Kitchen Takes 250 Overall Lead at Spring Creek

 Raw nerve and acute spatial awareness were on display at the start of the 250 contests at the FXR Spring Creek MX National in Millville, Minn., over the weekend as Monster Energy’s Levi Kitchen (Pro Circuit/Kawasaki) somehow managed to avoid opening turn chaos in the first 250 class moto, then battled back from a crash to salvage and 8^th place finish – and paired that with a runner-up finish in Moto 2 to score a 3^rd place podium finish at Round 7 of the 2026 AMA Pro Motocross Championship.

More importantly, Kitchen, due in part to Monster Energy’s Cole Davies’ (Star Racing/Yamaha) disastrous opening moto (38^th) and 16^th place overall finish at Spring Creek, now holds a commanding 24-point lead (261-237) over 2^nd place overall 250 class racer Julien Beaumer (KTM), with Davies a point back (236) in 3^rd position overall.

“It was a tough day, for sure. I’m glad to be somewhat okay after the first moto crash,” said Kitchen, who entered the Round 7 Spring Creek race two points back of leader Davies. “It was nasty. I’m glad to be alright and big thank you to the fans for keeping me going. I’m proud of my fight today.”

Also impressing again during his rookie 250 campaign was Monster Energy’s Kayden Minear (Star Racing/Yamaha), who podiumed in the opening moto (3^rd) and added a 6^th place Moto 2 finish for 4^th place overall, which boosted the Australian from 6^th position into the top five (4^th) in the overall standings. And rounding out the Spring Creek 250 class top ten for Monster Energy with a nice rebound from the previous weeks was Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Drew Adams in 6^th position.

In 450 class action Monster Energy’s Haiden Deegan (Star Racing/Yamaha put up a season-best 2^nd place finish, going 4-2 on the day, including rallying back from an opening moto/opening turn crash that had him get up in dead last position.

“The track was gnarly,” said Deegan, who remained in 3^rd place overall in the 450 class standings. “I screwed myself in the first moto, but it’s all good. Another completed round, second place overall. It’s good to keep putting strong finishes on the board. I’m not going to quit trying to get better. Bring it on.”

Also battling his way into the 450 class top ten was Monster Energy’s Garrett Marchbanks. The 450 class rookie went 7-16 for 9^th place overall and is 6^th position in the season standings with 206 points.

Overall Standings (7 of 11 rounds)

Notes & Quotes

• Deegan’s opening moto comeback at Spring Creek was the stuff of legend as the 450 class rookie railed his way past a good chunk of the world’s top premier class racers – going from 40^th to 4^th place.
• “Great ride from Haiden Deegan, who went from last to fourth place. And we thought, if he gets a start, alright, he might get to run with these two (Honda’s Lawrence brothers).” – NBC Sports announcer James Stewart.
• And speaking of crashes, Kitchen would get completely take out two turns into the opening 250 moto via a crash by fellow Monster Energy racer Carson Wood (Star Racing/Yamaha). The crash, unfortunately, also collected 250 points leader Cole Davies.
• “And what he (Wood) does is end up taking out his teammate (Davies), who’s leading the points, and Levi Kitchen, who’s one or two points behind him,” added Stewart. “And that was only the start of a rough day for Cole Davies.”
• Further down the line in the opening 250 moto Davies’ bike would, unexpectedly, stop running in the middle of the track. Turns out his gas tank suffered a puncture in that early crash and the bike, literally, ran out of gas towards the end of the race, causing a rare DNF for Davies.
• Through all the 250 Moto 1 carnage Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha’s Michael Mosiman put together his best race of the season, running up front for a good portion of the race before getting caught, late, by KTM’s Julien Beaumer. Mosiman would finish a season-best 2^nd in Moto 1.
• Not to be lost in the slew of Monster Energy 250 racers running up front was Minear, who parlayed a strong start in Moto 2 to take the lead through the race’s initial laps. “He (Minear) made the podium in that first moto, led some laps in the second moto… and it’s only going to get better,” added Stewart.
• Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha’s Cooper Webb, racing his final Spring Creek MX National, made a bid for the 450 Moto 2 holeshot, coming out of the first turn in 3^rd position. Webb would finish 15^th overall on the day.

Up next: The 2026 Pro Motocross Championship heads west for Round 8 of the series – the Fly Racing Creek MX National in Washougal, Washington.