Hunter Lawrence Rises to the Occasion in Nashville to Seize Control of Monster Energy Supercross Title Fight

Cole Davies Dominant En Route to Fourth Eastern Divisional 250SMX Win

NASHVILLE, TN – April 12, 2026 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – The Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship made its anticipated return to “Music City” for Round 13 of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship as a massive crowd gathered inside Nissan Stadium to witness the closest three-rider title fight in 450SMX Class history. When the dust settled, Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence stepped up and seized control of the championship battle with an emphatic victory that saw him take sole possession of the points lead heading into the final four races of the season.

The 13th race of Monster Energy Supercross signified the championship’s first visit to Nashville since the 2024 season.

The start of the premier class 20 Minutes + 1 Lap Main Event saw Quad Lock Honda’s Shane McElrath grab the holeshot, but he was quickly surpassed by several riders that ultimately moved Team Tedder Racing KTM’s Justin Hill into the lead ahead of Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado. Lawrence slotted into the top five as Roczen went on the attack and seized control of the early lead. Behind them, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac, the championship co-leader, was mired outside the top 10.

As Roczen paced the field, Lawrence charged up to second and was the fastest rider on the track. The pace up front stabilized through the middle of the Main Event with a gap that hovered between one to two seconds as the top two pulled away from the rest of the field. With just over eight minutes to go Roczen lost traction before a triple jump, which allowed Lawrence to jump by into the lead. Roczen attempted to fight back, but Lawrence completed the pass and sprinted away to a gap of nearly two seconds. Roczen went down a short time later and dropped to fourth behind Hill and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb.

Lawrence found himself more than 15 seconds clear of the field through the final five minutes, while the battle for the podium raged on behind him. Webb attempted to make a pass on Hill for second but was initially denied. Webb regrouped and made the move stick a short time later. Roczen then followed through into third, with Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Chase Sexton pressing from fourth.

Back up front, Lawrence never put a wheel wrong and rode to a decisive fourth win this season by a margin of 7.1 seconds over Webb, as the reigning champion earned his first podium in four races. Roczen grabbed a fourth consecutive podium in third. Tomac, who was fastest qualifier and won his Heat Race, never factored into the Main Event and ran as high as eighth before a late crash relegated him to 12th, equaling his worst result of the season.

With four races to go Lawrence has opened a 10-point lead in the championship standings over Roczen, who moved from third to second. Tomac fell to third and now sits 15 points out of the lead after sharing possession of the red plate entering Nashville.

Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence captured a crucial fourth win of the season to take sole possession of the 450SMX Class points lead.

Hunter Lawrence – 1st Place – 450SMX Class

“It feels great [to be back on top of the podium]. I’m so happy my wrist wasn’t holding me back today. That’s probably the coolest thing. Every Saturday I want to go out and have no limitations holding me back from anything. It feels like a home race with my collaboration with Gibson [Guitars] and how welcoming everyone is and I always look forward to coming back.”

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb overcame a start outside the top 10 for the first podium in four races for the reigning Supercross champion.

Cooper Webb – 2nd Place – 450SMX Class

“This race was hard. The track was sketchy and you wanted to push, but you couldn’t. I’m happy with [second] and we got through safe. I had another terrible start, which is not how you want to draw it up. We’ve got some work to do to catch that lead group, but I’ll take the podium after the past few weekends. It’s a good boost of confidence for me.”

Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen continued his late season momentum surge with a fourth straight podium finish.

Ken Roczen – 3rd Place – 450SMX Class

“I just felt a little bit off today compared to the past few weekends, but nonetheless we still have only four races to go, and anything goes in the Main Event. I was doing pretty good and once Hunter [Lawrence] got by me, I was going to settle for second and that felt like it was a win for me today. I ended up tossing it right before the finish line and luckily, I got the bike started and back going. I would have loved to finish second, but I’ll take a podium. That’s like a win for us. We’ve got a bunch of racing to go.”

