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Since 2025 is almost a wrap, what's 2026 looking like?
2026 Silly Season
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Only $10 for all 2026 SX, MX, and SMX series.
It's either going to get super interesting, or not as exciting as it could get. Quite a few champions and top-five riders in the mix; let's see who stays put, who chases the cash, or who flat out retires...
These deals are up at the end of 2025:
- Jason Anderson Kawi 450
- Garrett Marchbanks PC 250
- Levi Kitchen PC 250 (or was this 3-year?)
- Malcolm Stewart Husky 450
- RJ Hampshire Husky 250 SX / 450 MX (was this through '26?)
- Justin Barcia GASGAS 450
- Ryder D GASGAS 250
- Chase Sexton KTM 450 ('26 is his option year)
- Aaron Plessinger KTM 450
- Julien Beaumer KTM 250
- Michael Mosiman Star 250
- Cooper Webb Star 450
- Eli Tomac Star 450
- Justin Cooper Star 450
- Haiden Deegan Star 250 ('26 is his option year)
- Daxton Bennick Star 250
- Colt Nichols HEP 450
- Kyle Chisholm HEP 450
- Ken Roczen HEP 450
Wildcards:
- Does Ducati come to the U.S. racing scene by '26?
- Does Triumph field a 450 team for '26?
- Do the Coenens and Kay de Wolf make the move to the U.S.?
These wildcard opportunities will have OEMs and endemic sponsors budgeting accordingly.
THANK YOU! This is the list I was looking for. Looks like 26 will be a bigger year than 25 contracts wise.
Really curious where Chase and Ken end up. I could see Chase going to Star to take Eli's spot. Ken going to Ducati. Webb stays at Star. Anderson extending?
Webb has contract option for 2026.
All credit due to the Vital team, I pulled these tidbits from their continuously-updating Silly Season thread.
I like the speculation that Chase could move to Star, it seems out of left field, but stranger things have definitely happened - especially if the KTM group intends to keep the inbound Euros on their bikes.
I don't see Kenny, at this stage of his career, going to another manufacturer - especially one as unproven as Ducati in the scene. Don't get me wrong, Ducati knows what they're doing and not going to half-a$$ it when the time comes, but there is miles of data to support Kenny's current team / equipment and we all know that KR goes with whatever makes him feel at home.
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It’s also worth noting Ducati won’t be racing SX until 2027 so that means Roczen would have to sit out a year of SX and then race the full outdoor schedule. I don’t really see him doing that considering he’s been leaning into a more SX only schedule now.
So what if KTM can’t afford to race - then what? That would be a huge hit…
Let's hope that their racing consolidations heading into 2025, along with growing consumer sentiment post-U.S.-election help to right size their cash flow to go racing. It's been really exciting to see the growth and expansions of OEMs and teams over the past dozen years, would be a real shame to see things go backwards.
Red Bull subsidizes so much of their program it is really not that expensive for them to race motocross and supercross. Relatively speaking.
Roczen is TLD Ducati for 2026.
Sexton will be some where else in 26
KTM: R̶e̶a̶d̶y̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶R̶a̶c̶e̶ Can't Afford to Race
It’s been out there that he’s planning on opting out of his contract. Would love to see him on a Kawi or Yamaha.
Source?
Theres no source its just common knowledge of things hes said about the bike and what not. I fully do not expect him back again. Even though I believe its not all bike but most the blame gets pointed to the bike. So he will try another brand again in 26 is my bet
In what world is it out there that he is opting out?
I think he stays KTM
The world in which people pay attention. Dam near every pod has said they expect him to move on in 2026 and most likely end up on Star
You don’t opt out of an expiring contract.
What pods say he’s going to Star?
Pit Row
I would love to see sexton at Kawasaki with Prado. That would be a sick team.
He liked the Yamaha when he tried it, so him potentially ending up at Star, has at the very least some traction.
And Tomac retiring and I bet Justin cooper is not on a massive salary it makes sense.
What about Deegs - he’ll prob be on the 450 payroll in 26? Sexton and Deegs don’t seem like a match made in heaven
Justin will probably get dropped and they will field a 3 man 450 team again. Chase, Webb, Deegs
I'm surprised that nobody has brought up the possibility that KTM doesn't want to re-sign Sexton. Top level dollar for a guy that basically has only brought bad PR to your bike is not easy to justify when times are tough. I could easily see them being perfectly fine with Sexton moving on after 2025.
To sign who in his place?
^^ de Wolf or Coenen’s prob come reasonably
I could see dewolf going to pc after listening to his podcast. He didn’t seem too happy that the ktm group didn’t let him race bercy
They'll be a spot on both of them. Eli retiring and Old Hombre getting thrown out.
Vialle is already there and the Coenen twins are making the move over to America.
LMAO the biggest hombre hater on Vital.
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