On a personal note, I've known Kenny since he was a 14-year-old prospect from Germany who showed up at the Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in 2008 with help from Cernic's Racing and Fox Racing. Longtime Suzuki dealer Jeff Cernic had gotten a call from Europe from the great Eric Geboers, the five-time FIM Motocross World Champion from Belgium, who was helping this Roczen kid over there. He asked Jeff to take care of Kenny when he was in America because he was a special talent. That week at Loretta's, Kenny raced a couple of B classes and finished ninth and 10th. What was more impressive to me was the way he handled himself. Cernic invited me to dinner in Waverly one night to meet Roczen and his parents. They did not speak a word of English at the time, but Kenny did—he already knew where he wanted to be! He was the one who would talk to the rental car people, check in at the hotel, get himself signed up at the races, read the rulebook, and just do whatever was needed.

When he came back a few years later to race 250SX West Division in Monster Energy AMA Supercross, he was on a KTM, had a season of Grand Prix experience under his belt, and proved himself a quick learner in supercross. He finished seventh in the Anaheim opener, earned his first podium in his fifth race, and by the end of the series had his first win at the Las Vegas finale. Then he went back to Europe and won the MX2 world title. He moved here full-time in 2012 and began his very long and challenging journey to the supercross crown. He won a couple of 450 Pro Motocross Championships (2014 and 2016), then found himself on the Honda HRC factory team. It seemed like we were about to begin the Roczen Era of AMA domination, but a couple of spectacular and nearly career-ending injuries changed all that. For the longest time, it seemed like he was never going to win that coveted SX title, especially after he left the Honda juggernaut for a much smaller Suzuki squad. He was talented enough to still win and held the red plate at some point in almost every season (2026 being his ninth different year with the 450SX points lead), but then something would happen, like that spectacular crash last year when his shock exploded in Nashville.

Roczen never gave up on his dream, nor did the Pipes Racing team, and somehow it all came together in 2026, 15 years after Ken first landed on these shores. Since then, he and his wife, Courtney, have built a family, and he's grown to become one of the most respected athletes in all of motorsports. You could see that by the number of competitors, crew members, officials, journalists, and even teams he no longer races for—they all came to congratulate the newest—and oldest—champion in the history of Monster Energy AMA Supercross, Ken Roczen.

Here's more on what makes this championship so special.

Here are some highlights from the weekend, courtesy of Alec Gaut.

SLC Vibes  (Hansel)

It's been nearly a week since Ken Roczen's big win in Salt Lake City, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't still buzzing from it. I've been going to races with Racer X since 2010, and for years before that as a fan. I've been lucky enough to be at a lot of memorable races, but last Saturday night was something else. The race itself was truly incredible, but the part that I'll never forget is what happened after. At a certain point, Kenny was sitting on his bike, alone, on top of the jump. He was overcome with emotion, and it was clearly showing on his face. He shook his head a couple of times, making it look as though he was questioning if this was reality or a dream, then he slowly looked up at the crowd, stared, and pinned the throttle. The crowd reacted, and Roczen continued to throw revs, drawing huge reactions. It was like he was a symphony conductor, and the whole stadium was wrapped around his wrist. I'm seriously getting goosebumps right now typing about it. The broadcast team captured this, so do yourself a favor and re-watch it. I've probably watched it 25 times and counting.

I remember when Ken Roczen won his first 450 title, this one in AMA Pro Motocross, at Miller Motorsports Park, also in Utah. Afterward, the celebration was wild, with Roczen doing burnouts all over the place and getting yelled at by the venue's security guards for it. Jason Weigandt even went home with a chunk of Roczen's rear tire that flew off as a souvenir (you still have that, Weege?). Back at the Red Bull KTM truck, it was a chaotic scene. For some reason, there was a huge bag filled with hundreds of bread buns, and people were throwing them at each other and laughing hysterically. Even Ryan Dungey, who'd lost the title that day, was smiling and sniping. It was awesome, and I went home after that weekend on a high, feeling lucky to have experienced it. But back then, it simply felt like it was the first of many premier titles to come for Kenny. In SLC last week, the vibe was not the same. It felt deeper. The stands stayed full after the race, which never happens, and there was this unspoken feeling in the air that we'd all just seen something special that probably wouldn't happen again for decades, and Roczen was inviting everyone in to be part of it. It was an incredible night, and I don't know if I'll ever see another race quite like it. Congrats, Kenny.

