Welcome to Racerhead, and welcome back to the AMA Pro Motocross Championship. After a two-week break, the series is back at Unadilla MX, one of the oldest and most challenging tracks in the entire sport. We've got a couple of real title battles in all three classes, as WMX returns to join the 250 and 450 boys. We also have a few top guys returning from injury and hoping to improve their ranking in the overall Monster Energy SuperMotocross World Championship standings over these last three outdoor rounds.

The last two weeks have been off for the Pro Motocross gang, but there's been lots of other racing. The weeklong 2026 Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch took place, as well as the opening round of the FIM World Supercross Championship (WSX) up in Calgary, Canada. The FIM Motocross World Championship (MXGP) had a weekend off, but they're now in Sweden, and once again the motocross world has that weird coincidence where we're racing at Unadilla over here at the same time they're racing at Uddevalla over there.

Unfortunately, I won't be at either of those "U" races this weekend, as I am headed to the University of Colorado with my daughter's freshman move-in, but I will be watching both 'Dilla and 'Devalla from afar. So let me turn this over to some folks who are actually there, beginning with JT...

• Motocross, WMX

  • SMX Friday Live Presented by Honda Live (Press day riding & WMX Moto 1) 

    Live

    August 14 - 1:30 PM

    

  • Race Day Live (Qualifying) 

    Live

    August 15 - 10:00 AM

    

  • August 15 - 1:00 PM

    

  • August 15 - 1:00 PM

    

And we are back! After two weekends off, the final three rounds of Pro Motocross are upon us and I, for one, can't wait to get to it. Both championships are in flux but feel incredibly different as far as the internal makeup. Seven points in the 250 Class separate the leaders and 12 in the premier class. Close, yes, but wildly different dynamics.

The 250 Class has been weaving all over the map, with wild point swings between Cole Davies, Julien Beaumer, and Levi Kitchen. There seemingly is no safe lead. Sure, some of it has been due to mechanical failures and freak crashes. Still, the points are what they are, and giving up 20-30 points on a given weekend isn't championship solvent. As the time draws short, the punitive weekends become fatal. There is not enough time left for a catastrophic stretch. It's crunch time for the kids in the hall, and whoever wants this title has to stand tall.

The 450 Class is and has been a two-man fight at the front, with the Lawrence brothers dominating the series thus far. They've gone a perfect 16-for-16 in moto wins as a family, and I see no signs of them losing the edge. The question now is simple: Can Hunter Lawrence withstand a late onslaught from his freakish younger brother? I do believe the pendulum has swung towards Jett on the raw speed scale. Jett's healthier and learning to compromise for the lesser ankle. All things equal, Jett can turn the fastest laps on the racetrack in August of 2026. Is that enough to make up a 12-point differential in six motos? Can he be perfect? Can he avoid the critical mistake that has plagued him several times this summer? Those are all valid questions, and ones that Hunter is hoping end in a no. Hunter has been phenomenal for his part, too. He's never been this good, this consistent, and this confident. He's going to need all of that and more to seal the deal. So often in this spot, Jett wields a speed weapon too sharp to withstand. Is 2026 finally the year that Hunter's shield holds strong? If not now, when? In 2024 and 2025 in the playoffs, it was heartbreak. This past May, more heartbreak at the hands of Ken Roczen. This August is another chance to make good on what has felt so inevitable yet unconquered all the same.

Last year, while here at Unadilla MX, we crowned our 450 Class AMA Pro Motocross Champion, Jett Lawrence. Haiden Deegan already had a huge points lead in the 250 Class at that time, but Jo Shimoda went 1-1 on the day and kept the 250 Class title chase alive heading into the Budds Creek National for the final round. Boy, a lot has changed in a year!

As we sit here wrapping up press day, we have two title fights that are alive and well. Through the first eight rounds of the outdoor season, there has not been a single 450 overall podium that hasn't had the Lawrence brother duo standing on it. What's even more impressive is that in all eight rounds, it's been either Jett or Hunter standing on the top spot of the box! (Actually, that streak goes all the way back to Washougal last year, which is the last race someone not named Lawrence won—Chase Sexton.)

