The first round of the Monster Energy Supercross Championship at Anaheim 1 is traditionally one of the more unpredictable ones, with the 2026 edition producing a range of storylines exiting the season-opener. MotoOnline answers some of the primary questions from an intense night of competition in this Q&A feature.

Image: Octopi Media.

Q: Was that one of Eli Tomac’s finest wins ever?

A: For sure, it was. He was really, really good. A lot of questions surrounded his Red Bull KTM move for 2026, whether Eli and the Austrian machine would be a good match, and whether or not time had passed him by. The questions were effectively put to bed after he delivered a convincing 450SX victory in Anaheim, which marked the 54th of his career. Given the uncertainty leading in, this has to be one of his sweetest victories to date. One interesting note from the pre-race press conference was that he had moved away from an insistence on running the scoop tire after a challenging outing at Australia’s World Supercross round last year. It turns out that tire doesn’t work so well on a hard-packed surface! Consequently, everything looked good between Eli and the KTM, with this move as well as how the season progresses set to be very interesting. The ingredients appear to be there for the Colorado icon to chase a third 450SX title this year.

Q: What happened in Chase Sexton’s Monster Energy Kawasaki debut?

A: This was another question and oddly enough, Chase, Monster Energy Kawasaki, Red Bull KTM, and Jorge Prado share a link. It’s no secret that the relationship between KTM and Chase reached a boiling point at the end of last year, as did Prado and Kawasaki’s. Which led to a swap in a way, with each rider not thrilled with their environment to conclude the 2025 season. Well, taking A1 as a gauge, the Jorge and KTM combination yielded an unbelievable result – the Spaniard claiming a convincing P3 performance after having been fast all day long. And then for Chase, he qualified fastest in 450SX – which is far from a shock – only to have some oddball moments occur in both his heat race and the main event. The 2023 450SX champion has, in the past, attempted to deflect a fair share of his mishaps as something askew with the bike, but this line of thought is becoming tiring – especially as this is his third manufacturer in the premier category. The question is, can the 26-year-old overcome those lapses in concentration that cost him so dearly? And does Monster Energy Kawasaki hold the keys for this turnaround? Time will tell.

Q: Does Haiden Deegan’s P4 finish tell us anything about his 2026 title defence?

A: No, it doesn’t tell us a great deal. The reigning 250SX West number one was ultra-fast at the opener, with P2 in qualifying followed by a dominant heat race victory. All the main event result came down to was a poor start, with Haiden clawing his way through the field as the race progressed, landing directly on the rear wheel of podium-finisher Ryder DiFrancesco, but unable to execute a move. Deegan finished fifth at A1 last year and earned his first win of the season in the third round at A2. As is always said, you can’t win the title at the first race, but you certainly can lose it, and Deegan minimized the damage at Angel Stadium to remain within striking distance of a second indoor title in 2026. One note is that he is going to need to be mindful of Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing teammate, Max Anstie. The 32-year-old’s maturity is beyond that of Haiden’s regular competitors, meaning his mind games may not work in this championship.

Image: Octopi Media.

Q: Are there new 250SX challengers leaving Anaheim?

A: Yes and no. Anstie was leading last year’s eastern divisional 250SX series before an untimely crash in Birmingham drew an early end to his season, so he’s not exactly a new challenger, and Levi Kitchen has long been considered in this conversation, too. They’re already aligned with Deegan as those expected to contend. The emerging riders seem to be Chance Hymas (Honda HRC Progressive) and DiFrancesco (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna), who filled the two podium placements behind Anstie on Saturday. An interesting observation is that it was Hymas’ second career 250SX podium. At the same time, Ryder D earned a first career podium in the category, which leaves us wondering whether they have taken the next step in their young careers or if A1 was just a strong night for the pair. That’s what will be intriguing to watch as this series develops – and if each rider can favor solid, consistent results, then there is no reason why they can’t be in contention until the very end. We’ve seen how these championships shake out, and often the victor is the one who combines speed with good old-fashioned consistency.

