1. Worth the Wait
The 250SX Western division had not been the most exciting through the first five rounds, but round six gave us everything we had hoped for during the pre-season. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing's Max Anstie grabbed the holeshot and led early, but it was not long before Anstie's teammate and points leader, Haiden Deegan, went by with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki's Levi Kitchen in tow. Deegan led for a few laps, but Kitchen began putting in some incredible laps (including a 49.9, the fastest of the race by 0.7 seconds) and closed the gap. Kitchen eventually pulled alongside Haiden and then made the pass.
Lumen Field erupted as their hometown hero took off with the lead, and it looked like Levi had Deegan's number, but between lappers and Levi losing a little of his early race flow, Deegan was able to close back in and go back after the lead. The two went back and forth several times, with a couple of controversial pass attempts by Haiden, but in the end, it was Deegan taking his fifth victory in a row, the first rider to do so since Ryan Villopoto in 2007.
It was an incredible battle, one that we expected to see on a weekly basis. After the race, the two congratulated each other and both acknowledged how great a race it was. Oddly, there is only one more solo West race left on the schedule, but let's hope we get more of this battle before Haiden moves to the 450.
2. Daddy's Home
Red Bull KTM's Eli Tomac needed a bounce back in Seattle after some scary crashes the last two weekends and losing the points lead. He did just that with a dominant win in conditions that were 180 degrees from his first two wins at A1 and San Diego. Eli lurked behind Cooper Webb for about half the race before making a pass for the lead. He was consistently nailing the three-on after the whoops and began doing a unique roll line into the rhythm lane before the finish line that helped him pull out to a comfortable nine-second lead by the finish.
The win silenced talk of any potential injuries from his recent crashes and answered any questions on how he would adapt to the KTM in soft, rutted conditions. Despite not having the red plate, grabbing three wins before anybody else has two makes it hard to argue against Eli being the current championship favorite.
3. Hunter-Kenny Altercation
The biggest story from the 450 class in Seattle was undoubtedly the altercation between the top two in the championship late in the main event. After a rough start to the race, Honda HRC Progressive's Hunter Lawrence caught fire in the second half, eventually catching up to Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki Team’s Ken Roczen for third. Lawrence went for the pass in the sand (a line he used previously to make passes), but the lines came together, putting them both on the ground in dramatic fashion. Roczen was the first to get up but could not get his RM-Z450 fired up. Lawrence got going after only being passed by Justin Cooper and salvaged fourth, which was good enough to retain the points lead by one point. Roczen, on the other hand, fell back to a devastating tenth. In Honda's post-race PR, Lawrence said, "I certainly didn't intend on taking him out – it was just a crappy racing incident." It was an unfortunate blow to Roczen's momentum after his win in Glendale. How he responds in Arlington may define his championship run.
Recommended Reading
Mon Feb 16 Anstie on Returning to Podium: “It Was Needed, Definitely Been a Rough Few Weeks” 
Mon Feb 16 Webb Unhappy with Second in Seattle: “Felt Like I Should Have Won Tonight And Didn't” 
Mon Feb 16 Back to Being the Best? ![Hunter Lawrence: “I made my attempted pass on Kenny [Roczen]...it was just a crappy racing incident”](http://rxi.iscdn.net/2026/02/322769_lawrence-halignmediasx26seattle132.jpg)
Mon Feb 16 Hunter Lawrence: “I made my attempted pass on Kenny [Roczen]...it was just a crappy racing incident” 4. Chaotic Conditions
When the 2026 supercross schedule came out with the Seattle round in February, it seemed destined to be a climatic disaster. The reason for the early date is that the stadium was unavailable in its typical late March/early April slot because of the FIFA World Cup (Soccer) coming to town. This is the same reason there is no Foxborough or East Rutherford SX round this season.
