Follow the 2023 SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) with direct updates from Playoff 1 of the post-season in Charlotte through Racefeed.

250SMX qualifying:
After Frenchman Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM) set the mark to beat in the day’s first seeded 250SMX qualifying outing with a 1:16.281s lap at the unique Concord, North Carolina venue, Seth Hammaker delivered Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki the fastest qualifying lap in the class with a rapid 1:15.052 lap in the second session later on. Reigning Monster Energy Supercross and Pro Motocross Championship titlist in the class Hunter Lawrence landed second, just 0.066s off Hammaker’s pace. Pierce Brown (TLD Red Bull GasGas), Jo Shimoda (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki), Vialle and Maximus Vohland of Red Bull KTM, Justin Cooper (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing), Jalek Swoll (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna), Austin Forkner (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki), and Levi Kitchen (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) rounded out the top 10, with Forkner coming from the unseeded session having not qualified directly for the main events.

450SMX qualifying:
Furthering his already highly successful career aboard a Honda CRF450R, Jett Lawrence set the mark to beat in the 450SMX division with a 1:13.332s, marking an improvment of 6s over his 1:19.298s lap from earlier in the day. When the top 450SMX riders took to the track for the first time of the day, it was Lawrence’s Team Honda HRC teammate Chase Sexton who led the way, with Lawrence mired in 10th following a slow start that included a rear tire change. Lawrence was ultimately the only rider to dip under 1:14s, with Sexton coming closest at 1:14.039s on his best lap of qualifying. Ken Roczen (Progressive Insurance Ecstar Suzuki) returned to competition with the third-fastest lap, coming within 1.082s of Lawrence. Adam Cianciarulo (Monster Energy Kawasaki), Dylan Ferrandis (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing), Cooper Webb (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing), Jason Anderson (Monster Energy Kawasaki, Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM), Colt Nichols (RWR Madd Parts Kawasaki), and Justin Barcia (TLD Red Bull GasGas) filled the rest of the top 10.

250SMX LCQ:
Early falls for Joshua Varize and Derek Kelley of AEO Powersports KTM plus Phoenix Racing Honda’s Coty Schock further reduced the size of the nine-bike field in the first SuperMotocross LCQ race. Meanwhile, Forkner broke away to a sizeable lead early, comfortably controlling all five laps and beating Cullin Park (Phoenix Racing Honda) to the checkers by 13.84s. Tasked with holding off Luke Neese (Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha) at the end, Hunter Yoder (Partzilla PRMX Racing) successfully transferred to the motos with a third-place result in the LCQ.

450SMX LCQ:
Jeremy Hand led early as the field joined together after the split start, but was soon leapfrogged by Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha rider Phil Nicoletti. A mistake and fall for Hand allowed Moranz to swipe second, and Hand’s fate was sealed when Jerry Robin got by for third — the final transfer spot. Nicoletti won by 3.745s with Moranz and Robin successfully advancing to the motos.

250SMX moto one:
Strong starts for Hammaker and Kitchen gave way to a dominant charge to the lead and the win by Deegan in the first-ever SuperMotocross moto. While Lawrence crawled back toward the top 10 after an unideal start and a fall, Kitchen led comfortably with Deegan in pursuit. Deegan successfully passed his Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing teammate for the lead on the 12th lap and went on to take the checkers on the 17th with Kitchen 3.547s in arrears. Vialle occupied the final podium position at the end, a further 5.561s back, with the initially front-running Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki trio of Hammaker, Forkner, and Ryder DiFrancesco taking the next three spots in fourth, fifth, and sixth. The final top-10 positions were occupied by Jordon Smith (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing), Lawrence, and Vohland, with Brown and Cooper just missing out in 11th and 12th.

450SMX moto one:
Barcia executed the split start best and controlled the early moments of the first 450SMX race aboard his TLD Red Bull GasGas-prepared machine. Privateer rider Ty Masterpool held second before Sexton worked past both Masterpool and Barcia for the lead. The reigning 450SX champion in Monster Energy Supercross led 16 of the race’s 17 laps, beating Ferrandis to the checkers by 8.871s for his first victory since the Supercross season-ending Salt Lake City round. Roczen claimed third, with Anderson, Plessinger, and Barcia finishing fourth, fifth, and sixth to join the podium finishers in beating Lawrence, who closed out a perfect Pro Motocross Championship season two weeks ago. Seventh in his first Supercross-style race on a Honda CRF450R marks Lawrence’s worst result since he finished ninth overall due to an engine failure in 250MX at last year’s RedBud National. In his first race on the Star Racing-prepared Yamaha YZ450F, Webb came home eighth, leading Cianciarulo and Garrett Marchbanks (Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha) in rounding out the top 10.

250SMX moto two:
Backing up his first-moto success at the start of the final 250SMX race of the event, Vialle led early with the Kawasaki trio of Shimoda, DiFrancesco, and Hammaker chasing from close behind. After an easy fall in the first turn, Lawrence was near the back of the pack and again tasked with working his way forward. Ensuring the overall victory went his way after finishing fourth in moto one, Shimoda passed Vialle for the lead and beat the KTM rider to the checkers by 3s. DiFrancesco held on for third, finishing just a second and a half behind Vialle’s rear wheel. Three Star Racing-prepared Yamaha machines were next across the line, with Smith, Deegan, and Cooper at the controls. Lawrence’s charge culminated in a seventh-place result in this second moto, giving the newly crowned 250MX Pro Motocross champion eighth overall with 9-7 results. Hammaker, Swoll, and Brown completed the top 10 in the second moto. While Shimoda’s 4-1 and 3-2 moto scores for Vialle gave those two riders the top two steps on the podium, Deegan went 1-5 for the third and final podium spot. DiFrancesco and Smith just missed the overall podium in fourth and fifth.

450SMX moto two:
In the midst of a second strong start for privateer hero Masterpool and a crash while running near the front for Cianciarulo, Roczen moved into the early lead aboard his Suzuki. Once Sexton was able to work past Masterpool and begin to pursue Roczen from the second position, the overall as they ran fell into the hands of the Honda rider. With a few blisteringly fast 1:14s laps, Sexton ran down Roczen and turned a 1-1 result in the first SuperMotocross race into a reality. Nearing the white flag, Lawrence also passed Roczen but could only come within 6s of his victorious teammate at the end. Lawrence’s 7-2 finishes in the day’s two races gave the Pro Motocross champion fourth overall, while Roczen and Ferrandis joined Sexton on the podium with 3-3 and 2-4 results, respectively.