Doubling Down

When the checkers flew at Thunder Valley the points just so happened to work out that Seth Hammaker and Levi Kitchen, who both went down on the start of the second 250 moto, were tied for the lead. That means they’ll both be wearing red plates at High Point. They’ve also each won one overall, they've both won two motos, they've both finished second in a moto twice, and both have been involved in first turn pileups twice! Who will leave High Point with the advantage? -Hansel

The Spark

Before Thunder Valley Jo Shimoda’s season hadn’t produced much for the highlight reel. He was fifth in points and had finished sixth and fifth at the first two rounds. Things took a turn for the better at Thunder Valley, however, where Shimoda went 3-2 for first overall. He now sits third in points, just six points back of Hammaker and Kitchen, who are tied for the lead. Is this win the spark Shimoda needed to catch fire? -Hansel

Feel Good Story

Every season of Pro Motocross is jammed with storylines, but perhaps one of the most compelling of 2026 is the tale of Nick Romano, who joined Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki as a fill-in rider during supercross. Before that, Romano wasn’t even sure if he’d ever race pro again after his tenure with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing ended. He’s been producing amazing results so far this summer though, and he even landed an overall podium at Thunder Valley. Can Romano keep this feel-good story going at High Point? -Hansel

No Repeats

Before the season the 250 class was often described as being wide open, and so far, that’s been accurate. Results have been up and down, and so far, we haven’t even had a repeat winner. Hammaker won the first round, Kitchen won the second, and Shimoda just won at Thunder Valley! There are still plenty of other riders who could light the torches too, like Julien Beaumer, Chance Hymas, Cole Davies, and more. Will we have another new winner at High Point? -Hansel 

On Repeat

We knew Lachlan Turner would be fast coming into the 2026 Women’s Motocross Championship (WMX) powered by Synchrony. After all, she’s got that fat #1 on her bike for a reason, right? Yet despite the high expectations, she’s still managed to exceed them. She hasn’t even lost a moto yet and has had to come from behind a few times after crashing. She was on another level at Thunder Valley too, where nobody had anything for her. Will she keep her perfect streak alive at High Point? -Hansel

Feel Good #2

Another feel good story of the summer is Julien Beaumer’s come back from what could have been a career ending back injury at the SMX Playoffs. He has finished 5-2-6 at each round so far to start the season, far exceeding everyone’s expectations. As his endurance gets better, will he be able to pull off a moto or overall win this season? -Sarah Whitmore