Thousands pack Prairie City for the 57th running of America’s oldest motocross race while Folsom benefits from one of its largest tourism events of the year
The oldest race in American motocross once again delivered a memorable day of racing Saturday as the 57th Hangtown Motocross Classic brought thousands of fans to Prairie City State Vehicular Recreation Area for Round 19 of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship.
Under near-perfect weather conditions and on a demanding track that challenged riders throughout the afternoon, reigning Pro Motocross and SMX World Champion Jett Lawrence returned to dominant form in the premier 450 class, sweeping both motos and earning his 25th career premier-class victory. In the 250 division, Levi Kitchen capitalized on consistency and survival to claim his first overall win since 2024.
The annual event also continued to provide a significant tourism boost for the region, with Folsom once again serving as the host city for the nationally recognized race. Local hotels, restaurants, retailers and other businesses benefited from the arrival of more than 20,000 fans, riders, teams and support crews who traveled to the area in the days leading up to race weekend. According to the Folsom Chamber of Commerce, the Hangtown Motocross Classic is the community’s second-largest tourism event, trailing only the annual Folsom Pro Rodeo in overall economic impact and visitor draw.
Hosted by the Dirt Diggers North Motorcycle Club, the Hangtown Classic remains one of the crown jewels of American motocross and a longtime staple of the Sacramento region’s motorsports calendar. The event has become a fixture of the professional motocross season while generating substantial economic activity throughout the Folsom area each year.
The premier-class action began with Lawrence sending an early message during qualifying. The Honda HRC Progressive rider posted a blistering lap of 1:49.886 in the second session, becoming the only rider to break into the 1:49 range and edging rookie Haiden Deegan by roughly half a second.
When the gate dropped for Moto 1, Lawrence wasted no time asserting control. He grabbed his first holeshot of the season and immediately established himself at the front of the field ahead of Deegan and championship leader Hunter Lawrence.
The younger Lawrence steadily built a comfortable advantage while the battle behind him remained close. Deegan held second for much of the race before Hunter Lawrence mounted a late charge and made the pass with less than five minutes remaining.
Out front, Jett Lawrence never looked threatened, completing a wire-to-wire victory by 7.7 seconds over his brother. Deegan earned the first premier-class moto podium of his young career with a third-place finish. Dylan Ferrandis crossed fourth while RJ Hampshire rounded out the top five.
A potential podium run for defending world champion Jorge Prado came to an abrupt end when mechanical problems struck his KTM just before the final lap, dropping him to 36th place.
Moto 2 provided additional drama when a red flag halted the race following an early incident involving a downed rider. After the restart, Cooper Webb emerged with the holeshot, but Lawrence quickly worked his way into the lead.
The Lawrence brothers soon separated themselves from the rest of the field while Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Chase Sexton moved into third. Meanwhile, Deegan began charging forward after starting outside the top 10.
As the race approached its midpoint, Hunter Lawrence appeared poised to challenge for the lead. The championship leader closed within striking distance and applied pressure, but Jett Lawrence responded with a decisive burst of speed that quickly expanded his lead from less than a second to nearly four seconds.
The move effectively ended any hopes of a late challenge.
Lawrence continued to build his advantage and crossed the finish line 6.8 seconds ahead of Hunter Lawrence to complete the 1-1 sweep. Deegan once again finished third to secure his first overall podium in the premier class.
The victory marked Lawrence’s 19th career overall win in the 450 division and the 25th premier-class victory of his career in just 29 starts.
“I knew if I picked a fast pace early that Hunter would be right there with me and would make it a lot harder. I chose [instead] to get a better flow for about 15 minutes and then decided to push for a quick sprint to try and mess up his rhythm, and it worked. It’s good to be back up here with a 1-1,” Lawrence said.
Hunter Lawrence’s 2-2 effort secured second overall and helped Honda earn its first 1-2 finish of the season.
“It’s harder racing against Jett [Lawrence]. He’s my toughest competitor. It got to a point where I was going to take the time to reset and make a push, but he decided to do a sprint and gapped me. Still a solid result. It was a tough track today, so I’m happy,” Hunter Lawrence said.
For Deegan, the podium represented another milestone in his transition to the premier class.
“That was good today. I just want to get better and better each weekend. That’s the goal, just keep progressing with each moto and just try to be there. We’ll go back, put in the work, and try again next weekend,” Deegan said.
Despite Jett Lawrence’s victory, Hunter Lawrence leaves Hangtown atop the championship standings with 94 points, holding a six-point advantage over his younger brother.
Kitchen ends drought with 250 class victory
The 250 division once again showcased the depth and unpredictability that has defined the class through the opening rounds of the season.
