Cole Davies Crowned 250 Pro Motocross Champion at Ironman
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies adds another number-one plate to his 2026 collection, sealing the deal on the 250 Pro Motocross Championship at the Ironman National / Sep 1, 2026 /
The 2026 250 Pro Motocross Championship was a season-long battle with plenty of plot twists, but in the end, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies emerged on top. On his 19th birthday, the New Zealander celebrated his second SMX World Championship title of 2026, securing his first Pro Motocross title with a third-place finish in Moto 1 at Ironman Raceway.
It was a big day for the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team as a whole at the season finale in Crawfordsville, Indiana, with six riders finishing inside the top 10. Landen Gordon and Pierce Brown concluded their outdoor seasons with top-five overall finishes, scoring fourth and fifth, respectively. After securing the crown, Davies ended the day seventh overall, with Kayden Minear finishing behind him in eighth and earning Rookie of the Year honors in 250MX. Rounding out the top 10 were Nate Thrasher in ninth and Michael Mosiman 10th. Then in the SMX Next Moto Combine, Carson Wood topped the podium for the second time this season, earning the overall victory on Friday with a 1-2 score.
Cole Davies Wins 2026 250 Pro Motocross Championship at Ironman
Coming into the weekend with a 14-point advantage, Davies started off with fastest qualifier honors. He then got a great start to Moto 1, slotting into second. Although he was shuffled back to third early, he continued to battle in the top three. The New Zealander moved back into the runner-up spot on Lap 3 when the leader crashed, and a couple of laps later, the championship picture changed dramatically when his title rival went down and was unable to continue.
Davies maintained a strong pace in second for much of the moto before being shuffled back to third on Lap 11. From there, he rode it home in third to secure the 250MX crown.
With the championship wrapped up, Davies got another strong start in Moto 2 and quickly made his way to the front, passing both of his teammates to lead a Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing lockout of the top four during those opening laps. He was shuffled back to second around the halfway mark and dropped further down the order as the moto wore on, ultimately crossing the line 13th for seventh overall.
It was an impressive first full Pro Motocross season for Davies, who earned four overall victories, seven overall podiums and eight moto wins en route to the title. He also became the first New Zealander to be crowned an AMA National Champion and the third-youngest rider to win 250 class titles in both Supercross and Pro Motocross during the same season.
“To get two championships so far this year, it’s unreal,” said Davies. “Honestly, to win it on my birthday too, you can’t even dream of this stuff. I’m just stoked to win the 250 Pro Motocross Championship. Growing up, I’ve been dreaming of this, so to do it, it’s unreal.”
Landen Gordon and Pierce Brown Earn Top-Five 250MX Finishes at Ironman
Landen Gordon continued his strong finish to his rookie outdoor season with fourth overall at Ironman. After qualifying eighth, Gordon got a great start to Moto 1 in fourth and moved into third on Lap 3 after a rider ahead crashed. He held the position for a couple of laps before being shuffled back to fourth and ultimately crossed the line fifth.
Gordon grabbed the holeshot in Moto 2 and was part of a Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing freight train at the front of the field in the opening laps. After being passed by Davies, the rookie held down second for much of the first half of the moto before being shuffled back to third on Lap 7. He ultimately finished sixth to secure fourth overall with a 5-6 score. The result was another strong outing for Gordon after earning his first Pro Motocross overall podium at Budds Creek. His late-season surge also moved him inside the top-20 cutoff for the SMX Playoffs
“It was another great weekend with a fourth overall,” said Gordon. “I’m stoked with how I turned my season around and ended up getting myself into the top 20 for the SMX Playoffs. It’s time to get ready!”
Pierce Brown also ended the outdoor season on a high note in fifth overall. The Utah rider had his work cut out for him after starting Moto 1 in 17th, but quickly charged into the top 10. Brown continued to make progress throughout the moto, moving into seventh by the halfway mark and making his way to sixth in the final laps. In Moto 2, Brown was 11th after the start and again quickly worked his way into the top 10. He battled throughout the moto and advanced to seventh to earn a 6-7 score for fifth overall.
“It was a good building day for me today,” said Brown. “I ended up fifth overall and had two solid motos. So that was kind of my goal coming into the weekend. I had that seventh at Unadilla, but the first moto was a wash. So, putting two together was really big for me. And I think that'll translate into just building some momentum into SMX. I think that fits my style more, too. So, I'm excited to see what we can do.”
Kayden Minear Earns 2026 250MX Rookie of the Year Honors
Kayden Minear completed his first full Pro Motocross campaign with Rookie of the Year honors and an eighth-place overall finish at Ironman. The Australian was eighth after the start of Moto 1 and charged into fifth in the opening laps before ultimately finishing eighth.
Minear got an even better start in Moto 2, slotting into second and joining Davies and Gordon in a battle at the front. He was third at the end of the opening lap before being shuffled to fourth on Lap 3. After dropping to ninth around the halfway mark, Minear fought back to eighth in the closing laps to complete an 8-8 score. He ended the season sixth in the 250MX Championship after earning three moto podiums and three top-five overall finishes.