450SMX Class Podium (left to right)
Cooper Webb, Hunter Lawrence, and Ken Roczen

Eli Tomac – 12th Place – 450SMX Class

“What a day – the whole day was good, other than the Main Event result. I was comfortable with my setup all day, so I’m just frustrated not only with the bad gate selection – I should have avoided the inside on the start – but also the crash. That bad start really put me in a tough spot from the get-go and I had my work cut out for me trying to make passes on such a slick, tight track. I lost a bunch of points today, but all I can do at this point is ride my best at the remaining rounds and let the chips fall where they may.”

Despite a win in his Heat Race, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac never factored into the Main Event and finished 12th after a late-race crash.

The 15 Minutes + 1 Lap Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class Main Event began with the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing machine of Daxton Bennick out front for the holeshot ahead of Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Nate Thrasher and Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Drew Adams. Also in the mix were the East’s two title combatants, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies and Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker. Thrasher was able to take advantage of his strong start to quickly power by Bennick, and grab hold of the early lead.

Davies and Hammaker latched on to one another and made a march forward, with Davies capitalizing on his explosive whoop speed to make passes. Less than five minutes into the race Davies moved to the front of the field, while Hammaker bided his time and worked his way up to second a short time later. As he looked to make up ground on the lead Hammaker made a costly miscue when his foot hit a tuff block and shot his Kawasaki sideways, which sent Hammaker to the ground. He quickly remounted in fourth, but several seconds outside podium contention.

Davies built a lead of more than five seconds halfway into the Main Event and added to a dominant advantage through the remainder of the race. Meanwhile, Hammaker dug deep and clawed his way back onto the podium. He passed Thrasher for third and with time running out on the race clock was all over Bennick for second. The Husqvarna rider lost traction with his rear tire in his attempt to fend off Hammaker, which initiated a collision between the pair and sent both riders to the ground. Thrasher slipped by into second, while Hammaker remounted in third and Bennick in fourth.

Davies cruised to his fourth win of the season by a margin of 17.2 seconds over Thrasher, who benefitted from the misfortunes of his rivals to capture his first podium result of the season. Hammaker salvaged a podium result in third after an adversity filled race but was later penalized two positions by race officials after he cut the track re-entering the race following his first crash. That moved ClubMX Yamaha’s Devin Simonson, who passed Bennick on the final lap, up to third for a maiden podium result.

Following the penalty to Hammaker, Davies’ points lead expanded to 29 points with three races to go. Bennick sits third, 40 points out of the lead.

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies was dominant on the way to his fourth win of the season to extend his Eastern Divisional points lead.

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

“The whoops were sketchy today. They were super steep and since [the track crew] left them all day the cups were really gnarly. I’m stoked, that was a good race. I didn’t get off to a good start, but I made it happen and I’m stoked with that.”

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Nate Thrasher earned an unexpected
runner-up finish for his first podium result of the season.

Nate Thrasher – 2nd Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class

“Honestly, I did not ride good at all. I just didn’t have a flow. I was really great in practice and solid in the Heat Race. The track just kept getting harder packed and I started struggling a little bit. I got a little pumped up and did the best I could. I’m pumped to be on the podium, but we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

ClubMX Yamaha’s Devin Simonson ended up with the first podium result of his career after a post-race penalty was given to Seth Hammaker.

Devin Simonson – 3rd Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class*

“I was able to pick up on some lines battling with Henry [Miller] and made the pass on him quick [for fifth]. A bunch of carnage was happening out front, I honestly don’t know what, but I saw on the pit board I was battling for fourth, so I gave it everything I had and came out with this one.”

*Quote provided prior to penalty.

Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class Podium (left to right)
Nate Thrasher, Cole Davies, and Seth Hammaker
Hammaker was later penalized two positions for cutting the track.

Even though he crossed the line in third place, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker was penalized two positions for cutting the track and dropped to fifth, which lost him valuable points in the championship standings.

The Monster Energy SMX World Championship and Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship will continue next Saturday, April 18, with Round 14 from Huntington Bank Field for the sport’s first visit to Cleveland in 30 years. Live broadcast coverage will be highlighted by a network showcase on NBC at 3 p.m. ET, in addition to comprehensive coverage on Peacock, beginning at 9 a.m. ET with Race Day Live, followed by the Gate Drop at 3 p.m. ET. A special encore network presentation will air on NBC as well on Sunday, April 19, 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 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 – Nashville

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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