​Getting muddy in ColumbusRain turned Historic Crew Stadium into a mud pit for the opening round of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship Playoffs in Columbus, and Haiden Deegan capitalized. The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider swept both 450SMX motos for his first premier class victory in just his 12th career start, while top seed Hunter Lawrence’s afternoon fell apart on the ground.Track conditions forced officials to shorten each class’s first moto to 15 minutes plus a lap and the second to 12 minutes plus a lap to preserve the surface. Jorge Prado grabbed the holeshot in the opening 450 moto with Deegan and Joey Savatgy behind, but Deegan reeled in the Spaniard and made the pass before completing the first full lap. From there he built a multi-second cushion. Ken Roczen, back for his first start since taking the Supercross title in May, worked up to second and began cutting into the gap, but Deegan answered and took the flag by 17.2 seconds. Prado held on for third.The second moto followed the same script. Deegan grabbed the holeshot, fended off early pressure from Roczen, and used lapped traffic to stretch his lead, completing a wire-to-wire run to win by 17.1 seconds. Roczen recovered from a late fall to finish second again, with Cooper Webb third ahead of Prado.”This is a dream come true. I just won a 450 race,” said Deegan. “It’s just a weight off my shoulders, especially on a day like today when conditions were like this and I’m racing against guys with a lot more experience on a track like this.”
Ken Roczen returned to action in the Playoff after skipping the Pro Motocross season. The Suzuki rider will retire after the Playoffs are done.
It was a day to forget for Lawrence. The newly crowned Pro Motocross champion and No. 1 seed went down on Lap 1 of the first moto, remounted, then crashed again at the halfway point, ultimately finishing 21st, two laps off the pace. He salvaged an 8th-place finish in the second moto.Prado’s 3-4 leaves him atop the standings with the red plate, two points clear of Deegan, who climbed from seventh to second, per Supercross Live. Webb sits third, four back, with Roczen fourth. Lawrence’s 15th-place overall dropped him from first to sixth, 10 points down.The 2026 Supermotocross Playoffs continue September 19, in Los Angeles, with overall results awarding double points.2026 Supermotocross Playoff 1 Results138Haiden DeeganYamaha1-1Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha294Ken Roczen Suzuki2-2Progressive Insurance / Cycle Gear / Ecstar Suzuki326Jorge PradoKTM3-4Red Bull KTM Factory Racing42Cooper WebbYamaha9-3Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha517Joey SavatgyHonda8-5Quadlock Honda Racing614Dylan FerrandisDucati4-9Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati Factory Racing77Aaron PlessingerKTM10-6Red Bull KTM Factory Racing812Shane McElrathBeta13-7Liqui Moly Beta Factory Racing920Jordon SmithTriumph12-115.11 Triumph Racing Factory Team1036Garrett MarchbanksKawasaki7-16Monster Energy Kawasaki1127Malcolm StewartHus