Southwick's sand was not the lead narrative at round six of the 2026 AMA Pro Motocross Championship. There were a plethora of stories that arose across the humid weekend, some of which take centre stage in Lewis Phillips' recapitulation.

HONDA'S SWIFT SOLUTION

Honda HRC Progressive's tent attracted a lot of attention on Saturday – observers were drawn to additional ankle support on Jett Lawrence's CRF450R. The brace was unusual because of both its location and upright orientation, and it came in direct response to the discomfort Lawrence experienced at RedBud. The talus injury he suffered before the season – remarkably, that was last year – continues to compromise the balance and power he can build through his lower body.

Lawrence is, understandably, exasperated with repetitive questions about the condition of his foot. Each time it's posed, it's a painful reminder that there is no quick fix and immediate headway is impossible. "70% and no better than at round one" is the clear note from the championship leader, who's tied for the most wins and podiums in 450MX (a reminder of his level even when surrounded by adversity).

The additional ankle support inspired more confidence prior to his Southwick win, but also an indication of the in-house capabilities of Honda HRC Progressive. Flexibility is a known perk of being on a factory team, yet it's rare for a team to turn around an innovation like this so quickly without input from Japan.

"It took around twelve hours," Lars Lindstrom (team manager) recalled. "Luckily, we have attained a lot of trust from Japan. I informed them that he asked for it and wanted to race with it at Southwick. This is not how we usually operate – and I don't want to operate like this – where we make such a critical item and throw it on a race bike. It had to be that way, as he really struggled with his foot last weekend.

"Luckily, we have brilliant personnel at the shop. I shared all of the information with Japan too, but they did not really have the time or capability to make it that quickly. Ezra in the shop drew it up. Don Pastel, who works in our auto division but is a massive part of the team when it comes to fabricating, helped a lot too. We built two versions – slightly different but basically the same – to make him more comfortable, then we tested it on a CAA program to make sure it was strong enough."

It remains to be seen if the new part will be a mainstay on Lawrence's steed for the remainder of the season or if it'll be track specific. Equally, it'll be curious to see if the team refines the component with more than just twelve hours to consider its potential.

Verdict: Honda continues to reinforce its sheer brilliance.

CATASTROPHIC COENENS

While there was no limit to what the Coenens could achieve in their brief American adventure, all involved were aware of where the risk lied. Sadly, what should have been their most successful appearance stood as a reminder of all that they could lose.

Fortunately, Lucas Coenen stands in one piece after his horror crash in 450MX's first moto. While the cause of his crash (rumored to be a mechanical issue yet per KTM no data indicates that) remains unknown, he will head to this weekend's British Grand Prix confident that he can maintain a lead of 68 points over Jeffrey Herlings.

It's his brother, Sacha, who exists as a question mark and has the most to lose. Rumored to have had an operation in the United States on Sunday, his status for Foxhill is unclear. If he can compete – and he almost certainly will – the likelihood of him losing the red plate to Guillem Farres (just 14 points behind and on form) is unbelievably high.

Fans will label this as a failure on KTM's part but make no mistake that it was the Coenens who demanded that their off weekends be filled with American competition. The family, all but confirmed to be making the full-time move to the United States next year, were desperate to showcase their skillset. The cost of that, however, could leave quite a mark on Sacha's résumé.

In-season appearances by factory athletes from MXGP have become rarer, but it's safe to assume that the events of Southwick will be referenced by manufacturers in years to come whenever a rider poses the idea. Nonetheless, the Coenens offered fans around the world a memorable experience.

Verdict: A moment in history, for a multitude of reasons.

DEEGAN'S BODY RESPONDS

Much has been said about Haiden Deegan's adaptation to the premier class, but new details continue to emerge with each passing week. The latest – and perhaps most surprising – is the physical toll that the YZ450F and the relentless nature of 450MX have taken on his body.

This is not a reflection of his fitness – his speed late in second motos has been exceptional, so endurance is not the point here. Rather, Deegan admitted that he feels the effects of a 450MX event more once a race is over and has responded by building more recovery into his program. It is a rare glimpse of vulnerability from one of the sport's brashest athletes.

"I've just been smart with my training and learned my body for the 450F," Deegan commented. "I feel like it was easier in the 250MX class. You could take the lead and then it was just pacing for the final fifteen minutes. Now, I am obviously trying to close the gap and charging for thirty-five minutes. I'm learning to recover in the week."

While his body has commanded attention off the bike, he has also spent considerable time in a pursuit of comfort on the YZ450F. Considerable changes to his fork, shock and linkage – influenced by Cooper Webb – unlocked a new level of comfort at Southwick (and appeared in the form of a career-best scorecard). Better yet, the set-up is meant to work beyond the sand. Deegan can count on consistency when the seventh round, Millville, launches.

"It paid off to come here and ride," commented Rich Simmons (team manager). "We started out with a different setting in Q1, then went back to what we came up with here and it seemed to work out well. That was a different fork, shock setting and linkage. Haiden was happier with the result and we'll try it at a 'normal' track. We went into RedBud with what we raced at High Point, but we'll take what we had here and try it at our compound with the clay and see what we end up with."

While Deegan has been fourth on average this year, both in moto and overall classifications, there is little doubt that his on-track performances prompt more courage than what the result column shows. Furthermore, his grasp on third in the championship remains firm.

Verdict: A moto win is certainly still possible for Deegan.

UNCHARTED TERRITORY

Kawasaki's decision to hand Cornelius Tøendel its vacant KX450 caught many by surprise. While sponsors want as many bikes on the track as possible, Monster Energy Kawasaki has resisted the fill-in rider approach for nearly a decade. Joey Savatgy's 2022 stint and Broc Tickle's occasional appearances alongside his testing role are the only real exceptions.

It's not always been the case: Kawasaki's factory effort was once flexible with its spare seats and welcomed the likes of Travis Preston, Fabien Izoird and Gareth Swanepoel in the 2010s. Valentin Guillod lobbied for that seat last year (with an inordinate amount of passion) and was denied, so what made Tøendel (with results similar, if not worse, than Guillod) an attractive candidate?

"We chose to pick up a fill-in rider this year for a few reasons," remarked team manager Dan Fahie. "Each year is different for the team and the pressures we face and have to adapt to change. We were able to sign Cornelius Tøndel, because he had no other contractual or sponsor conflicts and he was already on a KX450 making it an easy transition to the factory bike.

"Tøndel is aware this is a fill-in ride and may only be temporary, but he is grateful and eager for the opportunity. It's also helpful to have different feedback from different riders on our bike. Having him on the team will give us a new perspective to continue developing the bike for the future while also supporting Garrett through the current motocross season."

Monster Energy Kawasaki has had two bikes on track in just 117 of the last 200 450SMX events, dating back to the end of the 2019 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season.

Verdict: Starved of positive press, Tøndel is an easy win.