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Now What?

What are Sexton’s options for 2027? KTM, Yamaha, Suzuki?

Well, it has finally happened, Chase Sexton has done a Jorge Prado and left Kawasaki just one year into his contract after, like Prado, not having the feel he wants from the Kawasaki and being unable to ride to his full potential as a consequence.

Now Sexton has a huge decision to make, what bike can he get on that will see the American back to his blistering best. When Sexton is on form, he is one of the few that can push Jett Lawrence indoors and out, a 100% happy Sexton only adds to the level of the AMA series. And now is even more motivated. 

But where is his best option? Even Steve Matthes isn’t sure of his next destination, but he did reveal he had meeting with KTM, despite their difficult ending a year ago. With Sexton having just watched Prado go there and be successful on a bike he also knows, it may be the least risky option, especially if Lucas Coenen rides a 250 in Supercross (a rumour at the moment) that would give KTM only one rider in 450 Supercross after Tomac’s retirement, Sexton would be an elite addition to their premier roster, with Micheal Lindsay saying KTM have not taken the option off the table.

It honestly seems the best option for both parties, Sexton knows the bike and KTM have the Tomac budget there to add a title contender to the team alongside Prado in Supercross, adding Lucas Coenen in outdoors and it is a powerhouse team! But can they both get past the significant friction that caused the break-up last year?

Matthes also mentioned Bobby Regan, more than the corporate Yamaha themselves looking at Sexton, with Deegan the main man on the 450 and the next superstar Cole Davies ready to move up next year is there room for Sexton? He would probably not be the main guy there, just with how he felt at Honda with the Lawrence brothers moving in. Unless, as Matthes hinted, Quad Lock Honda could be an option if he really wanted to ride red?

Of course maybe Sexton in a more private Yamaha team like PRMX but with factory support could work…they put on IG just after Sexton’s announcement “Thanks Kyle Chisholm for getting the Yamaha dialled in for our 450 boys! More news coming Monday!”

Sexton Goes Home

HOMETOWN, TRAINING, MIDWEST MOTO | Chase Sexton

Chase Sexton headed home to cool his head with all this Kawasaki drama and was kind enough to do a video on his trip. Tag along for a week back home in Illinois. Some training, updates on the knee recovery, and hanging out at the local races. Lets hope the American can sort out a new team and enjoy his racing in 2027.

Reaction: Kawasaki's New Loss

Picture this: Lewis Hamilton joins Ferrari on a multi-year contract then quits after one year. Ferrari bounces back by signing Max Verstappen to reinforce their position in the paddock – only for Verstappen to ditch his deal after a single season as well.

It would leave Maranello in total disarray, cost key staff their jobs and dominate news channels for the remainder of the year. This fictional situation is near impossible to imagine – it's ludicrous, like something out of an overly ambitious novel.

Horrifically, it's Kawasaki's reality.

In a normal world, Kawasaki would be entering its second season with an all-star roster of Jorge Prado and Chase Sexton. Instead, both riders' contracts were voided before the ink had even dried (unprecedented once let alone back-to-back). 

Prado's exit was still recoverable for the manufacturer. He had never ridden a non-Austrian bike, was brand new to the SMX paddock and remained an unjustifiable unknown to so many American spectators. With that in mind, people blamed external factors rather than the KX450 itself. Kawasaki landing Sexton was more than enough to restore optimism too. A championship rider splitting from a factory squad that quickly is a once-in-a-blue-moon event and Prado's departure felt like an isolated quirk for all involved.

Losing Prado was a bump in the road – losing Sexton's a total failure. A double blow like this is just unheard of, leaving Kawasaki with a mess that will take years (not months) to recover from.

There is nowhere for the team to hide; Prado and Sexton share no similarities. The only link between the pair is their disdain for the KX450 and the Monster Energy Kawasaki squad. Worse, their complaints are so varied that there is no one flaw the team can use as a shield. It's quite literally the worst-case scenario. The manufacturer's reluctance to talk publicly will only hurt its position, though there may be nothing left to say that can reverse this slow death.

A positive reaction would be internal changes that reinforce that Kawasaki deem this situation unacceptable. Yet, while they showed more flexibility in testing this term, their inability to take public accountability will only hurt their market position further. A staff shuffle would at least indicate that the team wants to move forward and put this dark era behind them.

If a prospective partner or athlete asks why this downward spiral will not continue, the team has no evidence to point to. No accountability, no technical explanation and no structural alteration. That's unheard of in motorsport, where a crisis this dire would cue immediate overhauls within upper management. Is Kawasaki's refusal to act at rock bottom the ultimate smoking gun?

To make matters worse, while Sexton was realizing that the Kawasaki dream was not what he'd been sold, Prado was reinforcing the point by clinching the SMX World Championship elsewhere.

Again, nowhere to hide.

If Kawasaki's response is to knuckle down and prove everyone wrong on the racetrack then they have once again misinterpreted the gravity of their situation. A continuous cycle of misreads, misjudgments and inaction has brought them here. Dormancy will not save them. Truthfully, no quick fix exists to recreate their early-2010s peak – an era that wasn't entirely spotless to start with either.

The excitement around the relatively new 2027 KX450 could be a positive point to lean on, although without a proven winner on the steed it will be tricky to decipher whether it'd have shifted either Prado or Sexton's stances. The best outcome with their new lineup – the returning (and happy) Garrett Marchbanks and Malcolm Stewart – is that they post solid results in the remit of what they have proven to be: solid top five riders.

A stable season like that would stop the bleeding – an action that's desperately needed. The waters could not be choppier and all Kawasaki can do is ride out the storm, hoping the good times roll once more. Until they address the issues that encourage these champions to walk away from multi-million-dollar deals, however, their fortunes are unlikely to be reversed.