The 250 Class, on the other hand, where do we even begin with this one? The top three in the class—Levi Kitchen, Cole Davies, and Julien Beaumer—head into Unadilla all separated by 25 points, with Davies just behind Kitchen, sitting seven points back. It has been a year of ups and downs in the class, as it does not seem that anyone who gets the red plate and the points lead wants to hold onto it for long.

Cole made his Pro Motocross debut here at Unadilla in 2025, although his results were nothing to write home about, as he went 23-23 for 26th overall and did not even score a single point. A week later at Budds Creek, Davies showed his speed, finishing third in the first moto but being credited with a moto win following penalties to Haiden Deegan and Jo Shimoda and then getting 17th in the second moto for a seventh overall to close out the '25 Pro Motocross season.

With three races left and six total motos to go on the year, is Unadilla where we see Davies take command of this 250 championship and make a final run at the title? Four out of the next six motos he will be racing on a track that he got to race on last year and be more familiar with than what he has done in the first eight rounds of the 2026 motocross season. He raced at Ironman Raceway in '24 as a part of Moto Combine (going 2-1 for the overall win) but missed the '25 Ironman National (which was earlier in the schedule last year) as a pro. So no more brand-new tracks for the New Zealand native in this final stretch.

As far as the 450 Class goes, will Hunter take control here and extend his points lead even more over Jett, or will Jett cut into the points lead and play spoiler? And could Haiden Deegan finally get his first moto win in the premier class and shake up the points between the Lawrence brothers?

Adding even more storylines is the fact that Australian MX1 Champion Jed Beaton is here racing and riding with the Lawrence brothers. And KTM has off-road ace Brandy Richards lining up in WMX this weekend, as does Phoenix Racing Honda with Tayla Jones. Hannah Hodges is back in WMX for today and tomorrow after a strong week at Loretta’s, and a ton of riders are coming back from injury, so there is a lot going on!

Unadilla should be epic!

Check out some photos from Brandon Croney.

I had a good, long chat with Zach Osborne at Loretta's after he won the Junior 25+ championship, and you would have watched it on The Weege Show—but my phone overheated and the clips didn't work! Yes, it gets that hot at Loretta's. Anyway, Zach wanted to make it clear that he is racing the final three Pro Motocross rounds, but it is absolutely not a full-time comeback to racing. He has three young kids, and there's no way he can sustain this effort or schedule for long. I plan to catch back up with Zach today at Unadilla, so look for an updated interview for today's Weege Show.

One thing to note about Zach Osborne's Loretta's performance: he was very, very fast and, in fact, had the fastest lap time of the week. As the days went by, though, recovery was tough on his 36-year-old body, and that's why his scores in Open Pro Sport went 1-2-4. He still won the title, but the 17-year-olds like Landon Gibson definitely had an advantage in recovery through a long week. So, I expect Zach to be fast and capable for the next few weeks, but he will also be in rest and risk management mode. Also, I've had far too many people text me saying, "So is Zach already the best Beta rider?" That's not really a fair thing to say because Benny Bloss has been very good lately, going 8-10 overall at Millville and Washougal. As always, those 6-10 spots often get overlooked. Benny and Beta have been better than you think lately!

The 450 Class is getting its depth back, with Aaron Plessinger, Justin Cooper, and Malcolm Stewart, returning this weekend, plus Garrett Marchbanks is healed up from a Washougal crash. This class is tough right now! It will be interesting to see where Zach slots in, for sure, but overall, it will just be fun to have him out there, and he can contribute data to his team. Look for more info on the Weege Show today.

