Ken Roczen’s Dominant Victory Headlines Wild Night in Detroit as Monster Energy Supercross Title Fight Shakes Up

Cole Davies Storms to Third Straight 250SMX Class Win

DETROIT, MI – March 29, 2026 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – A common adage in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship has long been that anything can happen at any given moment, and that sentiment reigned true during Round 11 of the Monster Energy SMX World Championship inside Ford Field. An exceptionally challenging racetrack, anchored by the most treacherous and demanding whoop section of the season, pushed the most talented racers on the planet to the limit and ultimately resulted in a dramatic shakeup of the 450SMX Class title fight as Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen enjoyed a dominant performance for the landmark 25th victory of his career.

The Monster Energy Supercross Championship made its return to the “Motor City” for the 11th race of the season inside Ford Field.

The 20 Minute + 1 Lap 450SMX Class Main Event kicked off with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado capturing his fifth holeshot of the season ahead of Roczen and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Chase Sexton, who made his return to action after missing three races. Championship leader Hunter Lawrence started deep inside the top 10 aboard his Honda HRC Progressive machine, while Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac, second in points, started outside the top 10. Back up front, Prado was able to fend off heavy pressure from Roczen for several laps, but the German native seized control of the race lead just a few minutes into the action. Prado then battled briefly with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb, the reigning Supercross champion, but the two came together and went down, which dropped them deep in the field.

Roczen quickly built a multi-second lead over Sexton, who moved into second, while Lawrence overcame one of his worst starts of the season to claw his way up to third. The top three settled in through the middle portion of the Main Event, with each finding a consistent rhythm that kept the lead trio within three seconds of each other. Just before the halfway point of the moto, when both Sexton and Lawrence had made inroads on Roczen’s lead, Lawrence crashed hard exiting the whoops. He remounted but was forced to have his bike attended to in the mechanics area, which lost him a lap.

Roczen extended his lead once more to end the threat from Sexton, while Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Malcolm Stewart moved into third ahead of Tomac. Roczen continued to pull away and easily took home his second win of the season in his 173rd career start by a margin of 7.7 seconds over Sexton. Stewart broke through with his first podium result of the season in third, followed by Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Justin Cooper in fourth, ahead of Tomac in fifth. Lawrence, meanwhile, soldiered through another fall to salvage 18th place.

A dramatic shakeup in the championship has moved Tomac back atop standings for the first time since the fourth race of the season, as he now holds a four-point lead over Lawrence with six races remaining. Roczen’s win moved him to within 14 points of the lead to establish a three-rider battle for the championship’s stretch run.

Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen captured a milestone 25th victory in his 173rd career start amidst a shakeup in the title fight.

Ken Roczen – 1st Place – 450SMX Class

“I don’t know what to say, but this is exactly what I was talking about [people overlooking my ability to win]. This was a tough Main Event. I was definitely not the fastest in the beginning. I was playing a little bit with the track. I knew they were gaining on me, so I switched up my rhythms slightly. It was tough, because I wasn’t necessarily lighting the world on fire [with my speed] but the track was so tough. The whoops were a 50-50 chance you were going to make it through or end up on your back. I am so excited, you have no idea. We closed up some points, but we still have a lot of racing to go.”

Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Chase Sexton captured an impressive runner-up finish in his first race back from a recent injury that sidelined him for a month.

Chase Sexton – 2nd Place – 450SMX Class

“Those weeks at home watching the races, there were some dark times. Obviously, I didn’t want to get injured and didn’t want to sit on the couch, but I wanted to come back when I was ready. I felt pretty good tonight, but I also felt that couch about 10 minutes into the Main Event. I felt good in the beginning and got a little tight and a little winded. We’ll go back to work but definitely a great start to the comeback. It’s been a long year for the team and me, but we want to go up from here.”

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Malcolm Stewart broke through with his first podium finish of the season during his best outing of the year.