That One Yamaha Win Ad (DC)

In the pages of this week's issue of CycleNews.com are a whole bunch of win ads, as everyone from Kawasaki to Suzuki to Yamaha to the KTM Kids all had something to celebrate. We will show them all in the section below, but we wanted to give one particular win ad its own section. In a very classy move, Yamaha took out an advertisement to congratulate Ken Roczen and Suzuki on their 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship. The photo, supplied by the great Garth Milan (Octopi Media), is Kenny sitting on his Suzuki RM-Z450, acknowledging the jam-packed Rice-Eccles Stadium crowd, with both a Yamaha and a Suzuki tuff block in the background, with a fade to blue and the tagline: "Rivals on Race Day. Respect Always. Congrats, Ken!"

To my knowledge, I don't think Ken Roczen has ever ridden a Yamaha, except for maybe that YZ250 two-stroke he was on for the Red Bull Straight Rhythm that Ping and the Whiskey Throttle gang hooked him up with. He tested a ClubMX Yamaha YZ450F the off-season he left Honda before officially switching to Pipes’ Suzuki squad, but that’s it! But what a classy move from Yamaha to join in the celebration of a champion who's been through so many hardships yet persevered. Well done, bLU cRU.

By the way, Yamaha was the first OEM brand to earn a supercross championship, way back in 1974. It was won by another European rider who moved to America to race, Dutch legend Pierre Karsmakers. Yamahas were bumblebee yellow back then, and the series he competed in had just two stops: Daytona Speedway and the Houston Astrodome. It was called the AMA/Yamaha Super Series of Stadium Motocross. With all that in mind, here's what the original supercross win ad by Yamaha looked like.

Pro Perspective (Jason Thomas)

The door is officially closed on the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship, but as one door closes, another one almost always opens. In this instance, that door is represented by the AMA Pro Motocross Championship sitting on the horizon. For the riders, this is an interesting time. They are likely feeling a bit of burnout from a relentless SX schedule. There is simply no time to let their guard down, though, as these extra days for prep are critical. Testing is being done in a big way, and riders who may have leaned into late SX practice are desperately now working to get their outdoor legs underneath them. It takes a bit to transition from the precision of SX to the looser, faster MX form. The willingness to look at a rough straightaway and know that the ask is to hold the throttle to the stops and assume your bike will absorb things doesn't just magically happen. It's a trust that's developed through hundreds and thousands of laps. The more testing is done, the more trust is developed, and the more willing a rider is to stay in the throttle when the track is screaming for caution. SX riding consists of many sharp turns, pivoting, and squaring off corners. Outdoor riding is much more about promoting momentum at all costs, opening the corners up, and staying off the brakes. I can remember my first few days of riding motocross after seven months of riding pure SX, and my form was at an all-time low. Unwinding those habits takes time. It took a few weeks at minimum for me, but I did notice others picked it up more quickly. That's an individual dynamic and knowing yourself is important here. I was willing to forego my best form at the first couple of rounds of MX to make sure I finished SX strong. Some riders would take the opposite approach, leaning on their SX base to carry them through but going full-bore MX prep in April so that they shined at the opening rounds of MX. To each their own. Regardless of the choice there, it's absolute go time right now. This week and next are all about getting things sorted before May 30. The extra weekend off is a godsend to everyone in that regard. They can afford to take time off this weekend, but this past week and the upcoming week are nothing but hard work personified. Roll on MX.

Very, Very Early 2027 SX Thoughts (Mitch Kendra)

This is way, way, way too early to be talking about who wins a title in 2027, but one thing is for sure: Cole Davies has established himself as the new top dog in 250SX. With Haiden Deegan moving out of the class and Davies taking the race win at the season finale, Davies has proved he is the next rider in charge of the 250SX field. There are plenty of capable race winners and podium finishers in the 250SX divisions, but Deegan and Davies were simply on another level this year. Davies took his rookie season by storm in 2025, then rose to an even higher level in 2026, capping off the season with a big win. As Leigh Diffey and Ricky Carmichael noted on the broadcast, the Davies and Deegan battle at the finale reminded us all of the 2025 Denver SX. Their showdown was quite literally the showdown we all wanted to see: both titles were wrapped up, so let the best man win. This time, though, Davies came out on top, and him beating Deegan in Deegan's final 250SX race is a stat that will be in moto lore forever, someday being used in a trivia game years down the road.

When DC looked at the lap times from the SX finale, he noted Davies' 49.841 was the best lap of the 250SX main event, as well as the 450SX main event. I checked into it, and actually, Davies' sub-50 lap was the fastest lap of the entire evening program! The second-best lap was Chase Sexton's 49.901 in the first 450SX heat—the only other sub-50 lap of the entire night show.

As we saw last year—and it was nailed down this year again—Davies is the best 250SX rider in the whoops. Again, super-duper way too early to predict anything for 2027, but with Deegan moving out of 250SX, Davies is the sole 250SX rider with the target on his back, right now in the form of a #1E.

