Prado Wins 2026 SMX Playoffs And $1 Million Prize

Spaniard holds off Deegan in tight final moto to claim the championship

Jorge Prado has won the 2026 Supermotocross World Championship after beating Haiden Deegan by just 1.7s in the second moto of the Playoff Final at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena. The win, with triple points awarded for the final, gave Prado the nod in the final standings by a mere 7 points over Deegan. Prado becomes the first Spanish-born rider to win the SMX Playoffs and the $1 million winner's purse.

The Red Bull KTM rider did it the hard way, after a fifth-place finish in the first moto, while Deegan converted the holeshot into a wire-to-wire win by 3.1 seconds over Ken Roczen, with Hunter Lawrence third. Prado, who led the points standings heading into the Championship Final, started 10th but clawed his way to fifth. Deegan was tied for second behind Prado, and with triple points up for grabs, the win put him in a really good position heading into the final moto.

Prado answered with the holeshot in the second moto ahead of Deegan. The Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha rider found the fastest laps of the moto in the second half, and reeled Prado in, drawing to within a bike length or two with roughly three and a half minutes remaining. Both riders had to deal with lapped riders, but Prado kept it clean enough to win by 1.731 seconds.

Deegan's 1-2 gave him the overall win and 75 points, bringing his championship total to 151 points. Prado's 5-1 results put him ahead of Lawrence's two third-place finishes, and giving him 66 points, enough to give him 158 on the season and 7 points ahead of Deegan for the SMX Championship.

"One year ago I wasn't even racing in the SMX post-season, but the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team did an awesome job preparing me all winter long, every single week, and I also prepared myself the best I could to bounce back," Prado said. "That's what champions do, right?"

Prado will look to defend his SMX title next season, after signing a multi-year contract extension with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. A two-time MXGP World Champion and two-time MX2 champion, Prado's next task will be to capture his first AMA title, either in Supercross or Pro Motocross.

2026 Supermotocross Playoff Final Results

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