With the opening round of the 2026 Pro Motocross Championship set to commence this Saturday at Fox Raceway, a range of intriguing storylines are emerging ahead of gates dropping on the new outdoor season. In this Top 10 feature, MotoOnline takes a look at the primary narratives to watch entering round one.

Image: Octopi Media.

1. Defending 450MX champion Jett Lawrence returns:
Sitting atop this list is, of course, the return of defending 450MX champion Jett Lawrence. The 22-year-old has been sidelined for the past five months following an injury sustained in December, and will make his highly anticipated return at Fox Raceway this Saturday. Lawrence holds a perfect eight-from-eight overall record at the venue, while also having won 24 of the 27 450MX rounds contested throughout his career. The statistics are difficult to argue against, with every chance the Honda HRC Progressive rider adds significantly to that tally this summer.

2. Haiden Deegan makes 450MX debut:
It’s undeniable that Haiden Deegan was a dominant force in the 250 division, assuming that mantle following the graduation of both Lawrence brothers to the premier class. Now, the spotlight shifts to Pala for round one of 2026, where the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider steps into 450MX competition carrying significant expectations – many of which have been created through his own commentary. Deegan has consistently shown that he embraces pressure, and that approach has largely proven successful throughout his 250 career. Whether it translates immediately against the sport’s elite in 450MX remains to be seen, although one thing is certain: wherever Deegan lines up, entertainment is rarely far behind.

3. Monster Energy Kawasaki and Chase Sexton:
The 2026 Monster Energy Supercross season didn’t unfold as expected for Chase Sexton and Monster Energy Kawasaki, with the pairing struggling to fully gel with the KX450SR package throughout the series. What will be intriguing entering the outdoor season, however, is the complete reset that comes with Pro Motocross and a fresh 11-round campaign. Whether additional performance can be unlocked outdoors remains to be seen, although Sexton’s credentials in Pro Motocross are already well established, highlighted by his 2024 450MX championship success.

4. Cole Davies looks to convert Supercross success:
Cole Davies has been a revelation in Supercross across the past two seasons, although there remains limited Pro Motocross form to assess entering the summer. His current outdoor moto results stand at 23-23-1-17, with last year’s opening moto at Budds Creek showing genuine promise. The 18-year-old New Zealander has the potential to emerge as a legitimate 250MX title contender by season’s end, although there’s also the possibility that his strengths lean more heavily toward Supercross. Whether Davies can consistently transfer that form outdoors is one of the more intriguing storylines entering 2026, and by around the third round, we should have a much clearer indication.

Image: Octopi Media.

5. Early-season form needed in Jo Shimoda’s title challenge:
Jo Shimoda has finished runner-up in 250MX twice (2022, 2025), alongside a third-place result in 2023, although the Honda HRC Progressive rider has so far struggled to piece together all 22 motos across a full campaign. Last season began strongly with a 2-2-2-2 moto scorecard across the opening two rounds, however, P6 overall finishes at Thunder Valley and High Point proved costly despite later victories at RedBud, Washougal, and Unadilla. Those mid-season gains ultimately weren’t enough to reel in champion Haiden Deegan. With Deegan now out of the category, the opportunity is there for Shimoda to take control, although tightening up the opening phase of the season and limiting early points losses will be critical to his championship hopes.

6. Eli Tomac targets fifth 450MX championship in 2026:
Nearly nine years ago, Eli Tomac captured the first of his four Pro Motocross premier class titles, later adding back-to-back crowns in 2018 and 2019 before edging out Chase Sexton in a season-long battle during 2022. Tomac managed just two moto victories last summer amid the dominance of Jett Lawrence, meaning both he and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing will be aiming to unlock further performance from the 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION if they are to contend for the 2026 championship, which would mark a fifth premier class outdoor title for the veteran.

7. 450MX title contention for Jorge Prado and Hunter Lawrence:
Both Jorge Prado (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Hunter Lawrence (Honda HRC Progressive) enter the season as genuine championship contenders, and each could present a serious challenge to the benchmark set by Jett. Four-time world champion Prado appears significantly improved aboard the KTM package, with his outdoor credentials already firmly established, while Hunter arrives following a heartbreaking loss in the 450SX title fight. Had he secured the championship, perhaps a natural comedown may have followed, although falling short by the narrowest of margins likely leaves the Australian even more motivated to chase a number one plate outdoors.

8. RJ Hampshire and Aaron Plessinger return adds 450MX depth:
Both RJ Hampshire and Aaron Plessinger return to Pro Motocross this summer, adding further depth to an already stacked 450MX category. Both riders are also competing for future opportunities, particularly Hampshire, with the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing program set to conclude at the end of 2026. As a result, each enters the season with additional motivation, and both are expected to feature heavily inside the top 10, which will be an area of the field that shapes as one of the most fiercely contested throughout the summer.

Image: Octopi Media.

9. Ducati makes Pro Motocross debut:
The 2026 season will also mark the Pro Motocross debut of the Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati Factory Racing program, led by former 450MX champion Dylan Ferrandis alongside Justin Barcia. We’ve already seen the factory Desmo450 MX in Supercross competition, although the outdoor season will provide a clearer picture of the platform’s development across the wide range of conditions and terrain that Pro Motocross presents. Ducati’s MXGP campaign has proven challenging so far in 2026, so the manufacturer will be hoping the American outdoor series delivers a stronger outcome.

10. Looking to break Pro Circuit drought:
It’s been since Adam Cianciarulo secured the 250MX crown in 2019 that Mitch Payton’s Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki team has claimed an outdoor championship, while the drought in Monster Energy Supercross has stretched even longer for the once-dominant program. In a category largely controlled in recent years by Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing and Honda HRC Progressive, the pressure is building for Pro Circuit to return to championship-winning form, with much of that responsibility now falling on Levi Kitchen and Seth Hammaker in 2026. Kitchen finished third overall in 2024 and fourth in 2025, while Hammaker was ranked seventh last season, meaning both riders will likely need another step in outright pace if they are to emerge as genuine title contenders. Still, with the Lawrence brothers and Haiden Deegan now out of the category, the opportunity is there for a new rider to rise to the top – and perhaps that’s exactly the opening Kitchen and Hammaker needed.