Cole Davies was able to sweep the triple crown 250 East race this past weekend in Indianapolis. The 18-year-old racer was able to dominate each race, especially with his skill in whoops.
This is his third career win and first of the 2026 season. The 2025 Rookie of the Year has arguably some of the best form in the whoops on the track. Whoops are a section of back-to-back, three-foot-tall sand or dirt bumps utilized to test a rider’s technique and skills.
Davies has been coached by Ben Townley, who is also a New Zealand native, in the past. Townley is the 2007 250 East champion and 2007 250 Motocross runner-up.
The Indianapolis dirt is known for how much it breaks down throughout the night. Davies never slowed down in the whoops, no matter how much it broke down. He was able to make time up in that section every lap.
His starts were also on point. With three starts on the night, he was in the top five on every start. The good starts were able to help him work his way to a 1-1-1 sweep on the night.
Davies faced large expectations going into the 2026 season because of his performance last year. With a fifth-place finish in the 250 East opener and then a second-place finish in Daytona two weeks ago, a win was inevitable for Davies. He leaves the weekend with a one-point lead over Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker.
Second place in the 250 East class went to Jo Shimoda, who has been riding exceptional after returning from his neck and back injury. Third place had Seth Hammaker, who went 3-9-2. Hammaker had a wreck in the whoops in the second race and had to claw back after continuing to make mistakes.
In the 450 class, Hunter Lawrence won his second 450 Supercross race, going 2-4-1. Eli Tomac went 3-2-2 for second place, and Cooper Webb placed 4-3-4 to finish third on the night. Lawrence and Tomac have proved that they are the two contenders for the 450 Supercross title. Lawrence now has a four-point lead over Eli Tomac.
This weekend, the racers do not have a race, and have a rare free weekend. Racing resumes March 21 in Birmingham, Ala. The racing will feature a 250 East-West showdown, where the best of both classes race together. With a weekend off, the racers have earned a break after the work they have put in over the past few months.
