Arlington produced intense action on Saturday night as the front-runners of 450SX went head-to-head, while 250SX East made headlines in its first start of the year. We’ve gathered the direct takes from riders for this Reaction feature from round seven of the 2026 Monster Energy Supercross Championship.

450SX

Image: Octopi Media.

Eli Tomac (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – Second:
Those first laps absolutely saved my race. I had to make some quick moves there and was able to find those openings to pass two-to-three riders at a time. By lap two or three, I could see the front of the race and thought, ‘I’m okay, I can work with this.’ What a difficult track [it was] tonight. Of course, I fought to the end as much as I could and second is what we had. Thank you to Red Bull KTM – we’ll come back swinging in Daytona.

Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – Eighth:
Dallas was better. I think we made some pretty good progress with the bike, but ultimately, I just need to be better. I need to put myself in better positions, and just overall, be better myself. The heat race, I got an average start and rode my way to fifth, and then for the main, I went all the way inside gate, so got a better start. I was running good and then [Jason] Anderson ended up going down in front of me, so that put me back a little bit. And then I had a decent flow going there, but I ended up casing a jump pretty good and kind of ruined my momentum that I had going.
 I ended up eighth, but overall, it just needed to be better. We go to Daytona next week, so I am looking forward to that and, yeah, I’ve just got to focus on being better on race day.

Hunter Lawrence (Honda HRC Progressive) – First:
Tonight I got around the first turn, and that’s really important with how good the class is, because it’s hard to get a bad start and expect to battle your way through for a win. It’s tough to replicate racing, but we’ve been working hard on the bike and myself. My first half of the races have been getting better, for sure. Ken [Roczen] would make a little mistake, and I’d try to get him, but then he would have the inside for the next corner; I think the racing was really cool to watch and to be a part of, when the battle goes on for multiple laps. I was playing defense but still playing offense—it’s such a tricky spot to be in, but I really enjoy that and it feels good when you pull it off. On the last lap, I was just thinking, ‘Hit your marks, don’t do anything stupid, and get across the finish line.’ I feel like I’ve been doing the same thing every round this year and it’s been going well, so I keep the same approach. I don’t need to change a lot of stuff – I’ve been getting good starts and riding well in the main events, so just keep doing that.

Cooper Webb (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Third:
It was a sick race, I’m sure, with all four of us bunched up there. I saw a few openings I probably should’ve taken earlier in the race. I was too patient tonight, but we’ll take it. I had another great start, and I rode well. The track was pretty crazy – it broke down really gnarly. The win was there, but we didn’t get it. Overall, we’ll take another podium.

Justin Cooper (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Fifth:
I struggled all day, but put together a good result in the main. I was kind of right behind the top four. I was a few seconds behind them, and it was good to see the leaders the whole race, but I just couldn’t get in that battle. I just needed a little bit more speed tonight. Otherwise, I rode really well, and I limited my mistakes. I feel like it was a good night, and we’ll move on to Daytona.

Chase Sexton (Monster Energy Kawasaki) – Sixth:
I felt more comfortable going into this weekend, and the bike was working great with the adjustments the team has made. My start in the main event made things tough, but I focused on making smart passes and being consistent. I’ve still got a way to go to prove myself, but the team and I are heading in the right direction.

Garrett Marchbanks (Monster Energy Kawasaki) – 22nd:
This was a frustrating race for me, because I felt really good all day and had a great start to the morning. I came out seventh in my heat and felt comfortable and confident on the bike. I was making progress in the main event, and then I crashed in the whoops and decided to be safe and pull off, ending my night early. It’s disappointing, but I know where my pace is, and I’m focused on coming back ready for Daytona.

Dylan Ferrandis (Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati Factory Racing) – Ninth:
Today went better in qualifying… I qualified better. I knew it would be a difficult main event because the track was really challenging and rough. I was fighting for positions and just had a crash after the quad in the turn early on in the race so it cost me a lot. After the crash I gave it everything I had, but I was struggling a lot physically today and fighting the bike after the crash. I came into today a lot better but didn’t transform that into good main event so that was disappointing. But we are giving it everything we have, myself and everyone on the team so we look to next weekend in Daytona.

Malcolm Stewart (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) – 11th:
The Texas fans are always a good crowd. All day I felt really good, through both qualifying and the heat race. The main event was going really well too, but I made one little mistake over the on-off, which cost me quite a few positions. We ended up 11th, but other than that, we’re trending in the right direction, and things are getting back on track to where we need them to be. The crash was a little bit of a bummer, but I am more proud of my riding than the results. At the end of the day, we can continue to keep fighting heading into my home race in Daytona next weekend – hopefully the Florida fans bring the vibe!

Ken Roczen (Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki) – Fourth:
We ended up tonight with a fourth place. Nonetheless, I feel like we were riding really good all day. The track was super tricky – we had some big jumps and sketchy whoops. This dirt is always extremely unique as it is super slippery, it looks perfect, but it’s not. Having said that, I progressively got a little worse throughout the main event. I got a little sick at the beginning of the week. I tried to keep it at bay, but as we got closer to the race it had definitely gotten worse. My lungs were absolutely closed, so I’m super pumped with the effort that I put in. We executed the start, so overall I tried to be a roadblock as long as I could, and we ended up with a fourth. So, it could have been a lot worse, and it is what it is. We still have a lot of racing to go, everything can swing around again, so as long as we keep the effort level up I think we’re fine.

