The Weekend Breakdown | 2026 Birmingham

Birmingham's petite Protective Stadium lacks seats. Fortunately, that is no problem when 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross roars into town as the plethora of narratives render the accommodation useless. The same tales helped populate Lewis Phillips' recapitulation from the heart of Alabama.

HUNTER; STEADFAST, STIFF

Perspective is required to appreciate what Hunter Lawrence continues to achieve at 450SX's pinnacle. Lawrence has started the season with ten consecutive top four appearances – his competitors (active and absent) have never achieved such a feat. Similarly, he has had podiums in all but two of the first ten fixtures. None of his peers, not Eli Tomac or Jett Lawrence, can claim to have done the same.

The intent of this is not to belittle his competition but to force a wider look at how Lawrence has executed each week, no matter the situation. It's left little doubt that he is ready to handle a championship bid down the stretch. In fact, three wins in the last four races would propose that he will thrive as the pressure cooker evolves. Can he sustain such a bulletproof approach or is it simply impossible in this arena?

"I love the pressure," he exclaimed in the wake of his third career victory, whilst acknowledging that Tomac has fifty-four more. "That is what I find the coolest – delivering in a high-pressure scenario. I think that's one of the best things about sport and what makes the good athletes great. I feed off that."

The week off has not banished his pursuit of more comfort aboard his CRF450R. More tests occurred in his short break, as he continues to balance a bid for the 450SX title and better stability from his steed. Despite the constant evolution of his Showa suspension from one week to the next, his results do not waiver.

Verdict: Much like Jett, Hunter has no weakness to exploit.

KEN: 'HOT KNIFE IN BUTTER'

To finish second in a 450SX main event is a remarkable achievement, yet that does little to illustrate how superb Ken Roczen was in Alabama. '94' is known for his sprint speed. Despite such familiarity with his repertoire, his headway in the first three laps was difficult to fathom.

It was an incredible performance; the fastest man on track on seventeen of twenty-five laps, the fastest lap of the race by half a second and superior whoop speed are some valuable facts to support the claim. What a start to the second half. A simple statement and one that's a point of contention for the Suzuki star.

"People still think that I'm just dropping off, but it's not f--ing fair," Roczen offered in a post-race chat. "It's been a minute since I did that. Yes, I was hurt last year and my shock blew out in the whoops one year. There have been no signs, besides the injuries, that I am going to slow down. It has been a bunch of years, but people do not seem to let it go."

With thirty-one points between him and the red plate, the mind drifts to missed opportunities; Indianapolis' hard crash, Arlington's sickness, Seattle's collision with Lawrence and Anaheim 2's crash on lap one were cruel twists in his tale. Now, he will hope that those ahead of him face a similar fate.

Verdict: Birmingham: another reminder of Ken's brilliance.

AMA'S ASSERTIVE APPROACH

The American Motorcyclist Association took a forceful approach to Alabama's penalties – a clear difference to the manner in which Indianapolis' infractions were handled. The win was stripped from Haiden Deegan in 250SX and Garrett Marchbanks was docked whilst in the midst of 450SX's main event, signaling an air of urgency from the rule makers. It's a slant that the paddock has demanded, just placed on the most trivial matter.

"Apparently I cut one of those white markers going into the split lane," Marchbanks told me in the wake of the penalty. "Man, that's just the AMA. It blows my mind. Obviously, they did it to Haiden as well. It's funny, I have seen so many riders do that over the years. I cut one little marker and it's the end of the world. I just made a split-second decision and did not even see the white marker. It was the very first one – I wouldn't really call it cutting."

Public video of Marchbanks' maneuver is not available but the recollection alone makes it appear less egregious than what Deegan did in 250SX (and even that bordered upon irrelevant). Indianapolis' actions have come back to haunt the AMA – a precedence for leniency was established there and that makes these decisions look reactive to criticism rather than in the spirit of consistency.

Had the appropriate steps been taken at the previous event then these Alabama actions – no matter if those were universally backed – would fit a trend of strict enforcement from the AMA. Irksome or not, an 'on the ball' team behind the rulebook could be sympathized with. Instead, however, Saturday's tenth race stands as a lone example of the AMA perceiving everything as black and white. 

An admirable attribute – if it is consistent from one fixture to the next. Ultimately, the paddock will enter Detroit and be unsure whether actions will be judged with Indianapolis' lens or Birmingham's. Therein lies the problem.

Verdict: A refresher on the AMA's typical stance is needed.

LEVI'S LABORIOUS CAMPAIGN

There was just reason for Levi Kitchen to enter Protective Stadium with aplomb; he shed the 'black cloud' from the start of the term and had time to pave over the cracks that cost him a win in Seattle. Adding to the enthusiasm, he was 250SX West's quickest qualifier by a little more than three tenths. Silently, however, a jarred back loitered and banished any hopes of turning that into a trophy.

"I hurt my back two weeks ago and didn't think much of it," Kitchen stated in reflection. "I was great there for a few laps, but the pain… I was sat down on the straights and just trying to manage. I will have an MRI on Monday to see what is going on. It's just been flaring up. I rode through the whole break, but it would be shot every second day. I didn't do as much on press day to manage it and pulled in more often than not in practice."

Untimely crashes, small injuries and poor starts have defined his supercross season. The latter is a topic that has pushed him to his mental limit: he has already overhauled his technique over the last two months and is no closer to contentment. So much has been said about his starts – or lack thereof – in a pessimistic manner, but could that make his season more impressive?

It's tricky to maintain that sunny disposition when, in truth, those have cost him an overdue title. This has already put an incredible amount of emphasis on his 2027 season and what will likely be a last-chance saloon in 250SX. The 2024 title that he missed by five points becomes more prominent with each event that passes.

Verdict: Kitchen's shown maturity over the ebbs and flows.

TURBULENCE FOR TRIUMPH

A maiden appearance in 450SX's top ten marked an overdue landmark for Triumph; the delayed achievement is representative of a tumultuous time. Every Triumph rider, no matter their division, has faced health troubles at a point in the last ten weeks. To simply 'maintain' has been a priority for the manufacturer so far, consequently, as there has been little room to capitalize on momentum.

Jordon Smith's venture into the top ten is a signal of evolution, however, and the magnitude of that achievement should not be understated.

It has, unfortunately, been overshadowed by woeful news from the other end of the tent: Jalek Swoll faces more time on the sidelines as he reportedly injured his achilles in timed qualification. Swoll, in a contract year, was frank on social media, stating that his career outlook looks bleak at best in the wake of a fresh ailment. Supercross is cruel – it was at the last round that he led more laps than ever before.

What will Triumph do whilst Swoll recovers? Forkner, who is mysteriously still absent, will drop back to the TF 250-X for Pro Motocross (and perhaps the remainder of supercross with this new development). Deacon Denno continues to represent well in SMX Next too – the amateur division has been a source of joy in an otherwise dull period.

Verdict: Triumph's MX2 success overshadows SMX team.