The Weekend Breakdown | 2026 Seattle 3

Seattle's population had more reasons to celebrate this past weekend despite bitterly cold weather, as round six of the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season offered endless action and entertainment. Many narratives emerged from that and some have landed in Lewis Phillips' Lumen Field recapitulation.

TOMAC TUCKS AROUND INSIDE

Eli Tomac climbed onto 450SX's podium for the first time since Anaheim and reestablished his position atop the class hierarchy, despite the fact that the red plate continues to elude him. Seattle's win felt more processional: he hinted that he is locked in a mid-season mindset of logging results and avoiding the emotional rollercoaster. The calculated approach helped him identify unique lines, like utilizing the inside of the penultimate turn.

"I was saving that for the main event," Tomac said in the wake of his triumph. "I looked at it, as there is so much room in the bowl turns that you can actually go inside and start with a roll. I had just had enough of the stress of hitting that rhythm perfect and the inside line got me out of the ruts. It was key for me – it allowed me to take a breath somewhere on the track."

Tomac pulled more than ten seconds on Cooper Webb in that sector across the final seven laps. It would typically be quicker to slingshot around the berm, of course, but the ruts eliminated all momentum and made the inside a viable option. Webb was typically quicker in the next and final sector, but Tomac neutralized that advantage via the time saved with the inside line.

Verdict: There is a quieter, sneakier version of beast mode…

ROCZEN'S MYSTERIOUS DATA

So much has been said about the Ken Roczen and Hunter Lawrence altercation, yet a much more peculiar Roczen incident resonates. Television viewers would have noticed that his bike died moments before the start of his heat. The data has only added to the intrigue, as it shows that the kill switch was pressed. Roczen, however, is steadfast that no one touched it.

"I had a crazy thing happen in the heat race," he recalled. "It showed in the data that someone hit the kill switch, but I had my hands on the grips. The board was up! It definitely was not me, so we replaced the whole thing. My bike shut off. I kicked it twice and the board went sideways, so I did not have time to put my start map in. I just homed in and pulled it off. You have to keep your composure."

Roczen holeshot and won his heat, despite the lack of a start map. It's of note as he has worked on his starts lately – clutch set-up rather than mapping – and seems to be yielding the results. Colt Nichols, his stablemate, spoke of a similar mission across the weekend. "I even heard Ken talking about the starts and clutch," Nichols told me. "That has been my biggest struggle with the bike, the clutch.

"Ken does not really test much at all – he ran a slipper clutch for years. I think this past weekend, Glendale, was the first time that he's been away from it. I got away from the slipper clutch before the season; Jason [Anderson] and I went to a more conventional clutch. I am just trying to find a combination that works a little bit better and provides me with a more consistent feel."

Verdict: An old-fashioned start technique is still unbeatable.

KAWASAKI 'CHASE' SEXTON

For the first time in 2026, Chase Sexton has settled into his Floridian home. Sexton was initially meant to spend a week on the East Coast between Houston and Glendale, but an audible was made after some set-up difficulties and he was rerouted to California. Kawasaki has followed the athlete on this occasion and will continue a pursuit for comfort at Jack Chambers' facility near Tampa.

"Today was a bit frustrating for me," Sexton said in a Kawasaki statement. "I expect to be at the front right now, but we are not there yet. We worked on starts a lot this week and it paid off, as we saw today. Now, I am headed back to Florida and the team is going to come out and test more with me this week. We're hopeful to make some positive changes and come into Arlington ready to fight."

It's accurate that his starts improved in Seattle: he ended the first lap in the top seven for just the second time in eight main events (inclusive of each Houston race). Celebrating a top five start is perhaps the best indication of how dire this situation is. Comparatively, he started outside of the top five seven times in twenty-three starts in 2025.

Turning continues to be a source of displeasure and, in talking to Kawasaki athletes further afield, it seems to be a common trait with the current KX450. Two sources noted that it is a case of either understeer or oversteer and difficult to land in the window between the two. Garrett Marchbanks stated that cornering is just "a little bit" of a concern of his.

It's of relevance that Kawasaki has not started a 450SX term with so few podiums since the 2016 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season (Tomac captured just one third place in six rounds).

Verdict: Sexton and Kawasaki deserve a lot more than this.

DEEGAN DENIES EAST DEBUT

Haiden Deegan's the first 250SX star to win five consecutive races since Ryan Villopoto in 2007, a testament to his supremacy and the fact that he is 'done' with the feeder division. Attention has now shifted to a YZ450F – he starts his Pro Motocross preparation on Tuesday, February 17. Is there a chance that he steers the machine into a stadium before 250SX West reconvenes in late March?

"No [we are not entertaining a 450SX debut this season] – we are going to get into outdoors on Tuesday," Deegan clarified to me in a post-race discussion. "We will get back on that and focus on motos for Pro Motocross."

Deegan, in response to his dominance, also admitted to being 'bored' in recent weeks. Seattle's main event cured said boredom as he battled tooth and nail with Levi Kitchen, his fiercest foe. Showing his excellence once again, he was the only one to consistently triple onto the tabletop after the whoops. That helped him pull between half a second and seven tenths a lap.

Verdict: A 250SX West crown seems redundant for Deegan.

ANSTIE'S CONSTANT COUGH

It was not Max Anstie's return to the 250SX West podium that captured headlines, but more his persistent cough that has lingered since Anaheim 1. It is important to note that he has not been ill at all since his win at round one, however, so the chest issue is near impossible to explain.

"I have no idea what was in the dirt at Anaheim 1," Anstie stated. "Some said that there was lime, but then others said that it was just dusty. I have no idea. Something has aggravated and irritated my chest. I have not been ill at all, but every time I push hard my chest feels like it will explode and I want to cough. It doesn't even do anything when I cough – it's just dry. It's annoying and just weird. It feels tickly."

"I have inflamed something – something has not agreed with my windpipes," he added. "I saw Dr. Brianna Millsaps [sister to Davi] in Cairo and she handed me an inhaler. I've never had asthma in my life and I'm not even sure if this is that type of inhaler."

'Lime' is a trigger word of sorts in the SuperMotocross space and, after clarifying with a handful of sources, there was no lime in the dirt at Anaheim 1. The substance has been absent since 2019's San Diego controversy – it will likely never return. Consequently, the curious case of Anstie's cough rumbles on.

Verdict: Anstie's splutters reflect his inconsistent showings.