Welcome to Racerhead, coming to you from the currently empty but soon-to-be-packed media tent at Thunder Valley Raceway in Lakewood, Colorado, site of tomorrow's third round of the 2026 AMA Pro Motocross Championship. As I mentioned a few weeks back, there is a rare full practice today for everyone, as the mile-high elevation here always makes bike setup tricky, and the teams that are included in the press day riding always have a slight advantage. So, we're having not only a press day inside this tent but a full practice for everyone. That should have the unintended consequence of making this first foray into U.S. AMA Motocross a little easier for the Coenen brothers, as usually its same-day qualifying and motos, whereas in Europe the practices/races are spread out over a Saturday (qualifying) and Sunday (motos).

Last weekend here in the states, we saw another massive crowd, this time at Hangtown, and the return of Jett Lawrence to the winner's circle. The defending champion put on a clinic on a very fun-looking track, doing Jett things on some of the jumps and braking bumps. His brother Hunter gave chase and ended up 2-2, and Deegan showed improvement just like he always seems to do, going 3-3. With Eli Tomac out and Chase Sexton obviously still struggling to find his form, the 450 class is looking like a three-horse race right now—four for tomorrow's Coenen cameo.

Belgian riders have a long history of coming to the U.S. to race, going back to the likes of Roger De Coster, Joel Robert, and Sylvain Geboers competing in the old Inter-Am and Trans-AMA races. Roger won four Trans-AMA titles in the mid-seventies, including two where he wore #104, in 1976 and '77. All told, he won 26 races here in the Trans-AMA Series. More recently, we've seen Stefan Everts, Joel Smets, Ken De Dycker, Kevin Strijbos, and Clement Desalle all compete in one-off races here. Desalle fared best, finishing second overall to Ryan Dungey in the 450 Class at the 2010 Unadilla National.

There's been a lot of talk this week about Lucas, but don't forget about Sacha. He is a great starter, lightning fast, and will very well be at the front of the pack at some point. The problem is his penchant for crashing, which we've seen him do plenty of. He enters the 250 Class right as Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki is starting to reassert itself. Levi Kitchen ended up the overall winner at Hangtown with 2-2 finishes after his teammate and points leader Seth Hammaker got involved in (and pretty much caused) a massive first-turn crash in the second moto. That opened the door for Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing's Cole Davies to score the moto win, but his 11-1 left him off the box. Instead, Julien Beaumer earned his first-ever podium with 4-3 finishes, and Hammaker was third with 1-9 scores. And #10 still leads the points.

Someone pointed out that the Coenens' sweep of the Latvian MXGP last weekend marked the first time a set of brothers had both won Grand Prix races, but that's incorrect. Back in 2007 in Faenza, Italy, Christophe Pourcel won the MX2 class while older brother Sebastien Pourcel topped the MXGP division that same day. And two brothers have both won at Pro Motocross on the same day: Hunter and Jett Lawrence did it seven times in 2023, with Jett on his way to the 450 title and Hunter on his way to the 250 title.

So, that's the setup going into Thunder Valley for what should be a very interesting and highly watched weekend. The MXGP guys (and girls) are off, so you know they will all be watching and cheering their people on!

Speaking of Lawrences and Coenens, check out this photo our man Mitch Kendra snapped last year during the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations at Ironman Raceway. The two will battle again tomorrow in Colorado!

The Voice of MXGP (Jason Weigandt)

Fun conversation last week with Paul Malin, the broadcast voice for MXGP-TV, for Weege Show Wednesday. Paul and I, of course, like to talk, so it's a long convo to get background on the Coenen twins, plus Paul's story of moving from professional racer to play-by-play announcer. It's something ex-pro athletes rarely do. Yes, my colleagues James Stewart and Ricky Carmichael are also ex-racers, but they're the analysts on the show, simply sharing their knowledge. Paul actually handles the same role I do on TV, which is calling the passes and action, and hosting the show. I can tell you that most of the ex-pros would never, ever want to do that job. Paul is unique amongst ex-racers with that skillset.

