With two rounds of the 2023 SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) Finals series in the books, Chase Sexton, Jett Lawrence and Ken Roczen share their thoughts on the hybrid-type track layouts we’ve seen so far during the playoffs in this Input feature.

Image: Octopi Media.

Chase Sexton (Team Honda HRC):
Last weekend I loved the track from the beginning and this weekend was the complete opposite. Just not a fan of it, it felt like it was an outdoor track, but it felt kind of like a fair race a little bit… it was very fast. There was separation, obviously I got beat pretty bad, but I wasn’t comfortable on it. Definitely excited the last one is a supercross track, or somewhat of a supercross track, so that hopefully plays into my favor. Coming into [Chicago], I didn’t… coming in I was guessing on what I am going to run for set-up, I tried to ride outdoors on Supercross stuff and it wasn’t good so I just was kind of scrambling this weekend. Definitely wasn’t my best.

Jett Lawrence (Team Honda HRC):
Obviously, last weekend we struggled with suspension cause it was the first time. But we had a supercross rhythm lane, whereas this week there was rollers and a few doubles, so it definitely made it a lot easier coming into this one and seeing the track, we already had a two settings during the week that we tried. So we were ready to go racing on either one depending on how the track was. It just made it easier. But who knows, [next week] could be a lot more like supercross, but I feel like whatever it is, I’ll adapt to it and I’m definitely feeling a lot more confident on my bike. So I’m looking forward to it.

Image: Octopi Media.

Ken Roczen (HEP Suzuki):
So far it’s been exactly what the track maps said. I don’t know, it’s been good. I think everybody scrambling for set ups, we knew that was going to happen for us, that’s part of it. Last week the track was pretty awesome, it was difficult to pass, of course. But so far it’s been good. The one thing that happened this weekend, they made changes every time we were on the track, it was never the same. Whether it was from a flat straightaway, to man made bumps, or shaving this down, then all of a sudden there were big curbs before the finish line. Every time we went out, there was something different. So I guess, that was a little bit odd, but it made for a good race track too. It got a lot rougher than it was in practice, it was pretty much a freeway, it was super fast. I think, everything they said it was going to be, it was. So I don’t know, I think it’s been good so far. This was just different, it was difficult, and of course, you have these grass areas with how deep it was and how rutted it got with just straight out motocross suspension, it does get sketchy cause you come out of turns and there’s deep ruts with big, curby, g-outs while you’re tryng to double. It’s not neccessarily ideal, but I guess that where you have to try and maybe take a litttle bit more of an uncomfortable setting and deal with that and make it safe. It’s tricky, I think it’s been good so far, honestly, it’s just a learning experience. But I can’t really complain too much.