Ken Roczen claimed a decisive victory at the 2026 Glendale AMA Supercross after a dramatic first corner crash involving championship leader Eli Tomac. The race unfolded with high stakes as Rozen capitalized on the opportunity to take the win at this key season event.
Starting second behind Hunter Lawrence, who once again exhibited a strong start on his Honda CRF450R, Roczen quickly positioned himself as a top contender. Within the opening five minutes, Roczen overtook Lawrence, mirroring his strategy from the previous round in San Diego. Unlike that earlier race, however, Lawrence was unable to recover and challenge Roczen for the win.
Podium Finishers and Race Dynamics
Hunter Lawrence maintained a solid second place, holding a comfortable gap ahead of Cooper Webb in third, who secured his third consecutive podium after a recent victory in Houston. Webb’s performance was notable given Glendale has traditionally been a challenging venue for him in the AMA Supercross calendar.
Justin Cooper quietly earned fourth place in the Main Event, building on the promising speeds he showed during practice and the heat race. Jorge Prado completed the top five, demonstrating consistent finishes that closely mirror his starting positions. Joey Savatgy continued his strong run with a sixth-place finish, marking his third top-six spot in as many races this format season has seen.
Chase Sexton’s performance was less impressive, finishing seventh after struggling with poor starts and a lack of pace in recent races. He narrowly edged out Aaron Plessinger, who rallied mid-race but ultimately stalled behind Sexton. Dylan Ferrandis finished ninth, outpacing Justin Hill who achieved his season-best result by placing tenth.
Eli Tomac’s Championship Lead Crumbles After Early Crash
Eli Tomac entered Glendale with a narrow four-point lead in the championship, but a collision at the start drastically altered the standings. Tomac, Christian Craig, and Colt Nicholls were involved in a crash at the first corner, with Craig’s front end folding right in front of Tomac, leaving him trapped in the incident. Although Tomac remounted and displayed impressive speed by posting some of the fastest lap times late in the race, he could only recover to 12th place.
This setback cost Tomac the red plate, and as he prepares for the upcoming race in Seattle, he now sits third in the championship standings. Hunter Lawrence has taken over the 450SX points lead without having won a race yet, while Roczen is just five points behind him. Tomac trails Lawrence by three points, and Houston winner Cooper Webb is 15 points off the lead. Chase Sexton trails by 17 points, currently in fifth place.
Dominance in the 250SX Class by Haiden Deegan
The 250SX competition was once again ruled by Haiden Deegan, who has demonstrated remarkable control of the class this season. Much like the early career flair of 2014 Marc Marquez, Deegan’s speed is undeniable, and unlike past seasons, he has mitigated poor starts and mistakes. At Glendale, Deegan took a commanding start-to-finish victory, extending his unbeaten streak to four races and solidifying his championship lead.
Michael Mosiman held second place through most of the race but was eventually relegated to fourth by Levi Kitchen and Cameron McAdoo in the final stages. Kitchen’s ride was especially notable, moving up from 13th to second in just over 15 minutes, although his initial poor start — an ongoing issue with the Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider — hindered him early on.
Ryder DiFrancesco finished fifth after a third-place start, also challenged and passed by Kitchen and McAdoo as the race progressed. Meanwhile, Max Anstie struggled with another poor start, finishing eighth, showing that Anaheim 1 now feels increasingly distant for the 2025 SX2 World Champion.
