Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, has hosted a lot of racing since its doors opened in 1960—but nothing like this. Thousands and thousands of four-wheel laps have been spun at the venue, and The Dirt Track hosted the 2016 MXGP of Americas round of the FIM Motocross World Championship. But now zMAX Dragway, about a football field away from the dirt track facility, has entered the long list of venues to host a professional AMA motorcycle race, but in a unique way of its own. The four-lane drag racing strip was the venue that hosted the first ever SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) race on Saturday a little over one year after the all-new format was announced at the end of last summer. We finally got here, and we finally got to see what the collaborated effort between Feld Entertainment, promoters of Monster Energy AMA Supercross, and MX Sports, promoters of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship (and full disclosure, sister company of Racer X), and the hybrid SMX style track that combines both the tight and peaky rhythm sections of supercross and the long, fast, and rough style of motocross into one, ultimate track would look like. And while the combined effort to form a third, and unique AMA championship—one with a “playoffs” style of championship that is meant to be a winner takes all (and a hefty lump sum of money, too!)—is a huge deal, the idea of Feld and MX Sports working together being a massive positive for the future of both AMA Supercross and Motocross cannot be understated, too. Time to dig into the storylines from the first ever SMX race.
While Haiden Deegan became the first rider ever to win an SMX moto in the all-new format, it was Jo Shimoda, whose 4-1 race finishes gave the Japanese rider the distinction of being the first ever SMX overall winner in history. The Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider missed three/fourths of supercross with a broken collarbone and did not pick up where he left off in 2022 when he rejoined the rest of the field. But towards the middle of Pro Motocross, Shimoda got things rolling, finding his race pace, returning to full race fitness, and getting some help from an improved engine package from Mitch Payton and the Pro Circuit gang—and it has showed. Shimoda ended the Pro Motocross season with a bang, earning the first 1-1 sweep of his pro career, and add in some great starts and riding at this first SMX race that ended with a moto win, Shimoda has won three of the last four 250cc races to date. Although there are a lot of points still up on the board, especially with the points doubling and tripling for the second and third SMX events over the next two weeks, things are looking good for the Japanese rider.
“No one really knew what to expect going into the weekend but we did realize right away that the start would be important,” said Shimoda. “I didn’t get the jump I wanted on the start but wasn’t too bad off. It was just hard to pass so I’m glad I got up to the spot I did. The second moto was fun and I felt like I was faster but just couldn’t find the line to make it work. I tried a lot of different lines and when I was really close I went outside and got it. Now we all kind of know what to expect so we’ll see what happens next week.”
In the second moto, it was French rider Tom Vialle who Shimoda had to pass in order to get the overall. The #128 had a solid third in the first moto and had the early lead in moto two until a hawking Shimoda swung around the outside and into the race lead.
Shimoda into the race lead in the right-hand sweeper! #SuperMotocross #SMX #SMX2023 pic.twitter.com/uDxMPDGnzR
— Mitch Kendra (@mitch_kendra) September 9, 2023
Vialle tallied race finishes of 3-2, tying Shimoda on the day, but the tie breaker was won by the Kawasaki rider. Still, a strong effort from the two-time MX2 FIM Motocross World Champion, who continues a strong maiden season of pro racing in the U.S.
"I felt really good here in Charlotte, especially with this mixed track between supercross and motocross,” Vialle said afterwards. “There were sections where it was more supercross and others motocross, but overall, I was really happy with the circuit and my bike worked great in both conditions! I got a strong start in the second race and could really just focus on what I was doing – now I can’t wait for the next round in Chicago!"
And for race one winner Deegan, the Yamaha rookie will take 1-5 finishes, especially after a hard, face first crash in the second qualifying session that could have easily ended his day before the points-paying races.
Deegan posted on Instagram:
“1-5 for 3rd overall, glad I could still get a moto win and a podium overall after tryna do a mini front flip, the nc fans were awesome🤘🏻🤘🏻 gonna recover and get ready to fight in Chicago!”
With the way the points work for SMX with rider that entered in as seeded, Shimoda and Deegan will share the red plate at the second SMX round in Chicago, Illinois. This will be the first time in Shimoda’s pro career he will have the red plate.
Fourth overall was Ryder DiFrancesco, who had a damn good day himself. A seventh in moto one does not appear great on paper, but he was up in the mix in third most of the race but got passed by his teammates Shimoda, Seth Hammaker, and Austin Forkner late after holding them off for a while. But in moto two, DiFrancesco was back up with the lead group from the get-go—and this time he held on. The #75 brought home a third-place finish, his first ever professional podium.
