Most Impressive: SMX Final
450 Class: Jorge Prado
The Spaniard got it done. The first moto was shaky, but he came out strong in Moto 2 and rode an unbelievable 20 minutes to win the moto, finish 2nd overall, and grab the title.
This has to be the best single season improvement for a rider ever? Prado looked like a completely different person last year on the Kawasaki. 2026 was better immediately for him: the podium at A1 wowed us all. Even then, did we think he would be vying for championships? It is just a just a three race series, but Prado was the best and deserves it. It’s such an amazing story: he never gave up on himself. His self-belief is incredible and should be studied by sports psychologists.
I’m super impressed with how Prado ended off the year. Obviously he got the title, but it’s not just that… he looks amazing. He’s smooth, incredibly fast, and will be a threat to win from here on out.
Prado mentioned how big of a bounce back it was for him:
“One year ago I wasn’t even racing in the SMX post-season, but the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team did an awesome job preparing me all winter long, every single week, and I also prepared myself the best I could to bounce back. That’s what champions do, right? They bounce back, so [I’m] super-happy about this title – it’s my first championship here in the States. I’m a four-time world champion for a reason, and I think I showed that in this last moto where it mattered the most!”
It was a close call after Moto 1 but he persevered:
“When I saw the rain, I was dreading what might come, but it stopped and everything worked out. Haiden [Deegan] was riding incredible, so I did all I could to keep him behind me. I showed with hard work that dreams can come true.”
250 Class: Levi Kitchen
Kitchen got it done! The Pro Circuit curse is gone (right?)! Kitchen talked at the pre-race press conference about how important it was to win this title; the pressure was on. He’s been in these title fights before but has never pulled through with clutch performances when he needed it… until Saturday night! Those starts were about as clutch as could be; DiFrancesco’s chances were greatly minimized in both motos as soon as he rounded the first turn.
Kitchen has been in this class for a while now (time flies!). He’s the “veteran” of the 250 class, and this title was overdue. It’ll give him such much needed confidence heading into 2027.
Kitchen reflected on the championship afterwards:
“Feels great to get this championship. It was a stressful day, but I was able to execute two good starts, and I completed my plan to a T. I knew Cole [Davies] was going to be fast, and I knew he was going to be a good way to try to break away from the rest of the guys, so it worked out. First moto, he got me, and then second moto I got a good start and tried to stay with him as long as I could and just managed it from there. The rain coming down too made it a little bit sketchy, but we were able to get it done. I want to thank Mitch and the team for everything, and it feels good to get this done together.”