The 2026 FIM World Supercross Championship got underway in dramatic fashion as Cooper Webb and Max Anstie claimed victories in the opening round of the new season, capping a memorable debut for the championship in Calgary.
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Fans at McMahon Stadium were treated to a thrilling evening of world-class supercross action, as riders battled it out for the first available points in the six-round global championship.
Despite the early conclusion of the final SX1 race due to a flash storm in the Calgary area, the Canadian GP delivered a fantastic evening of racing and entertainment. The decision to conclude final the race early was taken by the FIM in the interests of the safety of riders, teams, officials, event staff and fans in attendance, which remains the championship’s highest priority.
SX1
Cooper Webb began his first full FIM World Supercross Championship season in winning fashion, securing overall SX1 honours for Rick Ware Racing after taking second and first-place finishes in the two completed races on the night.
Justin Hill claimed victory in Sprint Race 1 after setting the pace throughout practice and qualifying, while Webb responded with an impressive win in Sprint Race 2 to put himself in contention for the overall.
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Cooper Webb said: “It was sick, honestly it was beautiful to get the win. It was pretty gnarly and as we see, the weather’s coming in, so we had a red flag, but I was really feeling good.”
SX2
In SX2, defending World Champion Max Anstie could not have asked for a better start to his title defence, completing a clean sweep of all three races on his debut appearance for Rick Ware Racing.
The British rider was repeatedly forced to battle through a spirited challenge from Stark riders Brian Hsu and Michael Hicks, whose electric-powered bikes demonstrated impressive pace and acceleration throughout the night.
Hsu led the opening laps of all three races, with the Stark riders especially impressive off the starts as they consistently secured the holeshot throughout the night. Hicks claimed multiple podium finishes as Stark delivered one of the standout stories of the night.
However, Anstie’s consistency and racecraft proved decisive as he claimed victories in both Sprint Races before sealing the overall win in the Main Event.
Max Anstie said: “It was tough. The track was gnarly and I think the electric bikes [Starks] were maybe the toughest obstacle. At the start, they were gone and it was a really tricky track to make up time, but, I can’t give it up enough to the whole Rick Ware crew. Everyone there has been so, so good. These last few weeks, how this has all happened and come around, I can’t give it up enough to those guys enough.”
Michael Hicks secured second overall to give Stark its first World Supercross podium, while Cameron McAdoo impressed on his series debut to finish third overall.
Following an action-packed opening round, Webb and Anstie leave Canada at the top of the SX1 and SX2 standings heading into round 2 in Birmingham on 10 October 10.
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