*editor’s note: Ryan Lockhart is on the road this week heading to SDL so Chris Pomeroy will answering your questions!
MXP: What are your thoughts on Harri Kullas so far in the Triple Crown Series, and can he close the points gap even more on Dylan Wright?
CP: Not to sound like any real expert, but I feel like Kullas is doing exactly what everyone expected him to do this summer. He came into the Triple Crown Series with a ton of experience on various tracks from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. After watching him for five rounds, I’m impressed with his smooth riding style and line choice during the long 450 motos. He seems to see the track very well, and I feel like he’s getting more and more confident with each race. Obviously, he was able to really close the points gap after Dylan’s DNF at Gopher Dunes, but I think he deserves a lot of credit for improving as the series has gone on. Does he have the horses to beat Dylan for the 450 title? I think the ball is still in Dylan’s court, as he does have a speed advantage over Kullas, as well as the red plates. Finally, I feel like this weekend will be very important in determining which rider wins this title. I say this because in the past few weeks Kullas has been a holeshot machine, while Dylan has had several bad starts by his standards. If Kullas gets out front on the tight SDL track, and Dylan starts in 5th and has to go through riders like Ward, Kilroy, and Racine, it might be too late to catch Kullas without going full red line. As we’ve witnessed in the past, the SDL track is a risky track to allow any rider to race at their limit. Bad things can happen very quickly. Big picture, even if Dylan can get another split this weekend, or even goes 2-2, I still think he wins next weekend in Deschambault and at the final round at Walton Raceway. No one beats Dylan at Walton! But, Kullas has been an excellent addition to the 2026 Triple Crown Series, and I hope he’s back again next year.
MXP: What do you make of the title chase in the 250 Pro/Am class and the battle between the teenagers?
CP: Well, I’ve told this story a few times, but before Round 3 I was looking at the 250 class points and while the top four riders were all teenagers at the time (Malinoski, Wey, Johnson, Rempel), sitting in 5th was Wyatt Kerr. At the time, I thought Kerr was in a really good spot as he’d been riding well, and he had more experience than the four riders in front of him. I thought that since the top four riders were all 18 years old and under, they would no doubt make some mistakes in the final five rounds and Kerr could capitalize on them. Sadly, the next day Kerr had that bad crash while mountain biking, then Vincent Wey had a hard crash at Round 3. Then last weekend, Kade Johnson crashed and unfortunately knocked himself out of the series, and Malinoski also suffered a bike-related crash and almost knocked himself out for the rest of the series. That left the door open for Dylan Rempel to step up, win the overall and get back into the title fight. Now, it’s Malinoski vs Rempel, Yamaha vs Honda, and teenager vs teenager for the 2026 Triple Crown Series 250 Pro/Am Championship. All I can say is grab your popcorn and don’t take your eyes off of the track, because this three round battle is going to be fun to watch!
MXP: What are your thoughts on the 450 class in the Pro Motocross Championships in the USA? Who do you think wins the title?
CP: Great question! I think you have to give the nod to Jett Lawrence. What he’s been able to do so far while dealing with his ankle injury is just unreal. I think his determination and his ability to change how he has to ride the motorcycle are getting overlooked by the drama that Deegan causes. The series has been desperate to create this narrative of Jett vs Deegan, but really it’s not even close. For a rookie 450 rider, Deegan has been riding well, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he wins a moto or two before the series is over. But he’s not on the level of either Lawrence brother yet. All you have to do is go and watch the This Is Lawrence vlog from Southwick to witness some of the best riding you’ll ever see. Some of the clips of Jett riding in the sand are just mind boggling, and that is why I believe he will find a way to win this title for the second year in a row.
