Anaheim’s Angel Stadium welcomed the field back for the third stop of the season, delivering another action-packed night as the 450SX and 250SX West contenders went head-to-head under the lights. We’ve gathered the direct takes from riders for this Reaction feature from round three of the 2026 Monster Energy Supercross Championship.

450SX

Image: Octopi Media.

Eli Tomac (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – Third:
I felt like I was in offense and defense mode the whole time during that main event – it was very busy! I was happy to claim a podium spot tonight, but also, there are a couple of things I think back to that maybe I could have done differently to try and stay in front of Hunter [Lawrence], but that’s all should have, would have, could have at this point. This race had a bit of everything, but everyone is hauling the mail, and the pace was super-fast. It’s good to finish with a podium here – if you had told me at the beginning of the series that I’d go 1-1-3, that’s an awesome start, so I’m proud of the team.

Jorge Prado (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – 13th:
Anaheim 2 was a positive night – I am very happy with my performance. Winning the heat race was good, and then I got cut off at the start of the main event, and I had to work through the pack from there. I came back to P7 and was very close to the top-five, so I like the rhythm I had, and the improvements that we made during the week, especially in my ability to come through the field. I’m also very happy with my bike, I think today was the best the bike has felt across the three rounds. There is still much to learn, although I think we are in a very good place right now, and I just can’t wait for the next rounds – the team is doing a great job!

Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – DNF:
I actually felt pretty good today, coming off having the flu for a couple of weeks. I was feeling it in my heat race and was closing in on Jorge with a lap to go when I hit something and was sent flying off the face of the jump, so I hit the ground really hard. I banged myself up real good. I was able to get up and cross the line in eighth, so I qualified for the main without having to race the LCQ, which was a positive. I did my best in the main event and was good on opening laps, but honestly, my body really started to feel it midway into the race, and I just had to salvage what spots I could. I will regroup this week, get a bunch of therapy on my body, and hopefully have a better race in Houston next weekend.

Hunter Lawrence (Honda HRC Progressive) – Second:
It was a good day, the battle with Eli [Tomac] was cool! I was behind Chase [Sexton] and Jason [Anderson], and I know that the first 10 minutes of these races are always such a super-intense, high pace, so I was just trying to stay in the hunt. I know I have the legs to go the distance, so I was just trying to give myself the best shot, stay in it in the beginning and move forward. I believed that I could get there, I knew I had some good lines and was feeling good. I was trying to up the intensity towards the closing stage, and I looked up and there was like six minutes left, I was like, ‘Alright, let’s empty the tank.’ I would’ve liked to see how the last two laps unfolded had there not been traffic with the two lapped riders. It’s been my best start of the season for Supercross, which is what I wanted to do. We’ve still got so many races to go. It’s been some really good racing.

Cooper Webb (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Fifth:
It’s been hell to be honest, but it’s part of the sport. You do everything right, and sometimes you get your teeth kicked in. So, yeah, it was an unfortunate start to the season results-wise, but I think there was a lot to be proud of with my riding tonight.I felt really good all day and had a good heat race finally. Then in the main event, I collided with Hunter [Lawrence] and [Jorge] Prado off the start, which was a bummer. I was pretty buried, but made some passes and got closer to the front. I had a gap to the leaders and was able to catch up to them. I felt like it was time to try to get around Eli and potentially go for Hunter. The next thing you know, I’m flying over the berms. It was a bummer to crash like that when I felt like I had a podium or, at least, the speed to potentially win tonight, but I can’t be too mad at myself. In this sport, nothing’s over until it’s over. We’ll be back next week, that’s for sure. We’ll be hungry to come out to H-town and turn it around.

Justin Cooper (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Sixth:
The results were not great, but we made some improvements in areas that I was struggling with before. So we’re taking the positives away from it and not focusing on the results on paper. We’re just going to keep working, and it’ll come.

Chase Sexton (Monster Energy Kawasaki) – First:
I finally had a feeling on the bike that I’ve been looking for, really since I got on it, and I felt freed up to push the pace. Even from press day, I just felt normal again and I feel like I could ride how I wanted. Obviously, my speed was good, but I wanted to win so bad that I was over-riding it a bit. Honestly for the main event, I told myself I was going to go out there, ride a good pace, get to a flow and see what happens. I knew my speed was good enough to be able to ride not at 100 percent and still win, so it was good. It was a tricky track, and when I got out front I just logged my laps, read the pit board, and just rode her in to take the win. This win really means a lot both to me and the team, so it’s extra special to get it done for them.

Garrett Marchbanks (Monster Energy Kawasaki) – 14th:
I had a lot of confidence coming into the weekend. I felt comfortable on the bike right away and was able to build throughout the day. The goal was to stay patient and keep building, and that’s what we did. I’m just happy to be back on the bike and feeling like myself again.

Dylan Ferrandis (Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati Factory Racing) – 11th:
That’s a wrap for A2. It was a little disappointing because we’ve been working so hard lately and I felt good today. I had the speed, the bike is awesome, but the result on paper is not good. At the start, I decided to play it safe by choosing better ruts over a better position. I had a good start, but I was so far outside and got blocked in the first turn. I was pretty far back and did everything I could to come back and gave a big fight. We need better starts for sure, but we figured out a lot today. I think now we have a good base for the rest of the season. Honestly, I feel awesome, my body feels good, the bike feels good, and my speed in the whoops was back this weekend. With a better start, we can fight up front for sure.