“It was a solid day here in Ironman,” said Minear. “I struggled a lot in the first moto, but the second moto got off to a really good start. Me, Colin (Cole), and Landen kind of got away for a few laps, but I was just struggling with a few things. We'll get it sorted. I'm looking forward to SMX.”
It was an up-and-down day for Nate Thrasher, who overcame adversity to earn ninth overall with a 15-4 score. After qualifying 12th, Thrasher was caught up in a pileup after the start of Moto 1 and found himself 37th on the opening lap. He put his head down and charged through the field, making his way to 15th in the final laps.
A much better start in Moto 2 put Thrasher fifth early, and he quickly moved into fourth behind his teammates. After being shuffled back to sixth around the halfway mark, he fought his way back to fourth and mounted a late charge for the final podium position, coming up just shy of third at the checkered flag.
“It was a solid day for me,” said Thrasher. “I had some ups and downs, but I felt like my speed was really great all day. In the first moto, I ended up getting a terrible start. Two riders went down, and I was kind of stuck under their bike, so I had to wait for them to get back up and get going. I was completely dead last, but rode really well and charged all the way back as best I could. Then, the second moto, I finally got a top-five start and was in fifth. I made my way up to a third for a little bit, then went back to fifth, and got back up to fourth. With two laps to go, I put in a really hard charge, gave everything I had, and we finished 0.2 seconds behind third. It’s the closest I've been to a podium outdoors, so we'll take it. Heading into SMX, I'm really fired up. I think I have a good chance at it, so we'll give it everything these two weeks and come out swinging there.”
Michael Mosiman got a pair of top-10 starts, but crashes in both motos ultimately hurt his results. In Moto 1, he battled around the top 10 throughout, ultimately finishing 10th. He charged from ninth to sixth in the opening laps of Moto 2, but a tip-over dropped him to 15th before the halfway mark. The Californian regrouped and fought his way back to ninth at the finish, securing 10th overall and ending the season ninth in the 250MX Championship.
“It was a dogfight today,” said Mosiman. “I rode well. I had good pace and fitness, but I washed my front end both motos, putting a damper on the results. I’m happy to say I was at every round of outdoors this year, and I’m looking forward to SMX.”
It was a tough finale for Caden Dudney, who finished 19th overall with a 16-20 score. After qualifying fifth, the rookie started Moto 1 in sixth but struggled with a setup change and ultimately finished 16th. Dudney returned to his previous setting for Moto 2 and felt more comfortable, but a difficult gate pick left him 22nd after the start and finishing 20th.
“The day started off well,” said Dudney. “I had a good first qualifying, then the second qualifying, I had a little crash. I made a suspension change for the first moto, and it was not the right direction. I went back to the original setting I had for the second moto. It was much better, but I didn't get the start. So I was in the back the whole time eating roost, but there were a lot of positives to take away from the outdoor season. I showed up at all the rounds, so it was a good first season.”
Carson Wood Wins SMX Next Moto Combine Overall at Ironman
Carson Wood got the weekend off to a strong start on Friday by topping the timesheets in the SMX Next qualifying. Although he didn't get the start he was hoping for in Moto 1 and found himself sixth, Wood worked his way into the podium battle before taking over second and setting his sights on the race leader. The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider made the pass for the lead just before the halfway mark and rode on to win by 4.2 seconds, earning his third consecutive moto victory in the class.
Wood got another strong start in Moto 2 and quickly moved into second, where he maintained the position to the finish. His 1-2 score secured his second SMX Next Moto Combine overall victory of the season, completing a strong campaign in which he won three of the four motos.
“I’m pumped to get the overall win at the Ironman Combine this weekend,” said Wood. “I’m starting to feel like myself again and am going to keep pushing hard for SMX.”
Davies’ championship also added another piece of history for the team. After winning both 250SX West and East titles this season, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing added the 2026 250 Pro Motocross number-one plate to the semi truck’s doors. It marked the team’s 22nd 250 class title and the first time Star Racing has won all three championships in the same year.
“Honestly, it’s an amazing day for us to close out three titles this year,” said Wil Hahn, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s 250 Team General Manager. “I believe it's the first time for Star Racing to win the East-West Supercross title and Motocross title during the same year. Man, it doesn't get any better than this.
“Then for Carson to finish with his second overall win in the Moto Combine, and for both Landen and Pierce to finish strong in the top-five. It was just a great day for the team as a whole. We’re looking to keep this rolling into the playoffs.”
With the Pro Motocross season complete, the focus now shifts to the SuperMotocross World Championship postseason. Davies leads the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing squad into the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in 250SMX, with Minear seeded sixth and Thrasher seventh. After a weekend break, the team heads to Columbus, Ohio, for SMX Playoff #1 at Historic Crew Stadium on September 12.