- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,150,434
- Reaction score
- 59
Monster Energy Kawasaki officially confirmed on Thursday that the organization released Jorge Prado from his contract. After a tumultuous 2025 season, the Prado/Kawasaki split seemed certain. The pairing began with high hopes after Prado's back to back MXGP World Championship wins in 2023 and 2024 and a solid cameo in a few early Supercross rounds during the 2024 season. Prado qualified for the first two main events of the season but crashed during qualifying at the Anaheim 2 Supercross in January, dislocating his shoulder. He would undergo surgery to repair the injury and missed the remainder of Supercross, but returned for the Pro Motocross Championship.
Prado finished sixth overall in his U.S. outdoor debut but an up and down summer raised many questions. A fade late in the first moto at High Point followed by failing to score points in a wet second moto was the first sign of trouble, A solid day at Southwick quieted concerns but as the season wrapped up, trouble signs continued to appear. A disappointing day at Unadilla was headlined by Prado losing spots late to several privateer racers. The finale at Budds Creek marked the end of the road, just nine months after the deal was announced. Prado clocked in at 43rd in qualifying and was added to the gate due to a special AMA rule. An 11-12 day marked the end for the partnership, with Kawasaki announcing before the SMX Playoffs that Prado would not compete in the postseason. The gamble will ultimately go down as one of the worst high profile pairings in the sport's history, as the former world champion scored only two top fives in his time with the team.
Few would've guessed, but one week after this photo was taken at Unadilla, Jorge Prado would run his last race for Monster Energy Kawasaki. (Photo: Ayala Media / Josh Davey)
Kawasaki came to an agreement with Prado to release the Spaniard from his contract early, effective October 16th (next Thursday). With Jason Anderson's departure for HEP Motorsports Suzuki, both Kawasaki 450 factory seats are currently vacant. Kawasaki announced that their roster will be revealed in early November. Stay tuned to Motocross.com for more updates on Kawasaki's 2026 lineup and Prado's future in America.
This story was originally reported by Motocross (Deprecated) on Oct 9, 2025, where it first appeared in the NEWS section. Add Motocross (Deprecated) as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Continue reading...
Prado finished sixth overall in his U.S. outdoor debut but an up and down summer raised many questions. A fade late in the first moto at High Point followed by failing to score points in a wet second moto was the first sign of trouble, A solid day at Southwick quieted concerns but as the season wrapped up, trouble signs continued to appear. A disappointing day at Unadilla was headlined by Prado losing spots late to several privateer racers. The finale at Budds Creek marked the end of the road, just nine months after the deal was announced. Prado clocked in at 43rd in qualifying and was added to the gate due to a special AMA rule. An 11-12 day marked the end for the partnership, with Kawasaki announcing before the SMX Playoffs that Prado would not compete in the postseason. The gamble will ultimately go down as one of the worst high profile pairings in the sport's history, as the former world champion scored only two top fives in his time with the team.
You must be registered for see images attach
Few would've guessed, but one week after this photo was taken at Unadilla, Jorge Prado would run his last race for Monster Energy Kawasaki. (Photo: Ayala Media / Josh Davey)
Kawasaki came to an agreement with Prado to release the Spaniard from his contract early, effective October 16th (next Thursday). With Jason Anderson's departure for HEP Motorsports Suzuki, both Kawasaki 450 factory seats are currently vacant. Kawasaki announced that their roster will be revealed in early November. Stay tuned to Motocross.com for more updates on Kawasaki's 2026 lineup and Prado's future in America.
This story was originally reported by Motocross (Deprecated) on Oct 9, 2025, where it first appeared in the NEWS section. Add Motocross (Deprecated) as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Continue reading...
