In Birmingham, we will see the next chapter of the '26 title fight between Honda HRC Progressive's Hunter Lawrence and Red Bull KTM's Eli Tomac, but the race that seems to be getting more buzz is the 250SX East/West Showdown, where the two red plates are on two teammates with a growing rivalry. Haiden Deegan has been dominating the 250SX West, while his Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing teammate Cole Davies is out front in the 250SX East following his clean sweep of the Indianapolis Triple Crown race two weeks ago. They are the clear favorites in the first East/West Showdown of the year, but don't forget about Honda's Jo Shimoda and Kawasaki's Levi Kitchen, each of whom is looking for their first wins of 2026. And Max Anstie, Pierce Brown, and Seth Hammaker would all love to get a second win, especially if it comes tomorrow night against both Deegan and Davies.

Missing again, unfortunately, will be Kawasaki's Chase Sexton, who is apparently back on the bike but just not ready to race. Sexton's situation has been the biggest mystery so far this season. His departure from Red Bull KTM last year was not exactly smooth, but no one expected his arrival at Kawasaki to be this rough. He's completely out of the hunt for this title after having missed both Daytona and Indy following a practice crash. Before that, he scored just one podium in the first seven rounds—a win at Anaheim 2 back in January, a race that now seems like it was from a completely different season. Of course, it's been a rough run for Kawasaki, which dealt with last year's double disasters with Jorge Prado and Jason Anderson. Who would have guessed that at this point in 2026, Jorge Prado would be the man having the smoothest SX series so far, and he missed three rounds himself? But then again, who would have guessed in November or early December that ten rounds into this series we would be talking about a title fight between the other Lawrence and Eli on orange? Or that there would be beef between Hunter and Jorge, Tomac's teammate? What a weird, fun season it's been, right?

With the return of Monster Energy AMA Supercross comes the return of last week's big topic, late-race lappers. For a different take on that, Jason Weigandt talked to someone in the eye of the storm, an actual lapper...

Lapped Rider Speaks! (Jason Weigandt)

This week, I called Kevin Moranz to ask about getting lapped by Eli Tomac. Moranz bobbled in the first Triple Crown race in Indy and held Tomac up, which allowed Hunter Lawrence to get by. Later, in race two, Lawrence crashed into the back of a different lapped rider, Cole Thompson. The lapped rider situation really caught fire at the end of the evening, as covered last week here in Racerhead.

Moranz explained the very complicated timing of anticipating exactly when the leader is going to get to you. Yes, he saw blue flags, and yes, he knew Tomac was coming. He thought he would get passed in the rhythm lane and planned to stay to the right so Tomac could pass. But Eli gained more time in the whoops than Moranz anticipated, so Eli caught him before they got to the rhythm. He caught him in a one-lined turn in front of the mechanics' area, and both riders went inside. Then Moranz bobbled in the next turn, drifting into Tomac's line. Boom, damage done. Moranz could have gone off the main line there on the outside, but he was afraid his line might come together, with him drifting from left to right and Tomac from right to left.

I have two takeaways from Moranz. First, he did not intentionally want to hold anyone up. Second, he knew Tomac was there. He got the timing wrong and also made a mistake at the worst possible time. That's what happened.

Since Indy, I've read and heard many suggestions from fans on what to do about lapped traffic. Most focus on awareness: more blue flags, maybe adding lights to the bike that could indicate the leaders are coming, and adding radio communication. I don't think that would help much, though, because I think most lapped riders know the leaders are coming. They don't need more flags or lights. They know! The real problem? If two riders are battling for 15th place, too many of them see blue flags as a chance to actually gain an advantage. I believe one rider hopes the other will slow down so he can pull away. That means there's practically a penalty for doing the right thing (slowing down and getting out of the way) and a benefit for keeping it pinned. Until the rules address this, I don't think any number of lights or flags will make a big difference. The lapped riders are too busy juggling not ruining their own race while being lapped. That's where the problems start.

As for the blue flags, many lapped riders over the years have told me they are waved too often! Riders want to estimate when the leader will get to them, but getting a blue flag a half lap in advance only makes it harder to make that estimate. Moranz suggested maybe getting a held blue flag when the riders are starting to get close, and then getting a more aggressive flag wave when the leaders are right behind. As of now, the riders are just getting tons of blue flags, but no true indication of where the passing spot will be. That's what led to that one turn making all the difference with Moranz and Tomac.

Pro Perspective (Jason Thomas)

Over the last week or two, I've seen endless ideas on how to address the lapper issue as well. This is nothing new, for sure, but I did notice that the folks at We Went Fast compared the approach that other disciplines employ. I did some math to see what the difference would show if the lap time percentage idea was applied to SMX.

