Ken Roczen wins Round 5 as Tomac’s first-turn trouble hands Lawrence the red plate
The fifth round of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship played out in front of the largest audience ever for a Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship race inside State Farm Stadium, which also included unprecedented attendance at FanFest. That record crowd was treated to a standout night of racing that shook up the early 450SMX Class title fight. Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen became the fourth different winner in the first five races, while Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence took over the points lead. The drama unfolded after misfortune left entering points leader and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Eli Tomac finishing outside the top 10.
The 450SMX Class Main Event kicked off with ISRT MX4Christ Kawasaki’s Vince Friese briefly out front after grabbing the holeshot, before Lawrence claimed the early lead ahead of Roczen and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb — the defending series champion and winner of last weekend’s Houston round. Behind them, Tomac was taken down entering the first turn by Quad Lock Honda’s Christian Craig, who lost traction and collided with his KTM-mounted rival. Tomac took his time to re-join the race, circulating well back in 22nd.
At the front, Lawrence controlled the early portion of the 20 Minutes + 1 Lap Main Event until Roczen launched his charge and took over with around 16 minutes remaining. The German then stretched things out to about a 3.5-second advantage, managing the gap for most of the race. Lawrence locked in second, while Webb gradually lost contact with the lead pair and settled into a clear third. With the top three spaced out, attention turned to Tomac’s comeback as he picked off riders one-by-one once he reached the back of the field, edging toward the top 10 late in the race.
Roczen was never seriously challenged on the way to his fifth victory inside State Farm Stadium, taking the chequered flag 3.3 seconds clear of Lawrence, who made it four straight runner-up finishes. Webb backed up his Houston win with third, while Tomac recovered to 12th and limited the damage on a tough night for the championship.
The win marked the 24th of Roczen’s career, and he’s now scored victories across seven consecutive seasons. It was also an emotional result for the veteran after a Friday announcement from Pipes Motorsports Group revealed respected team manager Larry Brooks has been diagnosed with cancer and has taken a leave from the races while undergoing treatment.
Lawrence, whose fifth career runner-up is tied for the second-most without a win in series history, now leads the 450SMX Class standings and has the red plate for the first time in the premier division. He holds a five-point lead over Roczen, while Tomac drops to third, eight points back from Lawrence.
Ken Roczen – 1st Place – 450SMX Class
“This feels unreal. I got a good start and then Friese cut me off going into the first turn, which I expected, which slowed my momentum a little bit. [Eventually] I was able to pass Hunter [Lawrence] and I knew it was going to be a long Main Event because trying to put a gap [on the field] was really hard and the track was tricky. It was just so fast, and everything was built super tall. I’m just really happy.
“I want to dedicate this win specifically to Larry [Brooks]. He hasn’t been able to be with us here the last few races. It really hurts all of our hearts. He loves this more than anybody. This one goes out to him.”
Hunter Lawrence – 2nd Place – 450SMX Class
“It’s bittersweet. I got a great start and was in a great position. Kenny [Roczen] was riding unreal tonight. He was riding a lot better than me in the first 10 minutes and opened that gap. I just didn’t quite have it. I didn’t feel amazing, just flat, but not bad. We’ll take it. [Getting] the red plate is cool, but we’ve got a long season ahead.”
Cooper Webb – 3rd Place – 450SMX Class
“It was a good night overall. I think we know this hasn’t always been my best place [results wise], so I was really happy with that result. Kenny [Roczen] was riding awesome and I was right there with Hunter [Lawrence] for a bit and then he started inching away. I fell into a bit of a no-man’s land and took it for a third. I’m happy with that. Happy to leave here with good points. A podium here is a win for me.”
2026 AMA 450SX ROUND 5 RESULTS
- Ken Roczen (SUZ) — 1st
- Hunter Lawrence (HON) — 2nd
- Cooper Webb (YAM) — 3rd
- Justin Cooper (YAM) — 4th
- Jorge Prado (KTM) — 5th
- Joey Savatgy (HON) — 6th
- Chase Sexton (KAW) — 7th
- Aaron Plessinger (KTM) — 8th
- Dylan Ferrandis (DUC) — 9th
- Justin Hill (KTM) — 10th
- Jason Anderson (SUZ) — 11th
- Eli Tomac (KTM) — 12th
- Garrett Marchbanks (KAW) — 13th
- Christian Craig (HON) — 14th
- Shane McElrath (HON) — 15th
- Colt Nichols (SUZ) — 16th
- Vince Friese (KAW) — 17th
- Freddie Noren (YAM) — 18th
- Mitchell Harrison (KTM) — 19th
- Grant Harlan (KTM) — 20th
- Josh Cartwright (KAW) — 21st
- Malcolm Stewart (HUS) — 22nd
2026 AMA 450SX POINTS STANDINGS
- Hunter Lawrence (HON) — 106
- Ken Roczen (SUZ) — 101
- Eli Tomac (KTM) — 98
- Cooper Webb (YAM) — 91
- Chase Sexton (KAW) — 89
- Justin Cooper (YAM) — 75
- Jorge Prado (KTM) — 73
- Jason Anderson (SUZ) — 73
- Joey Savatgy (HON) — 66
- Dylan Ferrandis (DUC) — 62
- Aaron Plessinger (KTM) — 50
- Christian Craig (HON) — 45
- Justin Hill (KTM) — 40
- R.J. Hampshire (HUS) — 38
- Malcolm Stewart (HUS) — 36
- Colt Nichols (SUZ) — 34
- Garrett Marchbanks (KAW) — 24
- Shane McElrath (HON) — 24
- Vince Friese (KAW) — 14
- Austin Forkner (KAW) — 12
- Mitchell Harrison (KTM) — 11
- Mitchell Oldenburg (HON) — 6
- Freddie Noren (YAM) — 4
- Kevin Moranz (KTM) — 3
- Grant Harlan (KTM) — 3
- Tristan Lane (HUS) — 1
- Josh Cartwright (KAW) — 1
- Justin Barcia (DUC) — 1
