Under clear Southern California skies at Fox Raceway at Pala, the 2026 AMA Pro Motocross Championship kicked off with everything you could want from an opener — a dominant performance in the 450 class, a massive crash that reshuffled the 250 overall, and Haiden Deegan's long-awaited debut in the big-bore class. When the dust settled, the storylines were everywhere.
450 Class: Lawrence in a League of His Own
Hunter Lawrence answered every question about his form coming out of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross season. Fresh off his heartbreaking SX championship defeat, Hunter came to Pala with a point to prove — and he did exactly that, winning both motos back-to-back for a perfect 1-1 overall.
Moto 1 set the tone early. Lawrence and Jorge Prado quickly moved through traffic and established a front two that nobody could touch. The battle for the lead early on was real — Prado pushed, Lawrence responded — but once Hunter put his head down and started threading through lappers, the gap only grew. Behind them, the most-watched storyline was Haiden Deegan's 450 debut. The teenager settled around the middle of the pack early, made measured passes, and came home fifth in the moto — a composed, mature ride that will have the paddock talking.
The biggest crash of the day happened early in Moto 1: Garrett Marchbanks and Eli Tomac tangled in the opening laps, sending both to the ground. Tomac, a perennial championship contender, did not remount for multiple laps and finished 40th — a brutal start to his season.
"Hunter Lawrence was unstoppable at Fox Raceway. He came out swinging and never looked back."
Motocross Action MagazineMoto 2 looked much the same. Lawrence led, Prado followed in second, and Jett Lawrence — coming back from his offseason injury — made his way through the field from sixth to take third by halfway. Deegan kept his composure again, navigating traffic to finish fourth and end the day fifth overall. Chase Sexton had moments but couldn't crack the top three. Justin Cooper picked up a solid fourth overall on the day.
450 Overall Results
⚠ Incidents & Crashes
250 Class: Kitchen Falters, Hammaker Delivers
The 250 class was shaping up to be a Levi Kitchen showcase. He topped qualifying, won Moto 1 convincingly, and looked every bit like the rider to beat in 2026. Then Moto 2 happened.
On the opening lap of the second moto, Kitchen and Michael Mosiman came together and both went down. Kitchen appeared to have a mechanical issue trying to remount — possibly a clutch problem — and could not get going again in any meaningful position. He salvaged 13th in Moto 2, which dropped him to fourth overall despite the Moto 1 victory. A brutal way to lose an overall that looked like it was his.
The beneficiary? Seth Hammaker. Kitchen's Kawasaki teammate had been riding smart all day — second in Moto 1 behind Kitchen, then moved into the lead in Moto 2 when Julien Beaumer, who grabbed the holeshot, couldn't hold him off. Hammaker cruised to the moto win and took his first career Pro Motocross overall in the process. A huge moment.
Caden Dudney put together one of the steadier rides of the day — sixth in Moto 1, fourth in Moto 2 — to land second overall. Cole Davies was third overall on consistent 3-8 moto scores. Julien Beaumer's 11-2 earned him fifth overall and showed legitimate speed. Jo Shimoda went 4th in Moto 1 and ended up 6th overall — a quiet but solid start.
"Levi Kitchen will be hard to stop this season. But today belonged to Seth Hammaker."
Motocross Action Magazine250 Overall Results
⚠ Incidents & Crashes
What It Means Going Forward
Hunter Lawrence left Pala with the 450 points lead and a chip on his shoulder. He's clearly not done settling scores after supercross. Jett Lawrence returning healthy and on the podium immediately is a big deal — the Honda HRC team looks dangerous again. Haiden Deegan's 450 debut erased most doubts; he was composed, fast, and brought it home fifth overall. The learning curve exists, but it's shorter than people thought.
In the 250 class, the Kitchen crash is the story that will follow into Round 2. He has the speed to be champion — Moto 1 proved that — but a title run can't survive many days like this. Seth Hammaker collecting the overall is a genuine statement; he didn't steal it, he earned it with two clean, fast motos. Julien Beaumer's Moto 2 ride (2nd, holeshot-to-leader) is a name to watch all summer. The 250 class looks very, very open.
Round 2 heads to Hangtown. The 2026 Pro Motocross season is officially off and running.