Smith Secures Eighth to Match Season-Best Result in 2026 SMX Finale
The 5.11 Triumph Factory Racing team has delivered yet another top 10 score in 450SMX at 2026's SMX World Championship Final, held in the fantastic Thunder Ridge Nature Arena. Jordon Smith concluded the event with a season-best result of eighth, matching his best from AMA Pro Motocross.
Smith has proven to be a top 10 mainstay in 450SMX and his performance in Branson only reinforced that. 10th in qualification, he bettered that rank in the first moto. Holding seventh for more than half of the race, he lost two spots around the halfway mark and crossed the finish line in ninth. The second moto was one of his best. Starting sixth, he raced on the cusp of the top five in the early stages before a small crash restricted him to ninth. A 9-9 scorecard put him eighth in the overall classification (matching his season-best from AMA Pro Motocross) and championship standings.
Mikkel Haarup, racing in the United States for the final time, was bruised after a hard crash in free practice but desperate to persevere and finish his year on a positive note. A superb start in moto one, where he rounded turn one in sixth, pushed him into the thick of the action. 12th was where he was eventually ranked, his best result of the 450SMX campaign. Haarup had another good start in the second moto but withdrew after an unfortunate issue. 18th in the championship standings was his final position.
The 5.11 Triumph Factory Racing squad will start to turn its attention to the 2027 AMA Supercross series now. First, however, the team will support Haarup as he represents Denmark at the annual Motocross of Nations held in Ernee, France. Haarup will line up alongside 2026 FIM MX2 Motocross World Champion Guillem Farres and second-place Camden McLellan.
Jordon Smith:
"What a day in Branson! This venue was awesome. I had two good starts, then rode pretty well. We made some positive changes before moto two and I was running there with the top guys. A small tip over in the sand cost me, but we'll keep pushing. I am very, very proud of this entire team."
Mikkel Haarup:
"I tried to better myself every session on track. It was a hybrid, but still not my forte. The track was closer to what I enjoy though! I had a great start in the first moto and finished 12th, which was my best result of the postseason. I had a solid start in moto two and ran outside of the top ten. We had a small technical, however, so couldn't finish the race. I'm still very happy with the team and my own performance, so thank you to the 5.11 Triumph Factory Racing team. It's bittersweet, because this will be my last race in the United States for a while. I feel like we finished it off strong, so thank you to everybody."
Ivan Tedesco – Team Manager, 5.11 Triumph Factory Racing:
"The SMX season went really well for us. We made a lot of progress throughout the year. For Jordon to finish eighth in the championship was a great result for the 5.11 Triumph Factory Racing team. I'm really proud of the improvements we made from the beginning of the season to the end. Mikkel also made promising progress and we’re all really pleased to see the progression. I want to thank the entire crew for all the hard work and long hours they put in to help us move forward. It was a total team effort, and I'm proud of what we accomplished together."
450SMX Results: 2026 Final – Thunder Ridge Nature Arena
1. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha) 1-2
2. Jorge Prado (KTM) 5-1
3. Hunter Lawrence (Honda) 3-3
4. Ken Roczen (Suzuki) 2-5
5. Cooper Webb (Yamaha) 4-4
8. Jordon Smith (Triumph) 9-9
18. Mikkel Haarup (Triumph) 12-22
450SMX Standings: 2026 Final – Thunder Ridge Nature Arena
1. Jorge Prado (KTM) 158pts
2. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha) 151pts
3. Hunter Lawrence (Honda) 136pts
4. Ken Roczen (Suzuki) 128pts
5. Cooper Webb (Yamaha) 123pts
8. Jordon Smith (Triumph) 87pts
18. Mikkel Haarup (Triumph) 21pts
