Daxton Bennick entered this season as a rider who often posts strong opening-round results but struggles to carry that speed through a full year. He made his debut for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna after two pro seasons with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing, reuniting with team manager Nathan Ramsey; he’s training at the Baker’s Factory and cited his KTM amateur background and prior work with trainer Aldon Baker as part of the move.

Bennick finished third in the 250SX East opener at Arlington. He started the main in third, finished less than 1.5 seconds behind winner Jo Shimoda and spent the race fending off pressure from Seth Hammaker. Bennick said he “struggled pretty bad all day” in the heat and called the main the roughest he’d experienced. Husqvarna entered round one as a single-rider 250 team after teammate Casey Cochran fractured his collarbone.

Statistically, his knack for opening rounds is clear: third in Detroit (2024), second in Tampa (2025) and third in Arlington (this season), an average opening-round finish of 2.7. By contrast, his overall 250SX résumé shows less consistency: in 13 non-opening main events he has no podiums, nine top-10s, three top-5s, a best finish of fourth at the 2024 Philly SX and an average finish of 10.4. Team members and observers point to durability issues as a key factor; Bennick suffered a concussion the week after his second-place finish in Tampa last year, and a training crash and resulting injury between an opening round and round two last season are cited as reasons he has sometimes been unable to convert early speed into season-long momentum.

SMX Insiders ran an SMX Insider EXTRA segment following the Arlington Supercross weekend in which hosts Jason Weigandt and Jason Thomas interviewed AMA director of racing Mike Pelletier to clarify officiating decisions that affected the 250- and 450-class main events.

Pelletier explained how the AMA arrived at its rulings, reviewed specific calls from the Arlington races, and answered questions about the rationale behind the decisions and their impact on riders and event standings.

The segment focused on explaining outcomes rather than announcing policy changes, serving as a concise post-event review that gave fans direct access to the AMA’s perspective and highlighted the interaction between sanctioning officials and media when communicating result determinations.

Highlights from Arlington, Texas captured the standout moments from both the 250SX and 450SX classes, emphasizing decisive maneuvers, turning points and notable incidents rather than full race results or extended analysis.

The 450SX highlights package focused on the 450SX class in Arlington, Texas, condensing the round into its most notable moments for viewers seeking a quick, viewer-friendly recap. It paired short clips of decisive maneuvers and key incidents with commentary or captions to underline standout sequences.

The AMA Supercross Championship Official article titled “250SX Highlights | Arlington, Texas” centered on the 250SX class at the same venue, compiling consequential on-track moments — including decisive passes, standout performances and notable incidents that shaped the race weekend. The write-up noted track conditions and the event atmosphere and prioritized moments with the biggest impact on outcomes and championship implications, serving fans who wanted key visual and narrative high points without exhaustive statistics.

Round 7 of the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship — the 250SX East Division opener — will take place Saturday, Feb. 21 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Peacock will carry U.S. coverage: Race Day Live at 1:00 p.m. ET, a Pre‑Race Show at 6:30 p.m. ET and the Night Show at 7:00 p.m. ET. International streaming is available via the SuperMotocross Video Pass. Former Women’s National Champion Sarah Whitmore will host the weekend preview, which focuses on the 250SX East opener and includes a track report from Jason Thomas describing conditions and layout features.

The injury report and entry list reshaped the weekend outlook. Christian Craig is scheduled to race despite fractured ring and pinky fingers suffered in a first‑turn Seattle crash with Jason Anderson, and Jo Shimoda is expected to race following a neck injury. Several riders are ruled out: RJ Hampshire (foot) and Jorge Prado (shoulder) are out for Arlington, and Casey Cochran is out of 250SX East with a broken collarbone. Gage Linville has sustained severe torso injuries and is aiming to return before the season ends.

Jordon Smith will return to make his 2026 and 450SX debut at Arlington after missing the first six rounds with a prior shoulder injury. The Arlington entry list also omits Justin Barcia, Benny Bloss, Cade Clason, Austin Forkner, Logan Karnow, Jett Lawrence, Max Miller and Mitchell Oldenburg. A full text version of the injury report is available for readers.

The stop also carries 450SX championship implications: Hunter Lawrence holds a one‑point lead over Eli Tomac, while Ken Roczen and Cooper Webb are tied for third, 11 points behind the leader. With the 250SX East opener and these 450SX battles converging at AT&T Stadium, Round 7 shapes up as a consequential weekend for teams, riders and viewers alike.

Eli Tomac’s victory in Round 7 at Arlington immediately reshaped the 450SX title fight, cutting the gap to red‑plate leader Hunter Lawrence to a single point and turning the championship into an even tighter duel.

Tomac’s Arlington win was his third of the season, his 112th SMX victory and his 56th 450SX win. The result also helped KTM reach its 75th 450SX‑class victory and its 194th total SMX win. The Arlington event marked Tomac’s 375th SMX start and his 190th 450SX start, a milestone that tied him with Larry Ward and Justin Brayton for fifth on the all‑time 450SX starts list.

