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Tomac Surprises KTM!

KTM team 'blown away' by early Tomac performances

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Section: Competition Post: Kane Taylor

Two-for-two to commence 450SX season for new pairing

Image: Octopi Media.

Consecutive 450SX main event victories and a perfect 50 points for Eli Tomac two rounds into the 2026 season has left the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team ‘blown away’ by his early performances, team manager Ian Harrison stated following San Diego.

Tomac, 33, has quickly adapted to the 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to storm to convincing round wins at the Anaheim 1 opener and in round two this past weekend.

“I mean, I’m blown away,” Harrison admitted post-race at Snapdragon Stadium. “Five years ago, I would’ve told you that if you hire a guy over 30, you’re crazy – they have to be younger. But I can’t believe it now. The guys at the front of this field are all over 30 and I’ve got to eat my words. These guys are on it and it’s impressive.”

It’s been a relatively straightforward transition with Tomac at KTM – long considered rivals of the highest order during stages of his decorated career – and Harrison said that self-efficiency has been evident from the outset.

“With Eli and his program, he’s just committed, and he runs his own program,” he added. “When he needs help, he asks for it. If he doesn’t, he takes care of things, which is amazing for us. To see him fight through in the main event is impressive, and as I said last week, the amount of work he puts in, [these results] are understandable.”

Tomac is eight points clear of Ken Roczen (Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki) on top of the championship standings entering Anaheim 2 this Saturday night, while Hunter Lawrence (Honda HRC Progressive) is a further two points behind following his P2 result in San Diego.

Brabec's Heartbreak!

Brabec says ‘quite confusing note’ led to heartbreaking Dakar loss

Monster Energy Honda HRC’s Ricky Brabec lost the motorcycle class victory to Red Bull KTM's Luciano Benavides by a heartbreaking two seconds in the closest finish in Dakar Rally history. Afterward, the American explained how momentary confusion over the route near the end of the final stage proved a decisive blow.  Heading into the final stage of this year’s event, Brabec held a 3m20s advantage over Benavides, after claiming the previous day’s stage win. With just 105 km/65 miles of timed competition remaining, Brabec knew that opening the stage would leave him without tracks to follow, placing a premium on precise navigation as he chased a third Dakar title.

The final special stage featured two timed sections separated by a liaison, with riders first tackling technical mountain valley tracks before switching to a faster route along the Red Sea coastline en route to the finish line at the Yanbu bivouac. Brabec set a strong pace early, but a navigation issue just seven kilometers from the finish cost him valuable time, ultimately denying him the coveted Bedouin Trophy.

"This Dakar was a real fight from start to finish," said Brabec. "On the final stage, a quite confusing note led me to choose a line that wasn’t the correct one. When I turned back, Luciano was coming behind me and, seeing the situation, he stayed on the right track, which made the difference in such a close battle.

It was a dramatic conclusion to 49 hours and 41 seconds of racing across 4,737 km/2,943 miles of the Saudi Arabian desert.

"The last day of Dakar 2026 didn’t bring the result we were expecting, but this is Dakar – this is rally raid," said team general manager Ruben Faria of the bittersweet runner-up finish. "Six kilometers from the end of the final stage, Ricky turned left slightly too early. He didn’t take the correct track, lost a significant amount of time, and crossed the finish line just two seconds behind Luciano.

"Going into today, Ricky had a good margin thanks to the time bonuses – a gap of four minutes and 42 seconds over second place. With that small mistake, we lost the Dakar by just two seconds. Of course, we wanted more. We wanted to win, but we have to accept the result.

"Overall, it was still a strong performance for the team: Ricky finished second, Tosha (Schareina) third, Skyler (Howes) fourth, and Adrien (Van Beveren) sixth. Ricky delivered a very solid Dakar. Tosha made a mistake in the first week but still managed to finish with a strong overall result. Skyler struggled during the first week but recovered well in the second. Adrien lost almost an hour when a cable that was in the middle of nowhere got stuck in his wheel, yet he had an excellent second week.

"Naturally, we expected more – the goal was to win, and we finished incredibly close. This has never happened before. We’ll keep pushing, aim to win the next races, and come back even stronger for the next Dakar."

Haiden Deegan...Excuse?

Haiden Deegan: “People like to boo the guy who wins”

After a dramatic start to the Supercross season at Anaheim 1, all eyes were on Haiden Deegan as the series rolled into San Diego. After not getting the win at A1, he responded in emphatic fashion with a statement victory. Beyond the win itself, the night was marked by controversy after a decisive pass on his teammate Max Anstie sparked boos from sections of the crowd.

Deegan reflects on his rebound performance, addresses the incident with Anstie, explains how training on a replica San Diego track at his own property paid off, and looks ahead to the Triple Crown format return to Anaheim as the new championship leader.

