Ken Roczen beats Hunter Lawrence to claim first AMA Supercross 450 title

Ken Roczen has put years of injury and near-misses behind him to claim his maiden 450cc AMA Supercross championship at the age of 32.

The German-born rider went into the final round of the series at Salt Lake City one point clear of Australia’s Hunter Lawrence, but outlasted his younger rival in a pressure-cooker final race to take home the title.

"I was an emotional wreck today," said Roczen after the race. "It was not an easy task by any means, but I've dreamed of this since I was a little kid. This is just a testament of you never give up."

Lawrence entered the race with his own history of runner-up finishes across various championships, making it a tough day for sentimental fans.

While it seemed Lawrence was in better form on his Honda CRF450R after the heat race, it was Suzuki’s Roczen who jumped out of the gates to grab the early lead in the main event.

Lawrence slotted into second place and managed to keep within striking distance, but Jorge Prado (KTM) soon began to apply pressure on the Australian, eventually forcing him to make a mistake and crash, all but ending the title race.

Roczen eventually fell back to fifth, with Chase Sexton taking the race win, but he still finished two places ahead of Lawrence to claim the title by a mere three points.

Roczen and Lawrence both finished the season with five wins apiece, making for one of the closest title races in recent memory.

For the German rider, it was the culmination of a wild journey which included serious crashes in 2017 and 2018 that almost ended his career. While he had already won two 450cc Pro Motocross titles, the 450cc Supercross crown had evaded him until now.

Roczen was visibly emotional after the race as he embraced his family and team.

Lawrence, meanwhile, will rue the missed opportunity to claim a 450cc title after his best season to date. Hunter was gallant in defeat post-race but was clearly disappointed in the result.

Lawrence will now turn his attention to the 2026 Pro Motocross season, which begins on May 31 at Pala. His younger brother Jett (who missed the AMA Supercross season through injury) will be favourite to defend his 2025 title, but all eyes will be on volatile Yamaha rider Haiden Deegan as he makes his 450cc debut.