450 Storylines: Salt Lake City Recap
KEN ROCZEN: In his 13th season attempting to win a 450SX Class title, Ken Roczen became the 26th different and oldest champion in history, overcoming a 31-point deficit just past the halfway point of the season. Prior to 2026, Roczen finished on the championship podium 5 times but also missed 46 rounds due to debilitating and career-threatening injuries. In Salt Lake, Roczen settled for fifth as he protected his points lead and earned his 122nd career 450SX Class top-5 finish, tying Ryan Dungey for fifth on the all-time list. He also finished the season with 179 450SX Class starts (10th all-time) and 325 SMX League* starts. It was his fourth career SMX League title (1 250SX, 1 450SX, & 2 450MX), tying him for 15th all-time. It’s the fifth premier class title for Suzuki, its first since 2010, and the 36th championship all time for the brand (18 MX / 18 SX).
CHASE SEXTON: Captured his fourth consecutive win in Salt Lake City, his second victory of the season, and 18th win of his 450SX Class career. That ties him with Kevin Windham for 14th on the all-time 450SX Class wins list. It was also Sexton’s 39th career SMX League victory. He will try to become just the 18th athlete in SMX League history to amass 40 wins during Pro MX this summer. He finished sixth in the SX standings this season, despite missing 3 rounds and scoring a DNF.
JUSTIN COOPER: Earned his fourth podium of the season and ninth of his 450SX Class career. It was the 69th podium of his SMX League career (32nd all-time). Cooper locked down fifth in the championship standings to record back-to-back seasons inside the top five. Cooper has the fourth-most 450SX Class podiums without a victory – Tim Ferry [20], Guy Cooper [11], Ernesto Fonseca [10], Jim Gibson [9], & Justin Cooper [9].
NOTES: Jorge Prado (3rd): Bookended his season with the first 2 podium results of his U.S. career. Finished ninth in the standings and will look to improve on his sixth-place finish last season in Pro MX. Cooper Webb (4th): Completed his seventh season on the championship podium in third, which is the fifth-most all-time: McGrath [10], Reed [8], Dungey [8], Tomac [8], & Webb [7]. Hunter Lawrence (7th): Came 3 points shy of his first 450SX Class title. Finished the season with 5 wins and 12 podiums and earned his 30th top-10 finish in 36 attempts (83%). Shane McElrath (13th): Made his 250th career SMX League start, with 81 in 450SX Class action. Cade Clason (19th): Announced his retirement then made his 70th career 450SX Class Main Event. He finished his SMX League career with 105 starts.
450 Class: Fox Raceway at Pala Facts
- HISTORY LESSON: Pro MX made its debut at Fox Raceway for the 2010 season finale. Suzuki’s standout rookie, Ryan Dungey, dominated both motos to secure his 10th victory of the season. Dungey had already clinched the championship 2 rounds earlier in Southwick. Fox Raceway made a return as the finale in 2011, with the title fight between Dungey and Ryan Villopoto, the latter holding a 14-point lead in the standings. Dungey triumphed on his Suzuki with a 2-1 effort, but Villopoto’s 1-3 result was enough to claim his first premier class title.
- RETURN TO FOX RACEWAY: Fox Raceway did not hold another Pro MX race until the second stop of the 2019 season. Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac swept his way to the first of 6 overalls victories that summer, en route to his third straight 450 Class title. Fox Raceway then served as the 2020 finale, where Honda’s Chase Sexton broke through for his first Pro MX victory following a winless 250 Class career. Husqvarna’s Zach Osborne finished sixth overall with 5-7 finishes, which was enough to clinch his first title over Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo.
