What we didn't know until this week was that a whole new storyline has taken shape with the announcement by Red Bull KTM that the Coenen twins from Belgium—Lucas and Sacha—will make at least three appearances in Pro Motocross, using the off-weekends from the FIM Motocross World Championship (MXGP) to travel to the U.S. and race. The rounds they will attend are Thunder Valley, Southwick, and Ironman. The Coenen brothers, 19 years old, have incredible speed. Lucas is leading the MXGP standings right now, and Sacha is second in the MX2 rankings. They made their desires to race in America known a while back and even tried to race RedBud last summer. KTM in America was not in a position to accommodate them, but they made a deal for 2026 to help. Now they're jumping into a series that already has a massive amount of buzz around it due to all of the storylines listed above. I happened to be on the phone with Brian Deegan this week, talking shop and planning out a visit to Cairo, Georgia, for a story on all of the things happening down there, when the news broke about the Coenens coming to race. His response? In typical Brian bravado, he said, "Love it! Bring 'em all on..."

Now put a pin on this and save it for the day before Thunder Valley: MX Sports Pro Racing and the AMA made the decision during the off-season to invite all of the riders and teams, factory and privateer, to participate in Friday's press-day ride at Thunder Valley. It's annually the single event that has the most press-day requests due to the altitude and the necessary adjustments for setup, mapping, etc. That means we will see the Coenen brothers and everyone else get some extra time on the track, and that's a big difference for the Belgian brothers, who are used to the two-day format of MXGP and not the single-day rush of AMA Pro Motocross. Even though this was decided weeks ago, no doubt there will be some who say the open practice was done to help the brothers get acclimated!

And speaking of MXGP, it is getting back on track this weekend in France after four weekends off. Lucas Coenen will wear the red plates as he's chased by at least two red bikes—the Honda HRC PETRONAS CRF450R machines of Jeffrey Herlings and Tom Vialle—as well as France's own Romain Febvre, the defending MXGP Champion who leads Kawasaki, as well as Yamaha riders Tim Gajser and Maxime Renaux... I just realized that every rider in that sentence except Coenen has won at least one world title! They will have their qualifying race tomorrow, and then the main motos on Sunday. You can watch it streamed on MXGP-TV.com, as well as the second MXGP moto on Sunday at 11 a.m. (ET) on CBS Sports Network, and then the other three motos will be delayed until later in the afternoon.

Our own Jason Weigandt, who will be calling all 11 rounds of Pro Motocross with James Stewart and Jason Thomas, went to the Thunder Ridge Nature Arena this week, which is the home site of the SMX World Championship finale in September. He also had a chance to speak with Coenen.

Meet Lucas Coenen (Jason Weigandt)

The podcast space is very crowded these days, and I'm always looking for new interviews and angles that others aren't covering. Knowing the MXGP circuit had five weekends off through April and May, I wanted to talk to a star from that series during the break to bring something fresh to Weege Show Wednesday, and I wanted to chat with Lucas Coenen the most. At just 19, he might already be the fastest man in the GPs on a 450. And he's younger than Haiden Deegan! Crazy. Plus, he has a twin brother who also hauls. A few weeks ago, I just wanted to interview him to learn more about his personality, but I did not know that both Coenen brothers were working on a plan to race in the U.S. for a few rounds of Pro Motocross (and I get a feeling they're pushing to move here full-time in the future). So, getting the interview done proved tricky because I think KTM wanted to make sure the U.S. Pro Motocross plan was decided before Lucas spoke to me, even though I wasn't even specifically going to ask him about that. I knew Lucas and the team would announce that news when they were ready. I just think the American fans need to know about this guy, regardless.

Eventually we agreed on a date and time for the interview, and by then the U.S. plan (to race Thunder Valley) was officially green-lighted. So, I asked him a bit about that, but really, I wanted to know about his feelings on Belgium's motocross history, his decision to jump on a 450 so early in his career, and the brothers' journey to stardom. Here's something I learned: if the boys stayed in Belgium, where they're from, they could have ridden sand all the time, but the family felt they could learn more if they moved somewhere with more hardpack. So, when they were still relatively unknown, they relocated to France, 12 hours from home, to hone their skills on harder dirt. Lucas says he still knows how to ride sand (he sure does) but it's not a focal point of their training.

