With an all-new season of Monster Energy Supercross set for take-off this weekend inside Anaheim’s Angel Stadium, a range of intriguing storylines are upon us before the gates drop for the opening round of 2026 on Saturday. In this Top 10 feature, MotoOnline takes a look at the primary narratives to watch for come A1.

Image: Supplied.

1. Jett Lawrence’s early exit:
The shadow cast by Honda HRC Progressive’s Jett Lawrence is undoubtedly large, which means that when the ultra-talented Australian is not on the start line, an opportunity looms for the rest of the field. Not to discount the ability of the 450SX contenders – but this point requires acknowledging. A pre-season ankle and foot injury will keep the 22-year-old sidelined for much of – if not all – the Supercross series, which opens the door for many of the sport’s elite to earn a coveted premier class crown without having to face the number 18. The withdrawal itself is a devastating blow for Lawrence and the sport itself, especially given he missed much of last year’s championship due to an ACL injury sustained at Glendale’s fourth round. Tough times indeed, but smooth seas never built a skilled sailor – hopefully we see Lawrence back to his best in the very near future.

2. Deegan defends in 250SX West:
Haiden Deegan and the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing crew have decided to line the number one up in the western division this year, electing to defend the title he earned one year ago. After contesting select off-season races on the 450, the 19-year-old will embark on his final series as a 250 rider, before stepping up to the premier division for Pro Motocross. He’ll also be kitted out in Fox threads as opposed to the 250 team deal that is Thor, which is a pretty cool move given not a lot of the quarter-liter field get to negotiate their own gear deals. That’s because he has already signed with the 450 team, which has more to do with Yamaha and less to do with Star Racing. He’ll have competition, though, from teammate Max Anstie, as well as Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen, who appear as the front-runners regarding title challengers. A1 wasn’t great for Haiden last year, with an eventful fifth place putting him at a slight deficit that took him a few rounds to overcome.

3. Webb targets title number four:
With the removal of Lawrence, Webb steps up and takes the title favorite position, which he hasn’t held very often in his career. It’s strange, given his stats and pedigree, with a fourth 450SX championship putting him in an elite club that only Jeremy McGrath, Ricky Carmichael, Ryan Villopoto, and Ryan Dungey lay claim to. He’s also four wins from Dungey’s count (34), with numbers like those really solidifying him as one of the all-time greats, especially in the modern era. It’s also nice to list him as a favorite, as he’s usually played the underdog role, who is too often counted out of the conversation. No one knows how to balance a 17-round Supercross championship better than Webb, who has an innate ability to peak at the right time, rise to the occasion at the right time, and lift when and where necessary. If he’s close to the podium or even hovering around the top five at Anaheim 1, then it could be a long season for the rest of the competition.

Image: Supplied.

4. Color changes for key 450SX contenders:
There’ll be some recalibration required when the gates drop inside Angel Stadium on Saturday night, with a host of riders on different machinery for the 2026 season. We’ll see Chase Sexton on board a Monster Energy Kawasaki, Eli Tomac as part of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing outfit, and Jason Anderson aboard a Twisted Tea Suzuki. It’s forever an exciting part of our sport, seeing riders switch machines and colors, as well as all the gossip and drama that comes along with it. The talk stops when the lights go on this weekend, though, as we’re set to see how these new pairings actually fare in race trim. All three riders are former Monster Energy Supercross champions, which makes their moves and performances all the more exciting to watch as the 2026 SMX season unfolds. Did each rider and team make the right move? We’re set to find out!

5. 250SX West title challengers:
Briefly mentioned earlier, it’ll be intriguing to see who rises to the occasion to be a genuine championship threat in the 250SX West class. Deegan is a given by virtue of the number one plate, then there is Anstie – who was dominant during the early stages of 250SX East last year, as well as Kitchen, who has been right there in the picture for the previous two years. Given their history, those three seem like a safe bet to at least have the potential to walk away a champion. Then there is Kitchen’s teammate Cameron McAdoo, and Honda HRC Progressive’s Chance Hymas, as well as new Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing recruit Ryder DiFrancesco. The question is, where are they situated? And can they move into the legitimate title-contender range? We’ll see. The fact is that the West is loaded this year, which promises an exciting season of racing.

