2026 SMX World Championship Recap: Jorge Prado Wins It All

What a night in the Ozarks. Jorge Prado is the 2026 SMX World Champion, and honestly, if you'd told us a year ago that a Spaniard would be holding the million-dollar check at Thunder Ridge, alot of people in the pits would have laughed.

Prado came into the final at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in Ridgedale, Missouri with a 16-point lead, rode through a rough first moto, then grabbed the holeshot in the second moto and held off Haiden Deegan in one of the best battles of the year. He took the title by 7 points and became the first Spanish-born champion in SMX history. On the 250 side, Levi Kitchen finally got the championship he's been chasing for years.

We spend a lot of time around motorsport crowds, flying teams, sponsors and fans in and out of race weekends, and this was one of those playoffs where you could feel the energy change round to round. Here's how it all played out.

How the SMX Playoffs Work (Quick Version)

If you're newer to this, the SuperMotocross World Championship takes the top riders from Supercross and Pro Motocross and throws them into a three-round playoff on hybrid tracks: part stadium supercross, part outdoor motocross. Points build over the three rounds, the final pays triple points, and the champion walks away with $1 million. Hunter Lawrence came in as the No. 1 seed after winning the Pro Motocross title. Ken Roczen was right behind him fresh off his long-awaited Supercross championship. And with three-time defending champ Jett Lawrence out after foot and ankle surgery, the door was wide open.

Playoff 1: Columbus, Ohio (September 12): Mud, Chaos and a Breakthrough

The playoffs opened somewhere new this year, at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus. And Ohio did what Ohio does in September: it rained. Hard. The motos got shortened to protect what was left of the track, and it turned into a survival race.

• Haiden Deegan went 1-1 for his first ever 450 overall win, in just his 12th start in the premier class. You could see how much it meant to him.

• Ken Roczen was steady at 2-2 for second.

• Jorge Prado went 3-4 for third, and that was enough to take the red plate by 2 points. Quietly, it was the most important ride of the night.

• The top seed, Hunter Lawrence, went down twice in the first moto and finished 15th overall. In a three-round playoff, a night like that is brutal.

In the 250 class, Levi Kitchen made a late pass on Daxton Bennick to win on a tiebreaker, while top seed Cole Davies crashed out of a big lead in moto one.

Playoff 2: Carson, California (September 19): Prado Takes Control

Back on dry dirt at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Prado looked like a totally different rider. He won the round, with Hunter Lawrence bouncing back to second and Roczen third.

After two rounds, the standings looked like this:

• Jorge Prado: 92

• Haiden Deegan: 76

• Hunter Lawrence: 76

• Ken Roczen: 74

• Cooper Webb: 72

A 16-point lead heading into a triple-points final is good, but not safe. Prado said something after Carson that stuck with us: every time he gets the red plate, he just feels better. That's a guy who's been in title fights before and knows it.

In the 250s, Julien Beaumer won Carson with Ryder DiFrancesco second and Kitchen third, keeping Kitchen in control of the points.

The Final: Ridgedale, Missouri (September 26): The Duel at Thunder Ridge

The final at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena, part of the Big Cedar Lodge property in the Ozarks, was packed. Deegan set the fastest qualifying time by almost half a second, so everybody knew he was coming.

Moto 1 belonged to Deegan. He grabbed the holeshot and led every lap, with Ken Roczen second and Hunter Lawrence third. Prado got a bad start, was barely inside the top ten on the first lap, and worked his way up to fifth. Suddenly that 16-point cushion didn't look so comfortable anymore, and it basically set up a winner-take-all second moto between the two of them.

Moto 2 is the one people will be talking about for a while. The rain came back, Prado nailed the holeshot and Deegan sat right on his rear wheel the whole race. Then Deegan went for it, threw a block pass that looked like it was gonna stick, but Prado cut back underneath, closed the door and kept the lead. After that it was just Prado keeping his lines tight in the slop. He won by 1.7 seconds, with Deegan second, Hunter Lawrence third, Cooper Webb fourth and Roczen fifth after coming back from a bad start.

• Night winner: Haiden Deegan (1-2)

• 2026 SMX World Champion: Jorge Prado, 158 points (+$1,000,000)

• 2nd: Haiden Deegan, 151 points (+$500,000)

• 3rd: Hunter Lawrence, 136 points (+$250,000)

• 4th: Ken Roczen, 128

• 5th: Cooper Webb, 123

The funny part is that Prado thought he had to win moto two. He actually only needed third or better. Either way, he went out and won it. Deegan took the night on moto scores, but Prado won the one that mattered, and that's the kind of champion you want.

The 250 title went to Levi Kitchen (Pro Circuit Kawasaki), who went 2-2 on the night and won the championship comfortably. Cole Davies won both motos, but it was too little too late. It's Kitchen's first pro title, and after all the close calls, nobody deserved it more.

