MXGP France: Testing times at Ernée for De Wolf and Everts

Liam Everts ended the 2026 FIM Motocross World Championship with victory in the final MX2 moto at the MXGP of Australia, taking second overall and securing fourth in the championship standings.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Ryder DiFrancesco secured second overall at SMX Playoff 2 in Los Angeles tonight, closing to within three points of the 250SMX points-lead with one round remaining in the 2026 SMX World Championship post-season. Entering Dignity Health Sports Park off the back of a podium in Columbus last weekend, DiFrancesco and his Husqvarna FC 250 Factory Edition continued that momentum in LA by setting the second-quickest lap in qualifying with a 51.574s. The 21-year-old Californian then scored a solid P2 result in Moto 1, before a top-three start in race two was undone when DiFrancesco was caught up in another rider’s incident. He surged back through the pack during the remainder of the race to claim fifth, taking P2 overall and closing to within three points of the red plate entering next weekend’s triple-points finale in Missouri. “Los Angeles was one of my best weekends as a professional, I'd say," commented DiFrancesco. “Today was really solid. Moto 1 was a lot of fun, and being able to separate yourself from the rest of the field like that is cool. I made up some good points in the championship too. And Moto 2, again, was one of the best rides of my career, to salvage those points, click off a lot of riders, and give myself a real shot in Missouri." After finishing second overall at Playoff 1, 250SMX teammate Daxton Bennick delivered an impressive comeback ride in Moto 1, powering his Husqvarna FC 250 Factory Edition from 16th off the start to ninth at the finish. He followed that with 12th in Moto 2 for 11th overall, and he sits fifth in the 250SMX standings with one round remaining. “I struggled a bit on my starts here at Playoff 2,” explained Bennick. “Things weren't as consistent as I needed them to be, which had me coming through the pack in both motos – the first one to ninth, and then 12th in Moto 2. I'm not stoked on it, but we are fifth in points, and that gives us a good chance at the final round as it's triple points." Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing 450SMX contender RJ Hampshire qualified eighth on the combined 450SMX timesheets, before achieving a measured 9-6 scorecard for sixth overall and rising to eighth in the standings following the double-points round. "Playoff 2 in LA was decent overall," said Hampshire. "I felt pretty good on the bike all day – I had good speed – and in Moto 1 I got off to a solid start, but made a mistake and lost the front. We picked it up, and after that I felt the best I have on a 450 inside a stadium, and I salvaged what I could. Moto 2 [was] nothing too special, we just got a decent start and put our laps in to finish sixth overall. I'm feeling good for this last round, so we'll look to end it on a good note." 450SMX teammate Malcolm Stewart qualified in 10th position, also delivering a consistent haul of results across the two-moto format to finish eighth overall and make up ground in the championship standings, where he now sits 12th. "LA was completely opposite, conditions-wise, to last weekend," began Stewart. "We kept it on two wheels across the day and ended up eighth overall, which was decent. The fans were great, and I'm really looking forward to the season-finale in Missouri next weekend – it'll be bittersweet, but we'll have fun for the last one together." Rockstar Energy Husqvarna amateur talent Landon Gibson contested the SMX Next World All-Stars category in Los Angeles, claiming fifth place aboard his Husqvarna FC 250 Factory Edition. His combined results across the two rounds saw him finish third overall in the series. Next Race: September 26 – Ridgedale, Missouri Results 450SMX Class – SMX Playoff 2 1. Jorge Prado (KTM) 2. Hunter Lawrence (Honda) 3. Ken Roczen (Suzuki) 6. RJ Hampshire (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) 8. Malcolm Stewart (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) 9. Eli Tomac (KTM) 11. Aaron Plessinger (KTM) Standings 450SMX Class 2026 after Playoff 2 1. Jorge Prado, 92 points 2. Haiden Deegan, 76 3. Hunter Lawrence, 76 8. RJ Hampshire, 51 9. Eli Tomac, 48 11. Aaron Plessinger, 44 12. Malcolm Stewart, 44 Results 250SMX Class – SMX Playoff 2 1. Julien Beaumer (KTM) 2. Ryder DiFrancesco (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) 3. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki) 11. Daxton Bennick (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) Standings 250SMX Class 2026 after Playoff 2 1. Levi Kitchen, 87 points 2. Ryder DiFrancesco, 84 3. Julien Beaumer, 71 5. Daxton Bennick, 56