“Yesterday, I got the holeshot, just practice start, on the right side, which is going left, and then first moto, I really had no choice, so I went to the right again,” DiFrancesco said on his gate pick selection. “Pretty good start. And then at that point I'm like, why change? So, I went to the right again and on that side, you have your rear brake, so you can kind of control it more than going right. But, yeah, I think anywhere I have to trust myself to get a holeshot.”
“Yeah, it is [first pro podium],” DiFrancesco added. “I've won a lot in the past and then like when you do win and then you come back, and you struggle the pros and it's not as easy. A third is a win for me. Looking back to all the effort that me and the boys have put him back in Bakersfield and only dreaming when I go to A1 to see the guy that's running third and that was me today. Something I dreamed of. The last couple of months have been tough but this for sure pays it off.”
On the rear wheel of DiFrancesco both late in moto two and in the overall scoring was Jordon Smith. A thumb injury kept him out for the second half of Pro Motocross, but he said Friday he did not lack fitness and was ready to go. This checked out, as his riding and results matched up with that as the #58 rounded out the top five overall.
“It was awesome,” said the North Carolina native. “I was actually talking to my dad, we had a fair race we used to race on our local series and the dirt was like this exact dirt—they might have brought if from there actually. And it was like a grandstand feel like this. It felt so much like that, it’s crazy. And it’s been freaking 20 years since I would have been there, but it just reminded us so much of that. But it was so cool to have so many family and friends that have never been able to come out and watch me race before. To make it so easy on them to come here, some of them were camping, just the full experience.”
Hammaker, who claimed P1 overall in qualifying, scored sixth overall. He was super excited heading into the day and despite a solid 5-8 day (moto one had a crash while running second after getting the holeshot), the Pennsylvania native’s mechanic Jacob Martin said his rider wanted more on the day.
“It was a pretty fun track but there were only a few spots to pass and you had to really drive it in,” said Hammaker. “I made a few mistakes and that cost me, but overall I felt really good and think we can make up some points next round.”
Levi Kitchen led the first 11 laps of moto one before he was bested by Deegan, but an 11th-place finish in moto two earned him seventh overall on the day. He looked great in the first race but a bad start did not go great on the track that heavily favored starts and was difficult to make pass on. He also said on social media he was ill the night before. Kitchen posted on Instagram:
“I tried my best so I’m proud of that. Got really sick last night and just had no energy today. Going to rest up and be better next weekend!”
Eighth overall on the day was Hunter Lawrence, which seems odd to type out after the #96 has been a 250cc front runner all year long en route to two titles (250SX East Region of supercross and 250 Class of motocross). He went down early in the first race and had to fight through the field, getting to ninth after three key passes late. Then he ended up going down in the first turn, leaving him dead last in moto two, but he worked his way up to seventh. Not an ideal day for the Australian, but with a lot of points up for grabs, he will look to shake this off next week. Still the #96 entered SMX seeded first, and despite a less-than-idela day, he leaves third in points, only three points behind Shimoda and Deegan.
Similarly to H. Lawrence, Justin Cooper finished farther down the overall results than one would have expected entering the weekend. Cooper claimed 12-6 finishes for an uncharacteristic ninth overall. The #32 did not have his typical great starts and did not ride like himself. He too will look to rebound next Saturday in Illinois. After the first race, he sists eighth in points, 15 points back. Again, with the points adjustments for the next two rounds, this thing is still really anyone’s game.
Pierce Brown’s 11-10 rounded out the top ten overall ahead of Jalek Swoll’s 13-9, Maximus Vohland’s 10-12, Forkner’s 6-19, RJ Hampshire’s 15-13, and Dilan Schwartz’s 14-14, respectively. Forkner had to race the LCQ in order for a spot in the motos (he came into SMX as an unseeded rider), but he took the race win with ease. A solid sixth in moto one was shaping up to be good until a crash in turn one of race two left him dead last. He worked his way up to the field but then had a get-off in the sand section ahead of the finish line. Forkner will have to race the LCQ once again next weekend and the weekend after that, too, in order to race the motos. Not an ideal situation knowing you have three straight LCQs to race, but just two weeks ago at the Ironman National his status for SMX was up in the air.
“I felt like with my riding I could have had a good day,” Swoll said in a post-race Husqvarna release. “I just couldn't find the starts or the position to get out in front. That was very costly on this track, probably the costliest it's been all year. I'm fired up and I feel like I'm good enough to be up there, so I've just got to figure it out and get out front and I think I can stay there. That's going to be the main focus this week, getting some of those old starts back. It's double points next, and triple points for the final round, so I'm not out of it. I feel ready to go, I just need to put the work in.”
