Ken Roczen wins as Hunter Lawrence secures the red plate in Glendale SX shocker
By Team TMX on 9th Feb 26
A record-breaking crowd packed into State Farm Stadium for round five of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship and they were treated to a proper blockbuster. Not only was it the biggest audience ever for a Supercross race at the venue – with FanFest attendance smashing records too – but the night also delivered a major shake-up in the 450SMX title fight.
Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen became the fourth different winner in the opening five rounds, while Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence climbed to the top of the points standings for the first time. The drama was amplified when incoming red-plate holder Eli Tomac’s night unravelled almost before it had begun.
The 450SMX main event kicked off with Vince Friese grabbing the holeshot aboard his ISRT MX4Christ Kawasaki, but it didn’t take long for Lawrence to assert himself at the front ahead of Roczen and defending champion Cooper Webb. Chaos struck behind them as Tomac was taken out in the first turn by Christian Craig, who lost traction and collected the Red Bull KTM rider. Tomac remounted in a distant 22nd, his title hopes suddenly under serious threat.
Out front, Lawrence controlled the early stages of the 20-minute-plus-one-lap race until Roczen launched his attack around the four-minute mark. Once in clean air, the German stretched a lead of just over three seconds and never looked back. Lawrence settled into a secure second – his fourth straight runner-up finish – while Webb faded slightly to a lonely third.
Attention soon shifted to Tomac’s recovery ride, and while it wasn’t spectacular by his standards, it was damage limitation at its finest. The Colorado native picked off riders methodically to climb to 12th by the chequered flag – not what he wanted, but far better than it could have been.
Roczen’s victory was his fifth inside State Farm Stadium, the 24th of his career, and extended his remarkable streak of winning in seven consecutive seasons. The win carried extra emotional weight following the announcement that team manager Larry Brooks is undergoing cancer treatment.
Lawrence now holds the red plate with a five-point advantage over Roczen, while Tomac slips to third, eight points adrift.
In the Western Divisional 250SMX class, Haiden Deegan delivered another masterclass. The reigning champ holeshotted the main event and immediately laid waste to the field, building a commanding lead within a handful of laps. Teammate Michael Mosiman chased early, while Cameron McAdoo and Ryder DiFrancesco scrapped over third.
The ride of the race, however, belonged to Levi Kitchen. After rounding turn one in 19th, the Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider charged through the pack, slicing into the top five before picking off McAdoo, Mosiman and nearly reeling in Deegan on the final lap. It wasn’t quite enough to challenge for the win, but second place after passing 17 riders was nothing short of heroic.
Deegan cruised to his fourth straight victory – and 11th of his career – extending his championship lead to a commanding 27 points. Kitchen’s late charge earned him another runner-up finish, while McAdoo completed the podium for the second race in a row.
