The press conference preceding the first round of Monster Energy AMA Supercross doesn’t always produce big news or rousing quotes, but this year there was plenty of interesting information that came up. Below are some of the more noteworthy lines and bits of information taken from today’s presser.
“I went where I thought I could be more successful.”
Chase Sexton when asked about his team change from Red Bull KTM to Monster Energy Kawasaki. He said he’d been able to get in quite a bit of testing during the off-season, and things had been going well. When asked when he thought he’d be at 100 percent on the new machine he said, “The plan is tomorrow.” After the presser he also told us one of the reasons for his move was that he really wanted to get back on an aluminum frame.
“What I need to prove is that I’m still competitive and capable of being in the championship hunt.”
Eli Tomac when asked if he felt he had anything to prove in 2026. Tomac also elaborated on the time he spent at Baker’s Factory, noting how nice of a facility it is. “It’s a nice compound, top notch. Like a country club. I was scared to ride on the grass. There’s pavement all the way to the tracks.”
“I think that’s three or four more than normal.”
Defending champ Cooper Webb when Racer X’s Kris Keefer mentioned to him that he’d heard three or four industry people saying they believed Webb would win the title again. Webb went on to say it would be nice to get the win on Saturday, but stressed the importance of being strong late in the game, a trait that’s helped him collect three 450SX titles so far.
Webb would later drop this bombshell: “We’re not on the ‘26. We’re on the ’25, the same bike I won the title on.” Webb said he liked the ’26, which has a frame change, but that he didn’t like change, and after a big sit down with the team, it was decided he would race the ’25, although he is keeping the ’26 engine package. He added we're gonna "go with old reliable."
“I haven’t changed a click on my motorcycle in months.”
Ken Roczen on the advantages of being on a machine that hasn’t had major changes in years. He also talked about having to constantly remind himself to not go too hard when preparing for the season, smiling as he mentioned the number of texts he received from his dad telling him to take a break. He also said it’s nice having another top guy on the team in the form of Jason Anderson, and the two have been feeding off each other.
“I have some unfinished business in the 250 Class.”
Haiden Deegan, when asked why he opted to stay in the 250 Class after preseason rumors swirled regarding him jumping straight to 450SX. He went on to mention that if you have a chance to defend a title, you shouldn’t pass it up. He didn’t rule out moonlighting later in the season, however, saying that if he managed to build up a big enough points lead he might consider entering some 450SX races on the opposite coast.
For most of the press conference he appeared slightly angry, scowling. The only time it relaxed into a slight smile was when Levi Kitchen was asked if he thought he would be able to compete for wins and a championship against Deegan, to which Kitchen replied, “Yeah, of course.” A member of the press noticed Deegan’s facial change and later asked him about it, prompting Deegan to respond, “I just think it’s funny that people keep comparing, comparing, and comparing, a guy with five titles to a guy with zero titles.”
Here are some more noteworthy items that came from today’s presser.
Cameron McAdoo mentioned that although he didn’t have quite as much time to prepare for this race as he would have liked, having been off the bike for seven months, he was in a good spot with the bike, and in his personal life. He’s also expecting a baby!
Ryder DiFrancesco was sporting a mustache in the press conference, and when after saying he shouldn’t have a problem competing if he rides like he knows how to ride, said if he wins on Saturday night he’ll keep the ‘stache, but if not, “It’s coming off.”
Austin Forkner, who is debuting the Triumph 450 on Saturday, talked about the decision to climb aboard the bigger bike, stating he’d never ridden a 450 on a supercross track before and only had a day or two to make the decision. They also had to start from scratch on developing the machine and setup, simply because it’s a brand new machine.
RJ Hampshire, who broke his scapula and some ribs during preseason training, said it was pretty humbling coming back from the injury, saying he was “getting smoked” by his riding partners at Baker’s Factory for three weeks (notably Malcolm Stewart, who both Hampshire AND Tomac said has been "flying at the test track). When asked about his goals for the season, he said he wanted to mirror his performance in AMA Pro Motocross last year, where he started solid and was battling for podiums by the end.
Justin Cooper said he’d been working on skimming whoops, acknowledging his tendency to jump them last season was one of his weaknesses, but made sure to note the difference in the whoops from qualifying and heat races, to the main event where they can get really haggard.
Jorge Prado was asked if he feels any additional pressure to perform with Red Bull KTM after things didn’t end well at Monster Energy Kawasaki, and it didn’t seem like that was the case. “We want to make all the races, that’s it, not much more,” Prado said. He also said, “It feels amazing to be back home with the brand I won my titles with.”
If you’re an Aaron Plessinger, fan, and really who isn’t, you’ll be happy to hear he’s confident he’s fully recovered from the illness that took him off the bike halfway through Pro Motocross last year. He pointed out that before his break last summer, he’d been off the bike for a mere five weeks in three years, and acknowledged the toll it had taken on him. He said he’s been going hard in the weeks leading up to A1, and still feels great and has had a great time battling back and forth with Hampshire at Baker’s Factory.
The Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati team will be competing in Monster Energy AMA Supercross for the very first time, and Justin Barcia said that while things were new, they started in a great place due to the work Antonio Cairoli had put in, both in testing and in the rounds of Pro Motocross he competed in last summer.
