AT&T Stadium thriller sees HRC gun finally turn near-misses into a maiden 450SMX win, tightening his grip on the red plate

Round seven of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship marked the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship’s annual stop in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, with Military Appreciation Night bringing a patriotic atmosphere inside AT&T Stadium. The racing matched the occasion, producing a pair of first-time winners on the night, headlined by 450SMX points leader Hunter Lawrence who delivered a long-awaited breakthrough victory for Honda HRC Progressive to strengthen his hold on the red plate.

The 450SMX main event launched with Cooper Webb’s Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing machine and Ken Roczen’s Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki exiting turn one side-by-side. Webb initially grabbed the holeshot, but Roczen fought through to take control on the opening lap as Lawrence settled into third. Eli Tomac’s Red Bull KTM Factory Racing charge began from deep in the pack in 11th, before he rapidly carved forward and put himself into contention within the opening laps.

Up front, Roczen kept Webb in check as the leading group stabilised, but a small mistake from Webb opened the door for Lawrence to move into third. With around 13 minutes remaining, Lawrence latched onto Roczen’s rear wheel and began applying pressure for the lead, compressing the top four within striking distance before the race settled again through the middle stages of the 20 Minute + 1 Lap contest.

Inside the final six minutes the intensity spiked. Lawrence drew alongside Roczen through the whoops, only to be delayed by a slower rider, but he regrouped immediately and made the pass stick moments later. Webb then moved past Roczen for second, before Tomac surged from fourth to second in one decisive push, getting by both Roczen and Webb in the process. Webb was forced off the track during the exchange, allowing Roczen to briefly reclaim third, though Webb responded to fight his way back onto the podium.

Once Lawrence hit the front he opened a clear advantage, then handled a late push from Tomac with two minutes to go to seal the milestone. Lawrence took the win by 2.8 seconds over Tomac, with Webb third and Roczen fourth.

The victory was Lawrence’s first in the premier class, coming in his 26th start and at the same venue where he scored his first 250SMX class win back in 2021. It also made him the fifth different winner in the opening seven rounds, and extended his championship advantage to four points over Tomac. Webb now sits third, 16 points back, with Roczen fourth, 18 points off the lead.

Hunter Lawrence 
“It’s cool, but we’ve got a lot of racing left. I’m happy to tick that little box. It’s a huge thank you to my team and everyone that’s around me. We’ve got an amazing group and that’s really the most valuable thing in my program. It takes a whole village to move mountains. Even when you get a sixth place it’s really tough, but man how cool it was racing against all those boys. Me and Kenny [Roczen] had some awesome back-and-forth, Coop [Webb] was right there, Eli [Tomac] was right there. It’s pretty cool racing with the sport’s legends. Awesome.”

ARLINGTON 450SMX RESULTS

  1. Hunter Lawrence (Honda)
  2. Eli Tomac (KTM)
  3. Cooper Webb (Yamaha)
  4. Ken Roczen (Suzuki)
  5. Justin Cooper (Yamaha)
  6. Chase Sexton (Kawasaki)
  7. Joey Savatgy (Honda)
  8. Aaron Plessinger (KTM)
  9. Christian Craig (Honda)
  10. Dylan Ferrandis (Ducati)
  11. Malcolm Stewart (Husqvarna)
  12. Justin Hill (Team Tedder Racing)
  13. Shane McElrath (Honda)
  14. Colt Nichols (Suzuki)
  15. Vince Friese (Kawasaki)
  16. Mitchell Harrison (Partzilla Blaster PRMX Racing)
  17. Kevin Moranz (KTM)
  18. Tristan Lane (The McGinley Clinic Privateer Support Program)
  19. Jordon Smith (Triumph)
  20. Joshua Cartwright (Cartwright Racing)
  21. Jason Anderson (Suzuki)
  22. Garrett Marchbanks (Kawasaki)

2026 AMA SUPERCROSS STANDINGS

  1. Hunter Lawrence – 149
  2. Eli Tomac – 145
  3. Cooper Webb – 133
  4. Ken Roczen – 131
  5. Chase Sexton – 122
  6. Justin Cooper – 112
  7. Joey Savatgy – 95
  8. Dylan Ferrandis – 87
  9. Jason Anderson – 84
  10. Aaron Plessinger – 79
  11. Jorge Prado – 73
  12. Malcolm Stewart – 63
  13. Justin Hill – 61
  14. Christian Craig – 58
  15. Colt Nichols – 51
  16. Shane McElrath – 41
  17. R.J. Hampshire – 38
  18. Garrett Marchbanks – 24
  19. Vince Friese – 24
  20. Mitchell Harrison – 22