A double podium in 250SMX marked a strong start to the 2026 SMX World Championship post-season for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Daxton Bennick and Ryder DiFrancesco, with the pair delivering impressive results – including a breakout victory for Bennick in Moto 1 – in rain-soaked conditions at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Both 250SMX and 450SMX qualifying sessions were canceled at SMX Playoff 1 today, with inclement weather surrounding the region as the track crew worked to salvage the circuit for the racing schedule. Equipped with the Husqvarna FC 250 Factory Edition, Bennick launched to a solid start in 250SMX Moto 1, holding second place for the majority of the race before taking the lead on Lap 12. He maintained the position until the checkered flag to claim a popular victory. Another fast start to Moto 2 saw Bennick run as high as second place, scoring third in the race and claiming second overall for the weekend. As a result, he was able to rise to P4 in the standings with two rounds remaining. “Man, I’ve got to be happy with today,” commented Bennick. “We had two solid motos, and yeah, I had it [the overall] with two laps to go, but Levi [Kitchen] was riding good. But wow, what a start to this thing, and a big thank you to the whole Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team for supporting me and believing in me. It was a good day!” 250SMX teammate DiFrancesco took the green flag for race one in 13th on board his Husqvarna FC 250 Factory Edition, charging hard across all 15 laps to advance to an impressive third – making the move for a podium finish on the final lap. Fourth position in race two was enough to secure third overall for the weekend, and elevates him to P2 in the championship. “Consistency is crucial on a day like today,” said DiFrancesco. “We got off to a decent start [in Moto 2], and I just rode my laps. I want to win one of these things, but last year these guys were super-consistent, and that’s my goal for this year so we can show up at Missouri and have a shot at [the title].” Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing 450SMX pairing Malcolm Stewart and RJ Hampshire were also in action in Columbus on board their Husqvarna FC 450 Factory Editions, with Stewart finishing sixth and Hampshire 19th in Moto 1. A crash during the early stages of race two while again running P6 saw Stewart tumble down the order, with his 6-21 scorecard earning him 11th overall for the round and he is currently 14th in the 450SMX standings. "Mother Nature definitely threw a wrench in some things today!" reflected Stewart. "The first moto was great, ending up in P6, which was good, and then in Moto 2 I ended up going down with another rider, but that happens in mud races. You can kind of misjudge things, we came together, and that was all she wrote. We're leaving here healthy, and I think we will have a complete opposite experience next weekend in California, as I'm pretty sure it should be dry out there. The next round is also double points, so whatever was lost today we can definitely make back next weekend." Hampshire worked his way to 10th in 450SMX Moto 2 after battling for the final positions inside the top-10, with the result earning him 16th overall at Playoff 1 and he's aiming to rebound in Los Angeles next weekend. "It was a brutal round," began Hampshire. "The track was really tough, and if you didn't stay clean – or at least have your grips and gloves clean – it was hard to hang on. The first moto I crashed pretty much 20 times, so we got through that, and then the second moto was a little better with a 10th. But yeah, lucky this one is only single points, and we'll look forward to LA next weekend." Rockstar Energy Husqvarna amateur prospect Landon Gibson contested the SMX Next World All-Stars division in Columbus, taking a well-earned fourth-place finish on board his Husqvarna FC 250 Factory Edition in the single Main Event. Next Race: September 19 – Los Angeles, California Results 450SMX Class – SMX Playoff 1 1. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha) 2. Ken Roczen (Suzuki) 3. Jorge Prado (KTM) 7. Aaron Plessinger (KTM) 11. Malcolm Stewart (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) 14. Eli Tomac (KTM) 16. RJ Hampshire (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) Standings 450SMX Class 2026 after Playoff 1 1. Jorge Prado, 42 points 2. Haiden Deegan, 40 3. Cooper Webb, 38 8. Aaron Plessinger, 22 9. Eli Tomac, 22 12. RJ Hampshire, 19 14. Malcolm Stewart, 16 Results 250SMX Class – SMX Playoff 1 1. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki) 2. Daxton Bennick (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) 3. Ryder DiFrancesco (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) 18. Julien Beaumer (KTM) Standings 250SMX Class 2026 after Playoff 1 1. Levi Kitchen, 47 points 2. Ryder DiFrancesco, 42 3. Cole Davies, 37 4. Daxton Bennick, 34 10. Julien Beaumer, 21