The 2026 AMA Pro Motocross Championship is officially underway, and the first 250 moto of the season had everything you could want — a dominant wire-to-wire winner, a surprise contender crashing the party, a title favorite showing early form, and a rookie from Iowa delivering on the promise he showed all morning in qualifying.
When the gate dropped on Moto 1 at Fox Raceway in Pala, California, Levi Kitchen was exactly where everyone expected him to be: out front and pulling away. He ran a flawless race from start to finish, crossing the line 5.5 seconds ahead of Seth Hammaker — who may have been the second-biggest story of the day — with Cole Davies rounding out the podium in third.
Kitchen Does What Kitchen Does
There's a reason Levi Kitchen entered this weekend as a title favorite. The Washougal, Washington native went fastest in both qualifying sessions, posted a 2:19.061 best lap in the moto — quickest of the field — and never looked challenged. This wasn't a squeaker. Kitchen managed his pace, managed his lines, and finished the job.
For anyone wondering whether the Pro Circuit-to-Monster Energy Kawasaki switch would slow him down, Moto 1 was a clean answer. Kitchen's equipment looked sorted, his fitness was on point, and he rode with the kind of controlled aggression that wins championships. He's the man to beat heading into Moto 2.
Hammaker's Quiet Statement
Seth Hammaker was P2 in second qualifying and backed it up in the moto. Nobody had him penciled in as a top-three guy coming into Fox Raceway — the conversation was all Kitchen, Shimoda, and Hymas — but Hammaker put his Kawasaki on the box and made the field take notice. His 2:20.088 best lap was second-fastest in the entire moto. That's not luck. That's a rider ready to compete at the front of this class.
The conversation coming in was Kitchen, Shimoda, and Hymas. Hammaker didn't care.
Dudney Goes P6 — The Rookie Delivers
Coming off a P3 showing in first qualifying, there was genuine curiosity about whether Caden Dudney could back it up when the points started counting. He did. The 17-year-old Star Racing Yamaha rookie crossed the line in sixth place with a 35:53 — a best lap of 2:21.756 that ranks right there with the veterans around him.
In context, Dudney finished ahead of established names like Daxton Bennick, Lux Turner, Nate Thrasher, Chance Hymas, and Julien Beaumer. His first full pro outdoor moto ended with a top-10, a clean ride, and points on the board. For a rider whose team said the goal this summer was simply to develop and build toward 2027, P6 is a very healthy start.
Watch for Dudney in Moto 2. If he found his legs out there, he could push even higher.
The Title Favorites: Mixed Bag
Not everyone the paddock expected to be up front was. Jo Shimoda — widely considered one of the three title contenders coming in — salvaged a solid P4, but he was almost 19 seconds back from Kitchen. That gap will need to close if he wants to make a championship run. Chance Hymas, another pre-season favorite, came home in P10. Julien Beaumer, who was fast in qualifying, slipped back to P11 in the moto — a reminder that speed in practice and speed in a race are two different animals.
Nick Romano at P5 on a privateer Kawasaki was one of the day's quiet surprises — the Bayside, New York rider ran a 2:19.934 best lap, which was actually faster than Kitchen's best. He just couldn't sustain it over a full moto the way Kitchen could.
Moto 1 — Full Results
| P | Rider | Time | Best Lap | Bike |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Levi Kitchen | 35:21.543 | 2:19.061 | Kawasaki KX250 |
| 2 | Seth Hammaker surprise | +5.511 | 2:20.088 | Kawasaki KX250 |
| 3 | Cole Davies | +10.090 | 2:21.261 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 4 | Jo Shimoda | +18.488 | 2:20.844 | Honda CRF250R Works |
| 5 | Nick Romano surprise | +19.258 | 2:19.934 | Kawasaki KX250 |
| 6 | Caden Dudney rookie | +31.656 | 2:21.756 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 7 | Daxton Bennick | +34.395 | 2:21.513 | Husqvarna FC 250 |
| 8 | Lux Turner | +37.831 | 2:21.809 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 9 | Nate Thrasher | +39.183 | 2:21.958 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 10 | Chance Hymas | +40.231 | 2:22.055 | Honda CRF250R Works |
| 11 | Julien Beaumer | +41.576 | 2:22.902 | KTM 250 SX-F |
| 12 | Carson Mumford | +48.928 | 2:23.223 | KTM 250 SX-F |
| 13 | Max Vohland | +50.807 | 2:23.034 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 14 | Landen Gordon | +1:01.161 | 2:21.713 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 15 | Kayden Minear | +1:03.221 | 2:25.069 | Yamaha YZ250F |
Moto 2 still to come. Stay locked in — follow us on motomoto.racing for live updates.