Levi Kitchen took pole in pro motocross 250 class qualifying at Fox Raceway and did it by improving again in the second session. That left him fastest heading into the afternoon motos at the 2026 season opener.
Fox Raceway Sets the Pace
The morning was deep and a bit muddy, and that opened the door for early swings on the board. Lux Turner was fastest first, with Caden Dudney and Chance Hymas following before Julien Beaumer took over and Kitchen moved into the lead.
Haiden Deegan had already moved out of the 250 class before the season opener, which pushed more attention toward the riders expected to fight near the front. Chance Hymas, Levi Kitchen and Seth Hammaker were mentioned among the favorites, and the source also pointed to the full Star Racing Yamaha group and satellite teams such as BarX Yamaha as riders to watch.
Second Session Shuffle
Jo Shimoda jumped out front early in the second session, and Ryder DiFrancesco later moved to the top of the board. Cole Davies also reached the lead briefly before Kitchen reclaimed the spot and locked in pole position.
Hammaker moved into second behind him in that session, while Max Anstie’s run was interrupted when he tried to double into the dragon’s back and went over the bars. He got back on the bike, but the crash left him visibly shaken.
Kitchen Leaves No Doubt
Kitchen’s final improvement mattered because the track changed through the morning and the lap chart kept moving. He handled those shifting conditions better than the rest of the 250 field and left Fox Raceway with the first pole of the season.
For the riders still sorting out the class, the order from qualifying becomes the first marker of where they stand entering the motos. Kitchen starts the afternoon with the cleanest track position, and the pressure now shifts to whether anyone can match that speed once the gate drops.
