Saturday night belonged to tiny racers with big confidence, electric KTM SX-E 5’s wide open, and parents visibly aging by the corners. All this, under the lights at NRG Stadium in Houston Texas. The next generation proved, once again, that bravery peaks around second grade.
For over a decade, the KTM Junior program has been a staple of every Supercross weekend, allowing the future to ride the same tracks as their idols. Saturday night featured fifteen racers from all corners of the map, three of them Texans, with the rest of the field flying in from across the U.S, Canada, and even Europe.
The youngsters were on track twice before the big race, experiencing the circuit at its best Saturday morning, showing the pros the fast lines around the track, while they waited their turn on the sidelines.
Qualifying saw the Brysons rise to the top, led by Bryson “Bear” Smith, who fired off a 1:23.47 lap in the second session. Bryson Torres backed it up with a strong P2, stopping the clock at 1:28.25. European ripper Richard Mihailovs slotted into third, followed by Coen McKitrick in fourth and Jay McMurtrey in fifth. These kids were on the gas all morning long, and they weren’t far off elite company, running just a few seconds behind Eli Tomac, who claimed the top qualifying spot in the 450 class on his KTM.
After the fireworks and opening main event wins from Haiden Deegan and Ken Roczen, the spotlight shifted to the kids as they lined up ready to put on a show for the Houston crowd.
When the gate dropped, Texan Bryson Smith was the first to react, grabbing the holeshot and leading the field into turn one. Coen McKitrick settled into second early, with Tripp Roberts and Preston Stambaugh close behind. Kyson Jestrab rounded out the top five as they crossed the finish line to take the green flag.
Lap two? Same order. The Bear was out front absolutely flexing—scrubbing jumps, doubling stuff he probably shouldn’t, and putting on a show for the crowd. All while growing a huge lead over the rest of the field.
When the white flag flew, Smith was already in another zip code. McKitrick sat comfy in second, while Stambaugh started turning up the heat on Roberts for third. The Bear grabbed the checkered flag and sent a massive trick off the finish line, absolutely blowing the crowd’s mind.
McKitrick locked in second, and our dude Roberts held on for the final step of the podium.
Standing on the podium in front of his hometown crowd, Bryson Smith kept it simple, when asked how he got it done, he joked, “Just stay on the gas and try not to crash,” before thanking his mom, dad, brother, and Jesus Christ. A moment Bryson and the hometown fans won’t forget.
KTM JR. MAIN EVENT RESULTS
| POS | # | BIKE | RIDER | BEST LAP (LAP #) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 |  | BRYSON SMITH | 1:23.963 (3) |
| 2 | 3 | | COEN MCKITRICK | 1:30.314 (2) |
| 3 | 15 | | TRIPP ROBERTS | 1:31.852 (3) |
| 4 | 11 | | PRESTON STAMBAUGH | 1:30.357 (3) |
| 5 | 10 | | JAY MCMURTREY | 1:30.517 (3) |
| 6 | 14 | | KYSON JESTRAB | 1:33.318 (3) |
| 7 | 1 | | BRYSON TORRES | 1:28.115 (2) |
| 8 | 6 | | ALEX SCHULTZ | 1:32.274 (3) |
| 9 | 9 | | RICHARD MIHAILOVS | 1:33.246 (3) |
| 10 | 13 | | MATTHIAS HALL | 1:34.454 (3) |
| 11 | 5 | | REAGAN SMITH | 1:35.496 (3) |
| 12 | 4 | | DAX PECK | 1:39.413 (3) |
| 13 | 7 | | NIKOLAI NOVOTNY | 1:35.235 (3) |
| 14 | 2 | | BLAKELY PERREAULT | 1:45.375 (2) |
| 15 | 8 | | KNOX SHERWOOD | 1:41.649 (3) |