I chose Arlington as the event because the track was tricky, and we also did 21 minutes (Daytona is always a misnomer to draw conclusions from, and Indy was a Triple Crown).

Eli Tomac was the fastest qualifier at 47.688.

Mitchell Harrison was 20th with a 50.424 (also the highest lapper per the WWF article). Kevin Moranz was 21st with a 50.825 (often in lapping situations) and interviewed by Weege.

That gives us a differential of 2.736 seconds from first to 20th, or 5.7 percent if wanting to compare to other sports metrics. So, this would fit into the 107 percent idea for F1.

Now this is where I wanted to really see the difference and what I believe to be the crux. Watch what happens when fatigue is factored into this:

I took the winner's lap times over the second half of their individual main event. Again, using Arlington, the winner was Hunter Lawrence. This also factors in the lap Hunter rolled the finish line, adding over a full second to his lap. He did 26 laps, Harrison did 25, and Moranz did 24, so I only used the second half of each of their races, respectively.

Hunter's average lap from 14-26 (13 laps) was 50.467 (remember, this is including a 51-second lap when he rolled on the red cross lap).

Harrison's average lap from 13-25 was 55.216.

Moranz's average lap from 12-24 was 55.537.

Now, you probably see where I'm going. Even with rolling the finish line, that percentage gap jumps to 9.4 percent for Harrison, and Moranz jumps to 10 percent. Removing the finish line debacle, and this is even higher for both, around 10 percent for both being the point.

So, given this, I would say the issue at hand is not so much pure performance or skill; it's in the ability to sustain this level of performance. Fatigue is the key variable here. The time difference doubles in the second half of the race, which creates a much bigger issue as leaders are circulating 10 percent faster around the racetrack. Utilizing a qualifying lap won't address the large performance gap once fatigue sets in. Riders get lapped late in the race when the situation is at its worst. Leaders arrive quicker than expected, and fatigued riders are less able to both physically and mentally manage a tenuous situation.

Nick Romano (DC)

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki needed a fill-in rider after Drew Adams injured his thumb at Daytona, so they reached out to former Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider Nick Romano. The New Yorker took the call and will now line up this weekend on the #141 Kawasaki KX250 in Birmingham tomorrow.

Romano posted on his Instagram:

"Six months ago I didn't even own a dirt bike, and for the first time in my life, I didn't know if I wanted to keep continuing on this journey or not, but the man up above told me we weren't done yet. So I sacked up, bought my own bike, and kept at it. There was some dark days along the way, but a couple of things I learned from that time was patience and hard work are key parts of life. Kids, put your mind on something and don't let anything stop you.”

He thanked Pro Circuit team owner Mitch Payton for believing in him and giving him an opportunity when no one else did.

"Ten years later I'm back home and on my dream bike," added Romano. "The team and I have had a great week and a half putting in the work, and man, it feels good to say we're going racing. LET'S GET IT."

Romano has had a rough go of it since turning pro in 2022, as injuries have robbed him every year. Mitch Kendra took a look back at Romano’s past few years for this report.

MXGP Returns (DC)

Two weeks after a very entertaining opening round of the 2026 FIM World Motocross Championship (MXGP) in Argentina, MXGP holds its first round of the year on European soil with the Grand Prix of Andalucia in Spain. Here's a look at the new Almonte circuit and the host city from MXGP-TV host Lisa Leyland:

Honda HRC PETRONAS teammates Jeffrey Herlings and Tom Vialle share the points lead, though Herlings actually won the opener with a 1-1 score—his 113th career win, but his first on anything other than a KTM. Vialle, back from three years in America, actually finished third overall in his MXGP debut with 2-4 moto finishes, while Kawasaki's Romain Febvre, the defending MXGP World Champion, was the runner-up with 3-2 moto scores. So why are Herlings and Vialle tied at 50 points apiece? Tom won the Saturday qualifier in Argentina, which earned him 10 championship points, while Jeffrey crashed and finished 12th, which meant no points.

However, it was from that 12th gate pick that Herlings would holeshot the first moto—a very rare holeshot for him—and immediately served notice that he was already in tune with his new ride. He also proved he's fit, making late moves in each moto, passing Vialle for the win in the first and Febvre in the second.

For this second round, the first three can probably expect company in the form of both Lucas Coenen and Tim Gajser, who were each a tick off in Argentina. Like Herlings, Gajser was on a new bike (Yamaha) after a decade with Honda. Coenen simply made a few mistakes that cost him. Both know they need to bounce back quickly in what is a very deep field—and it will be even deeper if Kay de Wolf is back, having missed the opener due to injury. And with this being a fairly soft track, the sand master de Wolf should be right in the mix.

