SMX PLAYOFFS, ROUND 2 RESULTS

The penultimate race of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship saw the series go back to Southern California for Playoff 2 inside Dignity Health Sports Park, where plentiful sunlight offered significantly various track conditions from last weekend’s rain-drenched postseason opener. Double points were on the line, supplying a chance for a shakeup in the Playoff standings. What followed was a genuinely remarkable afternoon and night of racing, from which Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado dominated with his very first postseason triumph following a fascinating fight in the 450SMX Class, contributing to his points lead. In the 250SMX Class, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Julien Beaumer made it a sweep for the Austrian brand name with a definitive win.
The premier class began its very first 20 Minutes + 1 Lap moto with Prado out front for the holeshot ahead of the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing set of Cooper Webb and Haiden Deegan, while Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen slotted into 4th. Prado inched away to assert his hold of the position while the trio behind him switched areas, with Roczen able to manage both Yamaha riders to take control of 2nd as Deegan slotted into 3rd. Behind them, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac moved into 4th.

Prado and Roczen continued to trade quick laps through the very first half of the moto, with the lead hovering as simply over a 2nd. Simply before midway, Roczen made his relocation with an aggressive and definitive pass on the Spaniard to take control of the lead. As soon as out front, the Supercross Champion rapidly opened a benefit of more than 2 seconds. The lead supported up until inside the last 5 minutes when Prado had the ability to close back in on the German native as they browsed lapped riders. Deegan put in a charge also to close in from 3rd.
The lead duo was separated by less than a 2nd to start the last lap. The worldwide champs fought, to the excitement of the crowd, however Roczen held back Prado to take the moto win by 1.3 seconds. Deegan completed in a close 3rd, with Pro Motocross Champion and Honda HRC Progressive rider Hunter Lawrence 4th. Webb completed the leading 5.
The last moto saw Lawrence emerge with the holeshot however he was quickly gone by Prado. Minutes later on, a bobble by the Spaniard permitted the Australian to recover the lead. Behind them, Webb slotted into 3rd, while Roczen charged up to 4th ahead of Deegan. Lawrence had the ability to vacate to a lead of more than a 2nd over Prado, as Roczen made the proceed Webb for 3rd. As the opening 5 minutes waned, Lawrence’s lead grew to more than 3 seconds. Prado warded off heavy pressure from Roczen to preserve his hold of 2nd, while both Webb and Deegan stayed within striking range of the leading 3.
At the middle of the moto Prado decreased in the sand. As they made their method around the downed KTM, Deegan made the hand down Roczen for 2nd. Prado remounted in 4th and went back on the attack, capturing Roczen and making the pass for 3rd. Each pass throughout this thrilling series brought significant ramifications in the champion standings, as a four-way tie for very first in the general category remained in play.

With 3 minutes left on the race clock an extreme fight for 2nd in between Deegan and Prado took shape till Deegan decreased in the sand. As Prado continued in 2nd, Deegan and Roczen got tangled up as Deegan reentered the race. That enabled Webb to slip past both riders, just for Deegan to make contact throughout a go by his colleague that put Webb on the ground. Deegan continued in 3rd, with Roczen 4th, while Webb lost touch in 5th.
Lawrence delighted in a dominant, hassle-free moto and stormed to the moto win by 14.9 seconds. Prado protected a resistant second-place surface, with Deegan 3rd and Roczen 4th.
Prado’s constant 2-2 effort put him atop the general category by a single point over Lawrence (4-1) and Roczen (1-4), who completed connected for 2nd. Lawrence’s 2nd moto win provided him the tiebreaker for the runner-up area, leaving Roczen 3rd. Deegan completed simply off the total podium in 4th regardless of 2 moto podiums (3-3).
Prado contributed to his lead in the SMX World Championship standings, as double points moved him 16 points ahead of both Deegan and Lawrence, who sit connected for 2nd. Roczen sits 18 explain of the lead in 4th, while Webb, who completed fifth (5-5), is 20 points back. Triple points will be up for grabs at the Final, setting the phase for an interesting conclusion to the postseason.

Jorge Prado (2-2)– 1st Place– 450SMX Class
“We simply keep enhancing. We left eviction excellent and made a pass [for the lead]however then I practically decreased. I understood this race was going to be difficult. I attempted to risk it in the sand and wound up on the ground. In some cases you need to take those dangers. I put in a charge and attempted to await my opportunity, then Haiden [Deegan] decreased and after that I rode safe to get to the surface. “

After a tough trip in Playoff 1, Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence recuperated with a runner-up surface headlined by a moto win.

Hunter Lawrence( 4-1 )– 2nd Place– 450SMX Class
“The start was whatever.

Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen took his very first moto win of the postseason and rode regularly to position 3rd general.

Ken Roczen (1-4)– 3rd Place– 450SMX Class
” I’m really pleased with my effort in the very first moto, however I do not keep in mind the last time I raced 2 motos [like this]You can’t purchase that type of strength.

