Defending champion withstands challenges from Charli Cannon in pursuit of a third straight WMX championship
While the nation’s top professional motocross riders battled for Hangtown Classic victories over the weekend, the women of the Women’s Motocross Championship Powered by Synchrony delivered a pair of thrilling races of their own as the 2026 WMX season officially got underway at Prairie City State Vehicular Recreation Area.
The opening round of the championship brought unprecedented anticipation and excitement to the 57th Hangtown Motocross Classic, and the racing lived up to the billing. Reigning back-to-back champion Lachlan “Lala” Turner emerged victorious after two tightly contested motos, opening her pursuit of a third consecutive WMX title with a perfect 1-1 performance.
Turner entered the season as the rider to beat and quickly proved why she remains atop the women’s motocross ranks. However, her path to victory was anything but easy as she faced relentless pressure from Quad Lock Honda rider Charli Cannon and SLR Honda’s Mikayla Nielsen throughout the weekend.
The WMX season opener also highlighted the growing prominence of women’s motocross as the championship shared the stage with one of the most prestigious events in American motocross. Thousands of fans attending Hangtown had the opportunity to watch the sport’s top female riders compete on the same challenging Prairie City track that tested the professional motocross field.
The opening moto immediately delivered drama. Turner grabbed the holeshot aboard her Altus Motorsports bLU cRU Yamaha and appeared poised to pull away from the field. Instead, the defending champion suffered an early crash that dropped her from the lead to fourth place and opened the door for her challengers.
Cannon inherited the lead and quickly established a gap while Australian newcomer Taylah McCutcheon, making her U.S. debut, and Nielsen moved into podium contention behind her.
Rather than panic, Turner quickly regrouped and began charging through the field. She passed both Nielsen and McCutcheon on the same lap to move into second place and then set her sights on Cannon, who had built a comfortable advantage at the front.
Lap after lap, Turner chipped away at the deficit until the two riders found themselves locked in a battle for the lead. The action intensified after Cannon briefly went off track and re-entered as Turner attempted to make a move for first.
The duel continued into the final lap before Turner executed a decisive pass that forced Cannon to take evasive action.
Turner completed the comeback and crossed the finish line 5.6 seconds ahead of Cannon.
However, the results changed following a post-race review. Officials determined Cannon accelerated before properly re-entering the track after her off-course excursion, resulting in a one-position penalty. Nielsen was elevated to second while Cannon was moved to third.
McCutcheon impressed in her WMX debut with a fourth-place finish while Jordan Jarvis rounded out the top five.
Saturday’s second and final moto took place alongside the Pro Motocross Championship and featured a significantly rougher and more demanding race track.
Built Hard Racing KTM rider Piper Bell grabbed the holeshot before being overtaken by Cannon, Nielsen and Turner in the opening laps.
Cannon quickly moved into the lead and looked poised to force the championship battle into a winner-take-all showdown. Turner aggressively worked around Nielsen to secure second place and began chasing down the Honda rider.
The race took another dramatic turn when Cannon went down while leading. By the time she remounted, Turner and Nielsen had already passed, dropping Cannon to third.
The Australian quickly recovered and mounted another charge, moving past Nielsen and once again setting her sights on Turner.
For the second straight moto, the two riders battled at the front of the field. This time, Cannon remained within striking distance until the checkered flag but could not find an opportunity to make a pass.
Turner held firm and secured the victory by less than a second, crossing the finish line just 0.781 seconds ahead of Cannon. Nielsen completed the podium in third.
With a pair of moto victories, Turner opened her championship defense in ideal fashion and immediately established herself as the rider to beat once again in 2026. The sweep gave the Altus Motorsports bLU cRU Yamaha rider an early eight-point advantage in the standings and reinforced why she enters the season as the reigning two-time WMX champion.
“I had to show that I deserve to be up front. Last week I wasn’t riding like myself, and I had to show them that I’m supposed to be up front,” Turner said following the victory.
The Hangtown win carried additional significance for Turner, who considers Prairie City one of her home tracks and credited the course conditions for helping produce two highly competitive races.
“It went amazing! The track was amazing. This is my home track. They put a lot of sand in there, different than what it’s normally, but yeah, the track was super fun,” Turner said.
Cannon’s 3-2 finishes secured second overall through a tiebreaker over Nielsen, whose consistent 2-3 performance placed her third. For the second consecutive season, Turner, Cannon and Nielsen occupied the three spots on the Hangtown podium, underscoring the competitive rivalry that has emerged among the championship’s top contenders.
The victory gives Turner an early eight-point advantage in the championship standings after the opening round as she begins her pursuit of a third straight WMX title.
The WMX Championship now heads to Thunder Valley Motocross Park in Colorado for Round 2 on June 12-13, where Turner will look to continue building momentum while Cannon and Nielsen attempt to close the gap in the title chase.
Hangtown Motocross Classic WMX Results
- Lachlan Turner (Yamaha) – 1-1
- Charli Cannon (Honda) – 3-2
- Mikayla Nielsen (Honda) – 2-3
- Jordan Jarvis (Yamaha) – 5-4
- Taylah McCutcheon (Kawasaki) – 4-5
- Lilly-Ann Pettus (Triumph) – 6-6
- Emma Milesevic (Yamaha) – 7-7
- Piper Bell (KTM) – 8-9
- Destiny Slingerland (Yamaha) – 14-8
- Haileigh Williams (Husqvarna) – 11-11
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