Vohland said the following in a post-race recap from KTM:
"Really disappointed with my starts today. I put myself in bad situations out of the gate, which meant I had to come from behind in each race, which is never ideal. I'll go back to the drawing board this week and figure the starts out so we put ourselves in a better position for Chicago."
“It was a good day overall but just had that crash at the end to put a little dark cloud over things,” said Forkner. “There were plenty of positives we were able to take away from the race and I feel like I’ll be even more prepared next week. I’m looking forward to it.”
Hampshire showed speed but had a crash in both motos that cost him.
“Man, I kind of struggled all day,” Hampshire stated via Husqvarna. “I missed the ball on comfort, and where I was on the bike. We'll go back to work this week and I'm pretty confident we'll figure something out to be more comfortable. I just didn't have any comfort today and was just along for the ride. It's a pretty embarrassing day but we have seven days and we'll get back to it next weekend.”
“It was a rough one,” said Talon Hawkins (19 - 18 for 18th overall). “I know I have the speed, I've just got to get up there on the starts. I had a little mishap on the start in the second race so I had to come from the back. It's hard to do when there's not much separation. I'm looking forward to next weekend and, hopefully, a little more Supercrossy track. Let's get those starts.”
Cullin Park (22-16 for 19th overall) clipped Hunter Lawrence when the #96 machine was down in moto one, which ripped his right footpeg off.
“I rode my heart out today and ended up 16th, so got a nice slice of humble pie,” Park said on moto two to our Tom Journet. “We’re gonna go back to work this week and come back swinging this week.”
One last thing to note is that while Chris Blose had qualified for the motos via the LCQ, the veteran rider was penalized two spots for cutting the track, bumping Luke Neese from fifth into the fourth and final LCQ transfer spot.
SuperMotocross Playoff 1 - 250SMX
September 9, 2023Rider | Hometown | Motos | Bike | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() Jo Shimoda | Suzuka, Japan ![]() | 4 - 1 | Kawasaki KX250 |
2 | ![]() | Avignon, France ![]() | 3 - 2 | KTM 250 SX-F |
3 | ![]() | Temecula, CA ![]() | 1 - 5 | Yamaha YZ250F |
4 | ![]() Ryder DiFrancesco | Bakersfield, CA ![]() | 7 - 3 | Kawasaki KX250 |
5 | ![]() | Belmont, NC ![]() | 8 - 4 | Yamaha YZ250F |
Position | Rider | Hometown | Qualifying Points | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | Temecula, CA ![]() | 539 | 157 |
2 | ![]() Jo Shimoda | Suzuka, Japan ![]() | 468 | 152 |
3 | ![]() | Hudson, FL ![]() | 474 | 122 |
4 | ![]() | Washougal, WA ![]() | 478 | 114 |
5 | ![]() | Belmont, NC ![]() | 234 | 110 |
In the premier class, Chase Sexton owned the day. He won the first moto with ease and then tracked down a fast Ken Roczen in moto two for a 1-1 sweep in rather dominating fashion. And he was clicking off some damn fast laps! The #23 came into SMX P1 in seeded qualifying points and picked up where he left off in supercross.
“I had something to prove to myself,” Sexton said afterwards, after finishing second behind Jett Lawrence a lot this summer in Pro Motocross.
“It’s always cool to win an inaugural race,” he added on the overall SMX win.
Sexton entered SMX as the top seeded 450cc rider and will continue to lead the points as the championship heads to his home state of Illinois next weekend. But again, the points make this a winner-takes-all.
Second overall on the day was Roczen. The German native finished third in both motos, moving through the field in moto one then leading the first ten laps in moto two before Sexton ran him down. Then, Jett Lawrence made a last-lap pass on the #94 for second. Roczen said he came into SMX both physically and mentally reset and said he is having the most fun he has ever had.
“I feel like a completely different person compared to last year,” Roczen said.
Ferrandis’ 2-4 finishes earned the #14 third overall. He looked much better than he has all season. There has been a lot of talk of how unsatisfied the French rider has been on the all-new generation Yamaha YZ450F this year, but they looked to have nailed the setup for this race.
“It wasn’t the greatest season, but it’s also good to be back on the box and finish the season on a high note,” Ferrandis said.
