LEVI KITCHEN DOMINATES MOTO 1 AND MAINTAINS THE CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS LEAD AT UNADILLA

August 15, 2026 | Unadilla MX | New Berlin, NY

Foothill Ranch, Calif. (August 16, 2026) –  After a two-week break from racing, Monster Energy® Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider Levi Kitchen returned to the Pro Motocross Championship with a championship-leading performance at Round 9, overcoming a disastrous start to Moto 2 with a hard-fought comeback to finish second overall (1-6) and maintain the championship points lead. Teammate Drew Adams put together a much-improved weekend, earning seventh overall (7-9). Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Garrett Marchbanks delivered one of his grittiest performances of the season while continuing to recover from a shoulder injury sustained at Washougal, tying his career-best overall finish with fourth overall (5-4). Cornelius Tøndel showed flashes of speed, including a strong start in Moto 2, before finishing 16th overall (16-17).

In 250 Qualifying, Kitchen established himself as the rider to beat, setting the fastest time in the opening session aboard his KX™250 with a lap time nearly one second faster than the next-closest rider. His time held through the second session to secure overall fastest qualifier and set the tone for the day. Adams also showed strong pace in the second session after struggling with visibility through the thick morning fog in the first session. The No. 35 briefly topped the charts in the second qualifying session before ultimately securing third overall heading into the motos.

In 250 Moto 1, Kitchen launched from the gate with an improved start inside the Top 10, while Adams sat only a couple of positions back. Kitchen quickly worked his way into podium position by Lap 4 and set his sights on the lead. Putting down the fastest lap of the race by over a second, the No. 47 Kawasaki reeled in his competition before making a seamless pass for second and taking over the lead the following lap. From there, Kitchen continued to pull away, opening up a 10-second advantage at one point and cruising to a dominant Moto 1 victory. Adams methodically worked his way through the stacked field, while posting the fastest time in Sector 2 before crossing the finish line in seventh

In 250 Moto 2, Kitchen appeared poised for another strong finish after pulling one of his best starts of the season. However, the race quickly took an unexpected turn when a rider to his right missed the first turn, pushing Kitchen wide and forcing him off the track. Kitchen had to turn around and re-enter at the back of the field, leaving him with a large deficit to overcome. Undeterred, Kitchen immediately went to work. Refusing to let the setback derail his day, the points leader charged through the field with determination, making up more than 20 positions in just two laps. The No. 47 passed an incredible 31 riders to earn the Hard Charger award and cross the finish line in sixth, salvaging second overall on the day. With his 1-6 moto score, Kitchen retained the championship red plate, holding a one-point advantage heading into next weekend’s round at Budds Creek. Adams faced a difficult start in Moto 2, settling into 18th early in the race. Battling both the field and the increasingly rough track, he steadily worked his way forward to ninth at the checkered flag, securing seventh overall.

In 450 Qualifying, both Marchbanks and Tøndel set their fastest laps during the opening session as the track became increasingly rutted throughout the day. Marchbanks’ time would hold for seventh overall, while Tøndel entered the motos with 15th gate pick.

In 450 Moto 1, Tøndel started just outside the Top 10 through the opening turn, while Marchbanks overcame a mid-pack start. The No. 36 quickly went to work, passing 10 riders in the first four laps and continued to charge forward into his familiar Top 5 position. Marchbanks secured fifth at the checkered flag, while Tøndel slipped back to 15th early in the moto and maintained the position through the finish.

In 450 Moto 2, Tøndel made a statement off the gate on his KX™450SR, navigating the challenging right-hand first turn to come out inside the Top 3. Marchbanks, meanwhile, found himself deep in the field after the start. Just as he had in Moto 1, the No. 36 began working his way forward, passing 10 riders within the first two laps. A third of the way through the moto, Marchbanks tracked down his teammate Tøndel and ISRT Kawasaki rider Mark Fineis, creating a tight three-rider Kawasaki battle for fifth place. The No. 36 Kawasaki quickly advanced, moving into fourth at the halfway mark. A small crash a few laps later briefly dropped Marchbanks back to seventh, but he quickly remounted and resumed his charge. Within just a few laps, he had worked his way back into fourth, putting together a determined ride. Marchbanks held on to fourth at the checkered flag to secure fourth overall with a 5-4 moto score, tying his career-best overall result.

After making suspension adjustments that gave him more confidence on the bike, Tøndel entered Moto 2 feeling more comfortable and capitalized with his strong start. As the heat intensified and the rutted track took its toll, Tøndel struggled to maintain his position and eventually finished 17th. Fineis would go on to run at the front of the pack throughout the moto, earning a career-best fifth-place finish and 14th overall (21-5) on the day.

“I felt like I could have had one of those days that was perfect and that I’ve been looking for, but it was close to that. Second moto, I had a little off-track excursion, and hopefully it’s the last of that. I executed a great start, and I thought Julian [Beaumer] and I were gonna come out really well, but it is what it is. I just had to put my head down and try and get as far as I could. I’m bummed on that pass on the last lap too. I saw several blue flags waved at that rider and was confused because I thought he was a lapper, and it wasn’t until the last turn I realized he wasn’t a lapper because he was racing me really hard. I was able to salvage second, which was great, but I wish I could have made up some points. Unfortunately, I lost more, but at this point, it’s an all-out war anyway. I look forward to next weekend. We’ll try to do the same thing again next weekend, besides the rough start. I’m riding great right now, so I have no complaints.”

 – Levi Kitchen

“This weekend was an improvement for me. Qualifying was great. I qualified third overall. In the first session of qualifying, it was so foggy you could barely see the track. First moto, I had a pretty good start and made two passes for seventh. Second moto, I had a bad start and had a couple of sketchy moments, but ended up getting ninth for seventh overall. It’s definitely an improvement from this place last. I didn’t like this track last year that much. I do really like the next two rounds coming up, so I’m looking forward to those.”

 – Drew Adams

“My results throughout today were great, except for my starts. Today was really good for the injury I had coming in. I rode basically one and a half days this week. I was coming into today hoping I could turn out two strong motos, and I really showed that. I showed that my fitness and speed are still really good. I tied my best overall result with a 5-4 moto score. The speed was there today, and I passed a lot of guys, so I’m happy with my performance today.”

 – Garrett Marchbanks

“It wasn’t my best qualifying session to start the day; I was 15th overall going into racing. Moto 1, I had a rough start and was trying to get comfortable, but I just ended up staying around 15th for most of the race. We made some suspension adjustments after the race, and I felt a lot better on that setup. I decided to start in first for both motos and was able to pull a really good start in the second one; I was around the Top 3 going through the first turn. I struggled to stay up front, though, and eventually dropped to 17th. My fitness and recovery are not where I want them to be right now, and it’s starting to show more as the season goes on. I need to make some adjustments to my program to really come back stronger for the last couple of rounds.”

 – Cornelius Tøndel