Hunter Lawrence and Cole Davies Continue Winning Streaks at RedBud National
Hunter Lawrence and Cole Davies extended their winning momentum at the iconic RedBud National as Round 22 of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship delivered spectacular racing during America’s 250th Independence Day celebrations.
A massive holiday crowd packed RedBud MX in Buchanan, Michigan, where changing track conditions produced thrilling battles across both the 450SMX and 250SMX classes. Hunter Lawrence claimed his second consecutive overall victory in the premier class after an incredible comeback ride in Moto 2, while Cole Davies became the first repeat winner in the 250SMX category this season.
Hunter Lawrence storms back to reclaim championship lead
Qualifying belonged to Jett Lawrence, who secured the fastest overall lap ahead of Haiden Deegan, setting up another fierce battle between the title contenders.
Moto 1 saw Jorge Prado grab the holeshot before Jett Lawrence took over the lead midway through the race. Hunter Lawrence gradually reeled in both riders and briefly moved into first during the closing stages before a late fall while negotiating lapped traffic handed victory back to Jett. Prado completed the podium in third ahead of RJ Hampshire and Garrett Marchbanks.
The decisive second moto produced one of the rides of the season.
Prado once again secured the holeshot, with Deegan and Jett Lawrence close behind. Hunter Lawrence started sixth but quickly charged through the field. Disaster struck for Jett as he crashed twice while chasing the leaders, dropping outside the top ten on both occasions.
Meanwhile, Prado built nearly a ten-second advantage before Hunter Lawrence began an incredible pursuit. After passing Deegan for second, the Honda rider steadily erased Prado’s lead before making a decisive pass with less than three minutes remaining. Once in front, Lawrence pulled away dramatically to claim the moto victory by more than 11 seconds.
His 2-1 scorecard secured a second straight overall victory and his third win of the season.
Prado’s consistent 3-2 finishes earned second overall, while Jett Lawrence salvaged third overall thanks to his Moto 1 victory despite finishing fifth in the final race.
The victory also saw Hunter Lawrence reclaim the championship lead by three points over his younger brother, with Haiden Deegan remaining third in the standings.
Hunter Lawrence thrilled with another victory
“It is so good. It’s America’s 250th birthday and we’re so grateful for the opportunity we have here. We’re living the American dream and couldn’t have this life anywhere else in the world. What a day.”
said Hunter Lawrence
Cole Davies makes it back-to-back in 250SMX
Fresh from his maiden outdoor victory at High Point, Cole Davies continued his impressive form by topping qualifying and carrying that speed into race day.
Moto 1 featured rookie teammate Caden Dudney grabbing the holeshot and leading much of the race. Davies patiently shadowed him before making the decisive move with just over 30 seconds remaining to secure his third consecutive moto victory. Jo Shimoda climbed from deep in the field to finish third, while Levi Kitchen recovered to fourth.
Moto 2 initially looked set to complete another perfect day for Davies after he grabbed the holeshot and controlled the early stages. However, Shimoda steadily closed the gap throughout the race before making the winning pass in the closing minutes to capture his first moto victory of the season.
Davies settled for second in the moto, but his 1-2 finishes were enough to secure back-to-back overall victories at RedBud.
Shimoda’s impressive 3-1 performance earned second overall and moved the reigning SMX World Champion into the championship lead. Ryder DiFrancesco completed the podium with the first overall podium finish of his professional career.
Levi Kitchen finished fifth overall and slipped from first to third in the championship standings.
Davies keeps championship pressure alive
Davies admitted Shimoda’s late pace proved too strong in the second moto but was delighted to leave RedBud with another overall win.
“It was a good day, and we got a win at RedBud. That’s all I can ask for. We’re in a really good spot with the bike right now so I’m really happy.”
Davies said
Shimoda now leads the 250SMX standings by four points over Davies, with Kitchen only nine points behind, setting up an intense championship battle as the series heads to The Wick 338 in Massachusetts for Round 23 on July 11.
