Cole Davies continues to stamp his authority on the AMA Pro Motocross Championship, backing up his 1-1 from High Point in June, with a 1-2 at Red Bud this weekend.
Cole Davies #37 has settled into the groove of the Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary Independence Day tradition that is the 5.11 Red Bud National, with another win. Photo: SMX
The Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, celebrated America’s 250th Anniversary with the longstanding Independence Day tradition that is the 5.11 Red Bud National. One of the biggest crowds in event history was on hand for Round 22 of the Monster Energy SMX World Championship, as overnight rain gave way to sunny skies and a continually evolving racetrack. With a heightened atmosphere for the milestone holiday the action on the track responded with compelling action across both classes. In the premier 450SMX Class, Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence #96 made it two in a row and three for the season following an incredible second moto win in which he overcame a near 10-second deficit. In the 250SMX Class, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies #37 became the first repeat winner in the class this summer with back-to-back victories.
This result extends Davies’ lead in the SMX World Championship Regular Season Standings after Round 22 of 28 and moves him into second in the 250SMX Class Championship Standings after Round 5 of 11 – four points adrift of championship leader Jo Shimoda, of Japan.
“Jo [Shimoda] was riding good,” Davies shared after the second moto. “It’s a long championship and we have a long way to go. It was a good day, and we got a win at Red Bud. That’s all I can ask for. We’re in a really good spot with the bike right now so I’m really happy.”
Cole Davies takes his third straight moto win at the 5.11 RedBud National. Photo: SMX
Qualifying
Fresh off a first career win at the previous round at High Point, Davies kept the momentum rolling in Qualifying with the fastest lap of the morning at 2:19.661. Davies set the pace in each session but did have his first fast lap disallowed after his motorcycle failed sound inspection. He sat 1.3 seconds clear of the 2:21.048 set by his rookie teammate Caden Dudney #82 in second.
Moto 1: 30 Minutes + 2 Laps
The first moto of the day started with the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing duo of Dudney and Davies side-by-side, with Dudney able to grab his first ever holeshot and early lead. Behind them, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Nick Romano #141 started third, battling Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Julien Beaumer #13, who then went down and dropped to the tail end of the field. Championship leader Levi Kitchen #47 started sixth aboard his Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki.
Dudney was able to seize the moment and lead the first laps of his young career, soon opening up a lead of more than three seconds over Davies. The top two then pulled away from the rest of the field, building a double-digit advantage over third just 10 minutes into the moto.
A multi-rider battle for third unfolded between Romano, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Casey Cochran #56, and Kitchen. Cochran made the pass for third and inched away from the Kawasaki teammates. Kitchen then made the move for fourth.
Back up front, the battle for the lead picked up as the moto approached its halfway point. Davies hounded Dudney and attempted multiple passes for the lead, only to be denied every time. The lead then stabilised at around two seconds. Inside the final 10 minutes the battle for third heated up again as Cochran, Kitchen, and Honda HRC Progressive’s Jo Shimoda #30 sat within less than a second of one another. As Kitchen looked to make a pass on Cochran, Shimoda took advantage and made his way by both riders to take control of third.
With less than five minutes to go Davies closed in on Dudney for the lead once again. Davies was patient and waited for his opportunity, and with just over 30 seconds remaining on the race clock he made the pass. He pulled away from Dudney over the final two laps, as Davies captured his third straight moto win by 2.6 seconds. Shimoda followed in third, with Kitchen fourth, and Cochran fifth.
Independence Day crowds for the iconic 5.11 Red Bud National. Photo: SMX
Moto 2: 30 Minutes + 2 Laps
The second moto kicked off with Davies leading the field to the holeshot ahead of Honda HRC Progressive’s Chance Hymas #29 and Cochran, with Shimoda in fourth and Dudney in fifth. Kitchen started outside the top 10 in 13th place. Cochran put in a charge on the opening lap and was able to make the move around Hymas for second.
As Davies sprinted out to a lead of nearly three seconds it was Shimoda who took the opportunity to push forward. He made the pass on his teammate for third and then went after Cochran. After several laps of pursuit, Shimoda made the pass for second but faced a 7.3 second deficit to Davies with 20 minutes remaining. Cochran, meanwhile, lost hold of third to his Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing teammate Ryder DiFrancesco #34 and then dropped behind Kitchen.