As for the Coenen twins, Paul talked about their steep climb over the last few years. Lucas, the MXGP points leader, quickly moved from a fast-but-crash 250 prospect to a smooth, solid, calculated, and consistent 450 racer. Paul says Sacha's development has really come together much more recently. He also notes that riding style is a big part of it. Lucas, as Paul says, has an elegant style on the bike, while Sacha is a bulldog. There's no way to really predict how they will do this weekend, but it's good to get to know the history and background of the young Belgians.

I'm especially excited about dropping them into this series at this moment. With Jett Lawrence back to winning and Hunter Lawrence at a very high level, expecting a win from Lucas would be very ambitious. I do wonder where he will slot in against his teammate for the weekend, Jorge Prado. Surely Prado, who now has to bounce back from a devastating DNF at Hangtown, will want to show the world he's still the lead dog and not get beaten by the new MXGP points leader. That will make for an interesting weekend under the Red Bull KTM tent.

In some ways, Sacha has an easier path to success racing the 250 Class, because that class is much more wide open at the top. A win in his first Pro Motocross experience, first race at this level of elevation, and more, is a big ask, but he does get starts and is very fast. First, he must keep it upright. Who knows where he will fit in, and that's exciting.

Finally, one point from last weekend at Hangtown no one is making. Cole Davies won the second moto, and he won it with ease. It went unnoticed because a bad first moto left him off the overall podium, but Davies' showing he can win motos outdoors (straight up) already says a lot about what he can do this summer. I know the headlines are going with the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki riders of Hammaker and Kitchen who are winning, but I think there's a chance Davies rises to the top just like he did in supercross. If he wins this weekend, look out.

Pro Perspective (Jason Thomas)

This week will be a fun one as the Coenen twins join the Pro Motocross ranks. They are leading their respective championships, making this a unique scenario—so unique, in fact, that I don't think we will ever see this dynamic again. The points leaders of MX2 and MXGP, both coming over on the same weekend in the midst of their championship? Nah, I will bet against that happening again in my lifetime (outside of this year at Southwick, etc.). It's amazing that this actually happened, and without the Coenens themselves forcing it, there's no way it would have. They have leverage and are wielding it to get the things they want. That's the way of the world in all aspects. Leverage is often binary; you have it or you don't. You are dictating plans or being dictated to. Most of us know the latter all too well, but for a few brief moments, some will enjoy the former.

As for how they do on Saturday, there's a lot to unpack. They face many variables they haven't encountered before or usually don't. It's a new track in a new series, on a different chassis with different fuel. It's at elevation, which will change their gearing ratios and starting procedure. They'll be battling remnants of jet lag, trying to perform at their best when their bodies are thinking about sleep. They're going to have a million eyeballs on them in the biggest spotlight they have faced thus far. None of these things are assured to preclude success; they just make the job a bit harder. Everyone else is in rhythm on a track they have ridden before—just another weekend. The Coenens will be hit by a barrage of change, and how they adapt is the million-dollar question. They are capable as far as skill goes. They are both podium-caliber riders in their respective classes, and I firmly believe that. What the results are can be a different answer entirely, though.

The starts will be a pivotal aspect of this story. If they find themselves buried in the pack due to different grate materials, different gearing, nervousness, different 30-second board procedures, or otherwise, it will be a long day. If they nail their typical starts, though, the sky is the limit. I have a very hard time thinking Lucas will be able to best the Lawrences because that's strength against strength, and the Lawrences aren't fighting any of the aforementioned challenges. I do think a podium is doable, though, if all things go well. Beating Deegan will not be easy, but if he starts ahead of him and is unfazed by the elevation or conditions, it's possible. Deegs will be dead set on this not happening, though, making the job doubly hard. As for Sacha, I think he's capable of a podium or better. His starts are lights-out good, and he will send it to a level most won't dare. That also leads to crashes, which could very likely be the reason he doesn't podium. He takes chances that are often ill-advised, but it's also an unlock to blinding speed. When he gets it right, it's lightning in a bottle.

In the end, both brothers will be looking to be electric on Saturday. They're negotiating deals and paving a long-term path in America. A breakout weekend could push their contracts to the stratosphere. Either way, we should all prepare to be very familiar with the Belgian twins. They are the real deal when it comes to motocross.

Coenen Week Just Got Wild (Mitch Kendra)

There were already a lot of eyes on the Coenen twins—Sacha and Lucas—heading into the 2026 FIM Motocross World Championship (MXGP). Sacha, while prone to crashing, was fast and ultra-consistent with his starts. Lucas proved last year, moving to the premier class, that he was ready for the challenge as he significantly reduced his crashing. Now in 2026, they have both gone to another level.

Almost at the halfway mark of the 19-round championship, both are not only leading their respective championships, but they just made history while doing so.

Over the weekend, Sacha and Lucas became the first set of brothers to hold the points lead in their respective classes simultaneously. The duo then swept all six races in Latvia, each winning their qualifying race and both motos!

Next up is the Thunder Valley National. There is no doubt these two will have an all-new experience in Colorado this weekend, but I think it will be a good gauge for when they return for the Southwick National next month (fingers crossed all things go well and it still happens as planned). Thunder Valley will be a learning curve, but the sands of Southwick might really be where they make their big splash.

Read the full recap from Latvia if you missed it.

One other tidbit about Sacha wearing #109: Spanish rider Guillem Farres raced as #109 in the two AMA Pro Motocross Championship races he did in 2022 when he first joined Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing! Here's a pic I got of him that Friday before his Budds Creek National AMA Pro Motocross debut in the USA. Farres is currently third in the MX2 FIM Motocross World Championship standings while racing for Triumph.

Randomly Interesting Stats of the Week (DC)

Jett Lawrence's Hangtown win marked his 25th win in 29 starts in the 450 Class. That gives him a win percentage of 86.2 percent. How close is that to the best average ever? In his entire Pro Motocross career in both classes, Ricky Carmichael won 102 nationals in 127 starts, which is an 80 percent clip. But in the premier class, RC had 88 starts in Pro Motocross and won 76 of them. That translates to an 86.4 percent winning percentage...

Have the two runner-ups at the first round of Pro Motocross ever had a worse combined second round than Caden Dudney and Jorge Prado? Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing's Dudney went 22-20 for 25th overall and just two championship points. (He did say in the post-race Yamaha PR he was feeling sick.) And in the 450 Class, Red Bull KTM's Prado was running fourth with just a couple of laps to go in the first moto when his engine let go, causing a 36th-place finish. That put him on a far outside gate for the second moto, which started with a big first-turn crash. He recovered for 13th place, but only 17th overall.

The last time someone won an SMX race with #104 was Pro Circuit Kawasaki's Shae Bentley in 2000. The last time someone won wearing #109 was in 2003 when Craig Anderson of the Yamaha of Troy team won the Southwick 125 National.

WMX Level Raised (Sarah Whitmore)

The opening round of the Women's Motocross (WMX) Championship, powered by Synchrony at Hangtown, was everything we could have asked for! Right away, when riders hit the track on Friday morning for first practice, it was obvious they had raised the bar from last year—not just the top girls, but everyone. Then, come Moto 1, it looked like Lala Turner was going to run away with it before she tipped over. Charli Cannon got into the lead and tried to run away with it herself but made a few mistakes, and before long, Lala was right on her back wheel. Turner made a last-lap pass to take the win, and it was an incredible way to start the year.

However, it did seem like Turner was by far the fastest, and had she not crashed, she would have ridden away for an easy win. But holding Moto 2 on Saturdays completely changes things. This time, the roles were reversed; Cannon got out to an early lead with Lala not getting the best start. Right as Lala moved into second, though, Cannon went down and gifted the #1 the lead. Given Lala's speed the day before, it seemed like she would run away with it, but Charli charged back and made multiple pass attempts. She also had a couple near crashes in her fight forward and ended the moto directly behind Lala, just shy of the win.

