​Monster Energy Kawasaki has announced that Norwegian rider Cornelius Tøndel will step in as the fill-in rider for Chase Sexton for the remainder of the 2026 Pro Motocross season, as Sexton recovers from ACL surgery and shifts his focus toward the 2027 season. Tøndel has been competing with the International Supercross Race Team (ISRT) during the outdoor portion of the season, delivering consistent performances and earning two top-15 overall finishes across five rounds. His best individual moto result came with a 12th place finish at High Point Raceway, although he did not complete the second moto at that event and was classified 19th overall.
This season, Tøndel has been a dependable challenger within the mid-pack, routinely pushing for top-15 results. The move to a Factory Kawasaki team elevates his exposure and provides a rare chance to break into the top-10 in Super Motocross (SMX) competition. While he has already demonstrated the capability to run at the front of the field in regional and national events, stepping into a factory-backed program carries the potential to accelerate his development and increase his visibility within the sport.
As he takes on the new role with Kawasaki, Tøndel will be racing within a factory-equipped operation that emphasizes precision, engineering support, and factory-level resources. This environment can help him maximize his performance through enhanced bike setup, data analysis, and access to expert personnel who specialize in tuning and setup for SMX-style events. For a rider aiming to break into the top-10 in SMX standings, contrasting the Challenger efforts against a factory program represents a meaningful step forward in terms of competition level, equipment, and strategic planning.
Looking at the current SMX standings, Tøndel sits 31st in the combined points tally, trailing the 20th-place position by 85 points. This gap underscores the challenge ahead, but it also highlights the immediate opportunity that comes with joining a premier factory team. The chance to accumulate points in high-stakes SMX rounds, supported by Kawasaki’s factory resources, could help him close the deficit over the remaining events of the season. His performance with ISRT indicates that he has the talent and tenacity required to compete at a high level, and the continuity offered by a factory ride could provide the stability needed to push him into the top-20 and beyond in the SMX series.
Sexton’s absence due to ACL recovery creates a pivotal opening for Tøndel to showcase his speed, consistency, and racecraft on big stages. The remainder of the 2026 Pro Motocross season will serve as a crucial proving ground for Tøndel in this new role, with the potential to establish him as a more prominent name within the Kawasaki lineup and the broader motocross community. Fans and analysts will be watching closely to see how quickly Tøndel can adapt to the added responsibilities and what kind of impact he can make in the factory-supported environment.
In summary, Cornelius Tøndel’s transition to fill-in duties for Chase Sexton at Monster Energy Kawasaki marks a significant milestone in his professional motocross career. The move to a factory team presents a valuable opportunity to demonstrate top-tier speed, consistency, and advancement in the SMX standings. With ISRT experience under his belt and a track record of competitive top-15 finishes, Tøndel now has a clear pathway to potentially reach his first SMX top-10 result and to climb the overall SMX points ladder in the closing rounds of the season. As he navigates this high-stakes assignment, the industry will be watching to gauge how quickly he can translate his outdoor-season performances into success on the factory Kawasaki and what this could mean for his trajectory in the sport.