Triumph Factory Racing signed fourth-year pro Gage Linville as a short-term 250 fill-in for injured teammates Austin Forkner and Jalek Swoll. Linville is expected to debut for Triumph in St. Louis on April 4 aboard the TF 250-X and will finish this SuperMotocross season with the factory squad while Triumph manages recovery timelines for Forkner and Swoll. Triumph Racing America general manager Jeremy Coker said the organization was “beyond heartbroken” for Forkner and Swoll and praised Linville’s work ethic and potential.

A Georgia native who turned pro in 2023, Linville arrives after more than two years with privateer DBD Racing (also referenced in sources as Dirt Bike Depot/Dirt Legal). He missed the start of the season after a February practice crash that broke five ribs, lacerated his liver and collapsed a lung; the signing advances his recovery and return-to-racing plans.

Linville has 14 career main-event starts and earned his first podium with a third-place finish in a mud race at Foxborough in 2025. He also swept the Partzilla Arenacross Pro Open and 250 Pro championships and is identified as a two-time Partzilla Arenacross champion. The move gives Triumph an immediate replacement in its 250 class as Forkner recovers from hand surgery for a broken left hand and Swoll is sidelined with a damaged Achilles tendon suffered in Birmingham and facing an extended recovery. Triumph will field Linville alongside 450-class rider Jordon Smith under the Triumph tent for Supercross, with Mikkel Haarup joining the team in 450MX for Pro Motocross. Linville called the opportunity “a dream come true” and said he was “very thankful for this opportunity to ride for Triumph Factory Racing.”

Hunter Lawrence and Eli Tomac head to the Detroit Supercross with the 450SX title fight narrowed to the two of them, Lawrence leading Tomac by nine points entering Round 11. Lawrence arrived in Detroit as the pre-event favorite and on a hot run — three wins in his last four starts and a 2.10 average across rounds — having extended his points lead to nine with a recent victory described as his third career 450SX-class win (his second straight). That win also pushed several career SMX milestones for Lawrence and came as he prepared for his 30th 450SX start; a win in Detroit would also see him equal Tomac’s total number of victories this season.

Tomac remains the biggest threat: he has the most wins this season with four and has missed the podium only twice. He showed resilience coming through an LCQ after a heat-race incident with Justin Cooper, capturing his fourth career 450SX LCQ win and converting it into his 110th 450SX podium — one shy of Jeremy McGrath for second all-time — while extending his SMX League record to 293 top-5 finishes. A victory for Tomac in Detroit would substantially reduce his nine-point deficit and make the title fight even tighter.

Round 11 in Detroit is being cast as a pivotal event that could reshape the 450SX points race and confirm or alter momentum in the support classes. Other recent results underline shifting form across the paddock — Ken Roczen finished runner-up last weekend and has recorded six top-three finishes this year, Jorge Prado leads the holeshot competition, and the East and 250SX East classes feature ongoing storylines such as Cole Davies’ whoop-section speed and Nate Thrasher’s search for form — all of which add context to how decisive Detroit could be for the championship picture.

Phoenix Honda Racing said rider Cullin Park dislocated his shoulder after his rear end kicked out in the whoops on the opening lap of the Birmingham 250SX East/West Showdown main event in Birmingham, Alabama. The incident ripped his foot off the peg and led to the shoulder dislocation before he fully crashed; Park was running 13th after the first lap but was forced to DNF and was later classified 22nd.

Park opened the day with a season-best fifth-place result in the first qualifying session and entered the event ranked 10th overall across the 250SX divisions. He earned a direct transfer to the main by finishing ninth in his heat; earlier this season his heat finishes were 9-8-9.

In a team release, Phoenix Honda Racing said the full extent of Park’s injury was still being evaluated, credited recent bike improvements and the crew’s work, and did not provide a timeline or specific medical details. Park said he felt optimistic about a quick return, thanked the team for their efforts and the bike improvements, and committed to working hard to get back as soon as possible. The team also reported that teammate Evan Ferry was fined and penalized for taking out Pierce Brown in a 250SX East heat — a penalty that pushed Ferry’s season points total into negative points.

Monster Energy/Yamaha Star Racing rider Pierce Brown announced on social media that he suffered a broken collarbone and a dislocated wrist in a crash at the Birmingham Supercross. Alpinestars’ medical crew attended to him at the track and he was able to walk off under his own power. In an Instagram post Brown apologized to his team and supporters, said there is no timeline for his return and vowed to ‘do everything possible to return as soon as he can.’

