Hunter Lawrence Prevails with Indianapolis Triple Crown Victory to Extend Championship Lead Inside Lucas Oil Stadium

Cole Davies Breaks Through for Dominant First 250SMX Class Win of Season

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – March 8, 2026 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – Just seven days after racing in one of the world’s most storied motorsports venues, the Monster Energy SMX World Championship traveled to the most famous racing city on the planet as a huge crowd gathered inside Lucas Oil Stadium for the ninth race of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship. The second Triple Crown event of the 2026 season produced another captivating night of racing as 450SMX Class points leader and Honda HRC Progressive rider Hunter Lawrence emerged with his second win of the year via tiebreaker over championship rival Eli Tomac, which allowed Lawrence to add to his slim lead in the championship.

A massive crowd gathered inside Lucas Oil Stadium as Monster Energy Supercross made its annual visit to the motorsports epicenter of Indianapolis for the second Triple Crown race of the season.

The first 12 Minute + 1 Lap premier class race of the evening featured an impressive performance by Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen, who charged his way to the front early and cemented control to take a pressure-free win by 5.4 seconds. The battle behind him was anything but calm, as several of the championship’s key players duked it out for a spot on the podium. In the end, Lawrence came away with second, followed by Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tomac, who overcame a start outside the top 10. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb finished fourth after running most of the race in second, while teammate Justin Cooper rounded out the top five.

The intensity picked up in Race 2 and it ultimately ended Roczen’s chances at victory when he mistimed a rhythm section on the opening lap and landed on Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Aaron Plessinger, which took Plessinger out of the race and dropped Roczen to the tail end of the field. Out front, it looked to be Tomac’s win for the taking after an early pass for first around early leader Cooper, but the Yamaha rider recollected himself, found a rhythm, and closed back in. Cooper pulled the trigger on a pass to reclaim the lead from Tomac and carried on to win by 3.5 seconds over his KTM counterpart. Webb followed with an uneventful third place, while Lawrence suffered a costly incident with lapped riders that dropped him from third to fourth.

The third and final race of the night saw Lawrence and Tomac seize the moment to put themselves out front early. The deteriorating racetrack made track position a priority and Lawrence’s holeshot allowed him to settle into the lead by about a second over Tomac. As the race wore on, Lawrence slowly added to his advantage over Tomac, and it continued to grow as lapped riders factored into the race. Behind them, Roczen settled into third, while the Yamaha teammates of Webb and Cooper battled it out for fourth. Lawrence was never challenged when it mattered most and put together a wire-to-wire effort to end the night on top by a margin of 5.5 seconds over Tomac. Roczen bounced back from his difficult second race in third, while Webb kept Cooper at bay for fourth.

Lawrence picked an opportune time to have his best race of the night as it carried him to the overall victory. The Australian and Tomac ended the night tied in points, with seven apiece, but Lawrence’s 2-4-1 effort bettered Tomac’s 3-2-2 performance by virtue of Lawrence’s better result in the Race 3 tiebreaker. It was Lawrence’s second win of the second and the second of his career. Webb and Cooper ended the night tied for third overall at 11 points each, with the edge going to Webb’s 4-3-4 effort over Cooper’s 5-1-5 finishes.

The biggest win of the season thus far for Lawrence allowed him to extend his lead in the title fight to four points over Tomac heading into the lone off weekend of the 17-race championship. Webb sits third, 25 points out of the lead.

The Race 3 triumph by Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence vaulted him to the Triple Crown victory for the points leader’s second win of the season.

Hunter Lawrence – 1st Place – 450SMX Class

“This win means a lot. This is my fifth day riding in-a-row this week testing with the team. Those guys will never give up, nor will I. This is the ultimate thank you for going through the ringer this week, riding five days in-a-row, and coming out and performing [tonight]. This is cool. It’s a Triple Crown, so it’s a tough one.”

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac narrowly missed out on the overall win but remains well within striking distance in the title fight.

