With Jordon Smith still rehabbing a dislocated shoulder, Austin Forkner will race the early West Coast rounds on the 450 – and may stay on one for the rest of the supercross season if results go well!
Forkner still has the option of 250 East as well in what is a win/win for the American talent who has shown a lot of speed in his career but injuries have ruined his progression to a 450 but mow he will finally get his chsnce in the premier class and he can’t wait to be at A1!
Forkner said: “I’m super excited for the opportunity to race in the 450SX division to start the 2026 season. Whether it turns out to be a little bit of a warm-up going into 250SX East, or potentially a full season if we decide to go that way, I think it’s a great opportunity. I’m excited to see where I stack up in the 450 class and I’ve been putting plenty of time in on the bigger bike in recent weeks. It’s been good so far. I think my style fits a 450 pretty well, and I can’t wait to head to A1 for the first round of the series.”
General Manager Jeremy Coker said of the decision: “We still wanted to keep our 450 plans on track, and having seen Austin on the bike for some test days, I am beyond thrilled that he has grabbed the opportunity to race in the 450 class and will start the season in Anaheim. It’s a great opportunity for him and for us. We’ve been working really hard on the development of the factory bike, and while Austin hasn’t had much time to prepare on the bigger bike, we look forward to getting going in the new year, making steps week-by-week, and then having Jordon racing later in the season.”
It’s been a long wait for Austin Forkner but he now has his shot in the premier class to add to an incredibly deep field for the 2026 season. Anaheim can’t come quick enough.