Just past the halfway point of the moto, Kitchen started to pressure DiFrancesco for third as Shimoda made small inroads on his deficit to Davies. Kitchen made the move around DiFrancesco but went down a couple laps later and dropped from third to sixth, which moved DiFrancesco back into a podium spot.
Back up front, Shimoda erased almost the entire deficit to Davies and moved within striking distance with more than five minutes left in the moto. The Japanese rider got alongside the New Zealander and made the pass with about 3.5 minutes remaining on the race clock.
The reigning SMX World Champion charged home to his first moto win of the summer, and 15th of his career, by a margin of 11.1 seconds over Davies. DiFrancesco finished third.
Overall
Despite losing his grasp on another sweep of the motos, Davies’ 2-1 effort still placed him atop the overall classification, with back-to-back victories to make him the first repeat winner of the season. Shimoda’s impressive win in Moto 2 landed him in the runner-up spot (1-3) for his third straight podium result. It also paid big dividends in the championship standings as it moved him atop the points as the third different rider to carry the red plate through the first five races.
A quiet and consistent afternoon for DiFrancesco netted him the first overall podium result of his career (6-3), which came in his 43rd start. He’s the sixth different rider to earn a maiden overall podium this season.
Shimoda’s lead atop the 250SMX Class standings sits at four points over Davies. Kitchen dropped from first to third following a fifth-place finish (4-5) and now faces a nine-point deficit to Shimoda.
The 2026 Pro Motocross Championship will reach its halfway point next Saturday, July 11, for Round 23 of the SMX World Championship regular season and the annual visit to the iconic sands of Massachusetts’s The Wick 338, for the Crestview Construction Southwick National.
Watch: 5.11 Red Bud National – 250SMX Highlights
250SMX Class Overall Results (Moto Finishes // Points)
1. Cole Davies, Waitoki, New Zealand, Yamaha (1-2 // 47)
2. Jo Shimoda, Suzuka, Japan, Honda (3-1 // 45)
3. Ryder DiFrancesco, Bakersfield, Calif., Husqvarna (6-3 // 36)
4. Casey Cochran, Portsmouth, Va., Husqvarna (5-4 // 35)
5. Levi Kitchen, Washougal, Wash., Kawasaki (4-5 // 35)
6. Caden Dudney, Des Moines, Iowa, Yamaha (2-12 // 32)
7. Chance Hymas, Pocatello, Idaho, Honda (8-6 // 30)
8. Carson Mumford, Simi Valley, Calif., KTM (11-7 // 26)
9. Kayden Minear, Perth, Western Australia, Yamaha (9-9 // 26)
10. Nate Thrasher, Livingston, Tenn., Yamaha (10-10 // 24)
250SMX Class Championship Standings (Race 5 of 11)
1. Jo Shimoda, Suzuka, Japan, Honda – 194
2. Cole Davies, Waitoki, New Zealand, Yamaha – 190
3. Levi Kitchen, Washougal, Wash., Kawasaki – 185
4. Julien Beaumer, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., KTM – 159
5. Ryder DiFrancesco, Bakersfield, Calif., Husqvarna – 147
6. Seth Hammaker, Bainbridge, Pa., Kawasaki – 134
7. Kayden Minear, Perth, Western Australia, Yamaha – 127
8. Chance Hymas, Pocatello, Idaho, Honda – 120
9. Nick Romano, Bayside, N.Y., Kawasaki – 116
10. Caden Dudney, Des Moines, Iowa, Yamaha – 105
SMX World Championship Regular Season Standings (Round 22 of 28)
1. Cole Davies, Waitoki, New Zealand, Yamaha – 421
2. Levi Kitchen, Washougal, Wash., Kawasaki – 362
3. Seth Hammaker, Bainbridge, Pa., Kawasaki – 314
4. Ryder DiFrancesco, Bakersfield, Calif., Husqvarna – 311
5. Jo Shimoda, Suzuka, Japan, Honda – 294
6. Haiden Deegan, Temecula, Calif., Yamaha – 233
7. Daxton Bennick, Morganton, N.C., Husqvarna – 203
8. Max Vohland, Sacramento, Calif., Yamaha – 203
9. Nick Romano, Bayside, N.Y., Kawasaki – 188
10= Nate Thrasher, Livingston, Tenn., Yamaha – 182
10= Michael Mosiman, Sebastopol, Calif., Yamaha – 182