Malcolm Stewart – 3rd Place – 450SMX Class

“It’s been tough [this season]. I had an unfortunate situation in Anaheim [getting injured at the first race]. I kind of just felt like I didn’t know if I’d get on the podium [this season]. That’s partly just not believing in yourself, and I realized I need to pull myself out of that. I want to give it up to my team, they’ve been in my ear all season telling me I can do this. I told them we’d pop some champagne before the end of the season, so huge shout out to them.”

450SMX Class Podium (left to right)
Chase Sexton, Ken Roczen, and Malcolm Stewart

Eli Tomac – 5th Place – 450SMX Class Points Leader

“Of course, I saw Hunter’s [Lawrence] crash and knew I was going to take advantage of that once I saw him a lap down, but overall, a bit of a frustrating day here. I’ve actually struggled here my past couple rides. I don’t know what it is. I haven’t had the best success at Detroit lately. Maybe I’ve been in kind of a midseason slump. We’ll do what we can to get better, improve, and get back to winning some races and be up at the front.”

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac regained control of the points lead following a fifth-place finish.

Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence suffered two crashes in the Main Event and finished a lap down in 18th to lose control of the championship lead.

The fifth 15 Minute + 1 Lap Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class Main Event of the season started with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Nate Thrasher leading the field to the holeshot ahead of Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker and Honda HRC Progressive’s Jo Shimoda. Behind them, championship leader Cole Davies was mired in 15th place aboard his Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing machine. Thrasher held onto the lead for a couple laps but then crashed out of contention in the whoops, which handed the lead to Hammaker. As the Kawasaki rider asserted his hold of the top spot over Shimoda, Davies was on a torrid march to the front. Thanks to an unparalleled level of speed through a challenging whoops section, the New Zealander easily broke into the top 10 and soon found his way into the top five before the halfway point. From there, Davies charged into podium position and made quick work of a pass by Shimoda to move into second place. He then proceeded to erase a four second deficit to Hammaker and fittingly made the winning pass coming out of the whoops with just under six minutes to go. From there, Davies checked out on the field. Hammaker easily held onto second, while Shimoda was forced to contend with ClubMX Yamaha’s Coty Schock, who initially got by his Japanese counterpart for a spot on the podium, only to give it back after a crash in the whoops.

Davies completed an incredible come-from-behind performance by a margin of 12.1 seconds over Hammaker for a third straight Main Event victory, while Shimoda rounded out the podium in third.

With his third consecutive win, Davies extended his lead in the championship standings to nine points over Hammaker, with Shimoda sitting 14 points back in third.

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies overcame a start outside the top 10 to capture an impressive come-from-behind victory, his third in-a-row.

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

“When I don’t perform, I’m pretty hard on myself. Me, my family, and all the people around me put in so much hard work, so when I don’t perform like I know I can I’m pretty hard on myself. But I’m stoked with that Main Event. I know that’s how I can ride. I just put everything together well. I didn’t have a good start, but I made it happen, so I’m stoked with that.”

Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker took advantage of a great start to lead laps and bring home a runner-up finish.

Seth Hammaker – 2nd Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class

“That was a tough race. I got myself off to a pretty good start and was riding okay in the beginning. I knew Cole [Davies] was in the back of the pack but man, he was riding good. Gotta give it up to him. A solid second on the night. I’ve learned from the past not to throw the races away that aren’t there for me. I want to win more than anybody, but you’ve got to know when to pull back and second is what we had tonight.”

Honda HRC Progressive’s Jo Shimoda battled hard to capture a third-place finish.

Jo Shimoda – 3rd Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class

“Honestly, I was just so bad all day. I just couldn’t figure it out. I just have to do better. Nothing was really good for me today, so I’m sorry to my team. We tested all week and I think we’re stepping in the right direction, so we’ve got to keep chasing. We’ll see next weekend.”

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

The Monster Energy SMX World Championship and Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship will continue next Saturday, April 4, with Round 12 from The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis for the annual Love Moto Stop Cancer Supercross honoring the kids at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the fight against childhood cancer. 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).

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 – Detroit

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

####