Also, the brothers really don't have access to a good supercross track in Europe. If they do want to come here, they'll be learning from scratch. (And if Lucas wins the MXGP title this year he will automatically have to race in the 450 class in SX here.)

Lucas seems like a nice, humble kid. I actually thought he might be cocky considering he's had so much success so soon. He's not. Give the interview a watch and you'll see.

Thunder Ridge (Weigandt)

This week I got to visit the Thunder Ridge Nature Area, which, as Davey mentioned, is the site of the SMX World Championship finale in September. I'd honestly never heard of this place—a concert venue—when the 2026 SMX schedule was announced. Well, I'm glad I went to check it out because...now I know this place is amazing! Bass Pro Shops owner Johnny Morris has developed a massive outdoor resort called Big Cedar Lodge. It features six insane golf courses, a marina for fishing, and a family-friendly arcade/go-kart facility. The Thunder Ridge concert area sits inside this massive resort, and everything about it is first class. Like first, first class. JT took a tour of some underground caves you can drive into with a golf cart, and there was a bar down there, deep deep inside the caves. Yeah, it's like that.

What will the track be like, though? I've heard they worked really hard to find good dirt, and the track map has already evolved from some of the stuff shown earlier this year. We'll see about the track, but I can tell you this is a cool place to hold an event. Plus, the crazy Ozarks tourist destination of Branson, Missouri is right next door. Maybe make a long weekend out of it.

Check out the SMX Insider show on YouTube today:

Pro Perspective (Jason Thomas)

For the first time in the 2026 season, I find myself headed to Europe to visit the MXGP world. As mentioned, after a month-long break, the series returns with a reunion at the French round, Lacapelle Marival—a rarely used track for the series. MXGP was last here in 2021, so veteran racers will be familiar, but it's hard to imagine any trends could be assumed given so much change over the last five years. The 2026 campaign has been a fascinating one, especially in the premier class. The collision of youthful exuberance and veteran experience is front and center. Jeffrey Herlings, Tim Gajser, and Romain Febvre represent the old guard, while young upstarts like the series' points leader Lucas Coenen, Kay de Wolf, and Andrea Adamo (among others like Vialle) are trying to upend the hierarchy. It's a clash of titans, both young and old. That's also a big point in itself. The depth has returned to MXGP in a big way. This might be the deepest season ever, and it's just getting started.

As soon as I mention that depth, however, MXGP might be on the cusp of losing twin superstars. As mentioned above, the Coenen brothers are making a few cameo appearances this summer in Pro Motocross and have plans to make a full-time jump very soon. Many have asked me over the last few months, "How will they stack up to the SMX regulars?" It's a fair question, and after Jorge Prado's failure to launch last summer, maybe more than fair. The answer is simple in my mind: they will be at the front battling with the very best. Also, add Prado to that list in year two. These guys are motocross experts; it's all they do. Sure, there is typically an acclimation period, and maybe Thunder Valley's elevation or jet lag or whatever excuse imaginable gets in the way. I'm aware of that possibility. Still, what I've seen on many occasions, both during the week and on the weekend, is undeniable. The very best of MXGP stack up well against the very best of SMX. I give the edge to those racing stateside when on stateside tracks, but that edge swings hard in the other direction on MXGP tracks. The familiarity, comfort, and ability to summon their best form all rise when at "home." Still, these Pro Motocross rounds, both before and after the Coenen brothers arrive, are going to be all-timers. The addition of Deegs, the return of Jettson, and the return to form of Jorge all have me watching 2025 Pro Motocross reruns on Peacock.