The MX2 class is led by defending champion Simon Langenfelder, who also went 1-1 and, just like Herlings, failed to score any points in the Saturday qualifying race. He is three points ahead of Spanish Triumph rider Guillem Farres, who went 3-4 in the motos but earned nine points by finishing second in Saturday's qualifying race.

And joining MX2 this weekend will be the current FIM Women’s World Champion, as Lotte Van Drunen will line up on what should be a very good track for her—she loves the sand!

The MXGP of Andalucia streams live on MXGP-TV.com, and the second motos will be aired on CBS Sports Network on Sunday at 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern.

Get your MXGP-TV pass today

Ducati MXGP Bikes Stoen (DC)

Our sport and the motorcycle industry, in general, have a very long and unfortunate history of bikes and equipment being stolen. It happens to almost everyone—Jeremy McGrath, Kailub Russell, Phoenix Racing, the Metal Mulisha, Glenn Coldenhoff, Langston Motorsports, and even Travis Pastrana have all had multiple motorcycles stolen. A few years back, privateer Michael Akaydin even had a bike stolen from inside the stadium tunnel during a race at Angel Stadium!

Unfortunately, we can now add Ducati's MX2 factory team to the list, as on Wednesday night in Sevilla, Spain, near where the MXGP of Andalucia is taking place this weekend, all of the Beddini Racing Factory Ducati team's bikes and equipment were stolen. We spotted the one on the @mxvice Instagram feed:

"The Beddini Racing Team, Ducati's official entry in the MX2 World Championship, has had all of its equipment — including its factory bikes — stolen just hours ago in Sevilla.

The Italian squad had already faced a major setback earlier this week when its truck overturned in Italy while en route to Almonte, forcing the team to continue the journey using vans. Just as the situation seemed to be under control, events took a far more serious turn: the vehicles were broken into, and all equipment was taken. The stolen bikes are factory prototypes from Ducati, which makes recovery significantly more difficult, as they carry no frame numbers or official identification.

We at MXVice would like to appeal to the entire community: if anyone has any information that might help locate the stolen equipment, please contact us. Any lead could be crucial.

Simone Mancini had just completed his first MXGP in MX2 on his Ducati, finishing 13th in the first moto in Spain.

Factory Bike Videos (Keefer)

As we click off the rounds of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship, I am getting a chance to go inside the factory bikes and take you with me. At Daytona, I had the chance to walk through the factory Triumph of SMX Next racer Deacon Denno and Team Honda HRC Progressive's Jo Shimoda race machines. I was curious to see if Deacon's SMX Next race steed was the same as the factory machine of Jalek Swoll, so mechanic Dillon Smith talks about the differences between the #199 machine and the #56. We also snagged Ben Griffith as he walked me through Jo's revamped 2026 Honda CRF250R and gave us all an inside look at what Jo prefers on his updated spec for 2026.

You can check the videos out here: 

Hey, Watch It!

Three-time 450 SX Champion Cooper Webb bought the track he grew up riding on in North Carolina:

Haiden Deegan is back this week for the first East-West Shootout in Birmingham:

James Stewart weighs in on the question of lappers in Monster Energy Supercross:

Between The Arrows - Bike Pro Highlights | 2026 Talladega GNCC Round 3

Head-Scratching Headline/s of the Week 

“Why Some Birds Seem to Be Developing a Cigarette Habit”—NY Times

“Robot Goes Berserk in California Restaurant, Dragged Away by Staff After Smashing Tableware”—Futurism

"Florida hospital sues to evict a patient who won’t leave room 5 months after discharge"—AP

"A real possum appears among plush toy animals in Australian gift shop"—AP News

Random Notes

Robert Kelly was the longtime AMA official on the west coast, helping out at Monster Energy AMA Supercross, where he was well-liked and highly respected. He lived in Oceanside, CA, and had two loving children in Brandon and Courtney Kelly. Two years ago, he was diagnosed with Glioblastoma brain cancer. 

"To know our dad was to love him- his calm energy, ability to build anything, sly sense of humor, and unmatched selflessness made him one of a kind," posted his children Brandon and Courtney Kelly. "His 39 years of working at Warner Bros. and 46 years with Supercross are just two examples of the dedication he had to his craft and commitments. We are so fortunate that he was, and always will be, OUR dad. He provided us with the best life we could have ever asked for that included so many amazing memories, unforgettable lessons and unconditional love." 

Godspeed, Robert, and thank you.