450SMX Class Podium (delegated right) Hunter Lawrence, Jorge Prado, and Ken Roczen[19659020]450 Overall Results[19459523]

Pos Rider Bike Moto 1 Moto 2 1 Jorge Prado[19659028]KTM 2 2 2 Hunter Lawrence Honda 4 1 3 Ken Roczen Suzuki 1 4 4 Haiden Deegan Yamaha 3 3 19459070]data-index-in-node=”0″> 5 Cooper Webb[19659048]Yamaha 5 5 6 R.J. Hampshire Husqvarna 9 6 7 Garrett Marchbanks[19659058]Kawasaki 10 8 8 Malcolm Stewart Husqvarna 7 11 9 Eli Tomac KTM 6[19659070]12[19659071]10[19659072]Jordon Smith Accomplishment[19659074]14[19659075]7 11[19659077]Aaron Plessinger KTM 8[19659080]13[19659081]12[19659082]Dylan Ferrandis Ducati[19659084]13[19659085]9 13[19659087]Justin Hill Group Tedder 12 10 14 Christian Craig Honda 11 14 15 Benny Bloss Beta 15 16 16 Shane McElrath Beta 16 17 17 Vince Friese Kawasaki 17 18 18 Colt Nichols Suzuki 23 15 19 Freddie Noren Yamaha 19 19 20 Mitchell Harrison PRMX 18 20 21 Mikkel Haarup Victory 20 21 22 Joey Savatgy Honda 21 23 23 Grant Harlan KTM 23 22 24 Justin Barcia Ducati 22 23

The opening 20 Minute + 1 Lap 250SMX Class moto started with Beaumer out front ahead of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Ryder DiFrancesco. A crash in between numerous riders bunched the field and permitted the Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki duo of Drew Adams and Levi Kitchen to move into 3rd and 4th, respectively. Beaumer rapidly developed his hold of the lead while DiFrancesco settled into 2nd. Even more back, Kitchen, the points leader, and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies surrounded Adams for 3rd. Davies then made the move both Kawasaki riders to take control of the position.
The leading 3 settled in through the middle of the moto, with Adams remaining within striking range from 4th. Kitchen area, on the other hand, decreased while running 5th and dropped to 11th. Back up front, Davies started to push DiFrancesco for 2nd, which pressed them closer to Beaumer. The leading 3 were separated by less than 1.5 seconds with simply over 5 minutes to go. As he sought to make the hand down DiFrancesco, Davies decreased in the sand, which dropped him to 4th behind Adams.
Beaumer never ever put a wheel incorrect and finished the wire-to-wire efficiency for his very first moto win in postseason competitors. DiFrancesco followed 5.6 seconds behind in 2nd, with Adams in 3rd. Davies completed fourth, followed by his Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing colleague Kayden Minear in 5th. Cooking area recuperated to complete seventh.
The 2nd and choosing moto saw Beaumer lead the field with the holeshot as soon as again, with DiFrancesco and Davies in tow. As Beaumer ran out to a lead of more than a 2nd, Davies made the hand down DiFrancesco, while Kitchen moved his method into 4th. As he sought to provide chase after to Beaumer, Davies crashed hard out of 2nd, which triggered DiFrancesco to strike his motorbike and decrease. DiFrancesco dropped outside the leading 10 before continuing, while Davies ultimately remounted and retired from the race.

In the middle of the turmoil, Beaumer preserved his hold of the lead ahead of a hard-charging Kitchen, who went up to 2nd, while Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Landen Gordon slotted into 3rd.
Cooking area continued to chip away at Beaumer’s lead and with simply under 13 minutes to go on the race clock he made the pass. As soon as out front, Kitchen rapidly opened a benefit of more than 3 seconds. Numerous laps later on, Honda HRC Progressive’s Jo Shimoda, the ruling SMX World Champion, made the hand down Gordon for 3rd. The Japanese rider didn’t stop there. He systematically surrounded Beaumer and made the relocation for 2nd with simply over a minute to go. Even more back, DiFrancesco’s healing from his early misery saw him make a worthy charge into the leading 5, which loomed big in the total category. 19659151 Cooking area was never ever challenged the remainder of the method and took his very first postseason moto win by 5.7 seconds over Shimoda, with Beaumer in 3rd. By virtue of his constant 1-3 efficiency Beaumer quickly protected his very first Playoff accomplishment, continuing an extraordinary return story from a broken back suffered one year back. DiFrancesco’s late-race pass for 5th moved him from 4th to 2nd general (2-5), for a pass worth 8 points in the champion standings. Cooking area recuperated from a difficult very first moto to complete the general podium (7-1). 19659153 Cooking area kept his ownership of the points lead and will bring a three-point lead over DiFrancesco into the SMX World Championship Final. Beaumer got 7 positions in the standings with the win to move into 3rd, 16 explain of the lead. The 3 riders all stay within the thick of the title battle with triple points on the line next weekend.