Afterwards, Lala commented that the track was the roughest she has ever ridden, while Charli spoke on how rough the tracks get in Australia and seemed unphased. Given that the schedule will host one moto on Friday (on a smoother track) and one on Saturday all series long, we could be in for a serious battle where the track favors a different rider each day.

Most exciting for Colorado, though, will be the addition of the two-time MXGP WMX Champion, Lotte Van Drunen, to the series. For a while, the MXGP series was growing while WMX stateside took a hiatus for several years. Three years ago, I would say that the women in Europe had the edge on the women here speed-wise, but now with the resurgence of WMX and how much faster they are going, I am not sure anymore. I have never seen van Drunen ride in person, but the speeds Turner and Cannon were going at Hangtown were seriously impressive. The only thing I know for sure is, no matter who wins, it's going to be exciting to watch.

White House FMX Session? (DC)

By now, you've probably seen and heard the news from Travis Pastrana himself: UFC fight promoter Dana White called him and invited him to the White House for this weekend's UFC fight. The event will take place in an octagon built on the lawn as part of the celebration of America turning 250 years old and also President Trump's birthday. No matter your politics, how can anyone pass up the chance to ride dirt bikes on the White House lawn? Travis said yes, then in turn invited some old friends from both racing and FMX. He will be joined by Ricky Carmichael, Brian Deegan, Jeremy "Twitch" Stenberg, Keith Sayers, and Jeremy McGrath as well. They will be jumping on the south lawn tomorrow.

BTW, American motocrossers have been in the White House before. After Team USA won the 1987 FIM Motocross of Nations at Unadilla, President Ronald Reagan invited the team of Rick Johnson, Jeff Ward, and Bob Hannah to the White House, along with team manager Roger De Coster. And a few years back, I went along with then-250 Pro Motocross Champion Aaron Plessinger on a White House visit, though we didn't get to meet the President like Team USA did!

High Elevation Racing (Keefer)

Thunder Valley Motocross Park is always interesting to me because it shows who really has their engines dialed in. The 450s can stand to lose a little power, but the 250 class, where power is everything, shows who has some horsepower to spare. Lately, the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing YZ250F machines have been dominating the starts at Thunder Valley, but with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki finding some horsepower right before outdoors started, I think Hammaker, Romano, and Enzo Temmerman (yes, Temmerman will be on a PC bike this week) can be up front after the first corner. Did I mention that it's an uphill start as well, so again, horsepower is KING at a place like Colorado. You might be saying, what about Levi Kitchen? Well, if Kitch can't get a start at sea level, I really don't expect him to be getting a holeshot up at elevation. What kind of adjustment do the teams make for Thunder Valley? The norm is to remap the ECU to a higher elevation setting, make gearing changes (lower gearing spec), and at times they will run a higher temp fuel (boiling fuel is more prevalent up in higher elevation). That is about it these days. Gone are the higher compression piston kits, cams, etc. The amount of horsepower the top teams are making nowadays only requires some slight tweaking to get some low-end/pulling power back; otherwise, most of the bikes remain the same for all 11 rounds.

Not to be outdone by the engines, the human body also runs differently at elevation! Riders like the Coenens haven't raced an event at this elevation, so it will be interesting to see if their bodies hold up for two 30-plus-two motos. Less oxygen means less power for the body, not just the engines. With three rounds in, Thunder Valley is a true test of rider and machine, more so than any other national in my eyes. Machines and bodies are finicky at elevation, so both need to be adjusted compared to other rounds. With temperatures suspected to be fairly warm this weekend in Lakewood, it is going to be interesting to see who has both tuned to perfection.

Second Generation Townley (Mitch Kendra)

With all the hype behind the Coenen brothers' historic weekend in Latvia, one smaller storyline was missed: another second-generation rider had a big weekend!

