Levi Kitchen put himself on pole for the 250 class at Fox Raceway on the opening day of the 2026 Pro Motocross season, steadying the session after a day that kept shifting with the track. He moved back to the top in second qualifying and then found another improvement late to secure the fastest overall time.
That result matters now because Fox Raceway is the first stop of the 2026 motocross season, and the 250 field arrived with a reshuffled outlook after Haiden Deegan moved out of the class before the opener. Kitchen entered the day among the favorites alongside Chance Hymas and Seth Hammaker, and he left the morning with the best gate pick heading into the motos.
The first 250 session was the kind riders talk about long after they leave the paddock. The track was deep and a bit muddy, which let Lux Turner set the early pace before Caden Dudney and Chance Hymas followed near the front. Julien Beaumer then took over the top spot, but Kitchen kept closing as the surface improved and finished the session on top.
The second session brought a different rhythm and a sharper edge. Jo Shimoda got out front early, Ryder DiFrancesco briefly moved to the top, and Cole Davies later took control before Kitchen answered again. Seth Hammaker slotted into second behind him, but the biggest moment came when Max Anstie tried to double into the dragon’s back, went over the bars and crashed hard. He remounted, but looked visibly shaken, a reminder that the same laps that decide pole can also turn dangerous in an instant.
Kitchen’s name now sits at the top of the updated 250 qualifying sheet, and that gives him the cleanest start line for the afternoon motos at Fox Raceway. The order on paper still has to survive the race itself, but on the first day of Pro Motocross, Kitchen made the strongest opening statement in the class.
