The 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season just wrapped. And if you’re wondering why we at DECKED, a pickup truck storage and organization company, care so much about bikes and braaps, it’s because of Kevin Moranz: a guy we want to rep as hard as he reps us.
On the surface, Kevin is a Topeka native, pro Supercross racer on the AMA circuit, and the newest member of the DECKED Ambassador Team. But if you stop getting to know him there, you’re missing the best part. With no factory backing, no fancy training compound, and no shortcuts, Kevin’s story is one of guts, grit, and self-made success.
Kevin is what’s known in the Supercross world as a privateer: a self-funded, independent racer who doesn’t receive direct, full-time support from a major factory team. Competing at the highest levels of sport is not for the faint of heart, and Kevin does it all with a KTM 450, the support of sponsors and fans, a team he built from the ground up, and a work ethic that's been getting him to the gate since he was four years old on a tiny yellow PW50.
“Telling Kevin’s story from where we are now is like pausing a kung fu movie during the training montage: it’s sure as hell not over, and there’s a lot of ass-kicking soon to come.”
Rise and Grind.
This is where Kevin's story sets itself apart. Unlike most pro racers, he didn't grow up living on a practice track. He went to public school, played varsity football all four years, and even doubled-up on some classes to stay on pace for graduation. His schedule was stacked, leaving time for only one qualifier and one regional moto race each year. No second chances.
The result? Seven appearances at the AMA Amateur National Championship, posting top-10 finishes every year for four straight years. He was consistently running with the factory kids on equipment that didn't come close to theirs. He was consistently overlooked. And he consistently didn't care — or at least, didn't let it slow him down.
“I know what I am capable of. I know I have the talent, and I can guarantee I will outwork everyone around me if given the opportunity.”
— Kevin Moranz
THe Work Pays Off.
But it Doesn’t Stop.
In 2018, Kevin turned pro, jumped into Arenacross, and won his very first professional heat race. First round. Madison, WI. Never-seen-whoops-that-big Kevin Moranz, winning in his pro debut. Despite a compound fracture of his lower leg that year, he came back for the 2019 Pro Motocross with 27 national points in just six mid-season rounds as the most consistent full privateer in the 250 Class. By 2020, training under Ricky Carmichael at the Goat Farm, he'd quintupled his national points and posted a career-best 13th. The trajectory was clear.
2021 made it undeniable — and then tested it. Kevin made six of seven main events in the 250 class before jumping into the 450 class mid-season on a bike he'd never raced. He made his first 450 main event on his second attempt. Then a crash in Atlanta tore up his labrum and ended his season. He got it fixed and came back better — literally. Fresh off the couch for the final three rounds of outdoor nationals, he ran 19th, 16th, then landed a fill-in factory ride with Rocky Mountain KTM for the finale and posted an 11th in the final moto. That's the Kevin Moranz origin story in one result.
The years since have just added chapters: a 2022 rookie 450 season anyone would take, a 2023 career-best 7th in a Main, and a 2025 PulpMX LCQ Challenge Championship. After a 2024 that might be best-characterized as a rebuilding season, with just a handful of races, Kevin came back with a full 2025 dance card and ten top-20 finishes to show the Supercross world he was back in a big way.
Fuel for the Fire
Telling Kevin’s story from where we are now is like pausing a kung fu movie during the training montage: it’s sure as hell not over, and there’s a lot of ass-kicking soon to come. 2026 wasn't Kevin's best season on paper, finishing up the Monster Energy AMA Supercross season 25th overall in the 450SX Class with a season-best 15th in Seattle. But qualifying for the majority of Mains isn’t nothing. Besides, the story doesn’t end here, and the story of Kevin Moranz Racing in 2026 was never just Kevin. It was never just the numbers.
This season marked the debut of Grant Harlan as Kevin's teammate, the first time KMR ran two riders. Harlan didn't just hold his own — he held down the fort. When Kevin took a nasty slam in Birmingham, AL, Harlan stepped up and finished 14th to keep the KMR program looking sharp while his teammate fought to catch up. That's what a real team does.
Through all of it, the Moranz Mafia never wavered. These are die-hard fans who show up to sign Kevin's bike, back his program, and make noise in the stands. They aren't there for the results — they're there for the racer. And that kind of loyalty doesn't come from winning. It comes from watching someone refuse to stop.
Not every season gets to be a highlight reel. Some seasons are the fuel for what’s next.
“What a Supercross Season ... I wouldn't change a thing! I'm blessed that there is nothing but positive takeaways. Main Event Moranz was back. ... We left some on the table with small mistakes along with some tip overs, but being able to race all 17 rounds, being in a majority of main events, stacking points, and making memories with some of my best friends is all that matters. Excited to take what I've learned this year and improve every bit of it for the future.”
— Kevin Moranz
Built for the Grind.
Kevin, alongside his partner Champion Tool Storage, has built the KMR team from the ground up. He’s amassed the support of sponsors who help him get from training days to the arena. He’s got the mechanics and support staff. But before all that, he did it himself. That’s the kind of determination we admire, and a DIY ethos we recognize — because it’s ours too.
He’s got the DECKED logo painted on his helmet. DECKED stickers on his plastics. We’re front and center on the KMR team jersey. We’re in the back of his truck. But most importantly: we’re in his corner. Nothing gets us more fired up than watching this never-say-die, true-grit privateer get after it.
See you on the gate, Kevin.