Weege is right: The depth of the 450MX Class has been pretty impressive all season long, and it gets deeper for Unadilla this weekend with the returning-from-injuries Stewart, Cooper, and Plessinger. Then you add in the comeback for Zach Osborne (who's going to run his #168 amateur number despite him wanting Tom Vialle's #16 and us getting into a text fight over it) and Aussie MX1 champion Jed Beaton, and wow, things get deep pretty quick, right? It should be a good weekend of racing. I think Dylan Ferrandis will also be very fast, as he's good at Unadilla as well, and that battle behind the Lawrence brothers will be very interesting, methinks!

Had a chance to chat with Ken Roczen this week for our weekly SMX Insider show, and here's something I did not expect: the reigning Monster Energy AMA Supercross Champion is still not sure if he will race in 2027! You can read or watch the complete interview here on the website to see his full answer, but it appears Ken is wrestling with two different sets of feelings. There are good reasons to want to line up in '27, like getting to run the #1 plate, giving the fans and his team another run, and more. He gets that. But he had also been telling himself for years that if he ever finally won the AMA Supercross Championship, he would be finished. Now Ken has had a few months off, and he's not missing riding and racing all that much. So, there are good reasons to return, and some reasons not to. I think the likely scenario is that when Ken returns for the SMX Playoffs and his slate of off-season races (like AUS-X Open in Australia), the feelings will come back and he will then want to race in Anaheim, but for a few more weeks, he's on the sidelines and not sure if the feelings will return.

Also, Ken confirmed he won't be lining up for any Pro Motocross rounds, as he's healthy right now and doesn't want to take any chances on injuries before the playoffs begin. Remember, in 2023 Ken only raced High Point in June but showed up ready and in contention as soon as the playoffs began in September. He took Jett Lawrence down to the wire there. The last two summers he has spent rehabbing from injuries, and his playoff runs have suffered because of it. Also, Ken talked about his trip to Japan to visit Suzuki HQ, and he confirmed the brand does have some new things in the works! That's the kind of news we want to hear. Now, hopefully Ken gives us some more good news soon.

Ever since the Lawrence brothers, leaders of the last two winning teams for Australia at the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations, announced that they would be sitting out this year's MXoN in France, there's been an alarming run of announcements from other countries with top riders absent from their lineups as well. The race takes place the first weekend in October at Raymond Demy Circuit, hosted by Moto Club Ernée, in France.

Hunter and Jett made it clear very early on that they needed a well-deserved break this coming off-season, actually taking it off after a couple of years of doing not only the MXoN, but also the Paris Supercross in France and the AUS-X Open in Australia. They wanted to be upfront with their fans and the Australian motorcycling federation that they were sitting this one out. And the third member of the last two winning teams, Kyle Webster, underwent shoulder surgery, so he's out too.

Jed Beaton is on the team, and he's also here in America as a guest of the Lawrence brothers for the last three Pro Motocross rounds. He's driving to them in a rented van (JMB in '89-style) and riding with them at the Dog Pound.

Recently, Germany announced their team for 2026, and it was missing both '26 AMA Supercross Champion Ken Roczen as well as '25 MX2 FIM Motocross World Champion Simon Langenfelder. Also, the veteran Max Nagl is out with an injury. The three Germans that are set to race are Max Spies, Valentin Kees, and Tom Koch.

Japan's team will be without their best rider ever, defending 250SMX World Champion Jo Shimoda, who crashed out of practice at Southwick and is done for the season. Their three riders are Yuki Okura, Kainosuke Oshiro, and Haruki Yokoyama.

One team that is looking great on paper, but not on track right now, is Belgium. Lucas and Sacha Coenen will be teamed with Liam Everts, though both of the Coenens are banged up right now.

The home team of France also has a nice selection to choose from, as Romain Febvre, Maxime Renaux, and Tom Vialle could all be the MXGP rider. But with Febvre having already announced he is leaving Kawasaki for Ducati at the end of MXGP, he might not be available.

