It was a convincing return to racing in Detroit for Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Chase Sexton, who won his heat race and then on to claim P2 in the 450SX main event. In this Debrief feature, the 26-year-old recalls his performance at round 11 of Monster Energy Supercross 2026.

Belief

I’d like to say yes, but if anyone’s seen my season, it’s been very unlike me. I just haven’t had very good speed, haven’t had good starts, and haven’t really been up front, minus one race. I believe in myself and how I can ride, but I’ve either not felt comfortable or just haven’t been getting the starts I needed to be up front. In the off weeks, actually before Daytona, I was riding probably the best I had all season, and then I had that crash, which was just an accident. I kind of felt like I started back from zero. When I came back, I still felt pretty good on the bike, but it was about building back up and getting to where I could go racing again. The starts were better tonight, which played a big role. Winning the heat race felt like a main event win for me, because it’s been a struggle this year. Hopefully this is what we need to get back on the right path and try to get some more wins before the season’s over. The guys are riding really well. I knew Ken was going to be strong, especially with how gnarly the whoops are. I was trying to skim them, but it was getting a bit sketchy and I figured it wasn’t really worth it for me. That time on the couch really started to catch up with me about 10 minutes into the race. So we’ll come back next weekend and try to make some improvements.

Finding comfort

When I came back, I told myself I was just going to do the best I can and try to overcome the things I don’t feel comfortable with. I know I’m good enough to do that. I’ve had to go through some tough mental days and weeks to pull myself out of it. At the end of the day, I have to go out there, race my dirt bike, and be the best I can. The team’s been working hard – it’s not from a lack of effort. Sometimes things just don’t go your way. It’s been a tough year, but I think this is the turning point we needed to get things back on track.

Switching off

It’s tough – we get so caught up in it. For me especially, I’ve been riding a dirt bike since I was two and a half, and when you’re not having fun on the bike, it really bleeds into your day-to-day life. I know what I’m capable of, and I know that if I’m comfortable, I can go out there and ride. But I was holding myself back because of that lack of comfort. I’m not going to lie – it hasn’t been the best time at the track, and I haven’t really been having much fun. After I crashed, I told myself I had to make a mental shift. Even if I’m not having fun, I need to find things that are still enjoyable about it. That’s helped a lot. Today, even in practice, I didn’t feel that great, but I reminded myself that I’m back at the races and I get to do what I love for a living. Winning the heat race did a lot for me, and getting a decent start helped build my confidence back. I feel like my riding has been good, so now it’s about building from here. When you’re having bad days on the bike, it definitely spills into your normal life, and it can be hard to stay positive.

Image: Octopi Media.

Battling mental hurdles

Last year in Supercross, I won seven races, I think, and still came up short on the championship. That hurt a lot, losing by such a small margin and knowing it was my doing – I pretty much threw that away. Outdoors wasn’t great, SMX wasn’t great, and it’s just been a tough year or so. I’d still say I’m one of the happier guys you’ll meet, but again, when you’re not having fun on the bike, it affects everything. I’ve had to battle that and remind myself to enjoy being at the track and be grateful, because this is what I love to do. It’s hard to see that when you’re in the middle of it, but racing your bike for a living is pretty special. I know some fans were criticising me for staying home, thinking I was just taking time off, but I did have a crash. I would have loved to be at the races. So it’s nice to be back, and once I get back to my normal self, I think it’s going to make me stronger.

Title hunt

Honestly, I’d say it’s tougher [not being in it]. I’ve been so used to being in the hunt that it keeps you motivated and sharp. Now, I’m just trying to get myself back to where I belong – back to winning and being where I know I can be. That still drives me, but I also don’t want to interfere with the guys in the championship like Kenny, Hunter, and Eli. I have to be smart and not overly aggressive. It’s tough not being in the championship battle, because sometimes you do lose a bit of motivation. You’re still racing for wins, but championships are what we train for and prepare for. Supercross hasn’t gone my way, but hopefully we can come into outdoors strong. It’s going to be a stacked field, and that’s honestly why I came back early – to get ready for outdoors. I know it’s going to be tough with strong competition, so I need to sharpen myself and get everything dialled before we get there.