Ken Roczen collided with Aaron Plessinger during Race 2 of the Indianapolis 450SX Triple Crown, a crash that ended Plessinger’s night and knocked him out of contention for Race 3. Reports vary on the timing: one account said the collision occurred on the opening lap, while another described Roczen slipping in the rhythm section late in Race 2 and landing directly into Plessinger’s line.

Plessinger, the Red Bull KTM rider, managed to remount and ride to the mechanics area but did not return for Race 3; he suffered only a bruise to his right arm and no broken bones and said, “I think I got pretty lucky.” Before the crash Plessinger had moved up to eighth in Race 1 and earned a top-five start in Race 2, and his team said it will “keep up the work and keep grinding.”

Roczen, who won Race 1, was forced to remount from dead last after the collision and finished 10th in Race 2, then third in Race 3, leaving him fifth overall for the Triple Crown with race finishes of 1-10-3. He called the second-race incident a “massive mistake,” blamed its timing on a Triple Crown track that was breaking down and catching riders out, and said he had been in strong form and believed he “could have easily gone 1-1-1.” After remounting and focusing on damage control, Roczen said he was taking positives from the remainder of the weekend. The Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship schedule included a lone off weekend after Indianapolis, giving Plessinger time to recover.

Round 9 — the Indianapolis Triple Crown — of the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross saw Cole Davies complete a 1-1-1 sweep in the 250SX class aboard a Yamaha YZ250F, while 450SX moto wins were split among Ken Roczen, Justin Cooper and Hunter Lawrence. Lawrence was awarded the overall after tying Eli Tomac on points and prevailing on the moto-three tiebreaker; that Indianapolis result was Lawrence’s second career 450 Supercross victory and moved him four points clear of Tomac in the championship standings.

Davies’ clean motos underscore his strong form as the 17-round season moves into its second half. Jo Shimoda (2-2-3) finished second overall in 250SX on a Honda CRF250R Works Edition, Seth Hammaker (3-9-2) was third on a Kawasaki KX250, Daxton Bennick (4-4-7) took fourth on a Husqvarna FC 250 Factory Edition, and Pierce Brown (10-3-4) rounded out the top five on a Yamaha YZ250F. Reports highlighted the manufacturers and specific models used by the top finishers as context for the results.

The series took a week off before Indianapolis to allow injured riders such as Dylan Ferrandis, Jett Lawrence, Chase Sexton and Justin Barcia extra recovery time. KTM’s Aaron Plessinger left Indianapolis with a shoulder injury and Joey Savatgy exited with a suspected ankle injury. The championship resumes with Round 10 on March 21 at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama.

The AMA Supercross Championship Official published two concise highlights pieces from the Indianapolis round, each focusing on key on‑track moments and pivotal sequences rather than full race reports. Both short recaps emphasize decisive moves and notable action that defined race day.
The 250SX installment, titled “250SX Highlights | Indianapolis,” centers specifically on the 250SX competition at Indianapolis and offers a brief recap of the race’s main moments and results. The supplied content for that piece does not include rider names, lap details or exact results.
The 450SX installment, titled “450SX Highlights | Indianapolis,” provides a compact recap of the 450SX class, highlighting notable incidents and on‑track action and likely showcasing highlight clips or a summary of decisive sequences. The supplied description for that piece does not include specific riders, results or incidents and notes that full results, rider quotes or extended analysis are available in the complete article or accompanying video highlights.

The Indianapolis Triple Crown preview centers on how rider form, championship margins and the three-race format will decide Round 9 at Lucas Oil Stadium. Hunter Lawrence entered the weekend holding the 450SX red plate by a single point after six podiums in the first eight rounds, but bookmakers and oddsmakers were pointing to Eli Tomac as the rider to beat.

Tomac had collected four wins through eight rounds, including a Daytona triumph last week that extended several all-time marks — his 57th career 450SX win and 113th SMX League victory — and left him chasing career milestones in top-10 totals.

Ken Roczen’s season-long consistency — a 4.25 average finish and only three results outside the top three — and Cooper Webb’s status as defending Indianapolis champion and recent Triple Crown winner in Houston round out the headline storylines. NXTbets highlighted Webb as strong value based on a 2.6 finishing average over the last five rounds while naming Tomac the overwhelming favorite and offering odds and strategy guidance tied to the Triple Crown format.

Dylan Ferrandis will miss Round 9 of the AMA Supercross Championship in Indianapolis after hyperextending his thumb in a crash during the 450SX heat at Daytona International Speedway. He retired from the Daytona main event after a second crash, and an MRI this week showed no broken bones or ligament tears but revealed significant fluid buildup, inflammation and bruising that have compromised his grip.

Ferrandis attempted a practice on Thursday but concluded his thumb could not safely hold the handlebars and elected to withdraw from the Indianapolis round.