- DOUBLING UP: In 2021, Fox Raceway became the third venue to host multiple rounds in a single season and was the first to do so in non-consecutive races when it hosted the opener and penultimate races. In 2022, Fox Raceway was the site of the opener and finale, the only time that has occurred in Pro MX history. Since 2023, Fox Raceway has hosted a single race on the schedule, with each won by Honda’s Jett Lawrence, who is undefeated at the venue. The 2026 event will be the 12th Pro MX race at Fox Raceway round and fourth straight season as the opening race.CHAMPIONSHIP AND OPENER %: Overall winners of the 450 Class at Fox Raceway have won the title in 5 of 11 seasons (45%). Collectively, the opening race winner in the premier class has won the title 50% all-time (27 out of 54 seasons). The now defunct 500cc class saw the opening race winner earn the championship in 13 of 22 seasons (59%). When adding in the 250 Class with the premier class (450cc + 500cc), the all-time percentage is 51%, with 65 titles in 128 seasons.
250 Storylines: Salt Lake City Recap
COLE DAVIES: Having already clinched the Eastern Divisional title, Davies added to his breakout season by earning his sixth victory. It moved him into a tie for 25th all-time in 250SX Class wins with 8. Davies has 13 podiums in his first 19 starts and is in position to gain the all-time 250SX Class wins record next season. The victory moves Yamaha past Honda for second in all-time 250SX Class wins with 156. The 16 wins from Star Yamaha this season is far and away an all-time record.
LEVI KITCHEN: Snagged his 17th career podium, which is good for 34th all-time, in his 34th start (50%). It was his fifth podium of the season. Kitchen is now a two-time runner-up in the Western Divisional Championship. He was the highest finishing Western Divisional athlete in the East/West Showdown.
MAX ANSTIE: The newly turned 33-year-old scored his third podium of the season and 11th of his 250SX Class career. He clinched third in the Eastern Divisional standings by 4 points over Ryder DiFrancesco, tying Anstie’s career-best SMX League finish from the 2023 SX season.
NOTES: Haiden Deegan (4th): Went down while attempting a pass for the lead in his final 250cc start. Finished his 250SX Class career with 14 wins (second all-time), 25 podiums (sixth all-time), and 32 top-5’s (10th all-time). He enters the 450cc division with 119 career 250cc starts under his belt across all SMX Leagues. Ryder DiFrancesco (5th): Earned his 10th top-5 finish in 22 starts and clinched his best career championship finish with fourth in the West Division. Derek Kelley (7th): Tied his second-best career 250SX Class finish in seventh, as the second-highest finishing Eastern Divisional athlete. Finished ninth in the Eastern Divisional standings, the highest championship finish of his career.
250 Class: Fox Raceway at Pala Facts
- HISTORY LESSON: The first Pro MX 250 Class race at Fox Raceway was also the 2010 season finale. Kawasaki’s Dean Wilson swept both motos for the second win of his rookie season. Wilson’s teammate Christophe Pourcel held a 7-point lead over Honda’s Trey Canard going into the race, but Pourcel DNF’d both motos after a crash in Moto 1, which handed the title to Canard after a third-place finish (4-3). Wilson also swept the 2011 finale for Kawasaki after clinching the title a week before at Steel City.
- RETURN TO FOX RACEWAY: Pro MX returned to Pala in 2019 for the second race of the season, where Adam Cianciarulo made it 3 for 3 for Kawasaki in the 250 Class at the venue. It was his second of 6 career victories en route to the 250 Class title.
- HOW TO TIE A GOAT: After 17 SMX League starts Jett Lawrence captured his maiden SMX League victory at Fox Raceway during the 2020 finale. This began his current streak of 8 straight overall wins at the venue, winning four total 250 Class races in 2021 & 2022 before sweeping all 3 races in the 450 Class from 2023 to 2025. He has won 13 of 16 motos in his 8 Fox Raceway starts. Ricky Carmichael is the only other athlete in the history of Pro MX to win 7 or more times consecutively at a single venue, winning 8 in-a-row at 3 different tracks – Budds Creek, Spring Creek, and Southwick. Jett tied that mark with an eighth straight victory last season and could break the record with a victory to open his 2026 title defense.
- CHAMPIONSHIP AND OPENER %: The winner of the 250 Class at Fox Raceway has won the 250 Class title in 9 of 11 seasons (82%). Collectively, the opening race winner has won the title in 25 of 52 seasons (48%) and in each of the past 7 seasons.
