Round four at NRG Stadium in Houston was the season’s first Triple Crown stop and the series’ first race outside California this season. The event used the Triple Crown format — no heats, afternoon qualifying and three mains per class — and teams could bring two bikes through tech so riders could switch machines between mains. That two-bike, Triple Crown setup rewarded consistency and forced new setup and risk-management choices.

In qualifying, Eli Tomac topped the 450SX timing charts with a 46.684, nearly half a second quicker than Chase Sexton (47.097); Hunter Lawrence was third at 47.176, underlining Tomac’s early-season form. Haiden Deegan led 250SX qualifying with a 47.554, followed by Levi Kitchen (47.745) and Ryder DiFrancesco (47.790), reinforcing Deegan’s command of the 250SX West standings. A2 reshaped the points: Sexton arrived in Houston off the A2 win, Michael Mosiman’s runner-up at A2 moved him to second in the 250 standings nine points behind Deegan, and Kitchen remained within striking distance despite a DNF at A2.

The weekend also produced significant roster news: Honda HRC rider Chance Hymas suffered a shoulder injury in the first turn at A2 and was ruled out for the remainder of the Supercross season. Other storylines carried into Houston — Cooper Webb’s early struggles and his A2 crash left him adrift in the standings, Jason Anderson showed encouraging speed, Hunter Lawrence continued seeking his first 450SX win, and riders such as Jorge Prado and Ryder DiFrancesco were penciled as Triple Crown podium contenders. The SMX Next class returned after the red-flag crash at A2 involving Ryder Malinoski and Max Shane, adding another subplot to the weekend’s racing and recovery narratives.

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