As things stand, Hollywood script writes could barely have written a better series if they tried for Supercross 2026. Three riders with five points between all with their own story to tell that would provide the perfect conclusion with a Supercross title.
In their own way they all deserve the title but only one with will it, the rider who can keep their nerve and rise to the occasion under pressure. There are no more room for errors, even one bad start out of five could be the end of the title dream.
Eli Tomac still has to feel he is owed one after that heart-breaking Achilles tear at his home round in Denver when he was just minutes from clinching the title. If he had, he would probably not be racing now, Eli vowed he would not go out like that and here he is, rebounding from a broken leg in last year’s Supercross series holding the red plate in his first year on KTM.
The problem is his form is the worst of all three. Is he injured, is he struggling with bike settings? Whatever the issue Tomac needs to fix it right now and he back to his form in the first half of the year. The pressure to find the solution is on.
Hunter Lawrence has had his one big mistake but even last week, with a sore wrist, he still ended up on the podium. Lawrence doesn’t have a real weakness aside from the fact he hasn’t won the Supercross title before but what a story it would be if the older Lawrence brother adds his name to his brother’s as Supercross champ. Hunter led the family in getting to Europe, all the pressure was on him and it was Hunter who got the results to get Geico Honda interested in signing him – they hadn’t heard of Jett who was part of the deal to go Stateside!
From there Jett rose to fame and fortune, Hunter was beset by injury but, bit by bit, Hunter rebuilt himself into the rider he had shown promise of being in Europe, he was one of the next stars there and now he has become a star and a champion in his own right in the US. This would be the ultimate cherry on top for the Lawrence family who sold everything in Australia to give their two talented sons the best chance of sucess – for both to end up 450 Supercross champions would be a story fit for Hollywood!
Ken Roczen has his own Hollywood story.
The can’t miss kid winning at the highest level from he was 15, an MX2 world championship as a 17 year old and winning 250 Supercross and 450 outdoor titles by his early 20s until, just has he was at his peak in 2017 showing the scary speed on the Honda, Roczen had a crash so scary it became a nightmare he could not wake up from at Anaheim 2.
There is no doubt Roczen, who almost lost his arm and was almost never racing again, lost his prime years with that injury, he lost Supercross titles with that injury and with it millions of dollars. He of course came back, then got hurt again in 2018, surgery after surgery, pain followed up by more pain, Roczen, amazingly did contend again for a Supercross title against Tomac and Webb five years ago, but his health was not 100%, he wasn’t fully back to the level he was before the arm injury. Ken was simply that talented he was stil able to make himself a contender. But could he ever recapture the lost years and win a 450 Supercross title that his talent really deserved?
It looked unlikely and even more unlikely when he moved the Suzuki, the only bike with a kick-start! But it somehow kick-started Ken’s career again. Maybe it took the pressure off, allowed him to focus on enjoying racing and building a brand he started his career with, back into the spotlight.
Now Roczen has his health issues fixed, the last two years he had some great speed but bad luck and more injury. This year he came in with more belief and tremendous speed, bad luck hit him again, literally, when Hunter Lawrence accidentally knocked them both down in Seattle, Roczen finished tenth, Lawrence fourth – six points difference. Roczen is now five points behind – could that clash cost him the title?
The last two weeks have given Roczen life again, and belief. He is the fastest rider in the class right now, he has the momentum and as Jeff Emig said, he would rather have momentum over points any time.
At 32 years old after all the hype of his teenage years, all the pain of his 20s and now the rebuild in his 30s, could Roczen finally win the title that is the missing piece in his career? It would be the ultimate redemption story, mentally and physically, of the teenage super talent finally getting the title he always appeared destined for.
Roczen has his shot at redemption, they all do.
Five round, five points, three riders but there will only be one winner – who will deliver the storybook ending to their redemption story?
