FIM MXW Championship Leader Daniela Guillen Adds Intrigue with WMX Debut
After another memorable summer of competition, the rapid growth of the Women’s Motocross Championship Powered by Synchrony [WMX] continued to reach unprecedented levels of attention and exposure over the course of the 2026 season. That memorable and groundbreaking journey will culminate this weekend from Indiana’s Ironman Raceway, in the shadow of the motorsports epicenter of Indianapolis, with a championship showdown between Altus Motorsports bLUcRU Yamaha’s Lachlan Turner, the reigning back-to-back series champion, and Quad Lock Honda’s Charli Cannon, the Australian foil to Turner’s dominance. The U.S. Army Ironman National Finals will be historic, as a trio of champions will be crowned for the first time following three exceptionally close title fights. The WMX will kick off the weekend’s festivities on Friday, August 28, with its first moto that will air exclusively via SMX Friday Live Presented by Honda on the SuperMotocross YouTube channel. On Saturday, August 29, Turner and Cannon will square off one final time, live on Peacock, to determine who will walk away as the 2026 WMX Champion
All eyes will be on the friendly rivals that have dominated the season thus far, having captured all but one moto and every overall result of the summer. Turner’s eight moto wins and four overall victories has set the standard, allowing her to bring a 21-point advantage into Ironman. To her credit, Cannon has also enjoyed a breakthrough season, earning both her first moto win and maiden overall victory on U.S. soil to highlight a consistent campaign featuring nine moto podiums and four runner-up efforts. The pair are also the two best starters and finishers in WMX, which means the battle for victory at Ironman will likely be decided between them.
Turner comes into Friday’s moto in position to clinch the title early. If she gains four points over Cannon, it will push Turner’s advantage to the 25-point threshold she needs to end the title fight, as she also possesses the tiebreaker over Cannon. For Cannon, if she is unable to beat Turner on Friday, the Australian simply needs to follow the Yamaha rider across the line to extend their battle into Saturday’s final moto.
All the action on Friday can be seen live during SMX Friday Live Presented by Honda livestream on the SuperMotocross YouTube Channel and SMX Video Pass for international viewers. A two-hour block of coverage will begin at 10 a.m. ET / 1 p.m. ET.
Quad Lock Honda’s Charli Cannon [#7] and Altus Motorsports bLUcRU Yamaha’s Lachlan Turner [#1] have gone head-to-head all summer and will decide the 2026 title at Ironman Raceway.
MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
Adding another layer of intrigue into the Ironman finale is the addition of international star Daniele Guillen. The Spaniard currently sits atop the MXW standings of MXGP with one round remaining and has a pair of victories and a pair of runner-up finishes through the first four rounds of that championship. She’s been a perennial championship contender overseas and is poised to challenge Turner, Cannon, and the rest of the WMX field for victory this weekend. Guillen will join forces with the Wildcat Race Team, helmed by Venezuelan racer Lorenzo Locurcio, for her U.S. debut, riding a GASGAS machine. She brings another compelling storyline to the dramatic culmination of this championship, with the potential of being a central player in its outcome.
Spaniard Daniela Guillen, who currently leads the FIM MXW championship, will make the trip overseas to make her WMX debut at the Ironman finale with the Wildcat Race Team.
Juan Pablo Acevedo / GASGAS
While Turner and Cannon’s showdown, along with Guillen’s anticipated debut, headline this weekend’s action at Ironman, there is also a tightly contested battle unfolding for the third and final spot on the championship podium. Currently, Partzilla Blaster Power PRMX Kawasaki’s Taylah McCutcheon holds down third place in the standings but is just three points ahead of SLR Honda’s Mikayla Nielsen and Dusty Rocks Yamaha’s Jordan Jarvis, who sit tied for fourth. Both McCutcheon and Jarvis are coming off their lowest point scores of the season at Budds Creek, while Nielsen made an overdue return to the overall podium to make this a three-rider fight to the finish. With just two motos remaining, it’s anyone’s guess as to who will seize the moment at Ironman.
Partzilla Blaster Power PRMX Kawasaki’s Taylah McCutcheon currently holds down third in the championship standings.
MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
SLR Honda’s Mikayla Nielsen sits tied for fourth in the standings and is coming off a podium finish at the previous round.
MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.
Dusty Rocks Yamaha’s Jordan Jarvis is also tied for fourth, three points out of third.
MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc
In addition to Moto 1 coverage on SMX Friday Live Presented by Honda, the second and final moto of the 2026 season on Saturday will be showcased as part of the comprehensive live coverage on Peacock and SMX Video Pass from Ironman, which will feature the official championship ceremony for either Turner or Cannon. Coverage of the motos on Peacock begins at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET.
On-track action for the WMX at Ironman will span two days, with qualifying and the weekend’s first 12 Minutes + 1 Lap moto scheduled for Friday, August 28. The women will return to the track on Saturday, August 29, for a midday warm-up before contesting Moto 2 in between the first and second motos of the 450SMX and 250SMX classes.
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.
