New Zealand motocross star Cole Davies has capped a remarkable 2026 season by securing the AMA Pro Motocross 250 Championship at the Ironman National.
Davies wrapped up the title with a third-place finish in the opening moto at Ironman Raceway, adding the outdoor crown to the 250SX East Championship he claimed earlier this year.
He arrived at the season finale carrying a 14-point advantage over Levi Kitchen, the only rider still mathematically capable of denying him the championship.
Davies put himself in a strong position from the outset, battling near the front on the run into the opening turn before settling into third behind Chance Hymas and Julien Beaumer.
While the Kiwi remained comfortably inside the top three, Kitchen’s title hopes quickly began to disappear.
A difficult start left the Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider outside the top 10 on the opening lap, putting him under immediate pressure to work his way through the field.
His afternoon then went from bad to worse when he crashed and dropped further down the order. A second incident followed several laps later, leaving his Kawasaki damaged and eventually forcing him out of the moto.
With Kitchen unable to continue, Davies no longer needed to wait until the second race to settle the championship.
He brought his Yamaha home third behind moto winner Hymas and runner-up Beaumer, officially securing his first AMA Pro Motocross title.
The championship completes an outstanding second season at professional level in the United States for Davies, who has now won both a Supercross and Pro Motocross crown in 2026.
His outdoor campaign included overall victories at High Point, RedBud, Washougal and Unadilla, allowing him to build the points advantage that ultimately proved enough heading into the Ironman finale.
Davies also joins a small group of international riders to have won the premier AMA 125/250-class outdoor championship, following the likes of Grant Langston, Dean Wilson, Dylan Ferrandis, Jett Lawrence and Hunter Lawrence.
With the championship decided after Moto 1, Davies will head into the final race of the season with the pressure off and his second major American title of 2026 already secured.
Header Image: AMA Pro Motocross