Haiden, you won in San Diego. That’s what you expected from yourself. Do you feel like you got your revenge after Anaheim 1, or is this just another win to add to the list?

Deegan: No, I’m just grateful to win here. After what happened at Anaheim 1 last weekend, the week was long and complicated. I worked really hard during the off-season… With the announcement of my future move up to the 450 class, a lot of people had doubts about my future. So I told myself that I was going to fully commit to my off-season, work like crazy and harder than ever. That’s exactly what I did, and not being able to show it at the first round really hurt. I came back this weekend and won, and that’s what matters.

You were booed after the race. Does that change how you will approach your next pass on Max?

Deegan: I’ve seen videos of Kobe Bryant getting booed… People like to boo the guy who wins. That’s just how it goes sometimes, and you have to accept it. I don’t really know, maybe people have become a bit sensitive [laughs]. I didn’t take Max out on purpose. When you race Supercross and dive inside like I did, you know the other rider might try to cut back underneath you. All I did was make sure he couldn’t cut back inside, and I ended up touching his front wheel. I’m going to go and apologize, tell him I’m sorry. Whether he accepts it or not is up to him, but I didn’t do it on purpose. I had a good night, and that’s all that matters to me.

You’re teammates with Max. You train with him. Did you know how to anticipate what he was going to do, his strengths and weaknesses?

Deegan: Yes, I ride with Max every week. I know exactly how he rides. The goal was just to get around him and pull away. I don’t focus on the rest, on what’s happening around me. Unfortunately, there was that little incident, but I never intended to make him crash. I was just happy to pass him and take the lead.

Should we expect Max to get his revenge later on?

Deegan: Yes. But honestly, it wasn’t even an aggressive pass. It wasn’t intentional to touch him. Retaliation or not… Whatever happens, I’m always ready to deal with anything, because that’s what our sport is like. If it comes to that, then it comes to that, but I hope it won’t be necessary. I’m going to go and speak to him to try to clear things up, because I really didn’t mean to make him fall. But hey… we race Motocross. If he wants to get his revenge, he will. I’m ready.

On your new property, you built a replica of the San Diego track to prepare. How similar was your track to the real one in the end?

Deegan: It was really very similar. In the second set of whoops, I was able to do my wheel-tap on the very first lap of practice, which says it all. Honestly, the two tracks were very close. Some sections were obviously a bit different because they’re limited by the size of the stadium, which I’m not. But it was great.

You made several passes in the section after the start straight. Was that planned or just opportunities?

Deegan: No. I was just in a particular mindset this weekend, telling myself I was going to go into full sprint mode. I feel like I’m in a position where, if I ride at 90% of my ability, stay clean and smart, I should be able to win every race.

After a disappointing weekend at Anaheim 1, was it important to reassert yourself by winning both the heat and the main event in San Diego?

Deegan: Yes, I really needed that. I needed to get some confidence back. I’m happy that I was able to bounce back faster than last year. It’s good to see that the work is paying off because I work really hard. We’re going to keep working like this and keep fighting at every round.

Back to Anaheim next Saturday. How do you approach that race now that you’re the championship leader?

Deegan: I’m going to go in with the same approach. I’ll need to be smart and clever on these Triple Crown format races. I’ll have to make sure I start in the top five, put in good laps and manage my races properly.

What do you think? Leave a comment.

Max's View

Max Anstie on the incident with Haiden Deegan

  Ralph Marzahn   18 January 2026

The incident between Max Anstie and Haiden Deegan The moment had barely passed when the discussion began. The moment was too obvious, the scene too crucial for the outcome of the 250SX Western Division race.

Anstie was in the lead, controlling the race, while Deegan was applying pressure from behind. When the young American finally attacked, there was contact in a left-hand corner. Anstie went down, while Deegan was able to continue. For one, the race was practically over; for the other, the path to the front opened up.

What followed can be summarized quickly from a sporting perspective. But more interesting than the result itself was the reaction afterwards.

Calmness instead of grand gestures

Max Anstie deliberately avoided grand pronouncements. No blame, no veiled barbs. Instead, he spoke calmly about knowing exactly who he was racing against. Deegan was fast, determined, always ready to exploit any gap. That was something one had to reckon with – even if one wished certain situations would turn out differently.

"That's part of it," Anstie implied. It wasn't a statement of resignation, but one of acceptance. A painful moment, yes. But not one that obscures the view of the future.

Responsibility begins where it begins

One thing was particularly striking: Anstie immediately looked for the fault within himself. He spoke of not having been quite sharp enough, of the bike standing up, and of everything happening very quickly. Instead of anger, there was appreciation. "Fair play," he said – and he meant it.