For a weekend, I will dive head-first into MXGP and absorb all that southwest France offers. The culture, fresh faces, and café au lait will keep me smiling my way across the countryside. As soon as I board my Delta flight home on Monday, though, my thoughts will turn to Pala for what could be the greatest motocross showdown ever recorded. That sounds hyperbolic when I read it back, but when I look at the lineup and then factor in the MXGP points leader and runner-up in MX2 joining the fray for round three, how could it be anything less than a clear-headed expectation?

The Big Red List (DC)

In our latest issue of Racer X Magazine, Steve Matthes of PulpMX fame listed the 11 best American Honda factory riders of all time. He then rated all of the American Honda factory riders over the years for the website, going back to 1973 and the very first team of Gary and Dewayne Jones, Marty Tripes, and Gary Chaplin.

The article is called "Depth Chart," and it's the first in a series he's doing on each OEM factory team on the AMA circuit. You can read the whole piece on Racer X Online right here.

Before you dig in, here are Matthes' criteria for this list: "Keep in mind that we did not include any fill-in riders, and you had to be on the actual Honda factory team to be counted here, so no GEICO Honda, Honda of Troy, Pro Circuit, or any other satellite team. What we're taking into consideration here is how each rider performed while on the Honda factory team, not their professional career as a whole."

Needless to say, there's already been some controversy—it's a ranking list by Steve Matthes, so of course it's a cause for debate!

One notable absence is that of Brad Lackey, the first American to win the FIM Motocross World Championship. Lackey rode for Honda in 1977 and '78, finishing second in the '78 500cc World Championship. He also raced for Honda in the Trans-AMA races in the fall of each of those seasons before moving on to Kawasaki in 1979, and then ultimately Suzuki, the brand with which he won that historic '82 world title. Lackey's absence from Matthes' Team Honda Depth Chart has drawn some criticism, but here's the thing: Brad never raced in either AMA Pro Motocross nor AMA Supercross aboard a Honda. After the '76 season, when he competed in a handful of outdoor nationals between GP races, Lackey did not race on the AMA circuit. His Trans-AMA (and later Trans-USA) finishes are not listed in the Vault, meaning he has no outdoor national or supercross finishes while riding for Honda.

Lackey did, however, pose for the American Honda team photo in 1978 before departing for Europe to race in the 500cc World Championship for what was effectively the Honda HRC European team alongside young British rider Graham Noyce. Brad finished second that season to Heikki Mikkola, who was riding for Yamaha.

The absence of Brad Lackey wasn't the only question we received about the Depth Chart. Racer X publisher Scott Wallenberg asked about the absence of Minnesota's Tom Benolkin, who started the 1980 season competing in the 125 Nationals for the Moto-X Fox Honda team (and an early version of what we would now recognize as a satellite team). Benolkin was impressive enough that toward the end of summer, Honda team manager Gunnar Lindstrom (Lars' dad) set him up to ride a works Honda RC125 at the U.S. Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio—the muddy one that Johnny O'Mara won on a white Mugen Honda. Benolkin finished third in the first moto and had a shot at the overall win before the rainwater and mud ruined his engine. Benolkin stayed on the bike for the last couple of rounds of the series, then signed a factory contract with Team Kawasaki. He will be on that list when Matthes gets around to his second installment of "Depth Chart," which will cover Team Kawasaki in the U.S. Lackey, who won the '72 500cc AMA Pro Motocross Championship aboard Kawasaki, will be on that one as well.

RIDE RED (Matthes)

I had fun ranking all the Honda factory riders over the years. As mentioned above, we did the top 11 in the mag and then the rest went up this week online. Judging by some comments on the post, Wally's thoughts, some Tweets I got, people failed to read this part of the criteria: "Keep in mind that we did not include any fill-in riders, and you had to be on the actual Honda factory team to be counted here." So no satellite teams (GEICO, Two-Two) or guys like Tom Benolkin, who got a fill-in, or Brad Lackey, who I guess rode for American Honda only in the Trans-AMA races and U.S. Grand Prix events.

