Levi Kitchen Anaheim 2 DNF Update: “My arm got hit…didn’t feel great after that, so I pulled off”
The start to 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross has not been good to Levi Kitchen. The Washington native was expected to be a title favorite in the pre-season, but the results have been brutal to start the season. The Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider has three first-turn crashes in as many main events to start the season. He charged from last to sixth in the Anaheim 1 SX main event and then second-to-last to fourth in San Diego. But at the Anaheim 2 SX, his night ended before he even did half a lap in the main event.
Kitchen had already had a hard slam in his heat race when he same up short off the triple after the finish line. Then, after his crash in the main event, he got up and was seen getting back onto his bike but then NBC play-by-play announcer (and Racer X editorial director) Jason Weigandt said both Kitchen and Chance Hymas (involved in a separate crash with other riders in the first turn) were riding off up through the tunnel.
Both Kitchen and Hymas had their left arms off the handlebars. Watch the chaotic start to the main event below.
The Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki post-race release provided some insight on the situation. The team stated Kitchen’s left arm was ran into early in the race, “resulting in a minor arm injury.” You can see when Justin Rodbell accidentally ran into Kitchen’s left arm in the extended highlights at the 20:10 mark. Kitchen's start device was still engaged, he went down, and then Rodbell ran into him. The collision resulted in Kitchen pulling out of the race.
The release said the following, including a quote from Kitchen (which we bolded):
In the main event, Kitchen again launched off the gate but slid out early in the race, and another rider collided with him, resulting in a minor arm injury. To avoid further injury, Kitchen pulled off the track to be evaluated and did not finish the race. Despite the setback, his pace earlier in the day continued to highlight his speed and potential as the season moves forward.
“It was a little bit of a frustrating day,” said Kitchen. “The speed is there, and I feel good on the bike, but a few small things kept setting me back. The crash in the heat race was unfortunate, and then in the main I slid out and my arm got hit in the mix. It didn’t feel great after that, so I pulled off, which was a bummer. The main thing is staying healthy so I can come back and fight in Houston.”
While Kitchen has shown speed both in the qualifying sessions and the night programs, after finishes of 6-4-21, he sits ninth in the 250SX West Division standings. His teammate Cameron McAdoo landed fourth in the main event Saturday night and sits sixth in the standings with 22-2-4 finishes.
| Position | Rider | Hometown | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Haiden Deegan | Temecula, CA  | 165 |
| 2 |  Max Anstie | Newbury, England, United Kingdom  | 123 |
| 3 |  Levi Kitchen | Washougal, WA | 118 |
| 4 |  Ryder DiFrancesco | Bakersfield, CA | 110 |
| 5 |  Michael Mosiman | Sebastopol, CA | 107 |
| 6 |  Max Vohland | Sacramento, CA | 106 |
| 7 |  Cameron McAdoo | Sioux City, IA | 97 |
| 8 |  Hunter Yoder | Menifee, CA | 84 |
| 9 |  Parker Ross | Herald, CA | 70 |
| 10 |  Joshua Varize | Perris, CA | 62 |
