Australia’s Charli Cannon will begin her bid to dethrone reigning Women’s Motocross Championship (WMX) champion Lachlan “Lala” Turner this weekend when the 2026 season gets underway at the historic Hangtown Motocross Classic in California.
After finishing runner-up in last year’s championship, Cannon returns to the United States for her second full WMX campaign with Quad Lock Honda determined to take the fight to Turner, who is chasing a third consecutive title.
The six-round Women’s Motocross Championship will once again run alongside the Pro Motocross Championship, with the opening round taking place on June 6th at Prairie City SVRA in Rancho Cordova, California. The oldest race in American motocross is expected to provide a tough test for the field and an early indication of who will emerge as the leading contenders for the 2026 crown.
Cannon established herself as Turner’s closest challenger throughout much of the 2025 season, regularly matching the defending champion’s pace and pushing her hard on several occasions. While a maiden WMX victory proved elusive, the multi-time Australian National Champion consistently showed race-winning speed and now enters the new season with a full year of American racing experience and a clean bill of health.
“Last year, we faced plenty of challenges. I had surgery only days before Round 1, I was learning new tracks every weekend and balancing huge amounts of travel between commitments,” said Cannon.
“This year feels different. I have been spending time training at MTF between my commitments in Australia and focusing on improving every area, fitness, technical riding and bike setup. I feel stronger, but I also have a lot of respect for the competition because the level keeps improving.”
While Cannon enters the season as a genuine title contender, she won’t be the only Australian attracting attention in the paddock. Ballarat rider Emma Milesevic is set to fulfil a lifelong ambition by contesting the opening three rounds of the WMX Championship in the United States. Milesevic plans to line up at Hangtown, Thunder Valley and High Point, with the goal of returning for the final rounds in August. The Victorian has described competing in the AMA Women’s Pro Motocross Championship as something she has always dreamed of and sees the opportunity to race on the world stage as a major milestone in her career.
The 2026 season shapes as one of the most significant in the history of women’s motocross, with increased support and unprecedented depth throughout the field. WMX Series Director Christina Denney said the championship was entering a groundbreaking year.
“The 2026 WMX season is the most anticipated in the history of women’s motocross. A groundbreaking year awaits with unprecedented support from Synchrony, more than $150,000 in OEM contingency, and the deepest field of talent ever assembled,” Denney said.
She added that the season would culminate in a special showcase at the SMX World Championship Final and believes the growing list of challengers will make for an exciting championship battle.
“While Lala Turner will once again be the one to beat this summer, her list of challengers continues to grow with the addition of new talent from around the world. It will be exciting to watch the action unfold with more eyes on the WMX than ever before.”
Each round of the championship will feature two days of racing, with Moto 1 contested on Friday and Moto 2 held on Saturday as part of the Pro Motocross National race-day schedule. Fans in the United States will be able to watch every second moto live on Peacock, while international viewers can follow the action through the SMX Video Pass.
Turner returns carrying the coveted No. 1 plate aboard her Altus Motorsports bLU cRU Yamaha and remains the rider everyone will be chasing. Still only 19 years old, she has quickly established herself as the benchmark in women’s motocross and one of the most promising young talents in the sport. A third straight championship would place her among the all-time greats in WMX competition.
Alongside Cannon and Turner, SLR Honda’s Mikayla “Kay Kay” Nielsen is expected to play a major role in the title fight. Nielsen was the only rider other than Turner to claim victory during the 2025 season and heads into the new campaign looking to build on her third-place championship finish.
