The 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship got underway in front of a sold-out crowd inside Angel Stadium for the opening round of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship. It turned out to be a memorable night for the elder statesman of the sport as 33-year-old Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Eli Tomac captured the 54th win of his legendary career in his debut with the team following a dominant performance in which the Coloradoan led every lap.
The 450SMX Class Main Event was forced to restart when a red flag brought the race to a halt on the opening lap after a multi-rider incident. When the gate dropped for the second time, Tomac positioned himself right behind his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Jorge Prado and seized control of the lead on the opening lap. Once out front, Tomac easily gapped the field while Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki’s Ken Roczen made an impressive charge into contention after rounding the first turn deep in the top 10. The German veteran made multiple passes to slot himself just outside the top three and eventually worked his way around Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence for third before making the pass on Prado for second. Roczen closed to within a couple seconds of Tomac and kept him honest throughout the 20 Minute + 1 Lap race but never got close enough to mount a challenge.
Tomac took his second Anaheim 1 victory by a margin of 1.4 seconds over Roczen, while Prado leveraged the holeshot into the single-best-performance of the Spaniard’s U.S. racing career and his maiden Supercross podium in his seventh start. Following the race, Prado’s KTM failed the post-race sound inspection, which resulted in a penalty from the AMA of three championship points. Prado retained his third-place finish.
Lawrence earned his best Anaheim 1 result in fourth as he came out on top of a race-long battle with Twisted Tea Suzuki Presented by Progressive rider Jason Anderson, who finished fifth. Defending 450SMX Class Champion Cooper Webb endured through an up and down Main Event to finish seventh, just ahead of last season’s championship runner-up Chase Sexton, who went down and went off track multiple times in his debut for Monster Energy Kawasaki.
With the win, Tomac has established a three-point lead over Roczen in the 450SMX Class standings, with Prado in third, five points behind his teammate.
Eli Tomac – 1st Place – 450SMX Class
“What a start for us. We got out of the gate well and then it was just on. I would say our motorcycle was the best when it mattered. My bike was so in tune, and I had a great flow around the track. We can still do it. We got A1. What a cool night.”
Video Coverage
There are more videos on the Cycledrag Youtube channel (please subscribe here) and like the Cycledrag Facebook page (Please like here) and more will be coming soon. Also subscribe to our NEW Youtube channel “Racing Jack” and Check back daily.
