The curtains have closed on what was an incredible season of Pro Motocross racing, which spanned 11 rounds and zig-zagged throughout the United States to crown the 450MX and 250MX champions. MotoOnline takes a look back at the Top 10 moments of the championship, with each having a defining impact on how the year transpired.

Image: Octopi Media.

1. Jett reclaims the 450MX title at Unadilla:
In hindsight, it’s hard to believe there was ever a time the 450MX championship was in doubt, as Honda HRC Progressive’s Jett Lawrence continued doing one of the things he enjoys most in the world, and that is winning races on a motorcycle. Damn, is he good at it too. The reality entering round one, though, was that the 2023 450MX champion was coming off a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), and that it was touch-and-go regarding his health status after four months on the sidelines – which is an unprecedented timeline to make a racing return. Anyway, none of that ended up mattering, as Lawrence doused any hopes his competition may have had from the outset. He earned a 1-1 scorecard at Fox Raceway and held the red plate comfortably for the remainder of the 11-round campaign, with his second premier class outdoor championship sealed at the 10th round in Unadilla.

2. Two moto wins highlight Tomac return:
Que ‘Return of the Mack’ here, as the industry was thrilled that four-time 450MX Pro Motocross champion Eli Tomac (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) would line up for the outdoors, and the question of the young prodigy versus the decorated veteran would finally be answered. The only asterisk next to Lawrence’s perfect season in ’23 was that Tomac was absent, with injuries preventing any resolution to this question for the following season. Well, we finally got the answer, as Tomac posted two moto wins – one at Hangtown and one at High Point – to Jett’s 16 over the 11 rounds. We also saw the 32-year-old make some uncharacteristic mistakes throughout the season, with unforced errors happening at both Thunder Valley and Hangtown, combined with a challenging day altogether at Spring Creek. None of this is to say Eli isn’t a legend or to offer blatant criticism, it’s more to highlight that Lawrence at over 10 years younger really delivered a ‘changing of the guard’ this season.

3. Jeremy Martin signs off with Spring Creek win:
This was the feel-good moment of the year. It was a rough start to Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider Jeremy Martin’s return to Pro Motocross, with the former two-time 250MX champion crashing out at Hangtown after posting a 20-20 scorecard for 21st overall at the Fox Raceway opener. He would then be sidelined in the time between Hangtown and his home race at Spring Creek, which he announced would be his final round of Pro Motocross competition after a decorated career that spanned over a decade. In true fairytale form, Martin was super-fast all day at the Millville circuit, and in the second moto, he was able to power to an unbelievable victory, which left everyone who had tuned in around the world with a good feeling, as it was a fitting end to what has been a stellar career.

Image: Octopi Media.

4. Crashes keep Sexton on the sidelines:
Things did not go well for the 2024 450MX champion, Chase Sexton. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider entered with a wave of confidence after taking this year’s Monster Energy Supercross title down to the wire, however, that was entirely erased after the opening laps at round one. He lost his goggles and then appeared to hit neutral on the downramp of the finish line jump, leading to a spectacular fall and yielding the ‘banged up’ prognosis that would keep him absent for the ensuing rounds. That’s part one of the story. Part two starts with the 25-year-old returning to RedBud and showcasing reasonable speed, before a third overall finish at Spring Creek. He’d then go on to claim a convincing Washougal National overall win, then another enthralling moto victory at Ironman, before the wheels well and truly blew off once more, with technical issues to his motorcycle resulting in another incident and ultimately sidelining him from the final two rounds. It’s an emotional rollercoaster just writing this one out, but anyway, that was the two-part narrative to Chase Sexton’s Pro Motocross defense.

5. Prado struggles to find steady form:
Just as the cortisol was declining after the Sexton saga, we arrive at two-time MXGP world champion Jorge Prado’s maiden Pro Motocross season. Sexton’s campaign was a bit all over the place, although at least it was all over the place – this means that some ups were balanced with the downs, whereas for Prado, things just really never went very well for the Monster Energy Kawasaki recruit. So much so that the relationship between he and the team seems irreconcilable at this point, with his outspokenness about how nothing on the motorcycle seemed to work in conjunction with him throughout the season causing real fractures. To keep this one short, we think Prado might’ve underestimated the impact of a new team, a new series, a new country, and a new manufacturer would have, with the apparent ‘We’ll run with Jett by outdoors’ belief misguided. Beyond being a generational talent, Jett has built up a catalogue of six seasons in the United States – all of them with Honda – which adds an obvious continuity and performance benefit, given knowledge about the tracks, competition, and team. There is a world where P6 overall is fine, but with everything that came along with it, we would deduce that it was a problematic first season for the Spaniard.

