Just a week removed from a Super Bowl victory for the hometown Seattle Seahawks, the energy inside Lumen Field for a Valentine’s Day visit to the Emerald City featured a heightened sense of energy and excitement for Round 6 of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship.
Words and Images by Feld Motorsports
The incredible atmosphere encapsulated the most action-packed night yet in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship, where the always challenging Seattle track conditions became a central player in the battle for victory. After a grueling 20 Minutes + 1 Lap Main Event, it was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac who prevailed with his third victory of the season, wrestling the lead away from Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb before soldiering home to a bounce-back win following an adversity plagued outing last weekend.
WATCH MORE: 2026 SEATTLE SUPERCROSS – HIGHLIGHTS
The 450SMX Class Main Event got underway with Webb leading the way for the holeshot as Tomac and his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Aaron Plessinger gave chase ahead of season race winners Chase Sexton (fifth) and Ken Roczen (sixth), as well as championship leader Hunter Lawrence (seventh). Webb was able to assert his hold of the lead while Tomac eventually settled into second and Roczen into third aboard his Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki. It wasn’t long before the lead trio settled in on the soft, rutted, technical conditions and established a significant lead over the rest of the field. Tomac chipped away at the deficit and applied pressure for the lead as the race passed halfway. He made a quick and decisive move around Webb to seize control of the race and opened a multi-second lead. Lapped riders allowed Webb to close back within a second, but Tomac extended the lead once again to effectively end the threat. Behind them, Roczen’s hold of third came under fire from Lawrence, who overcame an early miscue to climb from seventh to fourth aboard his Honda HRC Progressive machine. Lawrence was the faster rider and was in position to take third until he went too aggressive in the track’s sand section, collided with last week’s winner, and took both riders to the ground. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Justin Cooper rode by to assume third as Lawrence remounted in fourth and Roczen continued well back in ninth.
Tomac navigated the deteriorating conditions to perfection and took his 56th career win by 9.2 seconds over Webb, who grabbed a third straight podium in second. Cooper landed on the podium for the first time this season in third. Lawrence recovered to finish fourth, while Sexton rounded out the top five aboard his Monster Energy Kawasaki. Roczen got the worst of the exchange with Lawrence and finished a season-low 10th, a net-loss of seven positions.
Lawrence’s finish proved significant in the championship standings as he maintained control of the lead by a single point over Tomac. Roczen and Webb now sit tied for third, 11 points behind Lawrence.
Eli Tomac – 1st Place – 450SMX Class
“Seattle was the usual. It’s a tough track to really get a hold of and get comfortable on. I saved the best for last of course. I had my best start and my best ride there [in the Main Event]. I cleaned up some lines, did some different jump combinations. Just typical Seattle. One of the toughest we have all year. Glad to conquer it.”
Cooper Webb – 2nd Place – 450SMX Class
“Overall, it was fun, with a side of sketch. The track was really gnarly. It’s always gnarly here, but this [track] with still having to hit the rhythms [sections], they’re pretty big. It was brutal. Obviously, Eli [Tomac] picked up on a good line and kept doing it and got past me. I tightened up for sure with a little arm pump, but it is what it is. At the end of the day, I can’t be hitting whoops like that and expect to win. We’ll get back to work.”
Justin Cooper – 3rd Place – 450SMX Class
“It’s just Seattle. This track was absolutely gnarly. With 20 [minutes] plus 1 [lap] out there with these 450s, it gets really demanding. I just put together solid laps and got a little gift from [Lawrence and Roczen]. Sometimes you’ve got to stay in it and that’s what we did tonight. Really pumped to get back on the box.”
Hunter Lawrence – 4th Place – 450SMX Class
“[My race] started with wheel spin off the start. I just didn’t get myself good track position. I was coming through and had good pace. I feel like an idiot. I jumped on the inside [and] was already going down and got Kenny involved. That just sucked, honestly. Not how I would have wanted the night to go, but we’re fourth and still have the red plate. We’ll head on to Dallas.”
The Monster Energy SMX World Championship and Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship will continue next Saturday, February 21, for the seventh race of the season from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The race will open the Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class Championship.
450 Main Event Result
450 Standings
