Prado Wins Playoff 2 in Los Angeles; KTM Sweeps Both Classes

# Event summary Dignity Health Sports Park hosted Playoff 2 of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship under sunny, much drier conditions than the rain-affected opener. This round awarded double points, producing tight championship movement and raising the stakes ahead of the Final, where triple points will be available.

# What happened in 450SMX Jorge Prado (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) produced two steady motos (2-2) to claim the overall win and extend his points lead. The first moto featured Prado taking the holeshot and running up front until Ken Roczen made an aggressive pass just before halfway to take the moto win by 1.3 seconds. Haiden Deegan finished third in that first moto.

The second moto saw Hunter Lawrence take the holeshot and build a large lead, ultimately winning by 14.9 seconds. Prado endured a midrace crash in the sand, remounted, and fought back into second—recovering crucial points. A late altercation involving Deegan, Roczen and Cooper Webb reshuffled positions, with Prado finishing second in the moto to secure the overall victory.

• Prado's combined 2-2 score put him atop the overall by a single point over Lawrence and Roczen, who tied on points with Lawrence winning the tiebreaker for second based on moto results.

• Prado's win is his first postseason victory and his first stadium win in the series.

# 250SMX and brand results

# Race dynamics and decisive moments

• The sand sections at Dignity Health played a pivotal role. Prado's mid-moto crash in moto two cost him time but he recovered to salvage second and the overall.
• Aggressive passing and close battles among Prado, Roczen, Deegan and Webb determined moto placings. Roczen's decisive pass in moto one and Lawrence's dominant moto-two performance were the day's standout individual rides.
• Contact incidents late in moto two altered finishing order and championship implications when Deegan and Roczen tangled and affected Webb's result.

# What this means for the Final With triple points on offer at the Final, the championship remains undecided. Prado's 16-point cushion is meaningful but not secure given the higher stakes at the season-closing event. Riders who finished nearby in Los Angeles (Deegan, Lawrence, Roczen, Webb) still have realistic paths to the title if they execute at the Final.

# Quick facts

• Event: 2026 SMX World Championship, Playoff 2 — Los Angeles
• Venue: Dignity Health Sports Park
• 450SMX podium: Jorge Prado (overall), Hunter Lawrence (runner-up on motos with a moto win), Ken Roczen (moto win and overall podium tie via points)
• 250SMX winner: Julien Beaumer (KTM sweep)

# Bottom line