6. WMX resurgence with Turner crowned:
Perhaps one of the more underrated additions to this year’s Pro Motocross series was the resurgence of the Women’s Motocross Championship (WMX), with this group of girls putting together what was nothing short of a phenomenal season of racing. It’s wild to see just how fast the competition is nowadays, with Lachlan Turner (Altus Motorsports BLU CRU Yamaha), Charli Cannon (Quad Lock Honda), and Mikayla Nielsen (SLR Honda Racing) putting on a show across the six-round season. A big storyline was Cannon’s finger injury entering the season, however, Turner also made it clear that, injury or no injury, there was a reason why the number one plate was on her bike, which is where it’ll be once more next year. The intensity seems to be rising on track, with each rider likely to put in an ultra-strong off-season to resume this battle in 2026.

Image: Octopi Media.

7. Jump-start at Ironman earns Jett a one-lap penalty:
As a singular moment goes in the season, this was a big one. Collectively, we saw Lawrence hit the gate during moto one at the Ironman National. What we didn’t realise, though, was that he actually ‘jumped’ the start, which, according to the rulebook, was worthy of a one-lap penalty which was served in the aftermath of the race. It was quite a shock indeed, and one that isn’t representative of the crime, given that no advantage was gained whatsoever. Still, a rule is a rule, and a shoutout needs to go to AMA director of racing Mike Pelletier here, because each time a penalty was served, he would appear on the broadcast and clarify what happened, what it means from a penalty perspective, and how it’s represented in the rulebook. It’s this level of calm transparency that is needed in a position like his, and given the amount of flak officials wear in sports in general, we think it is appropriate to call out and appreciate the job they do to keep the boundaries in place.

8. Cooper, Hampshire, and Marchbanks on pace:
The Pro Motocross campaigns of Justin Cooper (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing), RJ Hampshire (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing), and Garrett Marchbanks (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) were all very solid, and largely exceeded the expectations set for each racer. Cooper was the only other rider in 450MX to attain fast qualifier awards alongside Jett Lawrence and sealed a handful of podium finishes. Hampshire was equally impressive, claiming fifth overall in his debut 450MX season, shaking the ‘loose but fast’ moniker that has characterized his career until this point, with a P2 overall the highlight at Ironman. Lastly, Marchbanks was very good too, claiming P3 overall in 250MX, which not many people would’ve had on their radar entering the year. This trio will be interesting to watch into next season, to see whether they can build upon this foundation in 2026 and beyond.

9. Drew Adams earns 250MX Rookie of the Year:
It’s hard not to like 250MX newcomer Drew Adams, with the Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider earning what was a well-deserved Rookie of the Year award at the conclusion of his first year of 250MX. Drew finished 11th overall, and with how deep the division is, this is a sneaky good result, as it’d be way too easy for a young rider to come in, push beyond their means, get swept up in it all and go down. The 17-year-old largely avoided all of this and built towards being the fastest qualifier at the Unadilla National, while coming oh so close to topping the timesheets at Budds Creek, too. Regardless, he pieced together a very promising season, and he is for sure one to keep tabs on as his professional career develops.

10. Early withdrawals from Anderson, Webb, and Plessinger:
As the season progresses, it’s easy to lose track of certain themes, moments, and riders who were once part of the campaign only to exit the championship early. This was the case for well-known 450 contenders Jason Anderson (Monster Energy Kawasaki), Cooper Webb (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing), and Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), who were each overcome with injuries and illnesses that ultimately led to their premature departure. Anderson adds to what has been a disastrous season for the Monster Energy Kawasaki team, and we may have seen the last of this former Supercross race-winning combination, while Webb and Plessinger are expected to return for the three-round SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) Playoffs season commencing on September 6 in North Carolina.