Championship leader Seth Hammaker set the pace during qualifying, posting the fastest overall lap at 1:52.621 and narrowly edging Ryder DiFrancesco.
Hammaker carried that momentum into Moto 1, grabbing the holeshot and immediately pulling away from the field. While the Kawasaki rider controlled the race up front, Levi Kitchen mounted one of the strongest rides of the afternoon.
After starting outside the top 10, Kitchen steadily worked his way through traffic and climbed into second place. However, the deficit to Hammaker proved too large to overcome as the points leader cruised to a 7.2-second victory.
Kitchen finished second while reigning SMX World Champion Jo Shimoda completed the podium.
Moto 2 dramatically altered the overall picture.
A massive first-turn crash collected multiple riders and left Hammaker buried deep in the field. While the championship leader remounted and began a long comeback effort, Yamaha rider Cole Davies seized control at the front and quickly established a commanding lead.
Kitchen once again found himself charging through the pack. Starting eighth, he rapidly advanced into contention and moved into second place with more than 20 minutes remaining. However, Davies had already built a sizable advantage and ultimately cruised to the second moto victory of his career.
Kitchen wisely settled into second place, preserving the points necessary to secure the overall victory.
Meanwhile, Hammaker mounted an impressive recovery from outside the top 30 and fought his way back to ninth by the checkered flag.
Kitchen’s pair of second-place moto finishes gave him the overall victory and ended a 13-race winless streak dating back to the 2024 Budds Creek National.
“Luck was on my side today. I stayed out of the carnage [in Moto 2] and just tried to get around it all. There was a massive gap to the lead [once I got to second] so I didn’t want to risk pushing too hard. It’s been a long time since I won so it feels good. I just want to keep the momentum going,” Kitchen said.
Julien Beaumer secured the first podium finish of his professional career with consistent 4-3 moto finishes.
“I didn’t think I’d be up here this quick [coming back from injury]. There were a lot of long nights, but this result shows it was all worth it. I can’t thank my team enough for sticking behind me and supporting me the whole way and giving me an incredible bike to ride,” Beaumer said.
Hammaker’s gritty comeback ride salvaged third overall and preserved his championship lead.
“Those first couple laps [after the crash] were hectic coming through the pack. I tried to just be patient and knew that if I could get into the top 10 that I’d have a chance at the podium. It definitely could have been worse, but we survived. All in all, it feels good to still be up here on the box,” Hammaker said.
After two rounds, Hammaker remains atop the 250 standings with 85 points, seven ahead of Kitchen.
450 Class Overall Results – Hangtown Motocross Classic
- Jett Lawrence (Honda) – 1-1
- Hunter Lawrence (Honda) – 2-2
- Haiden Deegan (Yamaha) – 3-3
- Dylan Ferrandis (Ducati) – 4-6
- Garrett Marchbanks (Kawasaki) – 6-5
- RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna) – 5-7
- Chase Sexton (Kawasaki) – 11-4
- Cooper Webb (Yamaha) – 9-9
- Mikkel Haarup (Triumph) – 7-12
- Justin Barcia (Ducati) – 10-10
2026 450 Class Championship Standings After Hangtown
- Hunter Lawrence – 94 points
- Jett Lawrence – 88 points
- Haiden Deegan – 75 points
- RJ Hampshire – 63 points
- Chase Sexton – 61 points
- Dylan Ferrandis – 59 points
- Jorge Prado – 53 points
- Justin Cooper – 50 points
- Garrett Marchbanks – 47 points
- Mikkel Haarup – 45 points
250 Class Overall Results – Hangtown Motocross Classic
- Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki) – 2-2
- Julien Beaumer (KTM) – 4-3
- Seth Hammaker (Kawasaki) – 1-9
- Cole Davies (Yamaha) – 11-1
- Jo Shimoda (Honda) – 3-6
- Nick Romano (Kawasaki) – 7-4
- Maximus Vohland (Yamaha) – 9-5
- Chance Hymas (Honda) – 5-12
- Carson Mumford (KTM) – 8-11
- Kayden Minear (Yamaha) – 6-13
2026 250 Class Championship Standings After Hangtown
- Seth Hammaker – 85 points
- Levi Kitchen – 78 points
- Julien Beaumer – 71 points
- Cole Davies – 70 points
- Jo Shimoda – 69 points
- Nick Romano – 61 points
- Chance Hymas – 56 points
- Maximus Vohland – 49 points
- Carson Mumford – 48 points
- Ryder DiFrancesco – 47 points
Copyright © 2026, Folsom Times, a digital product of All Town Media LLC. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Source race information and rider quotes were provided by MX Sports Pro Racing.
