Kitchen and Romano Podium at Thunder Valley as Turner Dominates WMX

Monster Energy’s Levi Kitchen (Pro Circuit/Kawasaki) walked into the Toyota Thunder Valley MX National (Lakewood, Colo.) and, by virtue of a 2^nd place overall podium finish (1-8), walked out tied for the AMA Pro Motocross Championship’s overall 250 class points lead with teammate Seth Hammaker (7^th, 2-12). And joining Kitchen on the overall podium at Thunder Valley, with his best MX National finish ever, was another Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki racer, Nicholas Romano, who brough his KX250F home in 3^rd place (4-5).

Also putting up a statement finish in her Thunder Valley race was Monster Energy’s Lachlan Turner (Altus Blu Cru Yamaha). America’s top WMX racer went 1-1 vs. the European MX champ, Monster Energy’s Lottie Van Drunen (De Baets/Yamaha), who placed a respectable 5^th (4-6) in her first visit to Thunder Valley. Turner also topped Australian champ, Honda’s Charli Cannon (2-2 for 2^nd), for the second straight week.

For Kitchen, following his Moto 1 victory, the 8^th place finish in Moto 2 was tough to take as it allowed Honda’s Jo Shimoda to become the third 250 class winner in as many races this season – though he (Shimoda) didn’t win a single moto on the day (3-2). “I just can’t put a day together,” said Kitchen. “It was a bummer (Moto 2 start crash with teammate Hammaker). I got up and saw a red plate in front of me and realized I just need to beat this guy (Hammaker). I just put my head down and charged. I wasn’t really happy with how it was going, but I gave it my all. We’ve just got to keep going and keep fighting.”

Kitchen and Hammaker are now tied at 117 points on the season through three (of 11) MX Nationals. And Romano was able to ollie over Monster Energy’s Cole Davies (Star Racing/Yamaha) and into the top five overall (5^th) in the 250 class overall standings, 96-93 ahead of the New Zealander.

Rounding out the top ten in the Thunder Valley 250 class for Monster Energy were the Star Racing/Yamaha trio of Kayden Minear, Michael Mosiman and Davies in 8^th, 9^th and 10^th positions, respectively.

In 450 class action things got off to an inauspicious beginning for Monster Energy’s Haiden Deegan, who’s currently 3^rd overall in the 450 class standings. Deegan suffered multiple crashes in the opening moto, then got docked a head-scratching seven positions by the AMA for “cutting the track,” which put him from 4^th position back to 11^th – and ruined his chance at an overall podium finish.

Flying the M-claw flag with the highest overall 450 class position at Thunder Valley with a very solid weekend of racing was Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Garrett Marchbanks. The 2025 450 class Rookie of the Year would score his first 450 podium of his career with a 3^rd place finish in the opening moto, then battled to a 6^th place finish in Moto 2 for a 4^th place overall run.

Thunder Valley Results                                             

Overall Standings (3 of 11 rounds)

Notes & Quotes

• “There’s be two red plates under that Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki tent next weekend.” – NBC announcer Jason Weigandt on the 1^st place tie between Kitchen and Hammaker at the top of the 250 standings. 
• Monster Energy’s Chase Sexton (Kawasaki) suffered a gnarly get-off during Friday’s press day at Thunder Valley and had to miss Saturday’s action. Monster Energy’s Justin Cooper (Star Racing/Yamaha) also missed Saturday, his first DNS of his pro career, following a crash in Moto 2 at Hangtown last weekend.
• “There were a bunch of penalties in the first moto for course cuts. And Deegan did it the most times, as deemed by the AMA.” – Weigandt on Deegan’s somewhat excessive seven-lap penalty by the AMA for cutting the course.
• “Romano rode great all day long. Congrats to him.” NBC announcer James Stewart on the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider’s first pro podium.
• “Look at the beaming grin on Nick Romano, who’s on the podium for the first time in his career in 3^rd.” – NBC announcer Weigandt.
• “And this is where I knew Levi had these guys covered.” – Stewart on Kitchen’s near crash in Moto 1 – and rally back to the lead just two laps later.
• “That was a tough first moto from him, but he showed a lot.” – Stewart on 450 class rookie Deegan’s opening moto and multiple crashes, in which he also rallied back from.
• Couple pro debuts for Monster Energy’s young 250 class racers as Enzo Temmerman booted up for his first pro race with Pro Circuit/Kawasaki and Carson Wood did the same with Star Racing/Yamaha. And the two would each score a top ten (10^th) moto finish, placing right next to each other in the overall (Temmerman 16^th and Wood 17^th).

Up next: The 2026 Pro Motocross Championship continues its eastern U.S. swing with the June 20^th running of the UFO Plast High Point MX National in Mt. Morris, Pa., Round 4 of the series.