Levi Townley, the son of Ben Townley, has emerged on the EMX125 scene as a podium finisher, going 4-2 for second overall in Latvia. Ben Townley had a great racing career of his own before helping 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross 250SX East Division Champion Cole Davies grow into the rider he is today. Now, Ben is back in Europe (where he won the MX2 title in 2004) and working with his son Levi. It is only a matter of time before we see Levi on a 250cc bike here in the next year or so.

Signs of the Changing Times (DC)

Taking a look at the win ads in this week's Cycle News, it's pretty clear that women's racing is rising in influence and importance to the motorcycle industry. Yamaha ran ads for both Lala Turner's WMX win at Hangtown as well as Danielle McDonald's win at the Watkins Glen GNCC in New York. Also, FMF did a split ad that featured both Turner and McDonald for their wins.

The men's GNCC overall winner was Grant "Grizzly" Baylor, and he was rewarded with win ads from both Kawasaki and Yoshimura. And Honda took out a win ad for XC2 winner Gus Riordan of the Phoenix Honda team.

And of course, Hangtown winners Jett Lawrence and Levi Kitchen got win ads from their respective brands, Honda and Kawasaki, and Jett got a cool "Alien Landing" advert from Yoshimura.

Finally, Yamaha placed another different win ad, this time from the American Flat Track event in Tennessee, for winner Tom Drane.

Hey, Watch It!

BACK ON TOP | YES CHEF Levi Kitchen

Most Brutal Form of Racing with Jordon Smith and More | Stacking Pennies 

2026 Hangtown National Cinematic Recap

SMX Insider – Season 4 – Episode 23 – Thunder Valley Preview

Cool videos from Josh Mosiman and Trevor Nelson at MXA:

The Real Difference Between Factory Riders & Privateers (Hangtown 2026)

How Much Does It Cost To Race a Pro Motocross National? (Pala 2026)

Head-Scratching Headline/s of the Week 

“'Traitor' - Elmo in hot water with New Yorkers over Knicks NBA finals”—Apple News

"A natural depsipeptide antibiotic binds the E-site of the bacterial ribosome"—Nature

"Tarrés Takes the Ténéré 700 to New Heights at the 2026 Red Bull Erzbergrodeo"—Yamaha 

"Charles Barkley Says What The Entire World Is Thinking Calls Cardi B … Cardi D For Two Obvious Reasons"—Barstool Sports

"A judge ruled Brendan Sorsby can play for Texas Tech after gambling on his own teams. It’s the latest college sports stunner"—CNN

"Wrestling matches provide an action-packed story time at US libraries, in photos"—AP News

Random Notes

West Virginia race fans! Primanti Bros is hosting an official SuperMotocross Watch Party for Thunder Valley this Saturday, June 13, at 3 p.m. Eastern.

Chase Sexton is on tis week's event T-shirt, available at all of the Moto-Tees trailers.

New Jeffrey Herlings merch Collaboration with Malelions.

Nick Romano is getting help from Ronnie Tichenor as he resets his career with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki. Nick was sixth overall with 7-4 scores and was just solid all weekend.

Honda HRC Progressive team manager Lars Lindstrom decided to jump on their prototype 2027 Honda CRF450 display bike and get it sound tested by the AMA. The bike came in quietly at 109.

And get well soon to Justin Cooper, who had a horrifying crash in the second 450 moto that brought out the red flag. He was knocked out cold and taken to a nearby hospital and everything seemed to check out, but he will not be racing this weekend. As Mitch Kendra covered this week, this will be the first Pro Motocross race without Cooper competing since the 2017 Washougal National—when Cooper was still an amateur! Since then, he has not missed a single Pro Motocross race until this weekend.

Some photos from Alec Gaut.

Some WMX shots from Mark Riker.

Some shots from Brian Walnum.

And check out this Jackass movie sponsorship for the Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati Factory Racing Team.