

Jeremy Martin is having what feels like his eighth career revival, with the former two-time 250MX champion signing with the all-powerful Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing outfit for this year’s Pro Motocross campaign. Injuries have held Martin back in recent years, which led to an overall career hiatus in 2024. There’s obviously still an itch to scratch for Jeremy, who feels like he can be a title contender in the quarter-liter class over 10 years since his first triumph in 2014. What’s more, it’s a largely young crowd with whom he’ll be racing against, so it’ll be fascinating to see whether the number six can recreate the magic that’s culminated in 20 career 250MX class wins, or whether the younger generation of the sport have now overhauled the veterans of days passed. It’s unanimously known that Martin won’t cheat anyone for effort, so he’ll be throwing everything at it to hold title number three.

7. The 250MX challengers:

This is a wide stroke of the brush because it’s kind of Haiden Deegan versus everyone else. How can you say otherwise when he picked up last year’s title with one round to spare, and a 69-point advantage once it was all said and done? That said, we did see the likes of Levi Kitchen, Tom Vialle, and Chance Hymas hold a torch to Deegan at various points throughout last year’s campaign, although what these three – amidst others – need to do is keep that pressure on for the entire championship. It’s not easy, especially when the mental warfare enters the picture with the powerhouse Deegan media machine fuelling their rider on, so all competitors need to be prepared for all that comes with battling the champion all season long. Again, it’s not easy, and you can’t afford to be rattled – the moment Deegan sees that, he twists the knife and takes full advantage. That’s what it’ll take, and there’s no denying it’s a tall order.

8. Cooper and Plessinger’s leap:

Justin Cooper and Aaron Plessinger seem like two riders who could take the leap from the next best behind the title contenders, to inside that conversation. Especially Cooper, who has a strong outdoor pedigree, although the same applies to Plessinger, who has picked up a strong haul of 450MX podiums in his career. The biggest piece of it all is probably mindset, and the belief that you fully belong at the front, battling for the wins and championships. Cooper has beaten both Jett Lawrence and Sexton on multiple occasions in the 250 division, and in all honesty, may need to shed the skin of being Tomac and Webb’s teammate. He has the skills to be at the front, is a good starter, is fit and healthy, and can be right in the mix if he wants. Same as Plessinger, transcending Sexton’s teammate is perhaps a key mental milestone to take things up another notch.

Image: Octopi Media.

9. The Great Outdoors:

TGO – a hallmark of American off-road motorcycle racing since 1972. Criss-crossing the United States, racing on different terrain, different circuits, and different conditions just makes it so epic. The technicality of Supercross is left at the door as riders prepare for two, grueling 30-minute-plus two-lap motos, 22 times to determine who will reign supreme. From the ruts of Unadilla, to the sweeping hills of High Point – the sands of Southwick, to the cheer at Larocco’s Leap on the fourth of July weekend, motocross just feels core. It has a tangible feeling of authenticity and puts riders, teams, and machines to the ultimate test all summer long. You want to be a Pro Motocross champion? Well, you’d better be prepared to earn it. This is The Great Outdoors.

10. Cooper Webb factor:

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb just wrapped up the 450SX Supercross title, so what about him? He’s notorious for being an indoor specialist, especially at this point in his career, and this year’s Pro Motocross run could be chalked up to wanting to secure a strong seeding position heading into the SuperMotocross (SMX) Playoffs at the end of the year. Riders will only take a maximum of 25 points into the post-season, which is awarded to the winner of the regular season, with further points paid back down to 20th in the traditional scoring model. What does this mean for Webb? Of course, he’d like to secure strong results outdoors, no doubt, although you’ve also got to think that he’ll want to notch a strong seeded position and a haul of points that at least keeps him in contention when the post-season arrives. Therefore, we think that is what Webb will be angling towards, and there is also the lingering torn UCL ligament in his thumb that will likely need fixing. Pro Motocross may be a bit more of a strategic play for the 2016 250MX champion, and will be intriguing to see how both he and the team play this one.