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