The fact that the contact was with a teammate changed little for him. Racing is racing. Whoever is in front knows they'll be attacked. And whoever wears the red plate rides with a goal on their back.

The view remains wide

Despite the setback, Anstie remained remarkably calm. He's now only one point behind Deegan in the championship. Nothing is lost, everything is still possible. His starts are good, his pace is right, and he has confidence in his car. That's exactly what he wants to build on.

This composure doesn't come about by chance. At 32, Anstie no longer speaks like someone who lets every incident throw him off balance. He puts things into perspective, takes what he can learn – and moves on. The years in the GP and Supercross circuit have left their mark. A positive one.

Not a conflict, but a moment

In the end, not a single harsh word was spoken. On the contrary. Anstie praised Deegan's pace and determination. Decisions at the limit are part of this sport. Sometimes they work out well, sometimes not.

Thus, this incident remains less of a conflict than a learning experience. One that Max Anstie seems to be moving on from more quickly than many would expect. And therein perhaps lies his greatest strength.

Thomas: "It Was Intentional. Max Knows it, Haiden Knows It, and So Do I."

Anstie led early, but ended up fifth on the night after being helped to the ground by Deegan.

What’d you think of Haiden Deegan’s move on Max Anstie in the 250SX main event? There were a lot of laps left when he put Anstie on the ground.
I know he downplayed it on the podium and said he didn’t mean to but anyone who knows what they’re watching could clearly see he made sure to get his rear tire into Anstie. It was intentional. Max knows it, Haiden knows it, and so do I. I’m not the judge of what’s over the line and what’s not, but if intent is the question, the unequivocable answer is yes.

After the race the crowd booed Deegan so loudly you could barely hear him talking in his postrace interview. Is that the worst you’ve heard a rider get booed, and did you detect any reaction from him when it was happening?
There have definitely been more boo’s but it was notable. Haiden heard it and it’s not the first time. Actually, it’s not the loudest boo’s I have heard even towards Haiden. Denver 2025 was multiples louder than this. That was up there with the loudest. The Ferrandis/Craig incident was up there also.

Sexton...“In the off-season I went the wrong way"

Chase Sexton rebounded from hitting the gate to finish fourth, showing serious speed after making changes to the Kawasaki. He even spent the week riding Levi Kitchen’s Pro Circuit 250.

“Felt a lot better this weekend — a big difference from last weekend. Felt good all day, won the heat, and felt strong in the main. Starting last made it tough, but fourth was about as good as I could do. Could’ve pushed to a top three, they were right in front of me.”

“In the off-season I went the wrong way — that was on me. Suspension was too soft last weekend. This week the whole team, even Pro Circuit, helped a lot. We came together as a family. Really having fun with Kawasaki, and we’re going to see good things coming soon.”

“I got the rhythms and stuff down. I feel like I was going decently fast on it. So yeah, I was like, man, after the last weekend, they’re going to put me on a 250 back in the Lites class! That was not very good. But no, it was really fun. And it’s fun riding with Levi because him and I do the same training program. So we’re pretty familiar and it’s been good.”

Moto Air Bags

27.6 Gs! Justin Barcia and Alpinestars Release Airbag Data After Anaheim 1 Crash

by SlawJanuary 17, 2026, 10:20 am

When Alpinestars released its Tech-Air MX airbag to the public last year, it was truly a game changer in the world of off-road racing. It looks almost identical to a traditional motocross chest and back protector, and is just as light. Long used in the road racing world, using the company’s proprietary algorithm, the Tech-Air MX can detect when a motocrosser falls or suffers an impact and deploy the airbag to ensure protection across their chest and neck.

A number of riders used the system during Monster Energy AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross last year and reported good things about the system: light-weight, didn’t feel it much, etc.

Following his scary crash at the opening round of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship in Anaheim 1 last Saturday when he landed on Malcolm Stewart on the opening lap of the 450 main event, Justin Barcia and Alpinestars have confirmed that Barcia was wearing the airbag.

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Barcia wrote on his social media on Friday: “Yes, I was wearing the @alpinestars airbag and yes it absolutely did its job. Pretty cool to see the data behind it…27.6G´s (slide 2). Not something you ever want to put to the test but damn I’m just so grateful I was wearing it! Thanks @alpinestars ”

Further, the company released data from the impact of the crash and it is truly astounding.

Per the company, the crash lasted 2.7 seconds and Barcia suffered an impact of 27.6 g, which is comparable to a high-speed car crash.

Although Barcia is out for the immediate future, he was able to walk out of the hospital under his own power the next morning, and in a social post this week said he “broke a little wing” in his back and is dealing with extreme soreness, but is otherwise relatively ok.

Max Anstie on getting taken down by Deegan and that A1 win

Supercross Round #2 Snapdragon Stadium