High Point to Host Next Chapter of Turner Versus Cannon Rivalry as Women’s Motocross Championship’s Midseason Break Looms

• Larry Lawrence

Just Nine Points Separate the Lead Duo Ahead of Series’ Return to Pennsylvania

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (June 17, 2026) – The Women’s Motocross Championship Powered by Synchrony (WMX) has reached a pivotal point of the 2026 season, with this weekend’s anticipated return to Pennsylvania’s legendary High Point Raceway signifying the halfway point of the six-round series. The third round of WMX will be a focal point of this weekend’s 49th running of the UFO Plast High Point National, where budding rivals Lachlan Turner, the reigning back-to-back champion, and Charli Cannon, the multi-time Australian champion, will see the next chapter of their captivating title fight unfold.
 
There’s no doubt that Turner and Cannon have set the standard this summer, consistently separating themselves from the rest of the field. However, they come to High Point, a track neither have raced before, separated by a mere nine points, on different trajectories. Turner is in the midst of a seven round win streak for Altus Motorsports bLU cRU Yamaha that dates back to last season and has gone undefeated in the motos thus far in the 2026 campaign. Cannon, meanwhile, has shown to be the faster rider at times and has held the lead in each of the four motos contested thus far aboard her Quad Lock Honda. Unfortunately, self-inflicted errors have hampered Cannon’s ability to take the fight to Turner even more. The Australian has yet to claim victory on U.S. soil but has been knocking on the door for more than a year with six consecutive runner-up finishes. Given how tight much of the racing has been between these two off-track friends something’s got to give, and if Cannon hopes to make any inroads on her deficit, a breakthrough victory is all but necessary.

It’s been Charli Cannon (#7) versus Lala Turner (#1) in every moto this season and High Point will host the next chapter of their rivalry as the 2026 season reaches its halfway point.
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Just nine points separate Cannon (left), who has amassed six straight runner-up finishes, and Turner (right), who is in the midst of a seven race win streak.
MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.

Beyond the title fight, the WMX will receive another competitive boost to an increasingly deep field this weekend. One week after reigning back-to-back world champion Lotte van Drunen committed to racing against America’s best, another newcomer will join the fray at High Point in proven prospect Mayla Herrick. As of today, the Colorado native is just 16 years old, but she’ll celebrate her birthday, and her newfound eligibility to race at the pro level, on Friday, just in time for the first of two weekend motos. Herrick’s accolades are impressive for her age. She played an integral role in the U.S. women’s victory at the FIM Oceana Women’s Motocross Cup in March and just a few weeks ago punched her ticket to Loretta Lynn’s in the Schoolboy 2 class, the first female to do so. She’ll have impressive company when she makes her debut with SLR Honda, teaming up with Mikayla Nielsen to form a truly formidable pairing. Herrick’s journey was profiled in The Denver Post last weekend while she attended the Thunder Valley National.

Highly touted prospect Mayla Herrick will make her pro debut with SLR Honda at High Point, where she’ll celebrate her 17th birthday with her first WMX gate drop.
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Herrick (#23) will team up with Mikayla Nielsen (#51) to create a formidable pairing at SLR Honda.
MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.

With the return of van Drunen and the addition of Herrick alongside the familiar presences of Nielsen, Jordan Jarvis, and Taylah McCutcheon, who broke through for her first podium finish with Partzilla Blaster Power PRMX Kawasaki last weekend, the current WMX field is incredibly deep and incredibly talented. Not to be outdone, veteran racer Jamie Astudillo will also make her season debut with Priority MX GASGAS. Despite the success of Turner and Cannon, there are no guarantees they’ll surpass the gauntlet of athletes that will line up on the gate this weekend.

Australian Taylah McCutcheon became the newest face to land on the podium at Thunder Valley, doing so in just her second WMX start.
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FIM World Champion Lotte van Drunen will be back in action at High Point following a fifth-place finish in her WMX debut at Thunder Valley.
MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.

Boasting a dynamic track layout littered with elevation changes, massive jumps, highly technical rhythm sections, and no shortage of on and off-camber corners, High Point Raceway is an American motocross icon. The rich east coast dirt lends itself to an abundance of racing lines, while the lush green landscape that surrounds the natural amphitheater has given the venue the distinction as the “Country Club of Motocross.” The WMX last competed at High Point during the 2024 campaign and just five athletes from that race are set bring past experience to the starting gate for the 2026 event, most notably Jarvis and Astudillo.
 
On-track action for the WMX at High Point will span two days, with qualifying and the weekend’s first 12 Minutes + 1 Lap moto scheduled for Friday, June 19. The women will return to the track on Saturday, June 20, for a midday warm-up before contesting the second and final moto in between the first and second motos of the 450SMX and 250SMX classes. For fans watching from home, the second moto can be seen live, exclusively on Peacock, with comprehensive coverage of every moto from the High Point National kicking off at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET.

For more information on the WMX series, visit the official website at www.RaceWMX.com or call (304) 284-0101. Join the conversation on the series Facebook page, follow us on Instagram, and be sure to always hashtag #RaceWMX.

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