Add another Monster Energy Yamaha Star Yamaha rider in the mix: Carson Wood is set to make his professional racing debut at Saturday's Thunder Valley National.

Wood, a former Kawasaki minicycle rider, joined the Star Yamaha juggernaut prior to 2025. At the '25 Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch, Wood finished fifth overall in Schoolboy 2 (12-17) B/C and 18th overall in 250 B. He showed a ton of speed but had crashes and mistakes in just his first full year on the 250F after being on a supermini up until the very end of the calendar year in 2024. Now, there are big expectations for Wood in his second full 250cc season on this highly-competitive team.

Although 16-year-old Wood is under the new rule for this year that a rider must be at least 17-years-old order to race professionally, we were able to confirm with team personnel this past Monster Energy AMA Supercross season that Wood does actually have his pro license. Caden Dudney, currently 16, raced two rounds of the '25 AMA Pro Motocross Championship to get grandfathered into the pro ranks for '26 SX this year. Even though Wood did not race in 2025, he got his pro license and was grandfathered in as well.

Now, Wood will join the pro squad for this weekend's third round of Pro Motocross in Colorado. He will become the 10th different Star Yamaha 250 rider to race pro in the 2026 Monster Energy SuperMotocross World Championship. Seems like a typo, but it's not!

2026 250SMX Riders for Star Yamaha