Jason Anderson (Twisted Tea Suzuki) – 21st:
My weekend was better as far as my riding. But it was a little bummer in the main. I got tangled up, and fell by myself, and didn’t end up very well. But my riding was better and hopefully we’ll keep this trajectory.

Colt Nichols (Twisted Tea Suzuki) – 14th:
It was tough today, to be honest. I crashed the heat and had to go to the LCQ. In the main event I started decently from the far outside but got squished going into the first rhythm, so I was pretty far back. Then I started to ride really well. I got up to 11th, and then hit neutral coming into the whoops and had another crash… But we’re making some progress. I just need to stay off the ground and get off the start a little bit better and we’ll be okay. I’m excited for Daytona next weekend. We’ll give it another shot.

Jordon Smith (Triumph Factory Racing) – 19th:
I’m happy to be back at the races. It was a tricky day for me. Qualification went pretty well; I was happy with the speed. The main event was a tough one. The track was gnarly and I had a couple of falls. I’ve not had long on the bike, so we’ll head home and continue to build.

250SX

Image: Octopi Media.

Pierce Brown (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – First:
There were so many nights that I didn’t think this would be possible. Missing a year, especially with the injury I had… It’s a scary thing to come back from, and there were a lot of doubts. I’m just thankful that I never stopped fighting. Every day we put our best foot forward. Wow, I don’t even know where to start. This is amazing. I qualified first and then had a subpar heat race and ended up fourth, so we just had to shake some things out for the main. I had a really good start in the main, and ended up getting by Jo [Shimoda] and then just rode it on to the win. A first supercross win for me, and with the team, it feels really good.

Cole Davies (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Fifth:
The season opener is done and dusted. The day went to plan. I felt comfortable in both qualifying sessions and got the heat race win. Unfortunately, with a crash in the first turn, I had my work cut out for me, but I’m proud of how we fought back to fifth. The bike felt solid all day, especially through the whoops where we made most of our passes. We had the speed to win, now we just need to execute. A big thanks to the team for giving me the tools to battle up front. Now onto Daytona.

Nate Thrasher (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Sixth:
Round one is done. I felt really good in the heat race, but the main was not my best. I have to get off the gate better and not put myself in that position. The bike was bent up after the crash, but we tried our best. It’s not over. We have a lot of racing to go. I have to come out next weekend with one mindset.

Caden Dudney (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – 13th:
Arlington was good to me, even though the main wasn’t exactly what I wanted. I can’t put myself in that position off the start again, but it’s a big learning curve, and there were a lot of positives to take away from it. My riding was great all day long. I had fun, and I’m ready to do it again next weekend.

Jo Shimoda (Honda HRC Progressive) – Fourth:
My night was good. I wanted to keep building my momentum from last year, so I’m just happy to be here. I get paid to race and do good, but at the same time, a neck injury is pretty sensitive. I got approved by the doctors two weeks ago to ride again, but you never know until you’re on the bike. I feel comfortable and strong enough, and I’ve been doing the right preparation to come back. I was pretty rusty all day long, but it ended up being a good night. I haven’t been doing a lot of testing, so each session we’ve been getting a little bit better. When the main event came around, I was like, ‘Let’s just make it stiff enough to where I can send it and shift the focus to get a good start, jump whoops, and do the things I can do.’ Once the race came around, I was really locked in. I did see a red light on the double, so I had to slow down and roll the jump. If the red light was still on for the other guys, I think it’s fair that the points are given to me – three points could matter at the end of the year. I did better than I expected, as far as the pace and finish position. It’s a really good way to start the season, but we still have a lot to work on, the bike and myself. I think we’re only going to get better from here, so I’m excited for the upcoming rounds!

Seth Hammaker (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – Fourth:
It felt awesome to finally get back to racing, coming back from my injury. I was really happy with my speed all day, and winning the heat race was a big steppingstone into the season. The main event was a little chaotic with my start and bumping into another rider, which made me struggle with finding a good flow, but I stayed up front in the top five and kept fighting. We’ve got a really good base to build from, and I’m excited to keep this momentum going into Daytona.

Drew Adams (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – Fifth:
It was a pretty good day all around. My goal at the end of the night was just to get better every time I was on the track. It’s hard to make passes with the dirt conditions being so fresh, and I had to work my way through a lot of riders, but I stayed patient and focused on my goal. I’ve got a few things to work on this week, but I’m looking forward to coming back strong for the team in Daytona.

Daxton Bennick (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) – Third:
Arlington was good! I struggled a little bit in the first practice just getting comfortable with being at the races again, and then in the second one I felt a lot better – I found a flow that really worked for me and I was gelling well with the bike. Its power was awesome and allowed me to get that three in, which only a handful of us were able to do in that big rhythm lane. My starts today were great too – and felt very repeatable – which I am stoked about. In the main event, I put my head down, got into a good position off the start, and went to work. I wish I could’ve been a little better in some areas to maybe win, but it is the first round and I kept that in mind, but I think we have some good results coming and I’m happy with how my night went.

Jalek Swoll (Triumph Factory Racing) – 21st:
I rode a little tight in my heat race, but I loosened up for the main event. I made quick passes and felt pretty good. I had a racing incident in the whoops – another rider came over on me and I had a crash. I would have loved to finish the race to have the laps under my belt, but the bike was a little bent up. I’m looking forward to Daytona.