It looked like a pretty well timed block pass on WSX when the SMX play-off world championship was announced to give the AMA three more rounds in 2023 – with a big money pay-out to sweeten the deal!
SMX was originally an idea of Youthstream (now InFront Moto Racing) but the one event they had, while good, didn’t take off despite leading AMA and MXGP riders involved, but AMA SMX is a different story.
The bottom line is this, the Supermotocross hybrid MX/SX track format has worked really well. Two 20 minutes races each for both classes in a stadium environment in a three hour window has been excellent, and with no East/West split in the 250 class, it brings more competition to the class than the usual supercross races.
In addition, the US outdoor series has been strengthened with riders like Tomac and Webb back before the end of the year to prepare for SMX and Ken Roczen doing the odd race here and there as well. Riders are being enticed back to racing and, although they all aren’t happy with a 31 race schedule, the fact that Jett Lawrence, Hunter Lawrence and Chase Sexton are about to head into the final round with a winner takes all two moto shootout for the 2024 SMX title.
Yes, there is the single, double and triple points scenario in helping to manufacturer an exciting final round but BSB do a similar thing at the end of their season and it works. It retains interest from the fans and the unique format and returning riders build story lines of intrigue and heighten rivalries.
Before SMX, Jett Lawrence would not have been racing another AMA race, we wouldn’t have seen or heard the frustration in a recently taken down interview from Chase Sexton about not being comfortable in SMX despite being the US motocross champ. Added to that rivalry to be the main man in the return to form of Eli Tomac and Hunter Lawrence forcing his way into the mix against his brother for the title…and that all fuels even more interest in supercross 2025.
Yes it’s a very long season now, so maybe drop a round of outdoors to make it 30 rounds a year and start the supercross season a week later to build an extra couple of week’s rest into the off-season as compromise? But the reality is SMX is working and hopefully here to stay with NBC backing it. Importantly, the play-off system is huge in American mainstream sports like NFL and NBA, this format is something that can help grow the sport because it’s relatable.
And this year, with three champions going for one big paying SMX title, it couldn’t have worked out much better. All eyes of the dirt bike world and probably beyond will be on Las Vegas this weekend and that is exactly the goal SMX had. It’s working… better than many expected.
It all comes down to this ⚔️
— SuperMotocross (@supermotocross) September 19, 2024
🎟️: https://t.co/FCC7YY0qER#SMX #SMXWorldChampion pic.twitter.com/hZ0Npyky37
