Ken Roczen just snagged the win in Moto 1 of Round 2 of the 2026 SMX Playoffs in Carson, California, ripping the lead away from Jorge Prado when it counted most. This wasn’t some slow burn, either; Roczen made his move just past the halfway point at Dignity Health Sports Park, turning up the heat, proving he’s still a top dog.
Prado’s Early Lead Crumbles Under Pressure
Dude, Jorge Prado looked like he had this one locked up early. He nailed the holeshot, right? And then he was just cruising for the first twelve laps, riding at a super comfortable pace, controlling the front. But Roczen, man, he wasn’t having it. The pass went down in a split lane, and it was pure Roczen magic: Prado went outside, got caught up slowing down for a fallen Joey Savatgy, and *boom*. Roczen saw his shot, beat him into the next turn, standing him up for the lead change. You just knew that lapped traffic was gonna be a factor, didn’t you? Because almost immediately after that epic pass, the field hit the lapped traffic in earnest. And honestly, we’ve seen this movie before. That’s been Prado’s Achilles Heel all season long! It just keeps biting him.
The Chase Pack and the 250s Take Center Stage
While Roczen was locking down his victory, there was serious action behind him. Haiden Deegan held strong in third place for the entire race, never letting those front two guys get too far out of his sight, showing real consistency. Hunter Lawrence had a rough start, no two ways about it; he was all the way back in seventh after the first lap. But credit to him: he put in the work, steadily moving up through the field. He stalled out at fourth though, a solid recovery, just missing the podium. The fight for fifth was a veteran showdown, with Cooper Webb pushing, retreating, then pushing again, eventually claiming the spot. Tomac was right there too, just outside the top five in sixth. And hey, let’s not forget the 250 class! Julien Beaumer absolutely crushed Moto 1 for Round 2 of the SMX Playoffs in Carson, grabbing the holeshot and leading every single one of the 24 laps. Talk about a dominant performance!
Business as Usual for the Champ
So what’s the vibe for Roczen after this big win in Carson? Well, it sounds like it’s straight-up business as usual for the Supercross champ. We know he finished second overall in Columbus previously, taking second in both motos there, but this decisive Carson victory clearly shows he’s locked in. The word is, nothing will change for him in these last two SMX rounds. This is the playoffs, folks, and Roczen just showed everyone he’s here to compete hard, stay focused, and go for it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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