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MONSTER ENERGY® KAWASAKI RIDER CHASE SEXTON TAKES HOME HIS FIRST VICTORY OF THE SEASON
Monster Energy® Kawasaki rider Chase Sexton delivered a commanding performance at Round 3 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship inside Angel Stadium, capturing his first victory of the 2026 season. The milestone win marks the brand’s first supercross victory since Round 17 of the 2022 season. Teammate Garrett Marchbanks delivered a steady ride in the 450SX Main Event to finish 14th. In the 250SX Main Event, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki riders Cameron McAdoo and Levi Kitchen faced a challenging night, with McAdoo securing a solid fourth-place finish and Kitchen recording a 21st-place result following an early race incident. Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green riders Vincent Wey and Kade Johnson rounded out the night in the SMX Next Main Event, with Wey narrowly missing the podium in fourth, while Johnson continued on from an early crash to finish 16th.
In 250SX Qualifying, Kitchen showed front-running speed aboard his KX™250, earning second overall in the combined sessions, while McAdoo put in consistent laps to earn ninth overall, setting up both riders with strong gate picks for the night.
In 250SX Heat 1, Kitchen launched to a strong start and maintained second place early while engaging in a close battle with the riders around him. While making a run on the leader in one of the option lanes, Kitchen came up short on a tricky triple and went over the bars. He was able to quickly remount and ultimately finishing fourth. In 250SX Heat 2, McAdoo pulled a commanding start, pushing the inside line as he rounded the first turn, narrowly missing the holeshot. After being held up in the second turn, he was shuffled back to fourth, where he would hold strong through the remainder of the race.
In the 250SX Main Event, McAdoo once again proved his starting capabilities, quickly placing himself in podium contention. Riding a consistent and composed race, he moved into third around halfway through the race and battled inside the Top 5 until the final laps, ultimately finishing fourth. Kitchen was pushed wide in the first turn and was hit by another rider forcing him to retire from the race. McAdoo sits sixth in points and Kitchen eighth as they will both regroup to come out swinging at the first Triple Crown event next weekend in Houston.
In the 450SX class, Sexton led the charge through qualifying, ultimately posting the fastest lap in both sessions to take pole position. The No. 4 Kawasaki was the only rider to post a lap time under a minute, which secured him fastest qualifier on the day. Teammate Garrett Marchbanks returned to action after a weekend away and was strong throughout qualifying. Marchbanks led from start to finish to earn the top qualifying spot in both Group B sessions and earned 19th overall for the night show.
Both Kawasaki riders lined up for 450SX Heat 2 with Sexton grabbing a strong start and Marchbanks mid-pack. Sexton made quick passes to take the lead only to suffer a fall exiting the sand section a lap later. Undeterred, the No. 4 Kawasaki mounted an impressive charge through the field, climbing from eighth to fourth by the checkered flag. Marchbanks steadily worked his way forward throughout the race to secure an eighth-place finish and direct transfer to the main event.
In the 450SX Main Event, Sexton battled for the holeshot as he rounded the first turn in second. He maintained pressure on the leader throughout the opening laps before making an assertive pass right before the finish line to take the lead on Lap 6. From there, Sexton controlled the race with calculated speed and confidence to race his KX™450SR through to the checkered flag, capturing a historic victory for Monster Energy Kawasaki and reestablishing the brand atop the supercross podium. Marchbanks started deep in the field but rode a determined race, steadily working his way forward from the back of the pack. After climbing into 16th and applying consistent pressure, Marchbanks made a pass to move into 15th and held that position before executing another late-race pass to secure a 14th-place finish. The win moves Sexton to third in the points standings just 13 points back from the lead.
The SMX Next riders contested their first round of the season at Anaheim with Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green riders Vincent Wey and Kade Johnson posting strong overall results. Wey secured third overall, continuing his consistent speed throughout the day, while Johnson qualified seventh overall, putting both riders in solid position heading into the main event.
In the SMX Next Main Event, Wey and Johnson both got off to strong starts aboard their KX™250 machines, quickly placing themselves inside the Top 3. Wey ran inside podium contention for the majority of the race after settling into second early, while Johnson followed closely in third as the duo showed front-running pace. Johnson suffered a crash midway through the main event after going down in the rhythm section, but was able to remount and continue, ultimately finishing 16th. With the intensity building late, Wey battled to hold a podium position but slipped back to fourth in the final moments of the race, where he would ultimately finish.
“I finally had a feeling on the bike that I’ve been looking for, really since I got on it, and I felt freed up to push the pace. Even from press day, I just felt normal again and I feel like I could ride how I wanted. Obviously, my speed was good, but I wanted to win so bad that I was over-riding it a bit. Honestly for the main event, I told myself I was going to go out there, ride a good pace, get to a flow and see what happens. I knew my speed was good enough to be able to ride not at 100% and still win, so it was good. It was a tricky track, and when I got out front I just logged my laps, read the pit board, and just rode her in to take the win. This win really means a lot both to me and the team, so it’s extra special to get it done for them.”
- Chase Sexton
“I had a lot of confidence coming into the weekend. I felt comfortable on the bike right away and was able to build throughout the day. The goal was to stay patient and keep building, and that’s what we did. I’m just happy to be back on the bike and feeling like myself again.”
- Garrett Marchbanks
“This was a tough night. I felt really good coming into the main event and had the speed to be up front, but things didn’t go my way, and it put me in a tough position. It’s frustrating because I know what I’m capable of, but this is part of racing, and all you can do is learn from it and reset.”
- Levi Kitchen
“The result doesn’t fully show how I felt on the bike tonight. I had good starts and felt strong throughout the main event, and I was right there fighting for a podium position. I stayed consistent and tried to be smart, especially late in the race when things got tight. Of course, you always want more, but there are a lot of positives to take away from this weekend. The speed is there, the starts are there, and we’re building every round. I’m proud of the effort from the whole Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki team, and I’m excited to keep pushing forward."
- Cameron McAdoo