The second half of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship is already off to a captivating start just two races into the summer Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. The battle at the head of the pack across both classes has produced unexpected outcomes thus far and is poised to continue as the season’s most unique challenge awaits in the mile-high altitude of Lakewood, Colorado.

This year’s annual visit to Thunder Valley Motocross Park will extend the venue’s longstanding partnership with the Denver Toyota Dealer Association, who will provide title support of the Toyota Thunder Valley National Presented by American Petroleum Institute this Saturday, June 13, for Round 20 of the SMX regular season.

“We knew the 2026 season was going to be exciting, but the myriad of storylines that have unfolded in the first two weekends is incredible. We’ve been witness to everything that makes the Pro Motocross Championship so uniquely compelling. You just never know what might happen or how quickly things can change,” said Tim Cotter, Director, MX Sports Pro Racing. “This weekend’s trek to the Rockies is always special, with perhaps our most unique setting in all American motocross. Over the past quarter century Thunder Valley has truly ascended into a world class venue and has become one of the summer’s must-visit destinations. The longstanding partnership with the Denver Toyota Dealers is a significant part of that as thousands of passionate fans will once again line the mountainside racetrack.”

Thunder Valley’s emergence on the championship calendar in 2005 provided a dramatically different challenge from what competitors were accustomed to each summer. The early years required meticulous fine-tuning of the motorcycles to account for the altitude. As a result, the demands required to achieve success at Thunder Valley have ultimately contributed to the incredible performance capabilities of today’s models.

While the racing itself is unique, the scenic mountainside setting of the venue has made it one of the summer’s standout events. Throughout its existence, Thunder Valley has charted its legacy by being the site of several milestone moments in American motocross history. Perhaps most notably is the first ever night race in 2008, while serving as the host venue of the 2010 FIM Motocross of Nations, won by Team USA, has also served as a monumental achievement. Those landmark moments and two decades worth of summer memories are why excitement is always high when the championship visits Thunder Valley.

The Denver Toyota Dealer Association (TDA) is a collective of six Toyota dealerships located within the Denver/Boulder area. The dealerships that comprise TDA are AutoNation Toyota Arapahoe (Centennial), Groove Toyota (Englewood), Larry H. Miller Toyota Boulder, Mountain States Toyota (Denver), Stevinson Toyota East (Aurora), and Stevinson Toyota West (Lakewood). The Association is rooted within each community throughout the greater Denver area, with several additional partnerships that have served to support the best experiences, events, initiatives, and programs the region has to offer for many years.

The competition out on the racetrack thus far has been nothing short of amazing. A mere four motos into the season and each respective class has produced dramatically different outcomes. In the 450SMX Class, Honda HRC Progressive’s Jett Lawrence shocked the racing world with a dominant return to form last weekend. Still visibly a long way from being fully recovered from an offseason ankle and foot injury, the defending champion looked like the rider we’ve grown accustomed to the past three seasons with a convincing 1-1 effort.

While it was a statement performance from Jett, it doesn’t diminish how tight the margins were with his older brother. Hunter Lawrence kept Jett within his sights all afternoon and made it clear he doesn’t intend to give up the red plate atop the standings. The stage is set for another Lawrence vs Lawrence battle this summer, but coming off his first podium appearance in the premier class Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rookie Haiden Deegan took another significant step forward to running up front.

In the 250SMX Class, another wild afternoon rewarded consistency for race winner Levi Kitchen, who followed the lead of his Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki teammate Seth Hammaker the week prior. One week after misfortune in the second moto derailed what could have been a triumphant afternoon for Kitchen, the Washington native capitalized on the misfortune that befell Hammaker in last weekend’s second moto.

Kitchen not only ended a 13-race winless drought that dated back to 2024, but he also closed to within single digits of Hammaker in the point standings. Virtually no rider in the class has managed to avoid adversity thus far, and it has made for a wilder start to the title fight than expected.

Adding another intriguing wrinkle to the mix this weekend will be the U.S. debut of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing mounted Coenen brothers, the rising star twins from Belgium that have taken MXGP by storm this season. This past weekend in Latvia, Lucas Coenen led every lap across the two MXGP motos, while Sascha Coenen duplicated those efforts in the MX2 division. They’ll bring a boost of confidence and a surge of momentum overseas to Colorado, where Lucas Coenen will square off against the likes of the Lawrences and Deegan in the 450SMX Class, while Sascha Coenen will look to disrupt the early success of Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki in the 250SMX Class.

Additionally, the Women’s Motocross Championship Powered by Synchrony will contest its second round of the season. Points leader and reigning champion Lachlan Turner will lead the way aboard her Altus Motorsports bLU cRU Yamaha on the heels of a 1-1 effort at the opening round, but Quad Lock Honda’s Charli Cannon is ready to unseat the champ and will look to claim her first victory on U.S. soil.

The Toyota Thunder Valley National will get underway this Saturday, June 13, with on-track action starting at 7 a.m. PT / 10 a.m. ET, followed by opening ceremonies at 11:15 p.m. PT / 2:15 p.m. ET then motos for the 450SMX Class and 250SMX Class starting at 12 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. ET. The Pro Motocross Championship will make its live network broadcast premiere this summer on NBC with a special showcase starting at 1 p.m. PT / 4 p.m. ET.

Additionally, comprehensive live streaming coverage will air exclusively on Peacock, beginning with Race Day Live at 9 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. ET before coverage of the motos gets underway at 12 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. ET.