Image: Octopi Media.

Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker said that his title run took a ‘big step forward’ in 2026, despite falling short of the 250SX East championship one round early in Philadelphia on Saturday night.

Hammaker – who was moments away from claiming the 250SX East crown last year in a dramatic finale – faced tough opposition from newly-crowned champion Cole Davies (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) this season.

A lone victory at Daytona, combined with a further five podium finishes, highlighted Hammaker’s consistency, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the relentless winning form of Davies this time around.

“I’m definitely a little bummed,” said Hammaker. “I had big title hopes, but I was up against a tough competitor, so credit to Cole [Davies] and his team. I feel like I took a big step forward this year, even if it doesn’t always show in the results.

“I’ve been riding well and staying consistent, but I just didn’t have everything fall into place the way I wanted. I actually felt pretty comfortable in the conditions tonight – I was trying to be loose with the bike and not try to fight where it wanted to go too much.

“I got off to a great start in the main event, but went down early and had to fight from way back. I was hurting pretty bad after I went down, but I’m happy to come away with another podium, especially here at home.”

Currently ranked second in the eastern divisional standings, Hammaker is tied with his career-best result of P2 overall from last year, holding a 20-point buffer over third-place Daxton Bennick (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) entering Salt Lake City’s 250SX Showdown.