The 2026 Monster Energy Supercross season has officially crowned its top newcomers, with Garrett Marchbanks taking the Rookie of the Year honors in the 450 class and Caden Dudney earning the same distinction in the 250 class. These rising stars have shown grit, speed, and adaptability—qualities that resonate with every rider chasing their first podium.

Marchbanks kicked off the season with consistent top-15 finishes in the opening three rounds, but the next two races tested his mettle. A pair of last-place results in Seattle and Arlington could have derailed his momentum, but Marchbanks refused to let those setbacks define his year. Instead, he channeled that frustration into a breakthrough performance at Daytona, where he finished seventh and reignited his campaign.

From that point forward, Marchbanks was a different rider. He strung together top-10 finishes in the final 10 rounds—a testament to his resilience and growing confidence. His season-best seventh-place result in Denver, the penultimate round, capped off a remarkable turnaround that earned him the rookie crown.

On the 250 side, Caden Dudney’s path to Rookie of the Year was equally impressive, though it started in the SMX Next program. He burst onto the scene with a stunning second-place finish at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, then followed it up with a win in Houston. That early success earned him a promotion to the 250 class with Monster Energy Star Yamaha, beginning at Round 7 in Arlington.

Dudney quickly adjusted to the step up in competition, finishing 13th in the 250 East division in his debut and nearly cracking the top 10 the following week in Daytona. He notched his third top-15 finish at the Birmingham East-West Showdown, where he raced against the best riders from both divisions. For a rider who started the season in the developmental ranks, Dudney’s trajectory is nothing short of remarkable.