As for Team USA, that's still way up in the air. Everyone hopes that Haiden Deegan will finally be out there, but Chase Sexton is out with a knee injury, R.J. Hampshire will be switching teams, Justin Cooper is just now coming back from injury, Cooper Webb will be switching teams, Eli Tomac is coming back from injury... At least we have a few very fast 250 riders to choose from!

I tweeted this out a while ago:

We kind of all thought Malcolm would end up on Pipes Suzuki & he still might, he wants SX only but he's got some stuff cooking from what I hear. Maybe back to Star, maybe even #4's Kawi spot for SX only. Stay tuned.

I mean, we all figured that Malcolm Stewart would end up at Dustin Pipes' HEP Motorsports Suzuki team for 2027 as he wanted a supercross-only deal and Pipes needed a guy. Stewart enjoyed the JGR Suzuki he rode years ago and it seemed like a natural fit. But oh no, Mookie became hot property with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing asking about a third rider for SX-only and then, is that Monster Energy Kawasaki's music playing??? Yeah! It did seem odd as Kawasaki hasn't had more than two guys since, checks notes, forever but as that tweet said, there was interest and maybe it was a Monster Energy AMA Supercross (and SMX Playoffs) only thing, right? Because again, sources VERY close to Malcolm told me many times, his outdoor career was over after this season. Like, VERY, VERY close to Malcolm. Like, maybe Malcolm himself.

But I've since learned that the Kawasaki/Malcolm Stewart thing is going to happen for the #27. And it's for the full SMX season! Who knew? I guess Kawasaki made Stewart an offer he couldn't refuse and he'll go back to motocross next year. Good work for Malcolm and he'll be teamed with Garrett Marchbanks (who we expect to re-up for '27 as well) and...Chase Sexton? We all know things are rocky there with the #4 and Kawasaki but he does have a three-year contract, with two years remaining for 2027 and 2028. So, was this Stewart signing a precursor to letting #4 out of his contract (where we think he will go to Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) or is Kawasaki going to run three bikes for the first time in, checks notes again, forever? Stay tuned, I suppose, but either way, it's cool that he's going to be on the same team on which his older brother became one of the sport's all-time greats.

Also, just found that Jorge Prado has re-upped with Red Bull KTM, and Lux Turner has extended his deal with BarX Racing.

The wife and I headed to Hurricane Mills this year for the final time, and it was one of the most fun trips we've had since coming here in 2017. People ask me why this is the last Loretta Lynn's, and I tell them that it's time to do something different for a while around this time each year. With Aden turning pro, going to the ranch just for me doesn't seem quite as important. The track this year was one of the best I have raced on, and I wanted to commend the track crew for some great work all week long. The track wasn't so rutty that you couldn't move around, yet rough/rutty enough that it is still one of the most challenging tracks to race. The weather was decent and didn't start to get hot until Thursday, so getting through a couple of motos without baking in the heat was also a welcome change for me. Sign-ups were a breeze, and the company we had this year made the event that much more fun. We even got a creek day, which we haven't had in a couple of years.

The results were not what I wanted this year, but having guys like Ezra Lusk and James Povolny didn't help my cause. However, I will say I absolutely love when past top pro racers show up to race, as I never got to race against guys at this level before. Ezra was a bit before my time, and James was just always in the big bike class when I was in the 250 class. Being able to get some holeshots and lead some laps was cool enough for me, and landing on the podium was a nice way to wrap up my LL run.

We made a lot of content from the ranch as we vlogged our week-long trip and did daily recaps each night. All of this content is available on my website keeferinctesting.com. Loretta Lynn's is a special place to me and my family, and I will always defend the event because, just like Andrew Short said, Loretta Lynn's is the best amateur race in the world. Cheers to all the families that made the event, and congrats to all the racers who achieved their individual goals. See you at Unadilla!

Looking ahead to the Yamaha Budds Creek Pro National next week, promoter Ezra Beasley has once again put together a VIP package and exclusive fan experience with the Deegans that should make for an unforgettable weekend for Dangerboy fans.