Q: Is Cooper Webb’s P7 a cause for any concern?

A: Not really. P7 wasn’t indicative of the reigning 450SX champion’s speed at the season-opener, who had pulled a couple of bike lengths lead after the first main event gate drop before the restart. Had that race continued, then we could very easily be talking about a Cooper Webb Anaheim win right now, but that’s not the way things go sometimes and he was in the fight, regardless. Seventh place – and the 10-point deficit it creates – isn’t ideal, although there are still 16 rounds to run in this year’s series. Cooper revealed that he has remained on the 2025 YZ450F platform as both he and the team prioritized comfort and familiarity for Supercross, which is a bold move for all involved, given Webb is effectively a marketing tool to promote sales of the newer model. At the end of the day, a blue bike with the possibility of winning another title is a strong outcome for the brand, which Webb and Yamaha are for sure capable of this season.

Q: How would you compare Ducati and Triumph’s first 450SX starts?

A: Both debuts were pretty good, to be fair! Obviously, Ducati’s night was dampened by Justin Barcia’s major incident toward the start of the 450SX main event, but thankfully, it appears he’ll make a full recovery. Seeing both the Desmo450 MXs up front in the opening heat race was promising, with Barcia and Dylan Ferrandis claiming positions three and four in that one. And then for Dylan in the main event, he was really solid up until around the halfway mark, where his early-race speed started to unravel a touch. In fact, during the initial stages, he appeared to have the pace advantage over Hunter Lawrence (Honda HRC Progressive), but again, the last 10 minutes weren’t as strong as the opening stages. For Triumph Factory Racing’s Austin Forkner, he powered the TF 450-X to P15, as both rider and bike made their premier class debuts. It’s a significant moment for the sport, having these two storied manufacturers enter the sport and it speaks to the overall health of Supercross in 2026.

Image: Octopi Media.

Q: Was there anyone who was particularly disappointing at the opener?

A: Individual riders who had tough nights were RJ Hampshire and Aaron Plessinger in 450SX, while Cameron McAdoo scored a disappointing P22 position in the 250 division. Hampshire’s 18th-place came from what was a rollercoaster of an evening for the Floridian, with a hard hit through the whoop section sending him into the mechanics area for repairs, which is never a good sign. AP, meanwhile, was another victim of circumstance. First, he was punted out of the heat race lead by Cooper Webb, which sent him to the LCQ, before he climbed to third place after the first main event gate drop. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on his side for the restart, with Plessinger at the rear of the field after being forced off-track at turn one. He rallied to P10, although the result isn’t reflective of what was possible for the number seven. For McAdoo (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki), the anvil of bad luck again fell on him, as he was cross-jumped by Deegan during the mid-stages of the main, which made a mess of his season-opener. It’s unfortunate, although this is the seventh season as part of the Mitch Payton-led team, and if a title is the desired destination, this was not a good start.

Q: What are the primary storylines entering San Diego?

A: So all of the above really sets the stage leading into Snapdragon Stadium this weekend. As is usually the case, more storylines can emerge once the first round is in the books, as we want what happened at A1 to either be validated or proven as an anomaly. In truth, things don’t really settle down until around the fifth round – at least – although still, San Diego is going to be an important stop for many of the sport’s contenders. Sexton and Webb will need a rebound, because while one race in positions out of the top-five is okay, if it’s doubled up, then that can create an early-season points hole that should be avoided. Was Tomac and Prado’s debut on the KTM luck, or is this a legitimate pairing that will contend all season long? Then, for Deegan, he’ll also need a little more performance for round two, and not let Anstie get too comfortable in this 250SX West championship. The Englishman is a dangerous antagonist in Deegan’s title-defense hopes, so Haiden is going to need to bring a halt to his confidence. The hype is alive entering round two this weekend, with plenty to watch out for already.