Cooper Webb (Matthes)

There is lots of silly season buzz around your three-time 450SX champion Cooper Webb for 2027 and beyond. His deal is up with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing, and despite him telling us on the PulpMX Show that it looked really good for him to return there next year, it seems that it doesn't. The people I talk to stress that nothing is done as of now, and there are two tracks that Coop's going down for next year.

One is a return to Star Yamaha for 450SX-only and the SMX Playoffs, and he's expressed an interest in doing the FIM World Supercross Championship (WSX) as well. The other is a Team Tedder ride with KTM factory equipment for 450SX-only, and then a WSX ride with the Rick Ware guys. With the 2026 WSX schedule set to start this August, I don't know how Webb would be able to do that round no matter what path he chooses for next year. Still, there are lots of ins and outs to work toward, and as I said, nothing is done yet. But no matter what he chooses, if your schedule as a fan includes going to Pro Motocross only, I think this is your last chance to see Webb race outdoors, so get your autographs/photos this summer!

Stacked for Fox Raceway (DC)

We've been looking forward to the opening round of Pro Motocross ever since Haiden Deegan announced that he would be moving up at the end of the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship. Of course, Haiden dominated the 250SX West Division for the second year in a row and has won the 250 Pro Motocross title the last two years. He now moves up to the premier class after one of the best runs ever through his first three seasons, right up there with James Stewart, Ricky Carmichael, and Ryan Villopoto. His new competition includes Jett and Hunter Lawrence, Eli Tomac, Chase Sexton, Jorge Prado, and more.

Related: How Many 250F Wins Did Haiden Deegan Earn in His Career?

But what about the 250 class? With #38 out of the mix, the door is wide open for someone to become the new boss. And there are lots of candidates. Credit for the list here goes to Michael Lindsey of Vital MX. He posted, "Barring some injuries in the next two weeks or so, here's what the lineup for Fox Raceway is looking like in the 250 class. Scoring points will be a mission for many."

Factory 250 Teams:

1. Jo Shimoda - HRC
2. Chance Hymas - HRC
3. Levi Kitchen - Pro Circuit
4. Cameron McAdoo - Pro Circuit
5. Seth Hammaker - Pro Circuit
6. Nick Romano - Pro Circuit
7. Cole Davies - Star Racing
8. Nate Thrasher - Star Racing
9. Caden Dudney - Star Racing
10. Max Anstie - Star Racing
11. Kayden Minear - Star Racing
12. Landen Gordon - Star Racing
13. Michael Mosiman - Star Racing
14. Ryder DiFrancesco - Rockstar Husky
15. Daxton Bennick - Rockstar Husky
16. Casey Cochran - Rockstar Husky
17. Julien Beaumer - Red Bull KTM
18. Austin Forkner - Triumph
19. Deacon Denno - Triumph
20. Gage Linville - Triumph

Factory-supported teams:
21. Coty Schock - ClubMX
22. Maximus Vohland - ClubMX
23. Carson Mumford - AEO KTM
24. Avery Long - AEO KTM
25. Gavin Towers - Phoenix Honda
26. Aden Keefer - Phoenix Honda
27. Parker Ross - BarX
28. Lux Turner - BarX
29. Dilan Schwartz - BarX
30. Cole Timboe - BarX
31. Leo Tucker - BarX

Other support level teams:
32. Derek Kelley - MX6
33. Henry Miller - MX6
34. Marshal Weltin - MX6
35. CJ Bernard - Gizmo / Rock River
36. Ayden Shive - Gizmo / Rock River

That is one stacked field! Here is Michael's thread on the field.

2026 Racer X National Stickers (DC)

Since all the way back in 1999, Racer X has made a series of free collectible decals for each round of Pro Motocross. The theme is usually something to do with traveling the whole circuit, like road signs, license plates, postage stamps, etc. (We would do them for Monster Energy AMA Supercross too, but most stadiums do not allow anyone to give out stickers because they often end up stuck to walls and seats!) After so many years, we were starting to run out of ideas before stumbling onto something we had never done before: motocross postcards! We gave the job of designing them to our newest member of the art department, Vance Coombs, and he did a fine job with the assignment. (Well done, son!) Here are the 11 different stickers for Pro Motocross. Look for your free one around the vending area at each round and at the Racer X trailer for the East Coast rounds.

GNCC Racing Back in Action (Mitch Kendra)

The Progressive Grand National Cross Country (GNCC Racing) Series is back in action this weekend with the Powerline Park GNCC. We have seen five different winners in six rounds, with Jordan Ashburn becoming the first repeat winner of 2026 by winning both the Dukes GNCC and The Old Gray GNCC. Ashburn is now in control of the points lead. How will this weekend's race go in Ohio? If you are local, go check it out; but if not, tune into RacerTV to watch both the amateur and pro racing on Saturday (bikes) and Sunday (ATVs) for free.

