How the 2026 SMX Titles Were Won: Final Recap and Highlights

RIDGEDALE, Mo. — One night later, the dust has settled at Thunder Ridge — and the story of the 2026 SuperMotocross World Championship is even better on the second look.

Saturday night's finale crowned two first-time world champions in front of a raucous capacity crowd. But the box scores only tell half the story. This is how the 2026 SMX titles were really won — the decisive moments, the rides that defined the night, and what it all means going into the offseason.

450SMX: Prado answers when it matters most

Jorge Prado arrived in Missouri carrying the red plate and a 16-point cushion over Haiden Deegan and Hunter Lawrence, who were tied for second. With triple points on the table, that lead was comfortable — but far from safe.

Moto 1 turned up the pressure immediately. Deegan launched to the holeshot and delivered a wire-to-wire masterclass, winning by 3.1 seconds over Ken Roczen with Lawrence third and Cooper Webb fourth. Prado, pinched off at the start and buried near the back of the pack early, fought his way to fifth — but couldn't track down Webb.

Deegan P1. Prado P5. The title fight had tightened considerably.

Then came the final moto of the 2026 season — and Prado responded like a champion. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider nailed the holeshot with Deegan and Lawrence in tow. Deegan ran the fastest laps of the moto, chipped away, and moved within striking distance with three and a half minutes to go. He briefly made his move late in the race — only for Prado to answer immediately and reclaim the position. Both riders survived bobbles on the final lap, and Prado held on by 1.7 seconds to take the checkered flag and the championship.

Prado's 5-1 night gave him second overall behind Deegan's 1-2. But the championship belonged to the Spaniard — the first Spanish-born champion in SMX history, winning the title in his second season of racing in America and in his postseason debut after missing the playoffs entirely one year ago.

"One year ago I wasn't even racing here at the SMX series and I actually didn't have a ride! Red Bull KTM did an excellent job prepping with myself all winter long, four days a week on the bike every single week. I bounced back, that's what I think champions do, they bounce back."

"Super happy with this title, my first title in the States. I'm a four-time world champion for a reason and I think I showed this in the last moto when it mattered. It's not over till it's over and I showed you guys everything is possible and I am another time world champion!"

— Jorge Prado

For Deegan, the night was triumph and heartbreak in equal measure: the Thunder Ridge overall win, two wins in three postseason races — and a runner-up championship finish just seven points short. He came within one moto of becoming the first rider in the sport's history to win world championships in both classes.

"I gave it everything I had [today]. I got the overall but not the championship, and that hurts. Credit to Jorge [Prado], he was riding great. I'll go into the offseason and work my butt off. There's a Supercross championship I want and I'm going to do everything I can to get it."

— Haiden Deegan

Hunter Lawrence capped a breakthrough season with third in the championship, 22 points back, after a consistent 3-3 night.

"What a long year, but it was amazing. I've got a lot of good things in my life right now. A great result tonight and now we go into the offseason looking for more next year."

— Hunter Lawrence

450SMX — Final Championship Standings

250SMX: Kitchen holds his nerve as Davies dominates too late

If Prado had breathing room, Levi Kitchen had almost none. The Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider arrived with just a three-point edge over Ryder DiFrancesco — and with triple points available, essentially everything was still on the table.

Kitchen grabbed the Moto 1 holeshot ahead of Nate Thrasher and controlled the early laps while his title rivals started sixth (Julien Beaumer) and seventh (DiFrancesco). Then the moto turned: Thrasher crashed out of second at the halfway mark, and Cole Davies — who had been carving through the field — closed in on Kitchen and made a decisive pass with just over a minute left, winning by 2.1 seconds. Kitchen held second; DiFrancesco took third with Beaumer fourth.

Everything came down to the deciding moto — and the rain arrived with it. As the skies opened over Thunder Ridge, Davies grabbed the holeshot with Kitchen and Landen Gordon in tow, while DiFrancesco and Beaumer started deep outside the top 10. Davies disappeared, building a lead of around 10 seconds and completing a dominant 1-1 sweep by 6.4 seconds.

Behind him, Kitchen was flawless in the role the night demanded: second place, start to finish, no panic, no unnecessary risk. DiFrancesco could only manage 10th in the moto — seventh overall on 3-10 scores — while Beaumer came home ninth in the moto. Gordon ran third from start to finish for his first overall podium of the postseason on 6-3 scores.

Levi Kitchen: 2026 250SMX World Champion. A first professional title after several near-misses — including this summer's Pro Motocross championship — and the first championship for the decorated Pro Circuit race team since 2019.

"It's been tough [getting to this point]. I've been close [to a championship] a few times. I got a great start and just trusted my instincts. The rain was coming down, and I just needed to ride smart. It's been a tough journey, for sure, and I couldn't be more stoked [to finally finish it off]."

— Levi Kitchen

250SMX — Final Championship Standings

What the night proved

Two first-time champions, two different blueprints. Prado won his title the hard way — absorbing a disastrous opening moto and answering with a pressure moto win for the ages, adding an SMX crown to the four FIM world championships already on his résumé. Kitchen won his with ice in his veins — two controlled second-place finishes on a night when anything less than composure would have cost him everything.

The race winners weren't the champions. Deegan and Davies were the fastest riders at Thunder Ridge — Deegan wire-to-wire in Moto 1, Davies a 1-1 sweep — but championships are built across every gate drop. Davies' surge came one round too late: 25 points short. Deegan's brilliance came seven points short of history.

Rain rewrote the script. The deciding 250 moto in the wet rewarded the riders who got starts — Davies and Kitchen — and punished those who didn't, with both of Kitchen's closest challengers mired outside the top 10 early.

Now the offseason begins. Deegan has already named his target — a Supercross championship. Lawrence wants more next year. And Prado and Kitchen head into the winter as world champions, with the 2027 season on the horizon.

Hero photo: KTM – Align Media.