Main image is Haiden Deegan from the 2022 Ironman National, photo by Mitch Kendra
After COVID-19 messed up the Supercross Futures program in 2020 and 2021, the program made its return to Monster Energy AMA Supercross in 2022—and in a big way. The program was put into place to help bridge the gap from amateur racing to the professional 250SX class of Monster Energy AMA Supercross. During 2020 and 2021, without actual Supercross Futures events taking place with the AMA Supercross events, Feld Motor Sports and MX Sports—as well as other promoters—teamed up to help riders get points towards their AMA Supercross pro 250SX license at other races (such as THOR Mini O’s, the Ricky Carmichael Amateur Daytona Supercross, the Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch, and more). Scroll down to the very bottom of this post for a video that explains the format and some riders to watch.
In an interview with our Kellen Brauer in the fall of 2021 ahead of the Supercross Futures return in 2022, Monster Energy Supercross’ Senior Director of Operations Mike Muye explained the program has decided to take a focus solely on the 250SX Futures class. This emphasis would help prepare the riders on the cusp of turning pro, while also providing the riders an opportunity to gain points towards their AMA Supercross pro license.
Also new in 2022 was making the 250SX Futures class a part of the day program with the specific round of Monster Energy AMA Supercross they were associated with. These riders would take to the track on Friday to start their qualifying before Saturday bringing a final qualifying session followed by the main event. While there was no championship standings for the program, the top four riders from each main event would qualify into the finale at the Salt Lake City Supercross. The winner of that event (which would be Chance Hymas) was credited as the 2022 Supercross Futures and AMA National Champion. Riders inside the top ten at the four qualifying events will be awarded two points and riders 1-20 at the championship finale will all earn four points towards their pro supercross license. This year, the top five riders from each main event will qualify for the finale in Utah.
In 2023, there will be four main events that work as the qualifying for the fifth and finale (champion determining) round in Utah.
2023 Supercross Futures Schedule
Supercross Futures Premier Qualifying Events
Round 1 – Anaheim, Calif. on Saturday, January 28 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Round 2 – Arlington, Texas on Saturday, February 25 at AT&T Stadium
Round 3 – Glendale, Ariz. on Saturday, April 8 at State Farm Stadium
Round 4 – East Rutherford, NJ on Saturday, April 22 at MetLife Stadium
Supercross Futures AMA National Championship
Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, May 13 at Rice-Eccles Stadium
This weekend’s second visit to Angel Stadium now brings us to the first Supercross Futures event of the new season. While most of the logistics for the program has stayed the same, one new aspect to the program in 2023 is that the 250SX Futures main events will now take place during the night show, as opposed to following the final 250SX and 450SX qualifying sessions of the day. This adjustment will allow the amateur riders to continue to have the experience of racing on the same track the pro 250SX and 450SX main events will take place on, but this year they will have more eyes on their race as a part of the night show program. The 250SX Futures main event will take place at 11:49 p.m. EST/8:49 p.m. PST, between the second 450SX race and the third 250SX race of the three-race Triple Crown event.
Also something to note is that these Supercross Futures events will be broadcasted on Peacock during the night show program, so viewers will not even have to adjust anything as the futures race will be broadcasted directly on the show between pro races.
- Supercross
- QualifyingLiveJanuary 28 - 4:30 PM
- QualifyingLiveJanuary 28 - 4:30 PM
- Night Show (Including250SX Futures Main Event)LiveJanuary 28 - 10:00 PM
- Night Show (Including250SX Futures Main Event)LiveJanuary 28 - 10:00 PM
- Monday Re-AirJanuary 30 - 1:00 AM
Check out the full schedule for this weekend’s Supercross Futures program.
Now you are probably wondering, who is going to be racing this weekend’s futures event? Well, we have you covered. Check out the full entry list below.
Here are a few names to watch this weekend, going off their numerical order on the entry list. Note: as of the time of posting, there are 23 names on the entry list—although this is subject to change ahead of tomorrow’s qualifying.
#21 Enzo Temmerman (Kawasaki)
#28 Preston Boespflug (KTM)
#29 Julien Beaumer (Yamaha)
#40 Gage Linville (Honda)
#66 Casey Cochran (Husqvarna)
#55 Dylan Cunha (Yamaha)
#74 Jaxon Pascal (Honda)
#238 Haiden Deegan (Yamaha)
#241 Daxton Bennick (Yamaha)
#339 Talon Hawkins (Husqvarna).
A few things to note here:
-Missing from this list is 2022 Supercross Futures Champion Chance Hymas. Hymas is expected to race select rounds of the 250SX East Region Championship as a pro with Honda HRC.
-Also missing from this list is Ryder DiFrancesco, who won the first four Supercross Futures main events in 2022 before finishing second to Hymas at the finale. DiFrancesco was set to race this program again before turning pro full-time for the AMA Pro Motocross Championship, but a recent thumb injury has sidelined him for the time being.
-Gavin Towers, third at the 2022 futures finale race, is also missing from this list as he suffered a knee injury at the Ironman National last July and is still sidelined for a few more weeks.
-Deegan made his pro debut during the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship last summer, competing in the final two rounds. Yes, Deegan is still eligible to race this futures program despite racing Pro Motocross last summer. This will be his first Supercross Futures event in the new 250SX Futures class-focused program, as he did not compete in any futures events in 2022. There are also rumors floating around that if things go well for Deegan at Anaheim, there’s a chance we see him lining up for 250SX East next week in Houston.
-Cunha earned a podium finish at the 2022 Oakland Supercross 250SX Futures event.
-After one year with Team Green Kawasaki, Boespflug moved to Red Bull KTM for 2023.
-Temmerman, who joined the Team Green Kawasaki program and moved up to a 250cc machine in October 2021, just turned 16. Although young, he turned some heads last summer at Loretta Lynn’s.
-Hawkins raced several rounds of Pro Motocross with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna last summer, but in October signed a deal with the Husqvarna Factory Amateur Racing program for 2023.
-Similar to Hawkins, Cochran signed onto the Husqvarna Factory Amateur Racing program. The Florida native will make his 250cc debut after winning the 2022 Youth Rider of the Year award on a two-stroke 125cc machine.
-Bennick joined the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team in November 2022 and will make his 2023 debut with the team this weekend.
Stay tuned to the @RacerXOnline Twitter account and RacerXOnline.com for complete coverage of the Supercross Futures program this weekend.
For more information on Supercross Futures, go to https://www.supercrosslive.com/supercross-futures#Schedule.
