Monster Energy® Kawasaki announces Cornelius Tøndel will join the team, filling in for the injured Chase Sexton. Tøndel will make his debut with the team this weekend for Round 6 of the Pro Motocross Championship at Southwick, where he will compete alongside Garrett Marchbanks.
Tøndel joins the team after Sexton suffered a torn ACL during press day at the Thunder Valley National. Sexton has since undergone knee surgery and will focus on preparing for the 2027 season.
The Norwegian rider brings extensive international racing experience to the team from his time competing in the FIM Motocross World Championship, along with valuable familiarity with the Pro Motocross series. Tøndel competed in three Pro Motocross rounds in 2025, including Southwick, giving him prior experience on the demanding sand circuit. He began the 2026 Pro Motocross season with the ISRT Kawasaki team, scoring four Top 15 moto finishes aboard the Kawasaki KX™450, making for a seamless transition to the factory KX™450SR.
Before moving into MXGP competition, Tøndel enjoyed a breakout 2022 season in the EMX250 FIM Motocross European Championship. The Norwegian claimed his first career overall victory at the MXGP of Italy, earned multiple race wins, held the championship red plate during the season, and finished third overall in the highly competitive championship series before graduating to MXGP. During his time in MXGP, Tøndel competed against some of the world’s top riders, earning a career-best fifth-place overall finish highlighted by a moto podium at the MXGP of Portugal, before embarking on his journey to compete in the United States.
Monster Energy Kawasaki looks forward to working with Tøndel as he brings his extensive racing experience and knowledge to the team.
– Cornelius Tøndel
“I’m super happy to have this opportunity. It’s a really big deal for me, and being the first Norwegian factory rider in the United States is very special to me. I am super thankful to have this opportunity, and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Dan Fahie:
“We’re really looking forward to having Cornelius join the team. We believe that with his valuable experience and insights, he’ll be an asset to the team. We appreciate his willingness to step in and look forward to seeing what he can accomplish.”
