Words: Simon Makker

Saturday saw the dawn of a new era for American motocross and supercross, with the first-ever SuperMotocross playoff round held at the Charlotte ZMax Dragway. Big money, new race formats, a hybrid track and deep fields all made for a fascinating day of competition. MotoOnline assesses a selection of the major topics that unfolded in this edition of Q&A.

Q: Did the new SMX playoff race formats and classes work?

A: Apart from the Triple Crown race format and a tweak from 20-lap to 20-minute plus one-lap main events for Supercross, the general race formats have seen little change for decades. The new SMX race formats, which effectively combined the duration of Monster Energy Supercross races with the two-moto format of the Pro Motocross Championship, gave the playoffs a real sense that we were witnessing something different, while also keeping it familiar for race fans. Having free practice on Friday was also an interesting development that served as a preview of sorts ahead of the Saturday action.

Q: How did the scoring work and how will it differ for the coming rounds?

A: The SMX playoffs are using the Olympic scoring method that’s used for the Supercross Triple Crown events to determine the overall winner for the round. SMX championship points are then awarded based on the finishing positions at each round. While Charlotte saw the usual 25 points awarded to the round winner, this weekend’s second round at Chicagoland will pay out double points (so 50 points for the winner, down to two points for 21st) and the final round at the LA Coliseum will award triple points (75 points for the round winner, three for 21st). Not only does this mean the title fight of each class will go down to the final race, but it will see the pressure ratchet up for the racers as the playoffs progress.

Q: What would have been the biggest learning curve for the race teams and riders?

A: Easily the largest unknown entering the SMX playoffs was what suspension setting would work best for the hybrid tracks. Most teams went into Charlotte with supercross settings, with the intention to dial the set-ups back to find something that worked well (enough) for both the large rhythm sections and the more wide-open, rougher parts of the circuit. It was obvious, particularly in the first motos, that some riders struggled with their settings, but by the time the second gate dropped, it seemed they were beginning to find options they were comfortable with.

Q: If Charlotte was anything to go by, do the new hybrid playoff tracks more suit supercross or motocross riders more?

A: The Charlotte layout did a reasonably good job of catering to both. Yes, there was a proper supercross rhythm section, but there were also no whoops to deal with. While the track was a little one-lined and difficult to pass on, the split-lane worked well and created good passing opportunities if riders got a clean run. The SMX playoff tracks are designed and built to find the best all-round racers in each category, with the 2023 AMA Supercross champion Chase Sexton (Team Honda HRC) clean-sweeping both 450SMX motos, and the top three racers from the final round of the Pro Motocross championship – Jo Shimoda (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki), Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM) and Haiden Deegan (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – again filling the 250SMX podium at Charlotte, you’ve got to think the track designers struck a pretty good balance for the first-ever event. From here, it looks like Chicago will be more of a flowing, outdoor-type layout, with LA more in line with a traditional Supercross circuit.

Q: Has Sexton wrestled the momentum back from Jett Lawrence?

A: One of the biggest talking points from Charlotte wasn’t so much that Sexton won, but that his Team Honda HRC teammate, 450MX champion Jett Lawrence, didn’t. Lawrence’s 22-race win streak came to an end on Saturday, as bad starts and incorrect bike setting saw him go backwards in the first moto, ultimately finishing the day with a 7-2 result. In contrast, Sexton jumped to the front of both races and sailed off to two fairly comfortable wins and take the maximum points from the event. The victory will be a big psychological boost to the 450SX title-holder, and he’ll be eager to replicate that performance again this weekend, particularly with twice as many points on offer.

Q: Will Cooper Webb be a threat on the new Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team?

A: After sensationally parting ways with Red Bull KTM during the Pro Motocross Championship, there was plenty of speculation that two-time Supercross champion Cooper Webb would line up for the SMX playoffs with his old team, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing. The move was only formally announced hours before the SMX playoff opener. Despite Charlotte being a home race, and Webb proclaiming he was going all-in, it was a relatively subdued outing for him, with his 7-8 result seeing him end the day in eighth. It was a much more impressive performance from current teammate Dylan Ferrandis, who left the ZMax Dragway with a well-earned podium result, thanks to P2 and P4 placings.

Q: Who can we expect to shine for the rest of the SMX Finals series?

A: With the way the points are distributed for the playoffs, it’s really anyone’s guess. While Charlotte gave us some insight into who could excel in this all-new finals series, the reality is anyone in the top 10 of each class could easily find themselves on a round podium. The shorter duration of the races will continue to favor the traditionally fast-starters over those who work their way through the packs during a normal 30-minute-plus-two-lap moto. At the same time, this weekend’s huge Chicagoland layout features three sets of rollers and two sand sections, but no proper rhythm lanes or triples to speak of. With a ton of points still up for grabs at Chicago and Los Angeles, expect the leaderboards to change wildly over the next two rounds as the pressure (and prize-money) ramps up.