Eli Tomac Leads Every Lap at Anaheim 1 to Capture 54th Career Victory at Monster Energy Supercross Opener

Max Anstie Becomes Oldest 250SMX Winner Ever with Dominant Win

ANAHEIM, CA – January 11, 2026 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – The 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship got underway in front of a sold-out crowd inside Angel Stadium for the opening round of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship. It turned out to be a memorable night for the elder statesman of the sport as 33-year-old Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Eli Tomac captured the 54th win of his legendary career in his debut with the team following a dominant performance in which the Coloradoan led every lap.

A capacity crowd was on hand to watch the 2026 SMX World Championship kick off from Southern California’s Angel Stadium, the most storied venue in
Monster Energy Supercross.

The 450SMX Class Main Event was forced to restart when a red flag brought the race to a halt on the opening lap after a multi-rider incident. When the gate dropped for the second time, Tomac positioned himself right behind his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Jorge Prado and seized control of the lead on the opening lap. Once out front, Tomac easily gapped the field while Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki’s Ken Roczen made an impressive charge into contention after rounding the first turn deep in the top 10. The German veteran made multiple passes to slot himself just outside the top three and eventually worked his way around Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence for third before making the pass on Prado for second. Roczen closed to within a couple seconds of Tomac and kept him honest throughout the 20 Minute + 1 Lap race but never got close enough to mount a challenge.

Tomac took his second Anaheim 1 victory by a margin of 1.4 seconds over Roczen, while Prado leveraged the holeshot into the single-best-performance of the Spaniard’s U.S. racing career and his maiden Supercross podium in his seventh start. Following the race, Prado’s KTM failed the post-race sound inspection, which resulted in a penalty from the AMA of three championship points. Prado retained his third-place finish.

Lawrence earned his best Anaheim 1 result in fourth as he came out on top of a race-long battle with Twisted Tea Suzuki Presented by Progressive rider Jason Anderson, who finished fifth. Defending 450SMX Class Champion Cooper Webb endured through an up and down Main Event to finish seventh, just ahead of last season’s championship runner-up Chase Sexton, who went down and went off track multiple times in his debut for Monster Energy Kawasaki.

With the win, Tomac has established a three-point lead over Roczen in the 450SMX Class standings, with Prado in third, five points behind his teammate.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac put forth a memorable debut with his new team as he led every lap of the 450SMX Class Main Event for the 54th win of his career and his second victory at the Anaheim opener.

Eli Tomac – 1st Place – 450SMX Class

“What a start for us. We got out of the gate well and then it was just on. I would say our motorcycle was the best when it mattered. My bike was so in tune, and I had a great flow around the track. We can still do it. We got A1. What a cool night.”

Ken Roczen was in top form aboard his Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki and keep Tomac honest throughout the Main Event, eventually finishing just over a second behind in a runner-up effort.

Ken Roczen – 2nd Place – 450SMX Class

“We had an amazing race. Eli and I were just yo-yo-ing within one second. I would catch him a little bit then I’d make a little mistake, and he’d gain a little bit. It was just tough. It was a very tricky and very busy track that I expected to be softer than it was. You had to be really patient on the throttle. Overall, I’m very excited with this second place and I hope we have many more of those coming.”

In his first race with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, Jorge Prado grabbed the holeshot and stayed in the battle up front to secure his first ever podium result since moving to the United States.

Jorge Prado – 3rd Place – 450SMX Class

“This is unreal. I can’t even think about standing on the podium right now. This shouldn’t be now, it should maybe be at the end of the year or maybe next year, not Round 1. Hard work always pays off and this offseason I’ve been putting in a lot of work. I always do, but with the right people we managed to get here with a good result. With just the little experience I have in Supercross this feels amazing.”

450SMX Class Podium (left to right)
Ken Roczen, Eli Tomac, and Jorge Prado

The first race of the Western Divisional 250SMX Class was historic as England’s Max Anstie became the oldest winner in the history of the smaller displacement at 32 years, 8 months, and 16 days of age. The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider brought confidence into the Main Event after winning his Heat Race and took advantage of a start inside the top five to quickly move into the top three. Anstie continued to move forward and took his time to take second place from Honda HRC Progressive’s Chance Hymas before tracking down Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Ryder DiFrancesco for the race lead with a little more than seven minutes and one lap to go. Once out front, Anstie was able to sprint away from the field to capture his fourth career SMX victory by a margin of 7.5 seconds.

Hymas was able to make a late pass on DiFrancesco to earn a runner-up finish in his first start since suffering a torn ACL last June, while DiFrancesco parlayed the Main Event holeshot into the first podium result of his career in his 13th Supercross start.

After a dominant Heat Race performance, defending Western Divisional 250SMX Champion Haiden Deegan was never a factor in the Main Event. The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider started outside the top 10 but made an impressive climb through the field to narrowly miss out on the podium in fourth.

Anstie now holds a three-point lead over Hymas in the Western Divisional 250SMX Class, while DiFrancesco sits five points out of the lead and Deegan seven points behind his teammate.

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Max Anstie became the oldest winner in the history of the 250SMX Class with an impressive victory to open the Western Division Championship.

Max Anstie – 1st Place – Western Divisional 250SMX Class

“I’m just blown away. I remember coming here when I was 7 years old watching Ricky Carmichael and James Stewart race around here. To actually win tonight, that’s something special. Anaheim has a place in my heart. I always dreamed of being here and now I’m here. I’m 32 years old and this is the best night of my career thus far. It’s only Round 1. I know I’ve still got nine more [races] to go, and I know after last year what can happen. I’ll refocus tomorrow and go back to work for this championship.”

In his first race back from a torn ACL suffered last summer, Honda HRC Progressive’s Chance Hymas finished in the runner-up spot.

Chance Hymas – 2nd Place – Western Divisional 250SMX Class

“I’m kind of speechless. It’s been a long road just to get back to this. I haven’t raced since High Point [during the Pro Motocross Championship]. I honestly thought my career was over. I dug deep and I’ve got some really good people in my corner. The pieces are coming together and I’m figuring it out. It’s the first round and we came away with a really good result.”

A holeshot in the Main Event helped Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Ryder DiFrancesco break through for his first career podium result.

Ryder DiFrancesco – 3rd Place – Western Divisional 250SMX Class

“I got out front and thought I was going to give it all I got and win this thing or pull it into a third. I dream about this, especially at A1. I grew up coming here. I laid it all out there tonight.”

Western Divisional 250SMX Class Podium (left to right)
Ryder DiFrancesco, Max Anstie, and Chance Hymas

Complementing the star power on the track was additional star power in the stands. Notably, professional boxer and former WBC Super Lightweight Champion Ryan Garcia took in the action following news earlier in the day that he will move up into the welterweight division to fight for the WBC title in February.

450SMX Class Post-Race Media Scrum – Anaheim 1

Western Divisional 250SMX Class Post-Race Media Scrum – Anaheim 1

The Monster Energy SMX World Championship and Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship will continue next Saturday with the second race of the season from San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium on January 17. 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. An encore presentation will be showcased on NBC on Sunday, January 18, at 2 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).

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 will go on pre-sale Tuesday, Jan. 27, with general tickets on-sale to the public on Tuesday, Feb. 3 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.

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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