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MONSTER ENERGY® KAWASAKI CLOSES OUT PRO MOTOCROSS SEASON AT IRONMAN
Monster Energy® Kawasaki concluded the 2026 Pro Motocross season at Ironman Raceway with Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider Drew Adams matching his season best result with sixth overall (9-5) in the 250 Class, while teammate Levi Kitchen suffered a crash in Moto 1 that ended his championship run and was sidelined for Moto 2. Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green rider Kade Johnson secured third overall (3-6) in the final SMX Next Scouting Moto Combine of the season, while Colt Martin earned 17th overall (20-14), and Dane Pappas finished 18th overall (14-22) in their SMX Next debut rides. In the 450 Class, Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Garrett Marchbanks consistently charged through the field to earn seventh overall (6-7), while Cornelius Tøndel placed 39th in Moto 1 due to a crash, before sitting out Moto 2.
Before racing began at Ironman, the AMA announced that Kitchen was named to compete as part of Team USA at the FIM Motocross of Nations aboard his KX™250 which will run Oct. 2-4 in Ernée, France after the conclusion of the SMX Championship. Kitchen and Team USA will line up amongst the best motocross racers in the world in the three moto, team format.
In 250 Qualifying, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki riders Adams and Kitchen quickly established themselves inside the Top 10 aboard their KX™250 machines. Kitchen recorded the fourth-fastest time in the opening session, with Adams close behind in sixth. During the second session, Adams moved to the top of the leaderboard and remained among the fastest riders throughout qualifying, ultimately securing third overall. Kitchen maintained a consistent pace inside the Top 10 and qualified sixth overall heading into the final motos of the Pro Motocross season.
In 250 Moto 1, Kitchen was poised to overcome the points deficit in the championship and rounded the first turn inside the Top 10 while Adams was mid-pack. Both riders looked to push early, but Kitchen would suffer a tipover on the first lap coming out of the wooded section and was then forced to come from deep in the pack. Halfway through the moto, Kitchen suffered a hard crash that dropped the No. 47 to the rear of the field. Kitchen attempted to continue before ultimately pulling off the track, finishing 40th. Adams continued making progress aboard his KX™250 throughout the remainder of the moto, passing an impressive 22 riders to break into the Top 10 and secure ninth at the checkered flag.
In 250 Moto 2, Kitchen did not return to the starting gate following his Moto 1 incident. Adams lined up toward the outside of the gate and launched inside the Top 10 before settling into a consistent pace around eighth. The No. 35 remained in the fight throughout the moto and began gaining positions during the second half, advancing into seventh and then sixth, before a late charge moved him into fifth at the checkered flag. Adams' 9-5 moto scores at Ironman tied his best finish of the season with sixth overall, finishing 10th in the Pro Motocross Championship series points, and entering the SMX World Championship Playoffs in 16th. Kitchen's moto scores placed him 41st overall and third in the Pro Motocross Championship series points, heading into the Columbus SMX Playoff second in the series.
In SMX Next Qualifying, Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green™ riders Kade Johnson, Dane Pappas, and Colt Martin opened the Ironman weekend on Friday aboard their KX™250 machines for the final Scouting Moto Combine of the season. Pappas led the Team Green trio with the fourth-fastest time in the opening session, while Johnson finished eighth and Martin securing 21st. During the second session, Johnson improved to fifth, Pappas secured eighth, and Martin made significant progress to finish 13th. The trio rested in the Top 15 overall, with Johnson fifth, Pappas sixth, and Martin 15th heading into the two-moto program.
In SMX Next Moto 1, Johnson powered his KX™250 across the holeshot line in second and immediately positioned himself at the front of the field. The No. 177 settled into third during the opening portion of the race and remained within striking distance of second place, applying pressure throughout a back-and-forth battle before ultimately crossing the finish line third. Pappas started his first SMX Next Moto inside the Top 10 and initially settled into eighth, before ultimately finishing 14th. In his first SMX Next moto, Martin faced a mid-pack start, but got caught up in the field, forcing him to continue pushing forward and work his way to 20th by the checkered flag.