Brown entered the 250SX East/West Showdown two points off the 250SX East lead — one of four riders separated by just two points — and, given the severity and timing of the injuries, they appear likely to end or at least seriously jeopardize his championship bid. Earlier this season he won the Arlington opener, finished on the podium in Daytona and placed fifth in Indy; his title hopes remain uncertain pending recovery details and any missed rounds.

Accounts differ on exactly when the crash occurred: one report said it happened a few laps into the 250SX East/West Showdown main event, while another described it as a late-race incident. Both reports noted Brown had been taken out on the final lap of his 250SX East heat and was forced through the Last Chance Qualifier to reach the main. Brown said he caught a rock on a jump while attempting a pass.

Haiden Deegan crossed the line first in the 250SX East/West Showdown at Protective Stadium in Birmingham last weekend but was assessed a one-position penalty for moving between split lanes, which handed the official win to Yamaha teammate Cole Davies.

Deegan, who had largely dominated the 250 field on track, reacted: “I mean, everyone knows who won.” Davies, credited with the victory on the revised results, told interviewer Jason Weigandt he felt unhappy with his own riding and had mixed feelings about taking the win under the circumstances. Event officials and the SMX League published revised results that reflected the changed podium, listing riders, times and best laps but offering no details of any hearing or penalty process; Seth Hammaker completed the overall 250SX podium.

Monster Energy/Star Racing Yamaha 250 team manager Wil Hahn called the result “a real shame,” said the team would review the footage, and framed the outcome as a positive for the team and Yamaha. The penalty did not erase season implications: Deegan remained atop the 250SX West standings by 41 points over Max Anstie, while the adjusted results put Cole Davies six points clear of Seth Hammaker in the 250SX East.

The event produced postrace interviews and a highlights video that underscored the controversy around the Showdown decision. In 450SX, Hunter Lawrence won the main event on a Honda — his third win in four races — and continued to lead that championship.

Hosts of the Birmingham SX Review Podcast led with an officiating controversy after Round 10 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship in Birmingham, Alabama. Jason Thomas, Jason Weigandt and Steve Matthes recapped the event and called AMA Supercross’s penalty decisions “nonsensical” after a controversial penalty assessed to Haiden Deegan; they argued officiating became a defining storyline of the weekend.

Coverage also emphasized notable rider performances: social posts and the SMX World live blog described Hunter Lawrence as having dominated the night, while the podcast reviewed that performance in detail. The hosts characterized Eli Tomac’s outing as poor—he was forced to battle through the LCQ—and discussed how that result affected his overall weekend. The podcast also examined the opening 250SX East/West Showdown, noting key moments and implications for the 250SX class.

The SMX World live blog aggregated highlight reels, postrace interviews and on-the-ground social updates, including a rider saying they were “glad to be leaving healthy” and “excited for the following weekend.” Together, the podcast and live coverage combined race analysis, rider-specific critique and criticism of officiating to frame Birmingham as consequential both for championship momentum and for officiating narratives.

The 250SX East/West Showdown in Birmingham is the season’s first combined 250SX race and is shaping up to have outsized championship consequences. By bringing East and West riders together on the same track on Saturday, the format concentrates more top 250SX talent into a single race, raises the stakes for every contender and increases the chance of large points swings; the structure also makes even small mistakes especially costly. Organizers and observers say the event’s format, timing and a closely bunched leaderboard set the stage for a potentially wild night and significant shifts in championship momentum.

The East standings are razor-thin heading into the Showdown: Cole Davies leads by one point over Seth Hammaker, while Pierce Brown and Jo Shimoda sit one point behind Hammaker and are tied for third. Because the Birmingham race is the first of three events this season where 250 West and 250 East riders meet head-to-head, a winner in Birmingham could leap to the overall points lead, underscoring how pivotal a single result can be in the title chase.

Back in the paddock, teams and riders returned after a weekend off to prepare for practice and race sessions, with bikes described as looking especially polished as preparations ramped up. MXA’s Brian Converse walked the pits and reported on the close-quarters atmosphere and equipment, and the preview framed race-week momentum and paddock preparation as factors that can influence performance at Birmingham. The event also serves as the 10th round of the 450SX season, where Eli Tomac and Hunter Lawrence were presented as clear title favorites entering Birmingham while Cooper Webb and Ken Roczen were noted as needing sizable shake-ups in the points to re-enter contention.