Levi Kitchen secured the 2026 250SMX World Championship at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena on September 26, ending a long drought for the Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki team. The Washington native finished the campaign 24 points clear of Ryder DiFrancesco after a controlled ride through rain and pressure at the SMX Final in Ridgedale, Missouri.
Fast start, late pass
Kitchen grabbed the holeshot in the first 20-minute moto and built a lead of more than two seconds in the opening laps. Nate Thrasher crashed out of second at the halfway mark, promoting Cole Davies into the pursuit and a hard-charging DiFrancesco up to third.
Davies reeled Kitchen in during the closing stages and made a decisive move with just over one minute remaining. The New Zealander pulled clear to win by 2.1 seconds, with Kitchen safely second and DiFrancesco third.
Rain, patience and a title
Heavy rain arrived for the championship-deciding moto. Davies once more took the holeshot while DiFrancesco and title rival Julien Beaumer started deep outside the top ten. Kitchen slotted into second and held the position throughout.
Davies completed a 1-1 sweep with a 6.4-second margin, yet the night belonged to Kitchen. His second place removed any threat to the title, delivering Pro Circuit Kawasaki its first championship since the 2019 Pro Motocross campaign.
"I got a great start and just trusted my instincts," Kitchen told reporters afterwards. "The rain was coming down, and I just needed to ride smart. It's been a tough journey, for sure, and I couldn't be more stoked."
Kitchen had come close in several championship battles, including the summer's Pro Motocross series, but had never closed the deal. Davies finished third in the standings, 25 points behind the champion after a dominant night that moved him onto the championship podium.
A long wait ended under Missouri rain, and the Pro Circuit squad finally had its next title.