In SMX Next Moto 2, all three Team Green riders faced challenging starts. Johnson quickly worked his way into the Top 10, while Martin improved on his opening-moto performance and moved inside the Top 15. Pappas began the moto with a strong start in fourth, but was dropped to the back of the field from an early-race crash. With an overall podium still within reach, Johnson continued charging forward and made the passes necessary to move himself into third in the overall standings, before advancing to sixth in the moto. Martin continued his progress to finish 14th, while Pappas finished 22nd due to a crash after the first turn. Johnson's 3-6 finishes secured third overall in the final SMX Next Scouting Moto Combine of the season, while Martin's 20-14 scores earned him 17th overall in his SMX Next debut, and Pappas' 14-22 results placed him 18th overall.
In 450 Qualifying, Monster Energy Kawasaki riders Tøndel and Marchbanks showed early speed aboard their KX™450SR machines as they prepared for the final motos of the Pro Motocross season. Tøndel climbed as high as fourth during the opening session before finishing in sixth, while Marchbanks took his time to move into the Top 10 and qualify 10th. In the second session, Marchbanks quickly moved into fifth before eventually recording the seventh-fastest time. Tøndel worked his way as high as fifth before a late-race collision with another rider left him 37th in the session results. Tøndel's first-session lap remained strong enough to qualify seventh overall, while Marchbanks secured 10th overall going into the afternoon motos.
In 450 Moto 1, Marchbanks and Tøndel faced difficult starts, both rounding the first turn mid-pack. Despite a track that proved challenging for passing, the Monster Energy Kawasaki duo immediately began charging through the field, with Tøndel quickly advancing into 10th while Marchbanks methodically worked his way forward from outside the Top 20. As Marchbanks continued gaining positions aboard his KX™450SR, Tøndel battled behind and late in the race was landed on by another rider, bringing his charge to an early end and resulted in a 39th-place finish. Marchbanks continued his impressive recovery through the closing stages, advancing from 24th to sixth at the checkered flag.
In 450 Moto 2, Tøndel did not return to the starting gate. Marchbanks got a stronger start and established himself inside the Top 10 during the opening laps, remaining there throughout the final moto of the Pro Motocross season. After expending significant energy during his Moto 1 charge, the No. 36 maintained a consistent pace while battling between sixth and eighth before settling into seventh at the checkered flag. Marchbanks' 6-7 moto scores secured seventh overall at Ironman, and sixth in the Pro Motocross Championship series, while Tøndel's 39-DNS scores placed him 42nd overall and 16th in his outdoor campaign. Marchbanks now enters the SMX World Championship Playoffs sixth in the 450SMX standings, while Tøndel sits 25th and wraps up his time as a fill-in rider for the injured Chase Sexton. Tøndel will remain on Kawasaki and return to the ISRT Kawasaki program.
“Overall, it was a decent day at Ironman. I had a really bad start in the first moto and struggled a little working through the pack, but came back to ninth. In Moto 2, I got a much better start and put together a solid ride for fifth. I’ve been battling a pretty bad sickness for the last few weeks, so I’m happy to have pushed through and ended the outdoor season on a positive note. Now I’m looking forward to SMX.”
- Drew Adams
“I’m bummed with how I ended the season at Ironman. I felt pretty good on the bike throughout qualifying and was hoping to put together a strong final round, but unfortunately the first moto didn’t go our way. It’s disappointing to end the season like this, but now the focus is on recovering and doing everything I can to be ready for SMX.”
- Levi Kitchen
“Today was alright. I didn’t feel my best in qualifying, but I told myself to do the best I could and see where we ended up. I got a bad start in Moto 1, and had to work hard through the pack on a track that was difficult to pass on, so I was happy to charge back to sixth. I got a better start in Moto 2 and stayed consistent for seventh. Now we’ll reset and get ready for the SMX playoffs.”
- Garrett Marchbanks
“Qualifying was pretty good. I didn’t feel like I put together my best lap, but I felt comfortable on the bike. I didn’t get the best start in Moto 1, but I was making my way forward before unfortunately I was landed on by another rider, which ended my day. Hopefully I can heal up quickly and get back to racing soon.”
- Cornelius Tondel