When the Troy Lee Designs transporter rolled into Angel Stadium prior to Anaheim 1 with significant Ducati Corse branding, the paddock began buzzing that the pair had officially teamed up to enter the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) in 2026. Instead, a presentation on Friday afternoon confirmed their union, but without an actual commitment to compete together yet.

The illustrious Borgo Panigale manufacturer has all intentions of entering SMX – more specifically, taking on the challenge of Monster Energy Supercross competition – and it is the Troy Lee team that sits first in line to partner with Ducati upon its arrival. The fact that it’s contract year for a who’s who of the sport’s headline 450SX names only adds to the urgency.

Image: Foremost Media.

For now, Ducati and Troy Lee’s partnership largely centers around eight scheduled Supercross appearances over the course of season 2025 featuring the Desmo450 MX, which will also soon include a sectioned engine on display that will allow fans to see the unique workings of its desmodromic timing system up-close.

But the real target is 2026 and the bold attraction of lining up at Anaheim 1 itself, which would come just one season following this year’s MXGP World Championship entry. That is the underlying intention of both Ducati Corse and Troy Lee, with on-track preparations in a Supercross environment due to begin in the coming weeks, and then the hunt for a big-name signature will elevate even further.

While Troy Lee Designs’ former association in operating the GasGas Factory Racing team out of Pierer Mobility Group’s North American headquarters in cooperation with the wider KTM Group, the responsibility on the famed Californian designer’s team to guide Ducati’s direction in SMX will be even more critical this time around.

Image: Foremost Media.

It’s understood that Factory Connection will play a role in Supercross development with Troy Lee, however, there is also the necessary step of having the Ducati Desmo450 MX homologated in the United States once the production version becomes available to the public. That requires a minimum of 200 units to be in the US by March 1 and at least 400 in total by June 1.

“We’re getting the bikes homologated and it hasn’t been on a Supercross track yet,” Troy Lee told MotoOnline. “Hopefully that’s going to happen in the next couple of weeks, because motocross is so different.

“I said to Ducati, let’s start dating and if it makes sense, then I want to go racing in 2026. But, I don’t want to go racing unless everything’s perfect. The level that they want to do it, we want to get some really good riders, so it’s the perfect time with a lot of contracts up.

“I’m positive it will be a big success, but we’ll see. We want to do it when it’s right, which is awesome. I love that… Let’s not rush into this. Ducati’s been amazing so far, they’ve got a really good track record, and I’m super-stoked to fly the flag.”

Led by an assortment of Ducati North America executives and featuring Ducati Corse Off-Road general manager Paolo Ciabatti – one of the Italians largely responsible for Ducati’s current dominance of MotoGP – alongside MXGP legend Antonio Cairoli, the introduction at Anaheim made a major statement in these initial stages of their entry into the US market. If one thing is for certain, it will only be a matter of time until Ducati Corse formally enters SMX.