Overall, it really was a coin flip between MC and RC for top Honda rider and honestly, I let current HRC manager Lars Lindstrom break the tie because I was torn. MC was there one more year than RC and is looked at as more of a "Honda" guy, I guess? The GOAT himself was okay with it on X so there we go.

But anyway, one of the things I think about when it comes to these lists is just what color you are most represented by when you hang your boots up. It's not THE final criteria but it's part of the criteria, you know? For instance, when it comes to Kawasaki, Wardy is such an iconic rider for them and 14 years is a LONG time to ride for a brand. But RV won more, Tomac won more... So, yeah, stay tuned!

Randomly Interesting Stat of the Week (DC)

Do you realize that the last graduate of the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki 250 team to go on and win the premier-class 450 Supercross Championship is Ryan Villopoto? It's been a dozen years since Villopoto, a rider from the juggernaut program that Mitch Payton built to win, made his last of four straight SX championship runs.

In this year's final top ten in the 450SX division, the highest-finishing rider to come from the Pro Circuit team is Joey Savatgy, who finished eighth in the standings. The second-highest-ranked graduate was 10th-place Justin Hill. Everyone else in the top ten—Ken Roczen, Hunter Lawrence, Cooper Webb, Eli Tomac, Justin Cooper, Chase Sexton, Malcolm Stewart, and Jorge Prado—never lined up as 250 riders under the Pro Circuit tent. In part, this is because three of those riders—Roczen, Lawrence, and Prado—came here from other countries, and their career paths wouldn't really take them to Mitch's door. But it's also worth pointing out the more recent success of Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing and GEICO/Factory Connection Honda and their amateur programs. They've made it much more difficult for Pro Circuit to scoop up the best young prospects.

Before Villopoto's run (2011–'14), the most recent PC graduate with premier-class SX Championships was Ricky Carmichael ('01–'03, '05–'06). And before that it was Jeremy McGrath ('1993–'96, '98–'00). Those are the only three SX Champions whose career paths took them through the Pro Circuit team, which was founded in 1991 as a Honda satellite program. But every other SX champion, from Jeff Emig ('97) through Chad Reed, James Stewart, Ryan Dungey, Jason Anderson, Cooper Webb, Eli Tomac, Chase Sexton, Jett Lawrence, and most recently Ken Roczen, did not spend even a season under the Pro Circuit tent.

PVR Slusser Memorial and More (Cody Darr)

The Dylan Slusser Memorial at Pleasure Valley Raceway delivered an unforgettable weekend of racing and celebration as riders battled for the coveted AMA Featured Event #1 plates. Fans packed the facility for intense competition on the track and an exciting atmosphere off it, making the annual event one of the highlights of the season. Saturday night's festivities featured a spectacular fireworks display and a benefit auction supporting the Team USA Junior Motocross Team as they prepare to represent the United States of America at the FIM Junior Motocross World Championship. Team riders Chase Dashiell and Austin Keller were on hand throughout the evening, helping raise proceeds for the team while also earning #1 plates of their own during the weekend's competition.

On the track, the racing action did not disappoint. Devin Simonson claimed the win in the highly competitive 450 Pro Am division, while his ClubMX Yamaha teammate Jesson Turner topped the field in the 250 Pro Am class. In WMX competition, Kelsey Harris captured the big money and the victory after an impressive performance against a talented field of women.

As everyone has come to expect, Jeff Cernic made sure the weekend was about more than just motos. Always looking to entertain the fans, Cernic introduced his own unique team relay format called RE-MX: four riders, one team, win and advance, lose and your squad is eliminated. The bracket-style showdown quickly became one of the weekend's most-talked-about attractions. Friday night saw Team Jones and Roman MX School race their way to victory, while Jeff's MX Tire team claimed the big money win on Saturday night. And in classic Cernic fashion, the excitement was summed up perfectly with his trademark call: "Whoa, Nelly, we are having a barn burner tonight!"

