Lachlan Turner Triumphs in First Moto of 2026 WMX Series After Early Setback

RANCHO CORDOVA, California: Lachlan Turner kicked off her 2026 WMX Series campaign with a thrilling victory in the first moto of the Hangtown Classic at Prairie City SVRA, despite a significant mishap during the race. While Turner initially took the lead and led for the first and final laps, it was Christi Cannon who seemed poised to take the win for much of the race.

After securing the holeshot, Turner quickly established a lead over her competitors. However, shortly after crossing the finish line for the first time, she fell, relinquishing the lead to Cannon. Reflecting on the incident, Turner stated, "I just made it hard on myself. I got the holeshot, then led and fell over and had to work my way up. I really worked for that one, so it means a lot."

Regaining her momentum, Turner managed to chase down the front-runners and was in second place by Lap 3. Cannon, who had been riding with precision, faced a setback on the final lap when she lost control of her bike. This error allowed Turner to surge ahead, ultimately finishing two seconds ahead of Cannon. Adding to Cannon's troubles, she was penalized for accelerating off course, resulting in a third-place finish. This decision promoted Mikayla Nielsen to second place, marking her eighth podium finish in the last twelve motos. Nielsen faced her own challenges after her bike's motor broke just before the race, but her mechanic was able to make last-minute repairs. "My motor was broke before this race, so my mechanic had to swap it," she explained. "I just tried to keep my cool, and then I saw the bike coming right as gate drop was going for the site lap."

In her WMX debut, Taylah McCullough started strong in second but ultimately settled for fourth. Jordan Jarvis completed the top five.