Cole Davies Finishes 2026 with a Dominant Overall 250SMX Victory at Thunder Ridge
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies goes 1-1 for his first 250SMX overall victory, with rookie Landen Gordon joining him on the podium in third / Sep 29, 2026 /
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing capped off a stellar season at the SMX World Championship Final, with Cole Davies sweeping both motos for his first 250SMX overall victory at the Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in Ridgedale, Missouri. Rookie Landen Gordon joined his teammate on the podium in third, while Nate Thrasher and Pierce Brown made it four Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing riders inside the top five in fourth and fifth, respectively.
After tough outings at the first two postseason rounds, Davies got the finale off to a strong start, qualifying second at the all-new SMX venue. He was seventh after the start of Moto 1 but quickly made his way to fifth on the opening lap. From there, the young New Zealander continued his forward charge, moving into the runner-up spot near the halfway point. With three laps remaining, Davies took over the lead and rode on to victory.
Conditions changed for Moto 2, with rain arriving before the gate dropped, but the end result was the same. This time, Davies grabbed the holeshot, set the pace up front and led every lap to complete the moto sweep and earn the overall victory. The win also moved the two-time 2026 250 class champion back up to third in the final 250SMX Championship standings.
“It was a good way to wrap up the last race of the season,” said Davies. “I went 1-1 today, so it was a really good day today. The first two races of the three-race series didn’t go great, and I wasn't able to capitalize and win the championship. But I'm still happy. It was a good season, winning two championships. We’ll just lock in and have a good off-season and a good season next year. I’m excited for it.”
Gordon also enjoyed a strong outing at the season finale, qualifying fifth and getting a great start to Moto 1 in fourth. He moved into third on the opening lap and held the position until Davies made his way past on Lap 7. As the moto wore on, Gordon dropped back to sixth, where he would finish.
The rookie got another great start to Moto 2. In third, he held the position to the checkered flag to secure third overall with his 6-3 scores. It was another milestone in an impressive rookie campaign for Gordon, who finished fifth in the 250SMX Championship and earned podium finishes in Supercross, Pro Motocross and SuperMotocross during his first professional season.
“What a venue,” said Gordon. “This is probably one of the coolest venues I've been to. It was just a good vibe all day. Qualifying was good, and race one was good, even though I faded a little bit. I think I was running third most of the moto, went back to sixth, and then the rain came down for Moto 2. I'm known to get podiums when it starts raining, so I pulled off third in the second moto. That was good enough for third overall on the day, and fifth overall in the championship. I’m stoked. Let’s go have a good off-season, and then get back to it.”
Thrasher ended his season with a solid fourth-place overall finish. After qualifying 12th, the Tennessee rider got a great start in Moto 1 and came out in the runner-up spot, where he ran for much of the first half of the race. On Lap 7, Thrasher went high as Davies was making his way through and had a tip-over. He rejoined in seventh and finished there. In Moto 2, Thrasher was sixth after the start and moved into fifth on the opening lap. He kept pushing and made the pass for fourth in the final laps, securing fourth overall with his 7-4 scores. With the fourth overall finish, Thrasher ended the postseason sixth in the 250SMX Championship.
“It was a pretty solid day,” said Thrasher. “Qualifying wasn't too good, but I went in there for the motos and ended up getting a pretty good gate. I executed the start and was in second for a while in the first moto. Then a little mistake on my part, and I ended up seventh. I got run a little high, but I shouldn't have let that happen. I ended up seventh, and I should’ve been third. In the next moto, I got an okay start, then made the pass for fifth and then to fourth in the last couple of laps, so it was solid. There are still a lot of things we can improve on, but I’m super excited for next year and happy to end the season strong. We'll get to work here shortly, and thanks to the team and everybody here who has helped me throughout the years.”
Brown once again had to earn his spot in the motos through the LCQ as an unseeded rider in the playoffs. Despite the less-than-ideal gate pick, he got a good start to Moto 1 inside the top 10 and steadily worked his way forward to fifth at the finish. In Moto 2, Brown was ninth after the start and dropped back to 11th on Lap 2, but fought his way back to seventh. His 5-7 scores earned him fifth overall at the finale and eighth in the 250SMX Championship.
“It was a decent day for me, finishing fifth at the finale,” said Brown. “Coming back this summer after an injury was difficult, but we worked through the lack of prep, and I’m happy to end the season the way I did. Thanks to the team for the opportunity. I’m excited to get back to work for ’27.”
Caden Dudney also ended his season with a top-10 overall finish. After qualifying ninth, Dudney was ninth after the start of Moto 1. He dropped back to 11th in the opening laps but made his way back to eighth in the second half of the race. A tough start in Moto 2 had him 20th on the opening lap, but Dudney put his head down and worked his way through the field to finish 11th and end the night 10th overall.
“Today was good from the start, and I am happy with my riding,” said Dudney. “I just need to work on my starts this off-season, and I will be up there!”
Unfortunately, Minear injured his knee in qualifying. The young Australian still managed to qualify eighth and, despite feeling less than 100%, he soldiered on and lined up for the motos. He was 18th after the start of Moto 1 and did what he could to make his way forward, finishing 11th. Minear got a better start in Moto 2 in 12th and worked his way to ninth in the opening laps before ultimately crossing the line 12th. His 11-12 scores earned him 13th overall. Despite the difficult finale, Minear capped off a strong rookie campaign with a top-10 finish in the 250SMX Championship.
“It was a tough day for me at the last race of the season,” said Minear. “I injured my knee in qualifying and did my best to push through and make the best of it. My rookie season is done, and it sure was one to remember!”
“It was an exciting weekend in Ridgedale to cap off the season,” said Jensen Hendler, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s 250 Team Manager. “The track was really cool, and the venue was awesome. For Cole Davies to take home the win with a dominating 1-1 victory and third overall in the championship is incredible. He’s had an amazing year, winning the 250 Supercross Championship and Pro Motocross Championship. I’m also very proud of Landen Gordon, who ended up on the podium at the final SMX playoff. He has had an amazing rookie season with a podium in Supercross and Motocross and now the SMX playoffs.
“Looking back on the year, I am very proud of what the team has accomplished! The team won 16 out of 17 races in Supercross, which is a record I don’t think will ever be beaten. And we’re excited for next year and to debut the new 2027 YZ250F this off-season. We’re already seeing improvements with the bike and are excited to win races with it.”
It was a banner year for the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250 team, winning both 250SX divisional championships and the 250MX Championship, while setting a new benchmark with 16 wins in 17 rounds during the Supercross season. The team also placed five riders inside the top 10 of the final 250SMX Championship standings, while Yamaha took top honors in the SMX Manufacturers Championship.