Malcolm Stewart (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) – 12th:
I was feeling so-so at A2. We finished just outside the top-10, but we were well in the fight during the race – that group I was in was battling hard! It’s a lot to ask for in the position that I am in, but all I can do is continue to keep building. I got off to a great start and put myself in the best position to hang in there, but the reality is that we’re dealing with an injury, and we hung in there as long as we could. Mentally, I’m walking away with my head high, because it was good to race those guys and we’ll continue to build from here.

RJ Hampshire (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) – Ninth:
A2 was a massive step forward. I had my best qualifying in P3. The team has been working really hard to get me comfortable, and I think we have found something now, which we just need to keep getting familiar with. My starts were great today – both of them – my heat race wasn’t an ideal finish after holeshotting, but I wasn’t too down about that, because running up front is a big learning curve for me right now. I know I can get there, it’s just about stacking these performances up, and a top-10 at Anaheim 2 is a good place to build from.

Ken Roczen (Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki) – Eighth:
Anaheim 2 was not quite the night that we wanted. My starts just weren’t there, and I made a big mistake on lap two and went down. We charged from 21st to eighth and left it all out on the track. That was as far up as I could [reach]. Luckily, I didn’t lose too many points, so on that side of things it’s all good. I’m pumped on the effort we all put in, and sometimes that’s just the way it goes. So, we’re going to try again in Houston.

Jason Anderson (Twisted Tea Suzuki) – Fourth:
The weekend here at Anaheim 2 went pretty well. Practice was mediocre, I qualified ninth overall. In my heat race I was able to get a third, and then in the main event I [grabbed] a good start and was able to get fourth. So, we’re trending upwards but obviously we want to be on the podium.

Colt Nichols (Twisted Tea Suzuki) – 16th:
It was a rough day, I’m a little under the weather and just had to figure it out and push through. It was just a struggle, I was a little off all day, the mental clarity wasn’t quite there, but I survived and did as best as I could with what I had today. We’ve got a lot of work to do to try to get out of the gate – we need to snowball my day a little bit better, starting with qualifying, and just give myself a better chance. If we do that, we’ll be okay. The speed’s good, the bike is good, I just have to give myself a chance, so we’ll try again next weekend.

Austin Forkner (Triumph Racing) – 17th:
This was my best qualification on the TF 450-X, for sure, but I was taken out early in the 450SX main event. It was not bad, just one of those first lap incidents in all of the shuffling around. I climbed back to 17th. My riding was decent, but I rode by myself for six or seven laps. If I could have caught the pack quicker, then that would have helped. We made more positive steps with the bike today! All in all, it was a nice step forward.

250SX

Image: Octopi Media.

Haiden Deegan (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – First:
It was another perfect day – P1 in qualifying, P1 in the heat race, and then P1 in the main. The main event wasn’t an easy race. We had to push all the way until the very end, and we were able to put our hard work and fitness to use. I was able to capitalize on some of Mosi’s [Mosiman] mistakes, but he was riding great. That was definitely a challenge. That’s two in a row. I’m ready to keep on swinging.

Max Anstie (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Sixth:
It was a rough night. In the main event, I got shuffled back on the start. My starts have been solid all season, but that one, I just caught an edge coming out of the gate and ended up getting squeezed. Then a few guys went down in the first turn, so it pushed me back a little bit. Everything was okay after that. I was feeling fine, and then I made one mistake in the rhythm lane – I actually caught my rear brake going up the face of a triple and nearly went over the bars. It was a hectic race. I regrouped and made it back to sixth, but yeah, it’s disappointing. I obviously would’ve liked to have been on the box, but we will take it and move on to next week in Houston.

Michael Mosiman (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Second:
Anaheim 2 was awesome. We had press the other day, and I did some whips, and immediately started feeling good. I think having a couple of good results under my belt from the early rounds and knowing my capabilities, I felt at peace all day. That allowed me to ride free and clearheaded, not forcing anything, and just taking what was there. Tonight, that was a second. I got a great start in the main, which I was really happy with. That’s really what led to the great riding. So yeah, I’m stoked and going to keep the momentum rolling.

Levi Kitchen (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – DNF:
It was a little bit of a frustrating day. The speed is there, and I feel good on the bike, but a few small things kept setting me back. The crash in the heat race was unfortunate, and then in the main I slid out and my arm got hit in the mix. It didn’t feel great after that, so I pulled off, which was a bummer. The main thing is staying healthy so I can come back and fight in Houston.

Cameron McAdoo (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – Fourth:
Overall, it was a solid night. I felt good on the bike all day and put myself in a position to fight for the podium. The start was solid, and I was able to run up front and battle in the top three for most of the race. I made a small mistake late in the main that cost me that podium spot, but fourth is still something we can build on. The speed is there, the confidence is growing, and we’re heading in the right direction. I’m excited to keep this momentum rolling into Houston.

Ryder DiFrancesco (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) – Third:
I’m really happy with my A2 result and how I charged through the main event. I started around eighth and worked my way up to third place, which is a confidence-booster in being able to climb from the mid-field. I found some good lines tonight while I was coming through the pack and I knew that if I could be there toward the end of the race – and nail the three, three, after the whoops – that I could get close and make a pass for the podium. I’m glad that I proved to myself that I can start mid-pack and still land on the box, and now I’m ready for the Triple Crown next weekend!