Deegan's breakthrough sweep
Haiden Deegan claimed his first-ever 450 class overall win at SMX Playoff 1 in Columbus, sweeping both motos outright. Jorge Prado grabbed the early holeshot in the opening moto, but Deegan moved past him by lap two and led every lap of the rest of the afternoon on a rain-soaked Historic Crew Stadium track. Ken Roczen was the closest challenger all day, finishing second in both motos for the overall runner-up spot, with Prado completing the podium in third.
Lawrence's disaster in the mud
The bigger story of the day belonged to the rider who didn't win: Hunter Lawrence arrived at Columbus as the No. 1 playoff seed off the back of his outdoor Pro Motocross title, but the mud undid him completely. He crashed repeatedly across both motos, posting a 21st and an 8th to finish 15th overall — a collapse that dropped him from the top seed all the way to sixth in the championship standings after just one round. See our Roczen vs Lawrence title breakdown for how differently this round could have gone.
Bennick's agonizing near-miss in 250
In the 250 class, Levi Kitchen took the overall win and the championship red plate with matching 2-2 moto finishes, but the more dramatic story was Daxton Bennick's day: he won the first moto outright for his first-ever professional victory, only to fade to third in moto two, handing Kitchen the overall on a tiebreaker. Ryder DiFrancesco completed the 250 podium in third.
The standings after Columbus
In the 450 class, Prado leads the reshuffled points table on 42, with Deegan close behind on 40, Cooper Webb on 38, and Ken Roczen fourth on 34 — Lawrence's collapse to sixth leaves him needing a big response at the next round just to get back into title contention. With playoff points doubling at the next round and tripling at the final, nothing is close to settled yet.
Frequently asked questions
Who won SMX Playoff 1 at Columbus?
Haiden Deegan, who swept both 450 class motos for his first-ever 450 overall win. Ken Roczen was second and Jorge Prado third.
What happened to Hunter Lawrence at Columbus?
The top playoff seed crashed repeatedly in muddy, rain-soaked conditions, finishing 21st and 8th in the two motos for 15th overall — a result that dropped him from first seed to sixth in the championship standings.
Who won the 250 class at SMX Playoff 1?
Levi Kitchen took the overall win and the points lead with 2-2 moto finishes. Daxton Bennick won the first moto for his maiden professional victory but faded to third in moto two, finishing second overall on a tiebreaker.
Who leads the 2026 SMX 450 standings after Columbus?
Jorge Prado, with 42 points, just ahead of Haiden Deegan on 40 and Cooper Webb on 38. Hunter Lawrence, the pre-playoff top seed, sits sixth after his Columbus collapse.
Sources
Pippa has followed open-wheel racing for 12 years, from Formula 1's turbo-hybrid era to IndyCar's short ovals, and has watched competitive sim racing grow from a niche hobby into a genuine motorsport discipline in its own right. She covers circuit and open-wheel racing, touring cars and esports for CNMOTOS.
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