Again, Team USA Junior team manager Jeff Cernic also used the Slusser Memorial race to raise money for the kids' upcoming trip to the Czech Republic for the 2026 FIM Junior World Cup the weekend of July 4–5. The auction included the jerseys of several superstars who are graduates of the event, including newly-crowned Monster Energy AMA Supercross Champion Ken Roczen. In all, the auction brought in just over $20,000 to support Team USA Junior.

As far as the lineup goes, in the 65cc class the United States will be represented by Jax Baker, Yumena Berning, Carter Holmes, and Abshur Hall. Berning will join Raycin Kyler (2025) as one of the only American female racers to have competed in the FIM Junior Motocross World Championship; Kyler, who moved up to the 85cc class, is expected to make the team next year. This year's 85cc class will see Team USA represented by Joey Vicari, Chase Brennan, and Austin Keller. And racing in the 125cc class will be Noxx Lewin, Gauge Brown, Sawyer Gieck, and Chase Dashiell.

There was another big off-weekend race at Budds Creek in Maryland. Alexander Fedortsov, 2025 SMX Next SX Champion and now MX6 Racing Kawasaki rider, was the big MX winner at the Budds Creek Motocross Park Throttlefest. Fedortsov missed all of 2026 SX with an injury but seems to be back to form with his win in Maryland.

And the annual TLD MotoFest took place at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, California, with a whopping $100,000 in purse money up for grabs over three events: The Stopwatch National, the 450 MotoFest and the 250 MotoFest. With the return of the Troy Lee Designs team in SMX, now on Ducati, Troy sent the rig with Justin Barcia and Dylan Ferrandis to participate. Twisted Tea Suzuki's Colt Nichols was the winner of the Stopwatch National with 2-2 moto scores, after Justin and Dylan each won a moto but had problems in the other. Barcia ended up winning the 450 MotoFest while Carson Mumford was the winner of the 250 MotoFest.

Dunlop MX54 Tire Intro (Keefer)

Cudby and I headed to Fox Raceway for Dunlop's new hard-pack MX54 tire launch. The MX54 was developed for a wider range of intermediate to hard terrain conditions compared to the older MX53. The MX54's revised tread pattern was also designed to handle the occasional soft areas of any given track thanks to its reduced tread block design. Dunlop did minimal prep to the vet track at Fox Raceway to achieve that dry, hard-pack condition, and in the video below, we share our initial thoughts.

Hey, Watch It!

Three-time Monster Energy Supercross Champion Cooper Webb on racing this summer, as well as his future plans:

Ken Rocen's improbable journey to the 2026 Monster Energy Supercross Championship:

Remember when Ken Roczen won the 2015 High Point National? Here's his GoPro from that day, though you may have already seen it—3.8 million views and counting!

Some early eighties' vintage supercross:

Steward Baylor Jr. won the Kenda Tires Powerline Park GNCC (round 7 of 13) and here is the Bike Raw Recap

And here is the Specialized Bike Race Recap from Powerline Park GNCC

Head-Scratching Headline/s of the Week 

"Tesla Cybertruck owner believed Elon Musk when he said it could cross a lake — now he’s in jail"—Electrek

"Lettuce introduce you to the live frog found in this grocery store salad bag"—AP News

“Hooters says "Bring the Kids"”—New York Times

Random Notes

Like everyone else in the motorsports world, we were devastated to hear the news that Kyle Busch passed away this week after a sudden and severe illness, at the age of 41. Kyle was considered one of the most competitive and versatile drivers in NASCAR. A two-time Cup Series champion, Busch was supposed to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte this weekend. Less than two weeks ago Busch was competing in the Watkins Glen road course race in New York when he radioed into his crew asking for a doctor to give him a "shot" after he finished the race. Busch had apparently been struggling with a sinus cold that was made worse by what was described as “the intense G-forces and elevation changes at the New York road course.” He finished the race in eighth-place. Godspeed, Kyle Busch.

In another car racing story, this one more related to moto, Louisville, Kentucky's Jacob Abel is making his first start in the Indy 500. He is the son of Billy Abel, who was once a top motocross prospect. Abel will be in the #51 car—the same number his dad used to wear on his motorcycles.