Red Bull KTM factory rider Jorge Prado is the 2026 World Supercross Champion

3rd SMX Playoff in Ridgedale (Missouri): Yamaha works rider Haiden Deegan went into the third and decisive SMX Playoff highly motivated, with triple points and, of course, the million-dollar prize money up for grabs. Deegan secured pole position with the fastest time in qualifying. He was 0.4 seconds faster than motocross champion Hunter Lawrence (Honda).

Combined Qualifying, Ridgedale

1. Haiden Deegan (USA), Yamaha, 1:13.296

2. Hunter Lawrence (AUS), Honda, -0.411

3. Jorge Prado (E), KTM, -0.640

4. Ken Roczen (GER), Suzuki, -1.301

5. R.J. Hampshire (USA), Husqvarna, -1.431

6. Cooper Webb (USA), Yamaha, -1.479

Deegan took the lead

Deegan then took the holeshot in the first race. Jorge Prado didn’t get off to a good start and found himself only in mid-field. In this situation, the Spaniard had to push as far forward as possible to keep his title hopes alive – and that is exactly what he did. Prado showed grit, went on the attack and fought his way up to 5th place.

Ken Roczen held up by riders he had lapped

Ken Roczen started the first race in second place behind Hayden Deegan and was able to put the leader under pressure, forcing him into several mistakes. Deegan found himself in acute danger of crashing on several occasions, but he managed to recover from every wobble, whilst Ken Roczen struggled with lapped riders behind him. Deegan won the race with a lead of 3.1 seconds over Ken Roczen, Hunter Lawrence and Cooper Webb. Jorge Prado finished the race in fifth place, putting his title hopes in serious jeopardy.

The decision came in the second race

With Prado finishing fifth in the first race, things became extremely tense ahead of the second race. Prado now desperately needed a good result to keep his title hopes alive. Hunter Lawrence and Ken Roczen could also still have won the title at this stage if Prado had finished outside the top four. Going into the race, Prado held a 16-point lead, but with triple points on offer in the third Playoff, his rivals could still catch him. The Spaniard showed nerves of steel and pulled off one of his trademark lightning-fast starts, whilst Ken Roczen got off to a poor start and found himself in 15th position by the first corner.

Prado a million richer

Prado led the second race ahead of Deegan, Lawrence and RJ Hampshire. The two title contenders were at the front, setting the stage for an all-out showdown in the final race of the season. Deegan took a huge risk and put all his eggs in one basket, but Prado remained focused and made hardly any mistakes. In the end, Deegan closed the gap to 0.4 seconds behind Prado, attacked with a block pass and seemed to have already overtaken the Spaniard, but Prado cut across Deegan’s line with a clever manoeuvre and regained the lead. Deegan made another attempt to overtake on the final lap, but Prado continued to ride solidly and won the second race by a margin of 1.7 seconds ahead of ‘Dangerboy’ Deegan and Hunter Lawrence. With a 5-1 result, the Spaniard finished second on the day’s standings, which was enough to secure the 2026 title and win the winner’s prize of one million dollars! At the finish line, he could scarcely believe his luck.

Haiden Deegan was the day’s winner

With a 1-2 result, Haiden Deegan was the day’s winner, and, trailing by 7 points, the Star Racing Yamaha works rider finished the SMX Supermotocross Championships in second place, taking home a prize of 500,000 US dollars. Hunter Lawrence finished third on the day with two third-place finishes and also ended the championships in third place, for which he received US$250,000.

Prado, the deserving winner

As a reminder: Jorge Prado moved from Europe to the USA at the end of 2024 as MXGP Motocross World Champion, joined Kawasaki and struggled with massive problems during his first year in America. After the 2025 season ended, he terminated his contract amid great difficulties and moved to the Red Bull KTM factory team, finishing ninth in the US Supercross Championships and fourth in the AMA Pro Motocross Championships that year. He went into the SMX play-offs in second place behind Hunter Lawrence. In the SMX Supermotocross Championships, consistency throughout the season is particularly important, and strong nerves are essential, especially during the play-off rounds. Prado has demonstrated all these qualities this season, which is why this success is thoroughly deserved.

Ken Roczen finishes fourth overall

After the first lap of the second race, Ken Roczen was already down in 10th place following a poor start. The German later fought his way up to fifth place and, with a 2-5 result, he ultimately finished fourth on the day and fourth in the SMX final standings, for which he received prize money of US$200,000.

Ken Roczen’s future

It is currently unclear whether the Thuringian will continue his career next year or bring it to an end. Ken Roczen will first compete in this year’s Australian Supercross Championships and Supercross Paris. These may well be his final appearances on two wheels, but the final decision has not yet been made.