It’s been an intriguing year for Quad Lock Honda’s Shane McElrath, who has contested a range of series including SMX, WSX, and a select AUSX schedule. After spending his US campaign in the 450 class, he’s been back aboard the CRF250R in title defense mode internationally, but there are signs that he could in fact instead benefit from being in the premier class full-time.

It’s not commonplace to revert to the 250 division once the leap to the 450 class is made. It’s really a rite of passage – an opportunity to graduate from the feeder category, signaling the test of skillset against the best of the best. And McElrath has long been well-credentialled in the lower tier.

There are outliers, though, and even more so now with increasing – and often lucrative – international opportunities across both WSX and AUSX, which provide riders a chance to extend their season outside of the United States. Year on year, it’s proven a bit of a musical chairs scenario as to who will end up where, riding what brand, and what size bike they will be on.

Such has been the story of McElrath over the last few years, with the North Carolina product having juggled equipment since the first season of WSX in 2022, where he stepped down from racing the 450 class after the Monster Energy Supercross season to compete for Rick Ware Racing (RWR) in SX2.

That outing went exactly to plan for the now 31-year-old when he was crowned the SX2 world champion, before joining Pipes Motorsport Group (PMG) on an RM-Z450 for the 2023 American Supercross season. Then, another return to RWR’s YZ250F for WSX that same year saw him finish second overall to champion Max Anstie.

Image: Supplied.

After an eventful 2024, a lifeline of sorts came McElrath’s way from Yarrive Konsky’s Honda Racing organization, with the opportunity arriving for him to contest the SX2 division in both AUSX and WSX – a moment he capitalized on to capture both championships, while seemingly finding a newfound ‘home’ in the process.

This is where things get interesting. Despite not having a complete season locked in initially, 2025 saw McElrath deliver a career-high score of ninth position in the 450SX standings onboard a Quad Lock Honda CRF450R, which included a head-turning second-place finish in Foxborough. Surely, a top 10 Supercross ranking against the best in the world warrants a full-time, no-questions-asked seat on the big bike. But it’s not that simple.

After earning both number one plates abroad in 2024, the team again angled him in the SX2 category for WSX and AUSX this year, and for what seems like the first time, the strategy has fallen short of expectations. This is likely due to his double title success last year – meaning he should replicate that – but it also shows signs of him having outgrown the SX2 class altogether. Shane McElrath is a 450 rider in 2025, and an accomplished one at that.

To that end, I would suggest he has outgrown SX2. The smaller division is known for a few things, with one being the different style of racing. In the 450s, riders are that bit more mature, and a gentleman’s agreement is kind of in place where no one ought to do anything blatant or… stupid.

Whereas in the 250 ranks, younger, energetic riders are fighting to make a name for themselves with sheer intensity, and in many cases, will do whatever it takes to do so. Shane isn’t at that point in his career – he has a name, plenty of standout 250 results, and is in his early 30s.

Image: Supplied.

How to ride the bike is also totally different. High revs, aggression, and body english are favored on a 250, whereas patience, tactic, and precision are the name of the game on the 450. And when you cross the threshold from one to the other, it’s a sizable challenge to revert back, even if you have managed it okay in the past.

“Last year, it came a lot easier,” he told MotoOnline after the Australian GP. “This year, I expected it to, but it has been everything but that. So, yeah, it’s kind of like, as a team, especially this week, it’s like, ‘Let’s regroup, let’s lay a good foundation. And we got to start climbing back up.’ And Vancouver was a pretty big low spot – I mean, probably rock bottom.

“It’s like, ‘Alright, we got to make changes. We’ve got to make them now, and let’s build.’ And so we did that all day today. I’m excited about that. We still have some work to do as a team, and just with the bike and stuff. We need about a quarter to half a second a lap. And that’s where it’s like, tonight, I’m pushing really hard, but I’m a little bit off the pace.”

McElrath went on to explain that 2025 presented an opportune moment to run both the number one plates earned last year, but is targeting – along with the team – a big bike transfer for next season. Whether that is in WSX, AUSX, or potentially both, in addition to 450SMX at home, you could go as far as saying that he deserves that chance in 2026.

“Being in the SX2, that’s kind of how it’s worked out last year and this year [having the number one plates],” he continued. “The opportunity came up with Yarrive last year, and it went really well, so it was like, ‘Hey, we’ll just run the number one plate.’ It kind of happened naturally, as the 450 spots are already signed and taken.

Image: Foremost Media.

“I’m trying to earn my spot there because that’s ultimately where I need to be and where I should be, so that’s our long-term plan, and hopefully that starts next year. I believe that I can be better, and I believe that I can win in the 450 class.”

This paints a challenging picture in certain lenses, however, as the two SX1 entries appear to be locked in by new recruit Christian Craig and Joey Savatgy at this point – that is, unless Savatgy instead opts to return to Australia for AUSX next year (it’s been rumored). So, if WSX and AUSX weren’t to clash, could he actually race one series on the 450 and the other on the 250? It’s unlikely.

“I could probably do it,” he answered. “I don’t know. It’s kind of like, at what point does the efficiency go down? And that’s where… America is where I need to be the best. That’s where I need to kind of earn my spot a little bit. Australia, I think, just with this team being based in Australia, that would be like almost a second priority.

“If I were on the 250 for WSX in that situation, it would kind of be third tier. And that’s the hard part – I could absolutely do it. Could I do it to my fullest potential and give my best effort? That’s the tough question.”

It’s a unique balance given the different championships contested, the commercial value of running number one plates, and juggling other world-class talent on the same team. And for the Quad Lock Honda team – Konsky in particular – there is the understanding that Shane McElrath is an ideal fit as a start-up type of effort in the US. The stats tell that he’s finished top-three in either AMA 250MX or 250SX championships no less than five times in his decorated career.

If one thing is for certain, though, it’s that the current 450SX number nine – number 12 or number one on track – is well-deserving of a full-time 450 deal and one that sees him wave goodbye to the 250 class for good. Experience from this year will count, and chances are, his best on the big bike is yet to come.