As the race approached, Feld Motor Sports and Dirt Wurx were thrown an unexpected curveball. The Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl last weekend, and due to championship celebrations, the crew couldn't begin moving dirt into the stadium until Wednesday evening. A job that typically begins on a Monday and takes three or so days to complete was done in about 30 hours. Fortunately, Mother Nature cooperated during the build, and the track was built and covered before Friday's rain. Saturday's track was typical Seattle, and ultimately the race was a complete success, bringing some of the best racing of the season.
5. Prado Banged Up
Red Bull KTM's Jorge Prado's stock has been on fire since A1. It reached a new peak in Seattle after the first qualifying session but took its first major hit in the second session. Prado shocked us again by qualifying fastest in Q1 by over a second. Unfortunately, in Q2, he had a huge crash and rode off in the Alpinestars medic mule, favoring his shoulder. His time from the first session held up, and he earned the pole for the second straight week. After getting checked out, early reports were that he was sore but good to go for the night show. After taking off for the heat race, the pain was too much to manage, and Jorge immediately pulled off, ending his night. We do not have any more information yet from KTM on Prado's status for Arlington.
6. J-Coop Podium
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing's Justin Cooper landed his first podium of 2026 in Seattle. His seventh-place start still is not what we are accustomed to with Justin, but he made some quick moves on Chase Sexton and Hunter Lawrence to put himself in the mix with the lead pack. J-Coop seemed to have fifth locked up, but the Lawrence/Roczen situation gifted him third. He joined his teammate Webb up on the podium, and after a slow start to the season for not only Justin but the entire Star Racing 450 team, things are starting to come together.
7. Sexton Panic Button?
Monster Energy Kawasaki's Chase Sexton was uncharacteristically off the pace in Glendale, but it was possible to just chalk it up as an off day. However, his Seattle performance has people reaching for the panic button, because it was sub-par again. Chase was off the pace all day, qualifying seventh, and in the main event, he got one of his better starts of the season and simply lost touch with the lead group. Sexton was fortunate to finish in the top five after the Roczen-Lawrence incident and finished 30 seconds behind Eli Tomac. The positive is that he only lost one point to the points leader, Hunter Lawrence, and if he can turn things around, he can still make a title run. They say once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, three times is a trend; will Sexton be able to stop these poor performances from becoming a trend in Texas?
8. Zombie Mookie
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna's Malcolm Stewart has not had the season he was hoping for, but he is also fortunate to be racing after breaking his scapula in the A1 incident with Justin Barcia. Malcolm DNF'd in Glendale after several crashes in the main event, and he started Seattle off with a massive get-off in his heat race. Most guys would have called it a night, but he somehow managed to get up and still qualify out of the heat. He then went on to have a season-best sixth in the main event! It may have gone under the radar, but it was an impressive bounce back for the #27.
9. Masterpool Finds a Home
Ty Masterpool's season debut on a blacked-out privateer Yamaha YZ450F did not go well. He missed the Triple Crown main event racing in Houston and looked rough, to say the least. He skipped Glendale but returned to this weekend in Seattle with Gizmo Racing Yamaha. It went much better this weekend, as he made the main and finishing 18th. In classic Masterpool fashion, the details of his deal with the team are not entirely clear. Friday's announcement stated that Gizmo Mods will give their "full support" to Ty for the remainder of the supercross season. There are whispers of him racing 250SX East, which begins this weekend in Arlington, but he's on the 450 entry list as of now.
10. Coop Leads his First Laps of the Season
You could argue that Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing's Cooper Webb came into Seattle as the favorite. Coop had won the last two races inside Lumen Field, and this year's conditions were no different. Webb ripped the holeshot and took advantage of the clear track by setting the fastest lap of the main on lap two. He held a small gap over Tomac and led his first laps of the season. He lost steam late, making some mistakes and later admitting he began to pump up. Yes, he won the Triple Crown overall in Houston (despite not winning any of the three races), but Seattle may have been his best race of the season. Despite the momentum Webb has been building over the past few weeks, he has yet to cross the finish line first in 2026. He will look to change that inside Arlington’s AT&T Stadium, a place where Webb has a record seven 450SX victories.
