Pro Motocross Heads North for Second Chapter of 2026 at Hangtown
Bay Area California business Coker Pump to serve as title partner of oldest race in American motocross.
A captivating start to the 55th Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, kept the momentum of the 2026 season rolling into the summer component of the Monster Energy SMX World Championship. After a memorable opening afternoon in Southern California, the world’s fastest racers will now head north to the shadow of the state capitol, where Rancho Cordova’s Prairie City SVRA and the famed Dirt Diggers North Motorcycle Club (DDNMC) await to host Round 19 of the regular season. This year, homegrown Bay Area business Coker Pump & Equipment Company will partner with the DDNMC to provide title support of the oldest race in American motocross, the 57th Coker Pump Hangtown Motocross Classic.
“The journey to begin the 2026 Pro Motocross Championship started in the proverbial home of the sport and now makes the near 500-mile trek through the heart of California for the oldest race in all of motocross. It’s an iconic one-two punch to open the summer and will set the tone for the battles that lie ahead,” said Tim Cotter, Director, MX Sports Pro Racing. “The legacy of the Hangtown Motocross Classic is unlike anything else in the championship and serves as one of the pillars of American motocross. The Dirt Diggers have become synonymous with this race and there’s always an added boost to the event’s success when a highly regarded local business joins as a partner, further strengthening the race’s deep ties to the community.”
The Hangtown Classic predates the Pro Motocross Championship and was first held in 1969 in the nearby town of Placerville, from which the event garnered its name. Since 1974, the race has been held within the confines of a California State Park as a cornerstone event on the West Coast. The track carries an old school feel, relying heavily on the dynamic natural terrain on which it sits, challenging riders with multiple uphill and downhill sections, off-camber corners, and dry, rutty soil. Those elements provide a demanding and often brutal racetrack that is often accompanied by a dry heat, providing an early test of endurance on the championship calendar.
Founded in 1956, Coker Pump & Equipment Company is a four-generation, family-run business built on passion and tradition, two traits that also define the foundation of Pro Motocross. Started by patriarch Jack Coker in Oakland, California, the Coker Pump distributes pumping equipment to the biotech, chemical, food processor, mining, and semiconductor sectors, among others. Their vast, diverse product line includes gear pumps, end suction and split cases, magnetic drives, metering products, and more. Additionally, the company provides pump fabrication, repair, assembly, retrofit, and engineering services. While Oakland remains the centerpiece of the business, it has expanded to include offices in Salida, California, and Fallon, Nevada. Today, Coker Pump is managed by third-generation president Erik Coker, who followed in the footsteps of his grandfather and his father, Craig Coker, and has already set the foundation for a fourth generation with his sons, Evan and Cole.
On the racetrack, the bar has been set in the 450SMX Class by Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence. Fresh off a runner-up finish in this year’s historically close Monster Energy Supercross Championship, Lawrence entered the outdoor season under the radar compared his champion teammate and sibling Jett Lawrence, highly touted Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rookie Haiden Deegan, and the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing duo of Eli Tomac and Jorge Prado. However, it was the elder Lawrence who seized the moment and showed no semblance of a Supercross hangover in his single-most impressive performance to date with a dominant 1-1 effort. Another breakthrough ride came from Prado, the former FIM World Champion, who kept Lawrence honest all afternoon en route to his first podium finish in American motocross. Coming in on the mend from a career-threatening ankle and foot injury suffered in December, a hobbled Jett Lawrence saw his undefeated record at Fox Raceway come to an end. However, considering the uphill battle he still faces in his recovery, a podium result was surely welcome. Now, as the talent-laden premier class field prepares for an early test in the heat, Hunter Lawrence will carry the red plate for the first time since the 2024 season riding a massive wave of momentum into Hangtown.
In the 250SMX Class, the wide-open nature of the division came to fruition at the season opener as Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker prevailed for his maiden Pro Motocross victory and podium result. The Pennsylvania native was by far the most consistent rider in the field even though his Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki teammate Levi Kitchen may have been the fastest rider all afternoon, but when misfortune befell Kitchen in the second moto Hammaker was ready to seize the moment. As a result, Hammaker carries a double-digit points lead into Hangtown and will carry the red plate for the first time. Despite missing out on the podium, Kitchen is one of three riders currently tied for second, with the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing pair of Caden Dudney and Cole Davies who will both look to capitalize on their first career podium finishes.
In addition to the next chapter of the 450SMX and 250SMX Classes, Hangtown will also host the opening round of the Women’s Motocross Championship Powered by Synchrony. Reigning back-to-back champion Lachlan “Lala” Turner will once again pilot her Altus Motorsports bLU cRU Yamaha in search of the three-peat but will be forced to contend with both Quad Lock Honda’s Charli Cannon and SLR Honda’s Mikayla “Kay Kay” Nielsen, her rivals and friends.
The Coker Pump Hangtown Motocross Classic will get underway this Saturday, June 6, with on-track action starting at 8 a.m. PT / 11 a.m. ET, followed by opening ceremonies at 12:15 p.m. PT / 3:15 p.m. ET then motos for the 450SMX Class and 250SMX Class starting at 1 p.m. PT / 4 p.m. ET. Live broadcast coverage will air exclusively on Peacock, beginning with Race Day Live at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET before coverage of the motos gets underway at 1 p.m. PT / 4 p.m. ET. A special network encore presentation will air on NBC on Sunday, June 7, at 1 p.m. PT / 4 p.m. ET.