Kawasaki riders Ricky Russell and Layton Smail continued their impressive 2026 AMA West Hare Scrambles Championship campaigns at The Great Escape Hare Scramble, with Russell claiming the Overall and Pro/AA victories while Smail earned his sixth consecutive Pro 250 win and a third-place overall finish.

Russell delivered another standout performance aboard his KX™450 on familiar Pacific Northwest terrain. After battling near the front throughout the race, a mid-race crash briefly dropped him off the lead pace. Refusing to let the setback define his day, Russell regrouped and mounted an impressive charge through the field, making up the lost ground before executing a late-race pass for the lead. His determination earned him his second consecutive overall victory and another Pro/AA class win heading into the series' summer break.

Smail once again showcased the speed and consistency that have defined his breakout season aboard the KX™250. Starting from the second-row Pro 250 line, the Team Green rider wasted little time carving through the field. Despite suffering multiple crashes on the opening lap while pushing to reach the front, Smail recovered to post the third-fastest adjusted time of the day, securing third overall and another Pro 250 victory. The class win extends Smail's undefeated Pro 250 campaign to six victories in six rounds and, unofficially, places him in position to clinch the 2026 AMA West Hare Scrambles Pro 250 Championship with one round remaining. The accomplishment marks another milestone in a season that has seen the young Kawasaki rider consistently battle among the overall frontrunners while remaining unbeaten in class competition.

Together, Russell and Smail delivered another successful weekend, sweeping the Overall, Pro/AA and Pro 250 classes while continuing their momentum in the AMA West Hare Scrambles Championship. The series now enters its summer break before returning for the seventh and final round of the season in Monte Vista, Colorado, on September 12-13.