Birmingham, Ala. | March 22, 2026 — Pipes Motorsports Group turned in a strong performance Saturday night as Round 10 of the 2026 AMA SuperMotocross World Championship visited Birmingham, Alabama. Ken Roczen led the effort with an impressive charge to second overall, while Colt Nichols earned his best finish of the season.
Race Recap
Ken Roczen (#94) was fast throughout the day, posting top‑three times in practice before going on to win his heat race in commanding fashion. Despite an unfavorable start in the main event, Roczen charged through the field, recording the fastest lap of the race and closing in on the leader before finishing second overall aboard his Progressive Insurance/Cycle Gear ECSTAR Suzuki.
Colt Nichols (#45) continued to build momentum with a consistent ride to an eighth‑place overall finish, marking his strongest result of the 2026 season. Recent bike setup changes proved effective as Nichols maintained solid pace from start to finish aboard his Twisted Tea Suzuki presented Progressive Insurance.
Rider & Team Quotes
“We have had a really good day overall,” said Ken Roczen. “In practice I was always up on the board, top three or so. The track actually ended up being more tricky than I had originally thought. The rhythms were pretty basic, but we had new dirt and it was really rocky—not just little rocks, but big boulders. Part of the track was really rutty and deep, while other parts were extremely dry and had no traction, which made it quite difficult. I won my heat race and went into the main. My starts were just not there, which is a bummer. Starting outside the top 15 is hard when you’re that far back. Luckily, I was really on one tonight and was able to pick guys off. I ended up coming in second and I was catching Hunter pretty well. With how wonky it was, you didn’t even have to make a mistake for it to turn into one—just landing on a rock a bit could shoot you sideways. I missed a couple of rhythms a few times and that gap opened back up. Ultimately, I was happy with second place after that start. We rode amazing tonight and my bike worked flawlessly, so we are on a good path.”
“Much better night for me,” said Colt Nichols. “I was pretty sick this week, so I was struggling a bit, but I just dug in as hard as I could. I actually got out of the gate decently and felt like I rode really well. I ended up in eighth place. I wanted a single‑digit finish, so I’m pumped we were able to do that. The bike is in a much better spot after the break—we made a bunch of changes—so shoutout to Mark at REP Suspension and everyone on the team. It’s been kind of a struggle year, to be honest, so to get an eighth is awesome. It’s something to build on and I’m excited for the next round.”
“Really good night for the team,” said Team Principal Dustin Pipes. “We had three guys make the main event through the heats—Ken won his heat, Colt got fourth. The main event went really well; Ken was 18th in the first corner, had the fastest lap of the race, and came back to second place. Colt also had his best finish of the year in eighth place. We feel like he’s a top‑ten guy, so it was great to see. Overall, it was a really great night for the team.”
Results Summary
Next Round
The 2026 AMA SuperMotocross World Championship continues next Saturday, March 28, at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. Live coverage begins with Race Day Live qualifying on Peacock at 10:00 a.m. PST, followed by the first gate drop at 4:00 p.m. PST.
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2026 Birmingham, Ala. Photo Gallery
About Pipes Motorsports Group
Pipes Motorsports Group is home to the Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki and Twisted Tea Suzuki race teams, competing at the highest levels of Supercross, Motocross, and SuperMotocross. With a focus on performance, innovation, and teamwork, PMG represents the proud racing heritage of Suzuki while pushing the sport forward for the next generation of fans and riders.
