The 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship has entered its pressure-cooker phase, and the Unadilla National delivered exactly the kind of chaos a championship stretch run demands.
At legendary Unadilla MX in New Berlin, New York, Honda HRC Progressive’s Jett Lawrence stormed to his fourth 450SMX victory of the season with a 2-1 moto score, reclaiming the championship lead from his brother Hunter Lawrence.
In the 250SMX class, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies produced his own fourth overall victory of the campaign with a 2-1 result, cutting Levi Kitchen’s championship advantage to just one point.
With two rounds and four motos remaining, the title fights are now wide open.
Jett Lawrence Turns Unadilla Into a Championship Swing
Jett arrived at Unadilla knowing he needed a strong result. He delivered from the opening session, topping both qualifying sessions with an identical 2:12.122 lap time.
But the real story unfolded once the gate dropped.
Hunter Lawrence launched Moto 1 into the lead and appeared to have control of the race. Jett, meanwhile, had to fight his way back after a dramatic incident with Haiden Deegan forced him off his Honda.
The reigning champion recovered quickly, passing Eli Tomac before eventually hunting down Deegan and Jorge Prado.
The defining move came late in the moto at “The Wall”, Unadilla’s steep uphill-downhill section. Jett used the terrain and lapped traffic to close on Prado and make the pass for second.
Hunter went on to win the moto by 9.4 seconds, but Jett’s recovery kept the championship pressure alive.
Then Moto 2 changed everything.
The Wall Claims Another Victim
The second 450SMX moto began with the Lawrence brothers at the sharp end, Hunter leading Jett with Prado close behind.
Jett eventually made his move for the lead with just over 20 minutes remaining, while Prado moved past Hunter into second.
Then came the championship-changing moment.
Hunter crashed on the steep downhill section of The Wall while running third. His damaged Honda eventually returned to the pits, but the points leader could not continue at competitive pace and ultimately retired from the moto.
Hunter was credited with 39th.
Jett, meanwhile, stayed composed under pressure from Prado and eventually stretched his advantage beyond 10 seconds to claim his eighth moto victory of the season.
The result: a 2-1 overall victory and a 10-point championship lead.
Jett now sits on 402 points, with Hunter on 392.
Despite benefiting enormously from his brother’s misfortune, Jett was clear about how he felt.
“I’m bummed [that Hunter crashed]. I don’t want to [take the points lead] like this. He was right there. It sucks. It is what it is.”
Lawrence said
Prado Finds His Best Form
Behind Lawrence, Jorge Prado delivered one of his strongest performances of the American season.
The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider went 3-2 for second overall, earning his third podium of the campaign.
His performance was built on consistency and patience. Prado spent much of Moto 2 applying pressure to Jett, briefly taking the lead before Lawrence responded.
“This was my best performance of the year,”.
Prado said
With the championship battle still unfolding around him, Prado’s improved pace could make the final two rounds even more unpredictable.
Haiden Deegan completed the podium with a 4-3 score, securing his fourth consecutive top-three finish and sixth podium of his rookie 450SMX campaign.
Davies Turns the 250SMX Fight Upside Down
The 250SMX championship delivered an equally intense battle.
Cole Davies entered Unadilla within striking distance of Levi Kitchen and left only one point behind the championship leader.
Davies’ 2-1 score was built on two very different motos.
In Moto 1, Davies inherited the lead after Casey Cochran crashed on the opening lap. He battled Chance Hymas before Kitchen eventually moved through to win.
Davies settled for second.
Moto 2 was different.
Davies grabbed the holeshot and never surrendered the lead, controlling the race from start to finish for his seventh moto victory of the season.
The overall win was the fourth of Davies’ career—and potentially one of the most important.
Kitchen’s 31-Position Charge Keeps Him Alive
Kitchen’s day could easily have collapsed after a disastrous start to Moto 2.
Forced off the track in the opening turn, he was credited with a 37th-place start.
Instead of folding, the championship leader launched one of the day’s biggest recoveries.
Kitchen climbed through the field, eventually reaching the top six before taking fifth at the finish.
That 31-position improvement helped him salvage second overall after winning Moto 1.
Kitchen retains the red plate with 334 points, but Davies is now only one point behind on 333.
Two rounds. Four motos. One point.
That is the margin separating the top two.
Budds Creek Is Next
The championship now heads to Budds Creek Motocross Park in Southern Maryland on August 22 for the penultimate round of the 2026 Pro Motocross Championship.
Jett Lawrence arrives with momentum and a 10-point advantage.
Cole Davies arrives one point away from the 250SMX lead.
Hunter Lawrence will be looking to recover from his first finish outside the 450SMX top five of the season.
And Kitchen has little room for error.
Unadilla did more than produce winners. It exposed just how quickly a championship can change when riders are pushing through some of the most technical terrain on the calendar.
With four motos left, every line, landing and mistake now carries championship weight.
