Here’s the first thing you need to know for the weekend: the Dave Coombs East/West Shootout will serve as the final round of the season for both the 250SX Eastern and Western Regions. In the main event, all of the riders will race together (heat races will be divided by East and West, then the LCQ will combine each coast for the final four spots) and score points together. [Note: The LCQ will be combined East/West.] In other words, the winner of the Shootout gets 25 points just like always. Second gets 22 points just like always, and it doesn’t matter which coast you’re riding from, every rider is scored the same.
So that creates a wild spoiler scenario, and some crazy math since riders from each coast will be stealing points from each other. Malcolm Stewart and Cooper Webb are the points leaders in their respective divisions. Here are the points breakdowns.
East
Malcolm Stewart is aiming for his first professional title. Here’s how he can get it:
Malcolm Wins If…
He finishes ahead of Aaron Plessinger or Jeremy Martin—that’s fairly straightforward. Mookie will also clinch if he finishes tenth place or better, NO MATTER WHAT Plessinger or Martin do.
Plessinger Wins If…
First, he really needs to win to have a shot. Assuming he can pull off a victory, he needs Malcolm to finish eleventh or worse. Malcolm owns the tie-breaker over Plessinger (see below).
Martin Wins If….
Like Plessinger, the two-time motocross champion is basically in a must-win situation. If Martin wins, he needs help from Plessinger AND Stewart. With a win, Martin would need Stewart to finish fourteenth or worse. (Martin owns the tie-breaker if he wins, because he’d have three victories to Stewart’s two.) Martin also owns the tie-breaker over Plessinger, so that’s pretty simple—if Martin wins and Malcolm finishes fourteenth or worse, Plessinger would need to finish second to hold off Martin and win the title.
| Position | Rider | Hometown | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Malcolm Stewart | Haines City, FL  | 180 |
| 2 |  Aaron Plessinger | Hamilton, OH | 164 |
| 3 |  Jeremy Martin | Millville, MN | 147 |
| 4 |  Martin Davalos | Quito, Ecuador  | 141 |
| 5 |  Tyler Bowers | Danville, KY | 122 |
Plessinger Is Eliminated…
No matter what if he finishes sixth or worse, as long as Stewart makes the main event. Why? Because a rider is awarded 15 points for sixth and 1 point for positions 20-22. So, if Plessinger, who trails by 14, can’t find the top-five he’s out even if Stewart DNFs the main. If Stewart doesn’t even make the main and thus scores zero points, a sixth from Plessinger would be enough for the title (unless Martin overtakes him).
Martin Is Eliminated…
With a fourth or worse. Why? Because a rider is awarded 18 points for fourth and 1 point for positions 20-22. So, if Martin, who trails by 19, can’t finish on the podium, he’s out even if Stewart doesn’t race.
Tie-Breakers
If Mookie finishes tenth and Plessinger wins, they’ll be tied on points. The tie-breaker is highest finish for the year, but get this: if Plessinger wins, they’ll both have two wins, so that’s a tie. And they also have the exact same amount of seconds and thirds! Malcolm wins the tie-breaker by virtue of having one fourth place finish, which Plessinger does not have.
Martin owns the tie-breaker over Plessinger already, and with a win he will also own it over Stewart (3 wins to 2) as well. Martin wins in most tie-breaker scenarios.
If Stewart Doesn’t Race…
Then Plessinger needs to finish sixth or better.
Martin needs to finish third or better and have Plessinger five points behind.
A) Martin wins – Plessinger third or worse.
B) Martin second – Plessinger fifth or worse.
C) Martin third – Plessinger sixth or worse.
West
Webb has the most wins and a 16-point lead. HOWEVER he is also carrying a wrist injury incurred during outdoor testing after Santa Clara. This is a big question mark, as we hear he will suit up to race, but reports are varied as to how severe the injury is. Vegas is a notoriously unforgiving track (Webb hurt his ankle there in practice last year) so if he crashes at any point, well, pardon the Vegas pun but all bets are off. Anyway…
Webb Wins If…
He finishes ahead of Joey Savatgy and Christian Craig (obviously) or finishes twelfth or better.
Savatgy Wins If…
Like Plessinger and Martin, he needs a win and help. If Joey wins, he needs Webb to finish thirteenth or worse.
Craig Wins If…
Like Martin, Christian Craig needs a small miracle to clinch the championship. If he wins, he needs Webb to finish twentieth or worse and Savatgy to finish fourth or worse.
| Position | Rider | Hometown | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Cooper Webb | Newport, NC | 180 |
| 2 |  Joey Savatgy | Thomasville, GA | 179 |
| 3 |  Christian Craig | Temecula, CA | 160 |
| 4 |  Zach Osborne | Abingdon, VA | 154 |
| 5 |  Colt Nichols | Muskogee, OK | 147 |
Savatgy Is Eliminated If…
He finishes fifth or worse. Why? Because a rider is awarded 16 points for fifth and 1 point for positions 20-22. So, if Savatgy, who trails by 16, can’t find the top-four he’s out even if Webb DNFs. Even if Webb doesn’t race at all, a fifth for Savatgy would only tie Webb, and he’d lose the tie breaker (most wins). So Joey must be fourth or better in any scenario.
Craig Is Eliminated If…
He finishes second or worse. Why? Craig trails by 23, and second only pays 22 points.
Tie-Breakers
With five wins on the season, Webb owns the tie-breaker over both Savatgy and Craig.
If Webb Doesn’t Race…
Then Savatgy needs a fourth or better to clinch.
Craig would still need to win, and have Savatgy finish fourth or worse.
Remember, riders from Each Coast will be in the mix stealing points from each other, and the status of Webb’s wrist is not fully known. Anything can happen this weekend so you better tune in—and maybe print this page out for reference!
