It’s just become tighter at the top of this season’s AMA Supercross Championships after a thrilling round six of the series in Seattle at the weekend.
Australian Honda rider Hunter Lawrence – whose younger brother Jett Lawrence holds the title from 2025 but is currently on the injured list – still leads the championship chase, but only narrowly after American multi-time champion Eli Tomac (KTM) battled through to take the main event win in Seattle.
Seattle’s Lumen Field hosted round six of the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship, and the fans were treated to one of the tightest, most dramatic nights of racing so far this season.
Tomac pulled off a masterclass in patience and aggression to claim his third main event win this season, fending off fierce challenges from Cooper Webb and Justin Cooper, while Australian points leader Hunter Lawrence battled back from late-race drama to finish fourth.
From the very start, the night was set to be a battle.
In 450SX qualifying, Jorge Prado once again lit up the timing screens, posting a 50.600s lap in Q1 that would stand as the fastest of the day.
On a soft, sticky track that broke down rapidly, throttle control was crucial, and Prado’s pace left everyone else chasing.
He later went down in Q2 and was tended by medical teams. Tomac responded with the fastest lap of Q2 at 51.032s, just 0.432s off Prado, while two-time Seattle winner Webb slotted into third on 51.281s.
Previous round winner Ken Roczen and championship leader Hunter Lawrence rounded out the top five, keeping the championship fight close even before the gates dropped.
The first 450SX heat saw Roczen explode off the line, holeshotting and quickly stretching away from Justin Hill, Justin Cooper, and Malcolm Stewart. Tomac got off to a slow start but powered his way past Hill and Stewart to move into third.
Stewart later crashed but remounted to finish seventh and stay in a transfer spot. Meanwhile, the fight for the last transfer positions was intense, with Vince Friese holding off Mitchell Harrison and Kevin Moranz in a tense final-lap battle.
The heat was marred by an early crash between Christian Craig and Jason Anderson in turn one. Craig would withdraw with fractured fingers, saying, “Fractured fingers and pretty sore. Going to rest up and try to race next weekend,” while Anderson remounted only to crash again and retire. Roczen held strong for the win, followed by Cooper, Tomac, Hill, Garrett Marchbanks, Colt Nichols, Stewart, Friese and Harrison.
Heat two was just as dramatic. Webb initially led before Hunter Lawrence moved past him, taking control of the race.
Chase Sexton held third but crashed, leaving Lawrence and Webb clear at the front. Webb made an aggressive inside move on Lawrence just before the finish line, recovering to finish second. Aaron Plessinger, Joey Savatgy, Sexton, Dylan Ferrandis and Ty Masterpool all transferred.
Prado, attempting to race despite his earlier crash, pulled off on the first lap, clearly feeling the effects of his shoulder injury and ending his night.
The 450SX main event opened with Webb nabbing the holeshot. Tomac wasted no time passing Plessinger, who had put himself at the pointy end early, to begin his pursuit.
Roczen settled into third, with Chase Sexton looking for pace before being passed by Cooper. As the lead trio separated slightly, Tomac launched a critical block pass on Webb midway through the race to take command.
Webb briefly regained ground, but Tomac soon stretched the lead to over a second and went on to his fourth Seattle win.
Webb went on to his third straight podium with second. Lawrence closed on Roczen and attempted an inside pass, where it looked like he lost throttle control, taking both riders down.
Cooper capitalised to move into third, where he would finish, while Lawrence remounted to finish fourth. Sexton was fifth, and Roczen recovered to tenth after the fall in what was a huge disappointment after last round’s win.
Lawrence said, “I feel like an idiot. I was already going down, and I got Kenny involved in that. It sucks.”
Tomac battled through the most demanding track conditions of the season to capture his third win of the championship campaign.
Tomac was glad to be back on top with his 56th win saying, “Seattle was the usual conditions today, a tough track to really get a hold of and get comfortable on, but I saved the best for last – I got the best start and had my best ride in the main event.
“I cleaned up some lines, did some different jump combinations, and this was just typical Seattle, and one of the toughest rounds that we have on the schedule. I am glad to come here and get back on top, as the last couple of weekends have been a little tough, so we’re back at it!”
Hunter Lawrence scored enough points to remain on top of the championship standings, but only a single point ahead of the resurgent Tomac, with Webb and Roczen tied for third and fourth and Sexton in fifth, therefore setting up a thrilling title fight for the coming rounds.
The 250SX West class delivered a back-and-forth thriller as Haiden Deegan and local favourite Levi Kitchen traded blows lap after lap, with Deegan just managing to hold on for victory, with Britain’s Max Anstie completing the podium.
The focus now shifts to Arlington, Texas, for round seven and the start of the 250SX East campaign next weekend.
Photo courtesy KTM
Find BikesportNZ.com on FACEBOOK here
450 Main Event Results – R6 Seattle:
1st Eli Tomac, Laps Cortez, CO, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
2nd Cooper Webb, Newport, NC, Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha
3rd Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing
4th Hunter Lawrence, Landsborough, Australia, Honda HRC Progressive
5th Chase Sexton, La Moille, IL, Monster Energy Kawasaki
6th Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, FL, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna
7th Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, OH, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
8th Joey Savatgy, Clermont, FL, Quadlock Honda Racing
9th Dylan Ferrandis, Avignon, France, Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati Factory Racing
10th Ken Roczen, Germany, Progressive Insurance / Cycle Gear / Ecstar Suzuki
450 Championship Standings After Round 6:
1st Hunter Lawrence 124 Points
2nd Eli Tomac 123 Points
3rd Ken Roczen 113 Points
4th Cooper Webb 113 Points
5th Chase Sexton 106 Points
6th Justin Cooper 95 Points
7th Jason Anderson 83 Points
8th Joey Savatgy 80 Points
9th Dylan Ferrandis 75 Points
10th Jorge Prado 73 Points
250 West Main Event Results – R6 Seattle:
1st Haiden Deegan, Temecula, CA, Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha
2nd Levi Kitchen, Washougal, WA, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki
3rd Max Anstie, UK – Newbury, England, Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha
4th Ryder Difrancesco, Bakersfield, CA Rockstar Energy Husqvarana
5th Cameron Mcadoo, Sioux City, IA Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki
250 West Championship Standings After Round 6:
1st Haiden Deegan 143 Points
2nd Max Anstie 108 Points
3rd Michael Mosiman 107 Points
4th Ryder Difrancesco 107 Points
5th Levi Kitchen 101 Points