Eli Tomac – 2nd Place – 450SMX Class

“I made one mistake [in the final race] and Hunter [Lawrence] pulled out a second or two. I just wasn’t able to bring that back. I had a sketchy moment in the whoops and feel like I lost the race there. I started jumping but got a little squirrely and then started skimming again at the end and it was better. I don’t know, I’m glad to get out of here [with a good finish]. It’s just a tough night of racing here with the Triple Crown and this soil.”

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb finished third overall
after a quiet and consistent night.

Cooper Webb – 3rd Place – 450SMX Class

“Overall, it was kind of a plateau night for me across the board. I’m bummed because I felt great yesterday and today, so I’m pretty bummed with those results, if I’m being honest. I felt like I could come in and compete tonight, but those two ahead of me were on another level. We’ve got work to do and will try to get better. We’ll keep our head down. There’s a lot of racing left and anything can happen.”

450SMX Class Overall Podium (left to right)
Eli Tomac, Hunter Lawrence, and Cooper Webb

The annual visit to Indy not only served as the third race of the Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class Championship, but it also signified the division’s first Triple Crown action of the season. The first of three 10 Minute + 1 Lap races proved to be the beginning of an overdue breakthrough for Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies, who came into the season as the title favorite. The young New Zealander was in complete control during Race 1 and took the win by two seconds over Honda HRC Progressive’s Jo Shimoda, with Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker in third. However, the most notable outcome of the race was a 10th-place finish by Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Pierce Brown, as the entering points leader faced adversity off the start and was forced to fight back from a last-place start.

Davies had his work cut out for him in Race 2, when he and Shimoda duked it out as both riders looked for a way past Triumph Factory Racing’s Jalek Swoll, the early leader. Davies and Shimoda traded positions several times, but Davies got the upper hand, made his way past Swoll, and carried on to victory. Shimoda followed into second and gave chase late but crossed the finish line 2.2 seconds behind Davies. Brown rebounded from his challenging first race in third. Hammaker was the rider who faced the most adversity in the second race, as an early crash put him deep in the field and resulted in a ninth-place finish.

The third and deciding race once again saw Davies lock in as he secured another good start and methodically worked his way to the front where he closed in on Swoll for the race lead for the second time. Davies made the pass and then sprinted away from the field. As Swoll settled into second, Shimoda was in an extended battle with ClubMX Yamaha’s Devin Simonson for third. Shimoda made the pass and then tracked down Swoll to take second just before time ran out on the race clock and brought Hammaker along with him into third. Hammaker then went on the attack on the final lap, as both he and Shimoda closed in on Davies and reduced the deficit to just over a second. Hammaker made the pass on Shimoda, who briefly went off track, while Davies completed the Triple Crown sweep by a margin of just eight tenths over Hammaker. Shimoda settled for third, while Brown followed in fourth ahead of Swoll.

Davies’ first-ever 1-1-1 effort in a Triple Crown put him atop the podium for the first time this season and the third time in his young career. Shimoda earned his second runner-up finish of the season with seven points following 2-2-3 scores, while Hammaker overcame his troubles in the second race to grab a podium result in third with 14 points on 3-9-2 finishes. Brown missed the podium for the first time this season in fifth with 17 points following 10-3-4 finishes.

The early title fight has tightened up dramatically as four riders now sit within two points of one another. Davies has grabbed hold of the points lead by a single point over Hammaker, while Brown and Shimoda sit tied for third, two points out of the lead. What lies ahead is the first East/West Showdown of the 2026 season, which is poised to dramatically alter what has been a close battle in the Eastern Division thus far.

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies dominated the first Eastern Divisional Triple Crown with a 1-1-1 sweep.

Cole Davies – 1st Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class

“I guess I was just too excited to go [to start the season] and was a bit too antsy [on the track], but we settled down a bit. I just let the race come to me [tonight] and made some passes in every race. I’m just stoked. It’s a bit of a relief now. I’ve been pissed off at all the rounds, getting beat, and I don’t do well with that. It’s good to come back and have a good Triple Crown.”

Honda HRC Progressive’s Jo Shimoda was consistent in all three races
to secure a runner-up finish.

