- Cole Davies sits just one point behind 250SMX championship leader Levi Kitchen.
- The 18-year-old Kiwi has taken back-to-back overall victories and four of the past six moto wins.
- Just four motos remain, with Budds Creek and Ironman Raceway set to decide the championship.
Kiwi teenager Cole Davies heads into the final two rounds of the 2026 US Pro Motocross Championship just one point behind Levi Kitchen – and with momentum firmly on his side.
Kiwi teenager Cole Davies is on the verge of making New Zealand motocross history, sitting just a single point from the lead of the 2026 250SMX Pro Motocross Championship with two rounds remaining.
Eighteen-year-old Cole Davies is heading into the final two rounds of the 2026 US Pro Motocross Championship with a genuine shot at one of the biggest titles in American motocross.
The Waitoki teenager sits second in the 250SMX standings on 333 points, just one behind championship leader Levi Kitchen on 334, with four motos remaining.
Davies has also emerged as the form rider in the class. The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider has taken back-to-back overall victories and won four of the past six motos as the championship heads towards its conclusion.
His latest performance came at Unadilla in New York, where Davies went 2-1 to continue closing the gap to Kitchen.
“This track was sketchy,” Davies said following the round. “I had to get in my flow and step it up. Everyone was riding good, so it was up to me to make it happen like I did.
“It’s a tight championship now, so we’ll race to the end and hopefully pull it off.”
Davies’ performances are drawing comparisons with fellow Kiwi Ben Townley, who fought for the same championship in 2007.
Townley won six of the 12 rounds that season and never missed the podium but ultimately finished runner-up to Ryan Villopoto following a season-long title fight.
“Davies’ performances are drawing comparisons with fellow Kiwi Ben Townley, who fought for the same championship in 2007.”
Now one of Davies’ mentors, the former MX2 World Motocross Champion believes the young Kiwi needs to make the most of the areas where he has an advantage.
“His strengths are his starts and his speed,” Townley said. “Take the holeshots and when he has clean air, we know he is very fast.”
Former 500cc World Motocross Champion Shayne King has also been impressed by Davies’ rapid rise, particularly as the teenager has taken a different route to the top level than the generation of Kiwi stars before him.
While King, Townley and Josh Coppins built their international careers through the World Motocross Championship in Europe, Davies has headed directly into the fiercely competitive American scene, combining motocross with supercross.
“For me, it’s just incredible to see the pathway that he’s taken to get to where he is today,” King said. “That comes down to his want to do it.
“You’ve got to take the challenge on head first and he took it on head first. He got put into the right programs with the right people. And the biggest thing is he’s got the will to be successful and he’s having fun with it.
“I’m super proud and impressed that he’s putting New Zealand back on the map again.”
Coppins believes the opening moto at the penultimate round could prove crucial to Davies’ championship hopes.
“We’ve got four motos to go and he’s closed the gap, but I feel like momentum is really important at the moment,” Coppins said.
“If he could have a first moto win this weekend, that will set him up for a 1-1 result. And then the momentum is with him going into the final round.”
“Next up is Budds Creek in Maryland on August 23, a circuit that holds good memories for Davies after he scored his first-ever moto victory there last season.”
Coppins also believes the remaining circuits should play into Davies’ hands, describing him as comfortably the strongest rider in the class since the early rounds, aside from a fuel-tank puncture at Millville.
Next up is Budds Creek in Maryland on August 23, a circuit that holds good memories for Davies after he scored his first-ever moto victory there last season.
The championship then heads to Ironman Raceway in Illinois for the final round on August 30 – just two days after Davies celebrates his 19th birthday.
While Davies is chasing Kitchen for the Pro Motocross crown, the Kiwi already holds a commanding advantage in the wider SMX World Championship regular-season standings. Davies leads with 564 points, 53 clear of Kitchen on 511.
With four motos left and only a single point separating the two championship protagonists, Davies now has the opportunity to add his name to New Zealand’s remarkable motocross history – and potentially secure one of the biggest titles of his young career.
The final two rounds of the series take place over the next two weekends with Budds Creek, Maryland, Washington DC, next up on August 23, followed by Ironman Raceway, Illinois on August 30. Davies will turn 19 two days before the final round.
250SMX Class Championship Standings (Race 9 of 11)
1. Levi Kitchen, Washougal, Wash., Kawasaki – 334
2. Cole Davies, Waitoki, New Zealand, Yamaha – 333
3. Julien Beaumer, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., KTM – 290
4. Ryder DiFrancesco, Bakersfield, Calif., Husqvarna – 275
5. Chance Hymas, Pocatello, Idaho, Honda – 270
6. Kayden Minear, Perth, WA, Australia, Yamaha – 240
7. Carson Mumford, Simi Valley, Calif., KTM – 226
8. Jo Shimoda, Suzuka, Japan, Honda – 194
9. Michael Mosiman, Sebastopol, Calif., Yamaha – 146
10= Casey Cochran, Portsmouth, Va., Husqvarna – 146
10= Nate Thrasher, Livingston, Tenn., Yamaha – 146
SMX World Championship Regular Season Standings (Round 26 of 28)
1. Cole Davies, Waitoki, New Zealand, Yamaha – 564
2. Levi Kitchen, Washougal, Wash., Kawasaki – 511
3. Ryder DiFrancesco, Bakersfield, Calif., Husqvarna – 439
4. Seth Hammaker, Bainbridge, Pa., Kawasaki – 314
5. Chance Hymas, Pocatello, Idaho, Honda – 308
6. Carson Mumford, Simi Valley, Calif., KTM – 296
7. Jo Shimoda, Suzuka, Japan, Honda – 294
8. Julien Beaumer, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., KTM – 290
9. Nate Thrasher, Livingston, Tenn., Yamaha – 283
10. Kayden Minear, Perth, WA, Australia, Yamaha – 267
Pro Motocross Championship Remaining Rounds
ROUND 10: August 23, 2026 Budds Creek, Maryland, M
ROUND 11, Final: August 30, 2026 Ironman Raceway, Illinois
Fast Facts: Cole Davies
DOB: August 28, 2007 (18-years-old)
Home town: Waitoki, New Zealand
Website: https://coledaviesnz.com/
Team: Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing
