Roczen’s Title Charge Heats Up as Prado Impresses and Tomac Holds Firm

The 2026 AMA Supercross season delivered a major shift in momentum across rounds 11 and 12, with Ken Roczen charging to victory in Detroit before backing it up with another win in St. Louis, while Jorge Prado continued his upward trend with a strong fourth-place finish and Eli Tomac did enough to keep hold of the red plate.

Detroit: Roczen strikes when it matters

Round 11 at Ford Field in Detroit was a big one for Suzuki and for Ken Roczen’s title hopes.

From the start of the day, Roczen looked dialed in. He topped the opening qualifying session, stayed near the top in the combined times, and then worked his way to second in the Heat Race. In the Main Event, Roczen put his Suzuki RM-Z450 to work early, launching to the front group and taking over the lead before the two-minute mark. Once there, he controlled the race, managing the tricky Detroit track and its punishing whoops to secure his second win of the season.

The result was a huge one in the championship picture, cutting deeply into the deficit and keeping Roczen fully in the fight with six rounds remaining.

“We knew what we had to do,” Roczen said after the win. “Being 31 points down, we had to start to execute a little bit. We did that tonight. We got a good start, hung in there, and it was an amazing win for us.”

For Suzuki, it was exactly the kind of night needed at this stage of the season, with Roczen’s performance giving fresh life to the championship chase heading into Missouri.

St. Louis: Roczen wins again, but KTM and Husqvarna stay in the fight

One week later at St. Louis, Roczen kept the pressure on by taking another 450SX victory. But while the Suzuki rider continued his late-season charge, KTM and Husqvarna still left the night with important stories of their own.

For Jorge Prado, St. Louis marked one of his best outings of the year. The Red Bull KTM rider was fast from the beginning, posting the fifth-fastest combined qualifying time and showing genuine front-running pace. In the Main Event, Prado completed the opening lap in second, briefly moved into the lead, and stayed in the podium fight for much of the race before eventually finishing fourth.

It was his third top-five finish of the 2026 season, and another sign that the four-time world champion is getting more comfortable every week indoors.

“St. Louis was a very good day for me and I saw a lot of improvements,” Prado said. “We finished P4 and I think we can be very happy with that as a team.”

At the same time, Eli Tomac delivered the kind of ride that champions often need late in the season — not spectacular, but vital. It was not his strongest round, but a sixth-place finish allowed him to leave St. Louis still tied at the top of the 450SX standings.

“It was a tougher day for us at St. Louis, but the good thing is that we didn’t lose too many points and we are still tied for the lead,” Tomac said.

Husqvarna also delivers in the 250SX Showdown

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna also had a solid night in the 250SX East/West Showdown at St. Louis.

Ryder DiFrancesco charged from 10th to finish fifth, while Daxton Bennick fought through the field for sixth after having to come through the LCQ. In the 450SX class, Malcolm Stewart battled the deteriorating conditions for a solid eighth-place finish.

Championship picture tightening

After St. Louis, the 450SX championship tightened dramatically:

1. Eli Tomac – 245 points
2. Hunter Lawrence – 245 points
3. Ken Roczen – 240 points

Tomac still holds a share of the lead, but Roczen’s Detroit and St. Louis results have put him right back into the center of the fight. Prado, meanwhile, continues to build confidence and now sits ninth in the standings, while Malcolm Stewart remains eighth.

Detroit gave Roczen momentum. St. Louis confirmed he is not going away. Tomac is still holding the red plate, but the advantage is now razor-thin. And with Prado getting stronger and the championship entering its final stretch, the pressure is rising everywhere.

Nashville is next, and the 2026 title fight is very much alive.