Monster Energy Kawasaki announced on social media that Chase Sexton will miss Round 8, the Daytona Supercross, after a practice crash that left him with hip and lower-back injuries. The team provided limited medical detail and no firm timetable; one post added he will be out “at least one round,” while other updates reiterated there is no return date.

Cycle News described the announcement as sudden and said missing Daytona is almost certain to end Sexton’s title hopes given the timing and his position in the points. Sexton, the 2023 450 Supercross champion, is currently fifth in the 450SX standings with one main-event win (Anaheim 2) — his only podium so far — and a season average finish of fifth. He trails points leader Hunter Lawrence by 27 points. This season’s reported finishes include 8th at Anaheim 1, 4th at San Diego, 5th at Houston, 7th at Glendale, 5th at Seattle and 6th at Arlington.

The absence follows Sexton’s high-profile move to Monster Energy Kawasaki in the off-season and would be his first missed Supercross since Seattle in March 2022. Kawasaki did not name a replacement; Garrett Marchbanks will be the team’s sole rider entered at Daytona. Team personnel, fans and media are awaiting further updates on Sexton’s recovery and possible return.

Racer X’s preview framed Daytona’s infield layout as the most unique round on the Supercross calendar, making the track’s technical characteristics the central factor shaping race strategy. Unlike the limerock era exemplified by Jeff Stanton — which featured 20-lap mains and roughly 90-second laps — Daytona’s infield prioritizes speed and technical riding over ironman-style endurance, so bike setup, speed control and precision will be decisive.

Analyst Jason Thomas walked viewers through the infield on the broadcast hosted by former Women’s National Champion Sarah Whitmore, outlining features that will influence tactics. The start splits the course toward the adjacent speedway and immediately sends riders through alternating 180-degree turns; laps include rhythm sections of doubles and triples, back-to-back split-bowl berms that have generated significant passing, and a particularly risky high-speed stretch near turn one that produced Levi Kitchen’s season-ending crash in 2025.

Later in the lap riders face setup compromises with clay Supercross whoops and a beach-sand sequence that contains a slowing tunnel jump, two designated sand lines and a fast dash alongside pit lane to the finish. The segment combined a track walkthrough with an injury rundown, naming riders who would be absent from the weekend’s competition; Racer X Online published the full injury list and details to prepare fans for on-track action and the altered starting lineup those absences create.

Pierce Brown completed a comeback at Arlington, winning the 250SX East opener and ending a 378-day absence from competition. The victory — his first career 250SX win — came nearly a year after he fractured his T5 vertebra while leading the Tampa main event on Feb. 8, 2025. Brown and his Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team called the result a milestone in a long recovery that included a brief, ill-fated return at the Ironman round of Pro Motocross and an infection the previous year.

Brown said the result “hasn’t sunk in yet,” added that he had been “hungry every day,” and called Arlington “the first race of ten,” describing 2026 as a year to “put it all together.” He said he planned a long-game approach focused on maximizing points and staying consistent over the remaining races while cleaning up mistakes. Arlington SX at AT&T Stadium produced a chaotic night: a first-turn pileup, a messy heat in which Brown initially struggled in the whoops before dialing them in, and differing accounts of how he took the lead. Some outlets reported he seized it on the gate (a light-gate lead), while others described a late pass on Jo Shimoda; Brown ultimately finished 2.4 seconds ahead of Shimoda and rode aggressively after the chaotic start.

Reports also varied about qualifying — some sources said he qualified P1, others that he struggled — but he nevertheless left Arlington holding the red plate. Daxton Bennick reached the podium for the third consecutive season opener, underscoring the depth of the field. The night was clouded by a warning-light controversy after video showed Brown and Bennick jumping with the warning light on; the AMA ruled no penalties, stating, “the presence of the warning light alone does not prohibit riders without accompanying flag signals.” The event also prompted public comments about safety and race control from Honda HRC Progressive Team Manager Lars Lindstrom after two separate red cross-flag incidents were called during the night.

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.

The American Motorcyclist Association reviewed two red-light/red-cross flag incidents from Round 7 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross in Arlington and concluded that no rules violations occurred, preserving the race results and upholding Race Direction’s rulings.

In the 250SX Main, Race Direction said a single red lead-in warning light had been displayed but that a lead-in warning alone does not prohibit jumping. Officials found no additional flag signals or directives that would have barred riders from jumping, allowed competitors to maintain race pace through the affected section and assessed no penalties; the on-track sequence included Derek Kelley crashing, Jo Shimoda rolling and Pierce Brown jumping a small double and the finish-line jump to pass Shimoda for his first career 250SX victory. A circulated photo that appeared to show Brown jumping on a red indicator was reviewed and did not result in a finding of an infraction.

In the 450SX Main, Race Direction noted a red cross flag visible at the finish stand while no corresponding red lights or advance flags had been illuminated on the approach to the jump and, citing Rule 1.6.14(e), concluded riders were already committed and issued no penalties. The incident involved Honda HRC rider Hunter Lawrence rolling when the red cross flag was displayed and several riders — including Eli Tomac, Ken Roczen and Cooper Webb — appearing to clear the finish. Honda HRC Progressive team manager Lars Lindstrom publicly contested the AMA rulings, saying penalties (including loss of position and five championship points) should have been applied. The Race Direction office in Pickerington, Ohio, published the findings, clarified how different signals are intended to be used and said the AMA will review procedures; it has already adjusted lighting operations and flagging procedures to improve on-track communication and safety and reduce the chance of similar confusion in future rounds.

A first-turn, domino-effect crash at the Arlington Supercross 250SX East season opener — initiated when Cole Davies bumped Seth Hammaker from the far inside — disrupted the main event early and took down several riders. Three of the four Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing riders were involved in that pileup, and competitors including Marshal Weltin, Coty Schock, Luke Clout and Bryce Shelly were also taken down. Seth Hammaker stayed upright and avoided the crash; both Davies and Hammaker had won heat races earlier (Davies won heat one; Hammaker won heat two).

Despite the early incident, riders recovered and the race finished with Brown securing his first 250SX main event victory. Cole Davies charged back from the crash to finish fifth, gaining 13 positions and posting the second-fastest lap behind Hammaker. Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker, who had returned from shoulder surgery, posted the fastest lap and finished fourth but called the result “not where I want to be.” Teammate Drew Adams escaped the early crash, worked his way up during the main but was passed late by Davies and was classified sixth. Nate Thrasher recovered to 11th, and rookie Caden Dudney finished 13th in his first professional 250SX main. Reporter Steve Matthes spoke with Hammaker and Adams after the race; coverage framed Arlington as an early measuring stick for the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki riders and highlighted recovery and race execution as immediate storylines to monitor going forward.

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.