Continued progression has defined Devin Simonson’s 2026 Monster Energy Supercross campaign, not only securing a recent contract extension with the ClubMX Yamaha team for 2027 but also recording his first 250SX career podium in Nashville. This Profiled feature takes a closer look at his trajectory so far.

Debuting in 2021, the 24-year-old North Carolina native has since endured a journeyman-style run, featuring with the likes of the Partzilla Blaster Power PRMX Racing team and the Rock River Yamaha program in the early stages of his career.

This yielded competitive results at times – including a previous best of P8 in Indianapolis during his rookie 250SX campaign – although the numbers that followed placed him on the fringe of securing a ride with a more established team, before ClubMX took a chance in mid-2024 while he was training at the facility.

A Pro Motocross cameo aboard one of the team’s YZ450Fs saw Simonson record a 15th-place finish at the Ironman National, which proved enough for the Brandon Haas-led operation to offer him a 250SX contract the following year.

A pre-season wrist injury would largely derail that series, however, P9 finishes at both East Rutherford and Pittsburgh in 2025 were enough for the team to maintain faith – a decision that has since paid dividends.

Image: Octopi Meida.

Simonson has emerged as a standout in 2026, transitioning from fighting for top-10 finishes to genuine top-five contention, with sixth in Indianapolis, eighth at the St. Louis 250SX Showdown, and a career-first podium in Nashville, placing him an equal sixth in the Eastern Divisional standings with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Nate Thrasher.

At Nissan Stadium on Saturday, Simonson was in the mix throughout the main event, ultimately capitalizing on a post-race penalty for Seth Hammaker (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki), as well as a late-race incident involving Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Daxton Bennick.

The third-place finish underlined the progress made in 2026, and based on his current trajectory, continued consistency at this level appears well within reach as ClubMX extracts the best from the young rider.

“[This] is a truly insane moment,” Simonson said. “I never gave up in that main event, and carnage at the front gave me my best overall finish ever. It still hasn’t really set in, and I am kind of lost for words. Coming into this year, my best result was an eighth in my rookie year, and that field was not deep at all.

“I always believed in my capabilities, and the summer of 2024 at Club, they were kind of throwing things at me in my ear that if some things came about, then maybe I’d be able to race for them. I went all summer paying out of my pocket to be there – and sometimes I was wondering if it was worth it – but I’m stoked now it’s paying off.”

Image: Octopi Meida.

Both fitness and speed have improved for Simonson significantly this year, with the self-belief required to run at the front – alongside some of the sport’s most established riders and teams – previously a missing piece.

Featuring inside the top three at Arlington’s 250SX East opener provided a glimpse of that potential, although nerves ultimately impacted the final result. That has since shifted, as Simonson charged throughout the entire main event in Nashville.

“Definitely, I notice [a speed increase] quite a bit,” he continued. “I would say, start of the year, I was in third during the opening laps at Arlington and honestly got freight-trained because dude, I had never been in that position before.

“Having those guys around me, I made a lot of silly mistakes, which is something I have been working on back at Club. My fitness is great – a lot of hard work has gone into this – and I think it’s showing.”

The environment within the ClubMX Yamaha team appears to suit both Simonson and the broader program, with a low-pressure, collaborative approach allowing riders to maximize their potential without the uncertainty often tied to performance.

Image: Octopi Meida.

That dynamic has enabled its athletes to thrive, with Simonson expecting further progression following his recent one-year contract extension alongside the existing roster. And coming this early in the year means he can focus on the job at hand, rather than stressing about his future.

“Yeah, man, I’m stoked [on the extension],” he added. “As I said earlier, some people may say they took a gamble on me or whatever, but obviously, they saw something in me, maybe even before I saw it in myself.

“There was no question for me whether I wanted to stay or not, it was more up to them, and we sealed the deal two weeks ago. Those guys are super, super good about not putting extra pressure on myself, and I can even say the same thing for Coty [Schock] – they truly know that if we ride to our full capabilities, that we’ll be in a good position.”

What does this result, as well as the broader 2026 performance, mean for his future? He kept that answer brief, with no signs of slowing down as his career unfolds: “Dude, now I want more of [these results] – this is just the beginning.”

Simonson is poised to feature prominently moving forward, establishing himself as a rising contender in the 250SX division, with podium potential clearly evident following Nashville. Combined with some added appearances outdoors, there’s a good chance you will be seeing a lot more of him toward the pointy-end of the field in future.