Other outcomes at AT&T Stadium underscored the championship ripple effects and season storylines. Hunter Lawrence finished fourth and retained the red plate; Cooper Webb posted his third straight podium and sat 11 points off the lead following a 7‑8‑5 start to the season. Justin Cooper capitalized on a two‑rider collision to take his first podium of the year — his sixth 450SX podium and 66th SMX podium overall. Chase Sexton notched his 65th 450SX top‑5 and his 150th SMX top‑5, Malcolm Stewart moved into the top‑25 all‑time in 450SX starts with 127, and Aaron Plessinger reached his 100th 450SX start.

Preview coverage from SMX Insiders hosts Jason Weigandt and Jason Thomas framed Round 7 as a pivotal moment for the 450 class, breaking down points scenarios, flagging key storylines and offering practical notes about the Arlington venue and event schedule. The Arlington round was the 48th DFW Metroplex Supercross and the 19th held at AT&T Stadium, which will not use a Triple‑Crown format this season — a scheduling detail that will shape how the remainder of the season’s narrative unfolds.

Two teams in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross 250SX East Division released roster photo galleries as visual previews ahead of the season opener. The galleries emphasize team identity, equipment, riders, and new graphics packages rather than race results, serving as promotional previews for fans and media.

The Dirt Legal Dirt Bike Depot WMR KTM Racing Team released a dedicated photoshoot featuring high-resolution, clickable thumbnails that open full-screen; credited photographer Tyler Hughes (Instagram: @Handheldty) produced the images. The gallery highlights the team’s riders as well as their bikes, riding gear and custom graphics, underscoring team branding, sponsors and the manufacturer partnerships embedded in the full team name. Hereafter the outfit is referred to as Dirt Legal WMR KTM.

MX6 Racing Kawasaki unveiled its roster and team photos in an Align Media–produced gallery that showcases Kawasaki bikes, riders’ gear and new graphics packages. The gallery doubles as a roster reveal and a visual promotional preview; individual riders were not named. Align Media and MX6 presented the images to introduce fans and media and to build anticipation for the upcoming 250SX East races.

Jorge Prado will sit out Round 7 of the AMA Supercross Championship in Arlington as he continues to recover from a right shoulder injury sustained in a heavy crash during final qualifying in Seattle. Prado had posted the fastest qualifying time in Seattle before the second qualifying-session crash; he withdrew from his heat with right-shoulder swelling and did not compete in the night show. Red Bull KTM described his absence as a short-term precaution to protect his recovery and longer-term competitiveness.

Team medical evaluations found no major structural damage but identified excessive swelling and joint irritation in a shoulder that had been previously injured and surgically repaired during the 2025 season. Rather than race in Arlington, Red Bull KTM said it will give Prado a week off the KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition for therapy and further assessment. Team manager Ian Harrison emphasized the priority on the rider’s long-term health and said Prado will only return when ready.

The team is targeting the Daytona Supercross on Feb. 28 for his comeback if he is medically cleared, with further evaluations planned over the coming days to determine his fitness to race. Prado already sat out Round 6 and has fallen to 10th in the 450SX standings, a development that affects both his title prospects and Red Bull KTM’s Arlington planning. Since rejoining the team this season he has recorded quickest qualifying runs (including Glendale and Seattle), three heat-race wins (Anaheim 1, Anaheim 2 and Glendale) and a third-place podium at Anaheim 1; the team cited those results while stressing that the decision is a cautious, medically driven measure rather than a career-threatening setback.

Partzilla Blaster Power PRMX Racing announced it has signed Australian rider Luke Clout to its 250SX East Division roster ahead of the season opener in Arlington, Texas. The team said he will race in the 2026 SMX East Coast Supercross Championship. His team presented the move as a roster update designed to strengthen its competitiveness in the 250SX East campaign and framed the signing as part of a broader effort to reinforce its competitive structure entering 2026.

Clout, 31, is a multiple Supercross and Motocross champion and the 2021 Australian MX1 Motocross Champion. He last competed in a full Monster Energy AMA Supercross season in 2020, when he finished ninth overall in the 250SX West Division, and the signing marks his return to a full Supercross program after several years away from a complete AMA Supercross season.

PRMX said Clout brings championship experience, international race craft, and proven front-running speed. His team management even calls him “a proven champion with the mindset required to compete at the highest level.” Clout will join teammate Hamden Hudson on the 250SX East roster and will race with backing from partners ROKiT, Partzilla, and Blaster Power, who PRMX said will support on-track performance and provide brand visibility across stadium events, national broadcasts, and digital platforms. The team is in pursuit of consistent top finishes, podium contention, and progress toward SuperMotocross competition.