Three rounds remain in the 2026 Monster Energy Supercross Championship, with a single point separating Hunter Lawrence and Ken Roczen atop the 450SX standings, while the 250SX East division also remains unresolved. It has been a highly entertaining season so far, with MotoOnline answering a series of topical questions in this edition of Q&A.

Image: Octopi Media.

Q: Flip a coin! Ken Roczen or Hunter Lawrence for this 450SX crown?

A: It is indeed a flip of the coin! These two – with the inclusion of Red Bull KTM’s Eli Tomac until his Cleveland non-finish – have yo-yoed throughout the 2026 series, which points to just how difficult it is to manage 17 rounds of racing. There is always an overarching theme that emerges each season – in 2025, it was Cooper Webb’s in-it-to-win-it approach – whereas this year, it appears to be all about strategically managing your races, and understanding when momentum is, and is not, on your side. For instance, Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence caught fire between Arlington and Birmingham, posting 1-2-1-1 scores and increasing his lead to nine points over Tomac, and 31 over Roczen (Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki). Then it was Roczen’s turn to catch fire, with the German recording 1-1-3-1 results from Detroit to Cleveland, which sees the pair separated by a single point entering Philadelphia this weekend. It has set up one of the most intriguing showdowns in recent years, as each rider targets a first 450SX title.

Q: Is the west coast definitely the best coast in 250SX this year?

A: Well, Haiden Deegan (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) has been the standout 250SX rider this year, and he happens to be on the west coast. At the last Showdown in St. Louis, six of the top 10 came from the east, with the remaining four from the west, suggesting the eastern division does carry depth and competitiveness. The problem, again, is Deegan, who has utterly dominated this year’s western regional series, wrapping up his second title with two rounds to spare after claiming six of a possible eight wins, and if not for a one-position penalty in Birmingham, he would be seven from eight. So the answer is that Dangerboy has been a step above every other 250SX rider in 2026, with his Supercross skills clearly refined throughout the pre-season. The 20-year-old looks ready for the premier class, and his arrival would not be to simply take part – it would be to chase more number one plates for the trophy cabinet, and the 450SX field should be on notice.

Image: Octopi Media.

Q: Does Eli Tomac go around again in 2027?

A: This is a tough one, because if we go back to January, the entire sport was singing the praises of two-time 450SX champion Tomac as it was his turn to deliver back-to-back victories at A1 and San Diego, while further P1 finishes at Seattle and Daytona had him firmly in the championship battle. He now sits clear in second on the all-time 450SX wins list with 57 victories, 15 shy of Jeremy McGrath’s record of 72, with murmurs at the time suggesting that mark may even be within reach. Anyway, much of this depends on where Tomac and KTM are positioned on their respective timelines for 2027 and beyond, with the Austrian manufacturer needing to weigh how it balances the present – which is Tomac – against the future, likely centred around the ultra-talented Lucas and Sacha Coenen, while also having Jorge Prado, Aaron Plessinger and Julien Beaumer to consider. That leaves an air of uncertainty, given the 33-year-old was only on a one-year deal for 2026, and you can be sure KTM would not want to jeopardize retaining either Coenen brother by failing to facilitate their ambitions of competing in America. There are more questions than answers at this stage, so ultimately, we will have to wait and see. The more immediate point is whether he is on track in Philly this weekend!

Q: Has Justin Cooper established himself as the best of the rest?

A: JCoop is an underrated player in this game, with the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider featuring at the front regularly, although he still seems to be battling for recognition among the division’s top-tier names. He has undoubtedly delivered across the past two seasons and currently sits fifth in the 450SX standings with three podium finishes to his credit, in addition to a further five top-five results. He does occupy a form of no man’s land, however, with 233 points to his name, while Tomac is a further 22 up the road, and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Chase Sexton sits 53 markers behind. One thing about Cooper is that he does not seem to create much drama – he is widely respected on track – and steadily, he is establishing himself as one of the division’s genuine front-runners. So yes, he is the best of the rest and is on the verge of moving even higher.

Image: Octopi Media.

Q: What can we take from Cooper Webb’s tough title defense?

A: Strangely, Cooper Webb has been a touch un-Cooper Webb-like in 2026. Both he and Roczen were facing much the same deficit exiting Birmingham, with Roczen responding the following week in Detroit by delivering P1 and capitalizing on Hunter Lawrence’s 18th-place result. That same round, Webb was on the rear wheel of the number 94 during the early stages, before an ill-timed pass attempt on Prado (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) left the pair on the ground. He described it as a bonehead move, and really, there was little need for it with so much racing remaining. Webb recorded P6 that night, when second place looked the minimum outcome. With the number of points both Tomac and Lawrence have conceded through the middle and latter stages of the season, the defending champion would ordinarily be right back in the fight – as Roczen is – but that simply has not been the case. So perhaps it can be put down to impatience? Again, the season has not followed Webb’s usual arc, although he remains in the mix at 22 points down and is not someone to count out until it is truly over.

Q: Can Chase Sexton build further heading into Pro Motocross?

A: If you are both Sexton and Monster Energy Kawasaki, you would hope so. The 26-year-old has often appeared sensitive to bike set-up regardless of where he has raced, and now it seems he has landed at a team – and on a platform – where that genuinely may be a factor. Consider how much better Prado has looked at KTM compared to his struggles on the KX450SR, while Jason Anderson is the only rider in recent memory to have consistently delivered top-tier results at Kawasaki, with much of that success coming in 2022. You have to look back to the Tomac era at Team Green for genuine multi-year title contention, with both Sexton and Kawasaki eager to snap that streak and return to the forefront of the division, as both Tomac and Ryan Villopoto once did. So can Sexton continue to build into Pro Motocross? Sure, but perhaps it is more of a project than the former 450MX and 450SX champion anticipated, given it has been some time since Kawasaki has legitimately challenged the likes of KTM, Yamaha, and Honda at the very front on a consistent basis.