6. Ducati and Triumph debut in 450SX:
The moment is finally upon us to where we can see the Ducati Desmo450 MX in action on a Supercross track! What’s even cooler about the deal is that the iconic Italian brand has partnered with legendary Californian designer Troy Lee, who has a knack for making things look really, really good. We’ve got Justin Barcia and Dylan Ferrandis as the plenty capable combination for the machine, who are both legitimate top 10 riders, which means we’ll likely see a lot of the Ducati on track. Barcia does have the injury cloud over him after a pre-season collarbone break, but otherwise, it’s all systems go for the manufacturer to seriously enter the off-road competitive market and go racing in Monster Energy Supercross. In addition, Triumph Factory Racing will also make its debut in the 450 category, with the team’s 250SX East contender Austin Forkner lining up on a TF 450-X at Anaheim this weekend in place of team rider Jordon Smith, who continues to recover from shoulder surgery and is expected back by Arlington’s seventh round.

Image: Supplied.

7. Jorge Prado resets:
It’s exciting to think that a rider of Prado’s calibre will get a full reset as part of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing outfit, and hopefully, he’ll be comfortable enough in the updated surroundings to showcase his full potential. He’s already indicated his familiarity with the KTM, as well as having put together a far better off-season than last year, which saw him complete only 12 days of Supercross training. We hope that, for his sake, expectations can be tempered because he must get through this year unscathed, with a full SMX season under his belt – especially Supercross.

8. Newcomers to the 450SX division:
There are a few new riders who’ll line up in the 450SX division this weekend in Anaheim, with both RJ Hampshire (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) and Garrett Marchbanks (Monster Energy Kawasaki) spearheading the list. Both have made premier class starts indoors previously, having each been in 250SX last year – they’ll now make the move up for the entire season in 2026. RJ was a revelation on the big bike during the outdoors last year, and given that Garrett is one of the bigger riders, it’ll be interesting to see how he goes with the additional horsepower. Austin Forkner will also debut for Triumph, which marks a major milestone for the rider with 13 main event wins in the quarter-liter category.

9. Hunter Lawrence’s Supercross form:
After P2 overall finishes in the last two Monster Energy SMX World Championship post-seasons, as well as second overall in both the 2024 and 2025 Pro Motocross 450MX Championships, it’d be easy to think that Hunter Lawrence is a title contender in Supercross this year. The thing is, after just two seasons of racing in the premier division, it is Supercross alone that has slightly lagged behind what has otherwise been a stellar entry into the class. Ninth overall on debut was OK, however, a crash at Tampa’s fifth round last season took him out all the way until the summer began at Fox Raceway. What’s promising is that he did log three consecutive fifth-place finishes at rounds two to four last year, showing that he is in the mix, although we’re yet to see – based on pure data alone – where he is exactly situated indoors. If SMX and motocross are to tell us anything, though, it’s that he may just be a quiet title threat this year if he stays healthy.

10. Davies headlines the 250SX East:
There are certain benchmarks you look for when scouting future talent, and one of those is how quickly they graduate to being considered a title-favorite in the 250 class. Take Ricky Carmichael, James Stewart, or Ryan Villopoto as examples, who all won the 250SX championship in their second professional seasons – it can, in some sense, be a defining feature of greatness during the early stages of a career. Well, looking at this year’s Eastern regional entry list, it appears that 18-year-old Cole Davies is the alpha male in the class, after having finished third overall in the 2025 250SX West title chase. Right there with him, however, is class veteran Seth Hammaker (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki), as well as Star Racing Yamaha teammates Pierce Brown and Nate Thrasher. Daxton Bennick will also debut his Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing colors, which sets up an interesting showdown once the championship heads east for the seventh round in Arlington.