Eyes on 2025 SuperMotocross

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing teammates Ryder DiFrancesco and Malcolm Stewart delivered consistent performances at Round 6 of the 2026 AMA Supercross Championship in Seattle, Washington, where Ryder D finished fourth in the 250SX West division and Stewart recorded a season-best sixth-place result in 450SX. DiFrancesco qualified eighth in the 250SX category, continuing to build comfort with the technical Lumen Field track conditions onboard his Husqvarna FC 250 Factory Edition over the course of the two sessions. The 20-year-old charged to a convincing second-place finish in his Heat Race, before a composed ride in the Main Event saw DiFrancesco claim a P4 result, which now has him tied for third position in the Western Division standings after six rounds. Ryder D will return to action on March 21 at Protective Stadium for the first 250SX East/West Showdown of the year, while the Eastern division commences next weekend in Arlington, Texas, with team riders Daxton Bennick and Casey Cochran making their first appearances of the 2026 season. “I didn’t have the best day in Seattle,” recalled DiFrancesco. “Out of the six rounds, this is probably the one I struggled with the most, so a fourth is a decent result entering the four-week break now. We’ll get that fire lit again, take a little time off, and regroup. Today was a bit of a struggle, although I am pretty stoked to come away with P4 and be tied for third in points.” Stewart posted the sixth-fastest time overall in 450SX qualifying aboard his Husqvarna FC 450 Factory Edition, finding a strong rhythm early on during the afternoon and looking to maintain that form into the night show. A crash in his Heat Race marked the lone major setback of what was an otherwise solid night for the 33-year-old Stewart, advancing directly to the 450SX Main Event with a seventh-place result. Launching inside the top-10 on lap one, Stewart delivered a measured performance in demanding conditions, steadily working his way forward as the race wore on. Combining consistency with speed, Mookie crossed the line in P6 when the checkered flag flew. “Seattle is always an interesting race,” said Stewart. “I always feel like I leave here with a positive mindset and decent results, and tonight we got sixth. Obviously, we wanted that top-five position, but considering how the beginning of the year has started, a sixth is a really good result for us! I felt really good all day. Practice was strong and it kind of starts from there, right? You know, just getting into that positive mindset, so yeah, Seattle was a good night, especially with the way the track was. It was pretty brutal out there – everybody was crashing and making big mistakes – but we kept it on two wheels and I was being smart with it. Now we head back indoors to Arlington and continue to build!" Premier class teammate RJ Hampshire did not line up for Round 6 of the 2026 SMX World Championship in Seattle after fracturing his foot in a training crash earlier in the week, an injury that will also see him sit out upcoming rounds while he focuses on his recovery. Next Race: February 21 – Arlington, Texas Results 450SX Class – Seattle 1. Eli Tomac (KTM) 2. Cooper Webb (Yamaha) 3. Justin Cooper (Yamaha) 6. Malcolm Stewart (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) 7. Aaron Plessinger (KTM) Standings 450SX Class 2026 after 6 of 17 rounds 1. Hunter Lawrence, 124 points 2. Eli Tomac, 123 3. Ken Roczen, 113 10. Jorge Prado, 73 11. Aaron Plessinger, 65 12. Malcolm Stewart, 52 13. Justin Hill, 51 16. RJ Hampshire, 38 Results 250SX Class – Seattle 1. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha) 2. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki) 3. Max Anstie (Yamaha) 4. Ryder DiFrancesco (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) Standings 250SX Class 2026 after 6 of 10 rounds 1. Haiden Deegan, 118 points 2. Max Anstie, 108 3. Michael Mosiman, 107 4. Ryder DiFrancesco, 107

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Ryder DiFrancesco delivered a measured ride to claim fifth position in 250SX West at Round 5 of the 2026 AMA Supercross Championship in Glendale, Arizona, with the result elevating him to P3 in the standings as the Western Division reaches halfway. DiFrancesco displayed exceptional pace from the outset on the sprawling State Farm Stadium layout, qualifying fifth on combined times aboard his Husqvarna FC 250 Factory Edition ahead of the night program. The 20-year-old was up-front early in 250SX Heat 2 before a fall in the challenging sand section dropped him toward the rear of the field. However, the Californian would mount an impressive recovery ride, climbing through the pack to secure a hard-fought eighth-place finish and a direct transfer to the Main Event. A solid start and Main Event performance saw DiFrancesco run inside the top-three throughout the opening stages, before ultimately earning a consistent fifth-place result, taking valuable championship points and climbing to third in the championship entering Seattle next weekend. “Glendale was good,” recalled DiFrancesco. “I started off the day really fast in qualifying and then ended up going down in the Heat Race, but managed to fight my way back to eighth. That gave me a bad gate pick, but I positioned myself really well, actually, to start the Main Event. I ran third for a while, and lost a couple of places from there, so we have some work that needs doing between now and the next one, but I like the ruts and I like Seattle. We'll make some tweaks and come out swinging next weekend!” For 450SX contender Malcolm Stewart, the Floridian endured a difficult outing at the fifth round of the 2026 SMX World Championship, finishing seventh in Heat 2 onboard his Husqvarna FC 450 Factory Edition. A pair of untimely crashes during the Main Event ultimately forced the 33-year-old to retire in the latter stages of the race, bringing an early end to his night inside State Farm Stadium. Premier class teammate RJ Hampshire did not line up for the night program at the fifth round after coming down with illness in the days leading up to the race weekend. The 30-year-old briefly took to the track during qualifying, however, the decision was collectively made to withdraw from the remainder of Glendale and focus on a full recovery ahead of Seattle. Next Race: February 14 – Seattle, Washington Results 450SX Class – Glendale 1. Ken Roczen (Suzuki) 2. Hunter Lawrence (Honda) 3. Cooper Webb (Yamaha) 5. Jorge Prado (KTM) 8. Aaron Plessinger (KTM) 10. Justin Hill (KTM) 12. Eli Tomac (KTM) 22. Malcolm Stewart (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) Standings 450SX Class 2026 after 5 of 17 rounds 1. Hunter Lawrence, 106 points 2. Ken Roczen, 101 3. Eli Tomac, 98 7. Jorge Prado, 73 11. Aaron Plessinger, 50 13. Justin Hill, 40 14. RJ Hampshire, 38 15. Malcolm Stewart, 36 Results 250SX Class – Glendale 1. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha) 2. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki) 3. Cameron McAdoo (Kawasaki) 5. Ryder DiFrancesco (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) Standings 250SX Class 2026 after 5 of 10 rounds 1. Haiden Deegan 118 points 2. Michael Mosiman, 91 3. Ryder DiFrancesco, 89

Kay de Wolf steps up to MXGP, Liam Everts returns fit, and Red Bull joins the ride into a 20 round world championship season.