It’s a defining season for former 450SX and 450MX champion Chase Sexton, making a high-profile move to Monster Energy Kawasaki entering SMX 2026 to open an extensive three-year commitment. With prior stints at both Honda and KTM yielding title success, this may just be the most important chapter of the 26-year-old’s entire career.

There are tiered riders in any generation of talent, with the top echelon considered those who can win races and championships. In the current era, that claim realistically lies with three, maybe four, racers – Sexton being one – which means that teams are prepared to do what it takes to earn their signature.

This is all the more critical for Kawasaki, which since the domination of Ryan Villopoto as well as the success of Eli Tomac, has experienced a rocky patch in recent seasons. You could suggest that Jason Anderson was solid, especially in 2022,but this year with him and Jorge Prado was disastrous for the factory organization.

That said, for both Sexton and Monster Energy Kawasaki, 2026 represents a sense of opportunity for the pair, with the team eyeing a return to the front of the premier class pack, and Sexton hired as the man for the job. After achieving a career-high seven 450SX wins and finishing second in the standings, anything less than winning from the outset in year one could come into question.

“They pay me to win, so yeah, I think their expectations are for me to go out there and to win races at least, and hopefully be in the spot to win a championship [next] year,” Sexton said during this week’s SMX Media Sessions. “That’s my expectation. My biggest thing is that I want to get better every year and try to improve from last year.

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“If I can do that, I’ll be happy, but I’d also love to win a championship – at least one. We’ll try to win a lot of races. That’s the main goal, so my mindset is pretty much that. They’re all hands on deck, and yeah, we’ve had to change a lot of stuff on the bike. I think the last two or three guys who were here haven’t really voiced a lot of stuff about the bike.

“We’re getting the bike in a good spot and a good direction. It’s definitely not like when I made the change last time, when I was really far off. I feel like I’m in a good spot, and we’re making good progress. I’m happy.”

The deal came out of left field initially, with speculation building that the number four was indeed destined for a Red Bull KTM exit – the team he signed with for 2024 and 2025 after being part of the Honda HRC beforehand since mid-2020. For multiple reasons, KTM and Sexton never seemed to ‘click’, even with his 2024 450MX crown and ongoing success in Supercross.

That ultimately led to a lucrative, three-year Monster Energy Kawasaki offer, with the team splitting with both Anderson and Prado for 2026, instead recruiting what will be a clean slate for their KX450 racing program for next year and beyond. That resulted in Sexton and newcomer Garrett Marchbanks being drafted in.

“I mean, it’s a tough decision,” he added. “I think, honestly, the one before when I went… When I was at Honda and I went to KTM, I had more options that time, so I think that was the tougher one. This one, it felt like I kind of knew where I was going, or I knew what I wanted to do pretty early.

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“And then it was an easy decision for me. So I think the one before was harder, because I had more options, and I was younger too, and I didn’t really know what to do – this one was kind of a no-brainer and I got a really good feeling with the group of people that are there. The deal is three years – we went into it all-in – so we’ll see.”

Sexton admitted that enjoyment has also been a focal point, noting that the fun of riding a dirt bike had been fading in recent years, which is something he has been looking to ignite once more. Whether Kawasaki can bring that out once the pressure mounts, time will tell that side of the story.

“I think last year I was, not that I was tired or, I mean, I was tired, but I think mentally I just got really just tired from whether it was worrying about the bike or whatever it is, the grind of the last two years got to me last year, especially later in the outdoors and then even in SMX,” the Illinois native explained.

“So I took a step back in the off-season and tried to work on finding the fun again. And I think we’re off to a good start with the team, and kind of getting the fire back in me, so right now, as I said, I’m in the best spot I’ve been in in a while.

“I think the thing with KTM, like everyone thinks I’m a super-serious person – straight-laced – and just do the work and be done, but I have both sides. I am very focused when it comes to my racing, and I take it very seriously, but there’s also a point where you kind of have to have fun, and you enjoy what you do. I think when I was at KTM, I lost the aspect of having fun.

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“Not that riding at Baker’s Factory is weird, but you always had eyes on you, and like, you feel you couldn’t really be yourself. And I think coming here, it just feels normal. Like when I was at Honda, I kind of got to do whatever I wanted – I felt like I was [more free] and I got to enjoy it a little bit more.”

This latest transfer marks a significant milestone for Sexton, who, at least for the time being, sees Kawasaki as a long-term home, and one that could see him through to the end of his professional career. Getting off to a good start appears pivotal to the extended success of this combination, which are all things he is aware of entering his sixth term of Monster Energy Supercross 450SX.

“It’s definitely important,” Sexton said. “ I mean, that was in the back of my mind when I made the decision. As I’ve said before, I don’t really want to change teams again. Like, I would love to be able to find a home and stay somewhere for the rest of my career. That was in the back of my mind when I made this move.

“I don’t want to do another two-year thing and then be done. It is a big year. I feel like I’m in the prime of my career. I still feel really young as a person and as a racer. I still feel like I have a lot of good stuff ahead, but I know I need to make this move stick and make it successful.

“I didn’t win a championship last year [in 2025]. That was tough, so I think Kawasaki and I are both really determined to kind of get back and establish ourselves as the guys to beat, and I think that’s a cool spot to be in and try and get back there.”