“I’m not motivated to get a contract, I’m motivated to win the race I am showing up to,” Ferrandis stated about next year. “That’s mainly my motivation. It’s not really important to me right now, I just want to finish this season the best I can and just prove to myself and the people that believe in me that I can still ride supercross pretty good.”
Jett Lawrence came through seventh in the first moto after a poor start and a tip over while battling Jason Anderson. His second moto was much better. Our Jason Weigandt said Jettson told him after the race his setup was off when it came to doing grate starts on supercross suspension, thus the bad start in the first moto. Look for the #18 to be closer to his moto two riding and results next week.
Anderson’s 4-5 finishes rounded out the top five overall, ahead of Aaron Plessinger (5-6), Justin Barcia (6-8), Cooper Webb (8-7), Garrett Marchbanks (10-9), and Colt Nichols (12-10). Anderson, Plessinger, and Barcia were up in the mix battling with one another, as was Webb and Adam Cianciarulo, but the #2 and #9 were dropped by the first three in moto one. There was a lot of hype behind Webb due to his switch back to Yamaha and this being a home race for the North Carolina native, plus that strong USGP race right over the hill at The Dirt Track a few years ago. But Weigandt reported after the race Webb had no excuses and told him simply “I rode like shit.” He posted on Instagram:
“It was awesome to race in front of the home crowd in Charlotte again. First one’s done with the new team. Back to work for Chicago 👊🏽 @starracingyamaha”
Check out what Webb thought post-race in Weege's post-race walk and talk video below.
Ty Masterpool had two great starts, eventually coming through 11-12 for 11th overall. He wants better results, but he has been dealing with that appendix issue the last few weeks that has kept him from being able to train during the week and eat properly to recover. He said between motos on Saturday he was not able to eat anything because of his stomach. Obviously, he is disappointed to have this issue, but he said he is going to do his best to get through these final two SMX races then have his appendix removed. He is not throwing in the towel, but he is getting experience for next year, where he hopes to put together a full year of SX, MX, and a strong SMX showing to cap it off.
Adam Cianciarulo finished ninth in the first moto then had a wild ride off the start of the second moto that resulted in being dead last only a half a lap in. AC said the following on Instagram:
“That one is on me. Caught a funny edge off the face of that triple in the second moto and shot into the tough blocks. I thought I had it saved, but it was not to be. That’s racing. I’m healthy, and always enjoy the challenge of bouncing back. 😌
Big shout out to my friend, @JoShimoda, on the W! 🏆 Have a good week, my friends.”
Overall, it was a successful first SMX event. The track was a little bit one lined, and a lot of riders were saying they expected it to be more like a supercross track whereas after the race they said it was more high speed, chopped, and beat up like a motocross track. Hitting breaking bumps and high speeds on supercross setups are completely different from hitting them on motocross setups. But Friday's free practice sessions help get the riders extra track time, so next week we could see who comes in with a better setup and uses Friday afternoon and Saturday morning to fine tune their settings.
The weather was great (only raining a little during the afternoon 450SMX qualifying race) and the grandstands were packed. When the points-paying races began, fans were treated to battles all throughout the field. The split start worked and was a factor and somehow, the split lane over/under bridge section worked out pretty well, too. Option lanes do not always work out evenly, but the track crew nailed it this time around. Remember, next weekend the points are doubled, and the finale points are tripled. Saturday’s race and all those in attendance—racers, track workers, fans, media, etc. alike—will all remember being a part of the first SMX race. No one really knew what to expect from this all-new format, but now with one round under the belt, it’s go time.
SuperMotocross Playoff 1 - 450SMX
September 9, 2023Rider | Hometown | Motos | Bike | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | La Moille, IL ![]() | 1 - 1 | Honda CRF450R |
2 | ![]() | Mattstedt, Germany ![]() | 3 - 3 | Suzuki RM-Z450 |
3 | ![]() | Avignon, France ![]() | 2 - 4 | Yamaha YZ450F |
4 | ![]() Jett Lawrence | Landsborough, Australia ![]() | 7 - 2 | Honda CRF450R |
5 | ![]() | Edgewood, NM ![]() | 4 - 5 | Kawasaki KX450SR |
Position | Rider | Hometown | Qualifying Points | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() Jett Lawrence | Landsborough, Australia ![]() | 550 | 163 |
2 | ![]() | Mattstedt, Germany ![]() | 340 | 146 |
3 | ![]() | La Moille, IL ![]() | 710 | 126 |
4 | ![]() | Newport, NC ![]() | 451 | 120 |
5 | ![]() | Hamilton, OH ![]() | 622 | 104 |