2026 Season Wrap-Up: One of the Best Years in a Long Time

Step back and look at the whole year, and 2026 might be one of the most fun seasons we can remember. Five different stories, five different winners, and almost nobody saw all of it coming.

Supercross (January–May): Ken Roczen finally did it. After years of injuries, comebacks and near misses, Roczen won the 2026 450SX championship with Suzuki and wrapped it up in Salt Lake City. If you've followed his career, you know how big that one was. In the 250s, Haiden Deegan clinched the 250SX West title early, and Cole Davies grinded out a stressful 250SX East championship.

Pro Motocross (May–August): Hunter Lawrence took the 450 Pro Motocross title at Ironman after a season-long fight, and Cole Davies doubled up with the 250 Pro Motocross championship. That made Lawrence and Davies the top seeds going into the playoffs, and neither one walked away with the SMX crown. The "top seed never wins SMX" curse is officially still alive.

SMX Playoffs (September): Jorge Prado, a multi-time world champion in Europe, came to America to prove he could win here too. He didn't always have the flashiest nights, but he never had a disaster, and in a three-round playoff that's everything. Deegan announced himself as a 450 title threat for years to come. And Levi Kitchen got his long-overdue title in the 250 class.

Farewells: This final was also the last professional race for two of the sport's great champions, Eli Tomac and Dylan Ferrandis. Neither had the result they wanted in Missouri, but that doesn't take away from careers that defined an era of American motocross. Classy send-offs from the fans in Ridgedale, too.

Looking ahead to 2027: Jett Lawrence should be back healthy, Deegan will have a full year on the 450, Prado has the No. 1 plate, and Roczen is riding the best he has in years. Supercross kicks off again in January, and honestly it can't come soon enough.

How the SMX Circus Actually Moves (and How Fans Can Too)

The three SMX playoff rounds were in three completely different parts of the country in three straight weekends: Ohio, Southern California, then the Missouri Ozarks. The trucks drive, but a lot of the riders, team owners, sponsors and VIP guests fly. Private aviation is a bigger part of the paddock than most fans realize.

Ridgedale is a perfect example of why. Thunder Ridge is beautiful, but it's not next to a major airline hub. Your options are basically:

• Branson Airport (BKG): about 20–25 minutes from Big Cedar and comfortable for light and midsize jets.

• Downtown Branson / Point Lookout (PLK): a small airport right by the College of the Ozarks and only a few minutes from Big Cedar. It's great for turboprops and some light jets, but the runway is short, so check the aircraft first.

• Springfield-Branson National (SGF): the bigger commercial airport, about an hour's drive north.

From Southern California or Texas, a light jet or turboprop turns a connecting-flight-plus-rental-car day into a couple of hours, door to door.

What to Do Around Big Cedar Lodge (Besides Racing)

If you make the trip for a future SMX final or any event at Thunder Ridge, stay a couple extra days. It's one of the most underrated destinations in the middle of the country.

• Golf. Big Cedar has some of the best public golf in the country, including Payne's Valley, the Tiger Woods design with the famous bonus 19th hole built into the cliffs. Buffalo Ridge and Ozarks National are both excellent too.

• Top of the Rock. Sunset dinner overlooking Table Rock Lake. Go early and have a drink first.

• Lost Canyon Cave and Nature Trail. You can drive a cart through a cave with a waterfall bar inside. Sounds gimmicky, but it's really cool.

• Table Rock Lake. Rent a boat for the day, fish, or just cruise.

• Branson. Shows, restaurants and the original Bass Pro Shops in Springfield if you're into the outdoors.

It's a very different vibe from Vegas or LA. It's quieter, greener and really relaxing after a loud race night.

2026 SMX World Championship FAQs

Who won the 2026 SMX World Championship?

Jorge Prado (Red Bull KTM) won the 450 SMX title by 7 points over Haiden Deegan, and earned $1 million. Levi Kitchen (Pro Circuit Kawasaki) won the 250 SMX title.

Where was the 2026 SMX final?

Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in Ridgedale, Missouri, near Branson and Big Cedar Lodge, on September 26, 2026.

What were the three 2026 SMX playoff rounds?

Columbus, Ohio (September 12), Carson, California (September 19) and Ridgedale, Missouri (September 26).

Who won Supercross and Motocross in 2026?

Ken Roczen won the 450 Supercross title and Hunter Lawrence won the 450 Pro Motocross title. Cole Davies won 250 East Supercross and 250 Pro Motocross, and Haiden Deegan won 250 West Supercross.

What's the closest airport to Thunder Ridge and Big Cedar Lodge?

Branson Airport (BKG) and the smaller Downtown Branson / Point Lookout airport (PLK) are the closest for private aircraft. Springfield-Branson National (SGF) is about an hour away.

Headed to a Race Weekend?

Whether it's Supercross in January, a Pro Motocross national next summer, or the next SMX final, we'll get you, your team or your guests in and out on your schedule, into whichever airport is closest to the track.

Get a private jet quote or call +1 (949) 969-3423, 24/7.

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