Riding for Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati Factory Racing, Ferrandis and the team framed his absence as a precautionary, recovery-focused decision guided by medical assessment. They plan to use the Indianapolis weekend and the scheduled off week for rest and rehabilitation with the aim of returning for Round 10 in Birmingham, Alabama. Ferrandis is currently ninth in the 450SX standings, with a season-best finish of ninth recorded four times so far.

The Indianapolis stop of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship serves as a Triple Crown preview and viewing guide for fans. Round 9 at Lucas Oil Stadium is the series’ second Triple Crown event and also counts as Round 3 of the 250SX East championship. The Triple Crown night show will use three separate races with Olympic-style scoring to determine overall results. The AMA’s SMX Insider frames Indy as an informational primer as the series begins the second half of its season. Live on Peacock: Race Day at 1:00 p.m. ET; Night Show at 7:00 p.m. ET.

Rider availability headlines several absences and comeback questions for Indy. Dylan Ferrandis is expected to race after spraining his thumb at Daytona when he was run into while remounting. Jorge Prado has been out since Seattle with a shoulder injury and KTM has not updated his Indianapolis status; Chase Sexton will miss a second straight round with lower back and hip pain from a pre-Daytona practice crash. The 450SX entry list shows multiple riders out for Indy, including Justin Barcia, Benny Bloss, Cade Clason, Austin Forkner, RJ Hampshire, Logan Karnow, Jett Lawrence, Max Miller and Mitchell Oldenburg.

In 250SX East news, Drew Adams will sit out while recovering from a broken thumb sustained in the Daytona main, Ty Masterpool is out with a torn labrum, and Casey Cochran and Gage Linville are absent from the entry list.

Track and tactical notes underline how course features will interact with the Triple Crown scoring format. Mild temperatures in the 60s and 70s are expected. The layout begins with a very long start straight that favors outside gates and funnels into a fast right-hander that requires heavy rear-brake use, then moves into a visitor-side rhythm where the first jump may force different line choices (3-3-3-1, 2-3-3-2 or 3-3-3 into the corner). The course includes a netted 180 into a triple-onto-tabletop, a rutty whoops section where Cole Davies found time in 2025, and a finish sequence featuring a jump into an inside-dominant post-finish corner. The later “carrot jumps” present a tactical choice between using an outside berm to triple or an inside roll-double to protect position before looping to lap two. Gate choice, braking technique and line selection at several critical features will shape race strategy in Indy’s Triple Crown format.

Seth Hammaker’s victory in the Daytona 250SX East main event snapped Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s seven-race win streak and handed a marquee win to Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki. It was Hammaker’s first victory of the 2026 season and his fourth career supercross win, and it also gave team owner Mitch Payton his first win of the year. The result reset the competitive momentum in the 250SX East ranks and interrupted Star Racing’s recent run of dominance.

Hammaker’s path to the checkered flag included contrasting moments on race day: he topped the first qualifier, suffered a heavy crash in the second qualifier that bent his bike and delayed the night show, then recovered to get the holeshot in the main and ride a clean race to victory. Hammaker credited a strong holeshot and smart gate pick for allowing him to clear traffic early, build a gap and control the race, called the win “a dream come true,” and said having family and friends at the race made the moment more meaningful. He also noted confidence heading into the upcoming Triple Crown at Lucas Oil Stadium — “I won the showdown there, so I have some confidence going into this one,” — while stressing that clean execution on starts and in the Triple Crown races would be critical to sustaining momentum.

On the podium, Cole Davies of Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha finished second and Pierce Brown was third; Brown remains the 250SX East points leader. After two rounds Hammaker sat two points behind Brown as the series moved on to Indianapolis, underscoring how Daytona both altered the season’s storyline and left the championship battle very much alive. Coverage and trackside highlights emphasized the podium places and the broader implications for the early 250SX title fight, and Johnny O’Mara praised Hammaker’s fit at the Lawrence Compound’s “Dog Pound,” citing his results and attitude. Hammaker had finished fourth in the Arlington season opener, making Daytona a momentum-shifting rebound for the Kawasaki rider.

Drew Adams’ night at the second round of the 250SX East at Daytona ended when he crashed in the whoops and suffered a broken thumb, a team press release said. The injury forced the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider to fail to finish the Main Event, with the team statement cited as the primary source for the update.

Adams had been strong through the weekend, posting the fastest qualifying time and winning his heat. In the Main Event he got off the line well, moved from fifth to third by passing Pierce Brown and Nate Thrasher, then slipped to fourth after Cole Davies reeled him in before crashing in the whoops and being unable to continue. Adams said he was “super bummed,” that the speed had been there and that the result was not how he wanted the evening to end; he planned to have his thumb checked to determine next steps.

Further medical details and any potential effect on Adams’ season were pending additional evaluation. Team and media reports noted he maintained a strong pace throughout the day, underlining his potential as a contender going forward, and more updates on his condition and status were expected after medical evaluation.