PROVING GROUNDS (Matthes)

A quick trip up to Boise, Idaho, to hang out with the WPS/Fly Racing guys as they opened their Proving Grounds track on their property. There's been a track next to the HQ for years, but it hadn't been used in a while, so a fresh build by Dirt Wurx took place, and today was the grand opening. I didn't stick around long enough for wheels to hit the track, but it looked pretty cool. The Fly Racing director, Cole Seibler, had a hand in designing it and getting it ready, so you know it will be good. Literally, the way Cole explained it to me, it can help with testing some new products out (hence: Proving Ground). I talked to JT and Cole about some of the new products coming down the line for the Fly guys, and it's pretty exciting. I also got to try out the new Blue Print line of protection, which heavily features the RHEON stuff on it. That's available for dealers to order now and is a high-end chest protection, knee cups, and knee guards type of product.

But as always, the highlight is talking to Fly Racing ambassador Damon Bradshaw, who was on hand. He's the coolest guy around, and about the only bad thing with Roczen winning the 450SX title is that now Damon is back as the rider with the most wins without a title! Damn you, Ken Roczen. Look for some podcasts dropping later on with more on my visit up here!

Loretta Lynn's Regional Time (Keefer)

My FINAL year! That's right, this is my last time going to the Ranch. It was supposed to be a team effort with my kid and me going together, but since he's turned pro a little early, it is a solo mission. The LL Regional Qualifier is next weekend at Fox Raceway, which I thought was kind of odd to have a week before the Pro Motocross National, but maybe that is the only time they could fit it in. I was stressing out a little at first because Aden was going to be at the LLQ and then race the Pro Motocross National the next weekend, so there was going to be a ton of work for me to do, but fortunately, I don't have to stress about that anymore. It is going to be a little strange for me going to LL's without Aden, but since I turn 50 this year, I thought, why not go out with a bang and really push for another title? I know we have a lot of good older riders, but I will do my best to end my Loretta Lynn's run with a win. It is a little bittersweet for me as I have a ton of great memories with my family at Loretta's, but for the most part, it was about Aden, and now with Aden taking the next step, I feel my time (doing it just for me) has come and gone. People can say what they want about Loretta's, but it is some of the best memories our family has together as a racing family. My hope is to get my buddies Steve Matthes and Jamie "Darkside" Guida qualified and share that same fun, as well as pain, with them as racers. Good luck to all of the racers and families on their journeys to the Ranch. I hope to see and meet some of you there come late July! As always, we will have a Keefer Tested recap show after the regional to let you in on how it all went down.

This Week's Win Ads (DC)

A very blue batch, which is no surprise given Yamaha's success in the 250SX divisions, Cole Davies winning the East/West Showdown, Caden Dudney winning SX Rookie of the Year, and Yamaha winning the SX Manufacturers' Cup for the third straight year, not to mention that Roczen salute. Speaking of Kenny, he and his Suzuki got a bunch of love too, as well as the cover of this week's CycleNews.com magazine. Chase Sexton earned a couple of win ads from Kawasaki and Maxima, and the KTM KJSX kids that made the finale earned a general salute. There are also a few non-win ads, like Galfer and their partnership with Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati Factory Racing, Sidi for Malcolm Stewart, ProFilter.com for Justin Rodbell, and 6D and MX6 Racing Kawasaki's Derek Kelley.

Hey, Watch It!

This is Bigger Than Motocross | 450SX Champion Ken Roczen

Weege Show: The Best Story in Supercross History

The Deegans: End of Haiden's 250 Era

And here's Haiden and Cole Davies with Adam Cianciarulo and Justin Brayton after their thrilling main event in the East-West Showdown in SLC:

Weege Show: The Best Story in Supercross History

Ken Roczen himself with James and Ricky and Adam and Justin:

Fox Racing: This Is Bigger Than Motocross, featuring Courtney Roczen.

Turning the page: Swap Moto Live at Fox Raceway for some RAW motocross practice, featuring Eli Tomac, Jorge Prado, Aaron Plessinger and more:

Same Fox Raceway session, only this time it's Matt Burkeen's unique take:

2026 Pro Motocross Preview | Lawrence vs. Deegan Feature |

SMX Insider – Season 4 – Episode 19 – Supercross Season In Review

Head-Scratching Headline/s of the Week 

"Dua Lipa Sues Samsung for $15 Million Over Unauthorized Use of Image on TV Boxes"—Yahoo

"South Florida officers sue Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, claiming details in 'The Rip' are too real"—WGAL

"Hacky Sack Mounts Comeback With Gen Z; Bringing Everyone Together..."—New York Times

"I escaped Vladimir Putin in the belly of a dead cow"—Telegraph 

Random Notes

This weekend:

Roczen Champion Collection apparel: https://kenroczen.com/collections/champion

SKDA: