Lawrence Leads the Way as Sexton Returns

Strong in Detroit Qualifying

450SX CLASS QUALIFYING

Hunter Lawrence picked up right where he left off on Saturday afternoon at Ford Field in Detroit, laying down the fastest lap of the day in combined 450SX Class qualifying with a 51.505 aboard hisHonda HRC Progressive machine. The championship points leader edged out Ken Roczen by just six hundredths of a second in what was another razor-thin qualifying session at Round 11 of Monster Energy AMA Supercross.

Roczen, riding the Progressive Insurance / Cycle Gear / Ecstar Suzuki, clocked a 51.565 to slot into second overall, continuing a strong stretch of form for the veteran. Malcolm Stewart turned heads with the third-fastest time of the day at 51.894 on his Rockstar Energy Husqvarna, proving once again that he’s capable of running with the sport’s elite on any given Saturday.

Perhaps the biggest storyline of the day was the return of Chase Sexton. The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider, who had been sidelined for the last three rounds after suffering an injury while training ahead of the Daytona Supercross, looked sharp from the moment he hit the track. Sexton posted a 51.896, just two thousandths of a second behind Stewart to qualify fourth overall. It was a statement-making return for the former champion, who appeared to have lost nothing during his time away from racing.

Justin Cooper (51.945) and Justin Hill (51.949) rounded out a tightly contested top six, separated by just four thousandths, while Cooper Webb qualified seventh with a 52.082 on his Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha. Jordon Smith continued to impress aboard the Triumph, posting the eighth-fastest time at 52.137 to keep the factory Triumph Racing squad firmly in the mix.

All eyes will be on Eli Tomac tonight after the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider qualified ninth with a 52.405 nearly a full second off Lawrence’s pace. The two-time champion enters Detroit just nine points behind Lawrence in the standings, so his qualifying speed, or

Tomac’s time was identical to that of Dylan Ferrandis, who made his own return to racing after a thumb sprain at Daytona kept him off the bike. The Frenchman slotted into 10th aboard his Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati, with Jorge Prado rounding out the top 11 at 52.415.

250SX EAST QUALIFYING

In the 250SX East Region, Seth Hammaker sent a clear message to points leader Cole Davies by topping qualifying with the fastest lap of the session a 51.762 on his Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki. Davies, the championship leader aboard the Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha, was close behind at 51.837, but Hammaker’s speed was a statement of intent from a rider who knows the title fight is very much alive heading into Round 5 of the Eastern Regional series. The gap from the top two to the rest of the field was significant. Devin Simonson was the best of the rest in third at 52.464 for ClubMX Yamaha, followed by Caden Dudney (52.819) and Nate Thrasher (52.913), who rounded out an all-Yamaha top five behind Hammaker’s Kawasaki.

Derek Kelley turned in an impressive sixth-place qualifying effort at 52.954 aboard his Mx6 Racing Kawasaki, while Evan Ferry was seventh fastest for Phoenix Honda Racing at 53.285. Henry Miller, Coty Schock, and Casey Cochran completed the top 10. Cochran’s qualifying performance was a noteworthy storyline in its own right. The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna rider made his 2026 debut today after missing the entire season to this point with a broken collarbone sustained before the opening round. Posting the 10th- fastest time in his first session of the year is a promising sign for the young rider as he looks to build momentum through the back half of the Eastern Regional schedule. Jo Shimoda, who entered Detroit as a podium contender, qualified 12th at 53.599 on the Honda HRC Progressive entry, a position that could make for a challenging gate pick heading into the night show.

TONIGHT AT FORD FIELD

Racing from Ford Field gets underway tonight at 7:00 p.m. ET on Peacock and the SMX Video Pass. With Sexton and Ferrandis back on the gate in the 450SX Class and the 250SX East title fight tightening up between Hammaker and Davies, Detroit has all the makings of a memorable Round 11. Lawrence will look to extend his nine-point advantage over Tomac, while Roczen and Webb remain within striking distance of the championship’s top step.

Full results, live timing, and race coverage available at SUPERMOTOCROSS.com