The sport needs Monster Energy Kawasaki to be at its best. It wasn't too long ago that they were there. However, to get back, they'll have to stand up and control their narrative.

Sexton What's Next?

 

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Chase Sexton Parts Ways with Kawasaki After One Season

Chase Sexton and Monster Energy Kawasaki have mutually ended their agreement effective October 23, 2026, after just one season together Cycle News+1.

What Happened

Kawasaki confirmed the split in a brief statement, noting that both parties agreed to part ways immediately. The partnership, originally a three-year deal signed before the 2026 season, ended after only 16 starts, with Sexton scoring two 450 Supercross wins — at Anaheim 2 and the Salt Lake City finale Cycle News+1.

Sexton’s season was mixed: he placed on the podium three times, but consistency was lacking, and his outdoor Pro Motocross campaign was cut short by a torn ACL suffered in a violent crash at the Thunder Valley National Cycle News+2.

Sexton’s Statement

In an Instagram post, Sexton thanked the team and staff, saying: “Very appreciative for all the effort by every person involved and I wish the team and all the staff the best going forward. See you at the races!” Cycle News+1.

Season Recap

• Supercross: 6th in the 450SX standings; wins at Anaheim 2 and Salt Lake City Fullnoise+1.

• Pro Motocross: Campaign ended after Thunder Valley crash and ACL injury Cycle News+1.

• Notable: This is the second recent case of a rider leaving Kawasaki early, following Jorge Prado’s 2025 exit AOL.

2027 Outlook

Neither Kawasaki nor Sexton has announced his next team. Speculation includes:

• MXGP in Europe (he was spotted at the Netherlands round) Corsedimoto

• Star Racing Yamaha Corsedimoto

• Other possibilities: KTM (with Lucas Coenen’s seat vacated) or Ducati/Suzuki Cycle News+1

With multiple seats available and his proven speed, Sexton is considered “hot property” in the rider market Corsedimoto.

Key Takeaway

Sexton’s departure marks an abrupt end to a planned multi-year partnership, leaving both his future and Kawasaki’s 2027 lineup uncertain. The split underscores the challenges of balancing championship potential with consistency and injury resilience in motocross Cycle News+2.

Sexton Moves On

Monster Energy Kawasaki and Chase Sexton have mutually ended their agreement, effective immediately. The former AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross champion is terminating his contract early as he was signed to a three-year deal with Team Green. Sexton’s season was highlighted by winning two Supercross main events (A2 and Salt Lake) before suffering a knee injury at the Thunder Valley round of Pro Motocross.

In a statement from Kawasaki, the brand said, “Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. and Chase Sexton have mutually agreed to part ways effective October 23rd, 2026. The 2026 season together was highlighted by achieving two 450 Supercross wins in Anaheim and Salt Lake City, adding Sexton to the long list of Supercross winners with Kawasaki. Kawasaki wishes him the best for the 2027 season.”

Sexton added more on his Instagram saying, “Just want to say thank you Kawasaki. Very appreciative for all the effort by every person involved and I wish the team and all the staff the best going forward. See you at the races!”

Sexton spoke throughout the year how he was unhappy and now that is even more clear as his three-year deal has been terminated only one year in. This leaves a place open for a new rider on the Kawasaki squad although we expect Malcolm Stewart to take a slot on the team. We expected Kawi to field a three-rider team in 2027 but that is looking less likely. There’s also speculation about where Sexton will ride next,  Yamaha, Ducati, or Suzuki? Now for the second time in recent memory, a rider has broken their deal early with Kawasaki and parted ways prematurely. It will be interesting to see where Sexton rides in the future although nothing official has been announced.

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Steve Whitelock Passes

Steve Whitelock - Rest In Peace

For many, the name Steve Whitelock might not be a name you know, but if you have followed the sport long enough, he was an important figure throughout the world and also in the golden era of 500cc GP racing.

Universally known as "Big Steve" in the paddock, was an influential figure in motorcycle racing history. His career spanned several decades, during which he served as a mechanic, team manager, and technical official across FIM Motocross Grand Prix (GP), World Superbike, and AMA Supercross/Motocross.

Whitelock passed away on October 20, 2026. His history within Motocross GPs and broader world championships is defined by team mastery and hard-nosed rule enforcement.

 

Mid-1970s - Motocross GP Mechanic

Worked as a mechanic for Dutch motocross pioneer Pierre Karsmakers during select 500cc Motocross World Championship (GP) rounds. Under his mechanical care, Karsmakers won the 1975 Canadian 500cc GP round.

Late 1970s - Honda GP Team Manager & FIM Jury

Managed the Honda factory GP motocross team. During the 1977 British 500cc Grand Prix at Farleigh Castle, Whitelock served on the FIM Jury. Convinced that Bob Wright's works CCM bike was oversized, he physically wrestled with mechanic John Baynham to seize and measure the bike, resulting in Baynham famously punching him. He later managed GP greats like Brad Lackey and Graham Noyce.

1983–1990 - HRC Japan / European Teams

Transitioned to an executive role with Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) in Japan and Europe. He oversaw the golden era of extravagance in Honda's racing department and spearheaded GP motocross programs that yielded multiple world titles with riders like Dave Thorpe, Andre Malherbe, and Eric Geboers.

1990s - FIM Technical Director

Left Honda to join the FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) as the Technical Director for the World Superbike Championship (WSBK), moving his expertise from off-road to road racing.

2003–2008 - AMA Motocross/Supercross Series Manager

Returned to the United States to take total control of AMA professional racing. He oversaw the volatile transition from two-stroke to four-stroke machinery and implemented controversial track prep rules to intentionally leave tracks rough and slow them down for rider safety.