"The DNGR Zone: A Deegan Family Experience" 
-Friday night happy hour with Haiden, Brian and family
-Saturday track walk with Brian, with professional photos
-Signed event shirt featuring Haiden Deegan
-Replica Champagne bottles from Haiden's 2025 title winning race at Budds Creek
-Catered lunch, drinks
-VIP hospitality tent with seating and live stream of racing action
- The price is $2,000 per person

There is also the Presidential Club:
-Best viewing in motocross at the Budds Creek Tower Building
-Elevated viewing platform with seating and an indoor airconditioned lounge. It includes air conditioning, misting fans, a live race feed, and seating
-Concierge shuttle service and fast track through the front gate
-All day pitpass
-Beer and wine
-Elevated catered breakfast, lunch and snacks, including steak and shrimp
-Exclusive Presidental Club Merch
-Celebrity appearances at the Presidental Club, you never know who will show up. Previously the Presidential Club has hosted the Deegan Family, Dylan Conrique, Duke Gomez, Mike Brown, Trey Canard, Streetbike Tommy, and more
-The price is $1,200 per person.

Tickets for both available at promotocross.com.

Next month, Columbus is going to get really busy for moto on the second weekend of September. Not only will Columbus host the opening round of the SMX Playoffs on September 12 at Historic Crew Stadium, but the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2026 Induction Ceremony presented by Yamaha will take place in nearby Pickerington, Ohio, on Thursday, September 10. And this year, with Damon Bradshaw as a member of this year's class, along with Gary Sellers, Jake Johnson, Russell Bobbitt, Eraldo Ferracci, and Dale Walker, there should be a nice turnout of Bradshaw fans (and competitors) who will attend the always-fun ceremony. The event takes place at the Event Center at Violet Woods in Pickerington, Ohio. Bradshaw and the rest will be presented their HOF gold jackets, courtesy of Broc Glover, who will be recognized as an AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Legend. And I know Broc is hopeful that a couple of other HOFers who have yet to get their jackets—like Jeff Stanton, Ricky Carmichael, James Stewart, and even Roger De Coster—will be able to attend and participate.

Tickets are on sale now, and seats are limited, so make sure to purchase tickets TODAY at MotorcycleMuseum.org/events-experiences/induction-ceremony/.

A couple from LLMX, a couple from AMA National Hard Enduro, and one from WSX.

"Former NBA star Enes Kanter Freedom writes letter to WNBA officially declaring for 2027 draft" - Outkick/Fox News

"Second ex-NBA player declares for 2027 WNBA draft"-News Nation

"Ex-NBA player, GOP Senate hopeful Royce White to declare for WNBA Draft as transgender"-New York Post

"SpaceX rocket crashes into the moon after drifting off course"—Facebook

“Venomous shake found in high school football player’s helmet”—WGAL

"Young People Are Embracing a Viral New Trend Called 'Moneymaxxing' (The Internet Has Invented Saving Money)"—Barstool Sports

"Anything For A Win: South Korea's Soccer Association Had To Apologize For Reportedly 'Bribing Refs With Sexual Services' Before And After International Games"—Barstool Sports

"Jayden Daniels tells LSU to keep his name out of its mouth in wild No. 5 jersey feud involving NIL"—Fox News

• MXGP

  • August 15 - 7:35 AM

    

  • August 15 - 8:10 AM

    

  • August 15 - 8:55 AM

    

  • August 15 - 9:40 AM

    

  • August 15 - 10:25 AM

    

  • MXGP Qualifying Race 

    Live

    August 15 - 11:15 AM

    

  • August 16 - 3:35 AM

    

  • August 16 - 5:25 AM

    

  • August 16 - 7:00 AM

    

  • August 16 - 8:00 AM

    

  • August 16 - 10:00 AM

    

  • August 16 - 10:00 AM

    

  • August 16 - 11:00 AM

    

  • MXGP Race 2

    August 16 - 11:00 PM