Jo Shimoda – 2nd Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class

“I think I got decent starts today. Not the best ones, but I was able to sneak around the inside and get up in the front. I pulled it off as much as I could, but I just need to ride faster. I need to update myself and the bike and we should be good. There’s a lot more to go.”

Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker overcame some adversity
to earn an overall podium result.

Seth Hammaker – 3rd Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class

“It was a pretty hectic night. I couldn’t get off the gate too well, which kind of cost me. I just didn’t put myself in great positions off the start. Thankfully we salvaged a podium. I was just riding in the middle of the pack tonight and need to figure the starts out. But, like I said, we salvaged a podium and are second in points, so all good.”

Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class Overall Podium (left to right)
Jo Shimoda, Cole Davies, and Seth Hammaker

The Monster Energy SMX World Championship and Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship will observe its lone break in action next weekend before returning on Saturday, March 21, for the 10th race of the season from Birmingham, Alabama’s Protective Stadium. Live broadcast coverage on Peacock will begin at 1 p.m. ET with Race Day Live, followed by the Gate Drop at 7 p.m. ET. Additionally, a domestic Spanish language broadcast is available on Peacock while international viewers can choose from dedicated English, French, and Spanish broadcasts via SMX Video Pass (www.SMXVideoPass.com).

The Birmingham round will also include a special encore network presentation on NBC, which will air on Sunday, March 22, at 1 p.m. ET.

All 17 rounds of the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and 11 rounds of the Pro Motocross Championship are on sale. Tickets for the SMX World Championship Playoff Rounds and Final are now on sale at Supermotocross.com. Saturday FanFest will take place at all postseason races, Friday FanFest and camping will be available in Columbus and Ridgedale, additional details to follow.

Post-Race Press Briefing – Indianapolis

Media Contacts: 
Sean Brennen / Feld Motor Sports
[email protected]
(703) 448-3664

Brandon Short / MX Sports Pro Racing
[email protected]
(304) 284-0101

About the Monster Energy SMX World Championship:

The Monster Energy SMX World Championship™ is the premier off-road motorcycle racing series in the world that combines the technical precision of stadium racing with the all-out speed and endurance of outdoor racing. Created in 2022, the Monster Energy SMX World Championship Series combines the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the AMA Pro Motocross Championship into a 28-round regular season that culminates with the season-ending SMX World Championship Playoffs. Visit SuperMotocross.com for more information.

About Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship:

Monster Energy AMA Supercross is the most competitive and highest-profile off-road motorcycle racing championship on the planet. Founded in America and sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) since 1974. Over 17 weeks, Supercross attracts some of the largest and most impressive crowds inside the most recognizable and prestigious stadiums in North America to race in front of nearly one million live fans and broadcast to millions more worldwide. For more information, visit SupercrossLIVE.com.

About Pro Motocross Championship:

The Pro Motocross Championship features the world’s fastest outdoor motocross racers, competing aboard homologated bikes from one of seven competing manufacturers on a collection of the roughest, toughest tracks on the planet. Racing takes place each Saturday afternoon, with competition divided into two classes: one for 250cc machines, and one for 450cc machines. MX Sports Pro Racing, the industry leader in off-road powersports event production, manages the Pro Motocross Championship. For more information, visit ProMotocross.com.

About Feld Motor Sports, Inc.:

Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is the worldwide leader in producing and presenting specialized arena and stadium-based motorsports entertainment. Properties include Monster Jam^®, Monster Energy AMA Supercross, and the Monster Energy SMX World Championship. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is a subsidiary of Feld Entertainment, Inc. Visit monsterjam.com, SupercrossLIVE.com, and feldentertainment.com for more information.

About MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.:

MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc., manages and produces the world’s premier motocross racing series – the Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. MX Sports Pro Racing is an industry leader in off-road powersport event production and management, its mission is to showcase the sport of professional motocross competition at events throughout the United States. Through its various racing properties, partnerships and affiliates, MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc., organizes events for thousands of action sports athletes each year and attracts millions of motorsports spectators. Visit MXSportsProRacing.com for more information.

Source: SMX League

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