Dakotah Norton Is Out at Mondraker Factory Racing, and Fans Are Asking What Comes Next

Going into 2026, Dakotah Norton’s two-year contract with Mondraker Factory Racing (MFR) is up, and he will not be resigning with the team. After a stellar 2024 season that ended with a life-altering injury to his hip, followed by an inspiring recovery during the 2025 season, Dak is parting ways with MFR. This leaves many speculating on which team will score the American DH racer next season. Will it be Scott? Or could Dak be joining the Americans on Frameworks or Gwin Racing? Only time will tell, but one thing is sure: Norton will raise the bar for any team that is lucky enough to sign him. 

Dakotah Norton joined Mondraker Factory Racing in 2024, after two successful seasons riding for Intense Factory Racing. For the last two years, Dak has seen his fair share of highs and lows, with a 2nd place at the Vali Di Sole in 2024 and a 4th place at Mont-Sainte-Anne, but a moto crash in December 2024 led to a fractured hip socket and a long road to recovery that saw him sit out the first part of the 2025 UCI World Cup Season. After what some might call a magical recovery from surgery and injury, Norton was back on the bike by June and lined up for qualifying in Leogang, but missed the cutoff for finals by just over a second. This didn't stop him, and Dakotah stayed focused, which made him one of the most exciting racers to watch during the season. With the contract up and no podiums in the 2025 UCI DH Series to his name, a renewal is not in the cards, and Dak is now up for grabs.

After a ton of hard work to get back on the bike after his hip injury, winning the US Open and finishing 4th at the last round of the UCI DH Mont-Sainte-Anne this year, I think it’s safe to say that Norton is looking back on form, and maybe he’ll be on a bike with a taller stack height in 2026…