The Track

The track at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum isn’t going to be a full-on supercross track, but it will be a lot more like a traditional supercross track than the previous SMX rounds. Whether or not this benefits anyone is up for bench racing debate, but if you’re Chase Sexton, the reigning 450SX champ, you’d probably prefer it this way rather than the other way around. We’ll see who gels with the layout this Saturday. -Hansel

The 450 Title Scenario

With the points paying triple this weekend, just about everyone has a mathematical shot at the title. But, in reality, it boils down to Sexton (90 points), Lawrence (88 points), and Roczen (80 points). For Sexton and Lawrence, it’s winner-take-all, no matter what. For Roczen, the most he could gain on Sexton, if Sexton finishes in second, would be nine points, which means he’d need Lawrence to place ahead of Sexton to win the title, which is totally possible. No matter what happens though, it’s going to be fun to see these guys battle for a huge $1 million payday! -Hansel

The 250 Title Scenario

Just like in the 450 class, the title picture really has only three guys in it, but the difference is, with triple points, it really is a true, winner-take-all situation in the 250 class. No matter where Hunter Lawrence (89 points), Jo Shimoda (86 points), and Haiden Deegan (82 points) finish, as long as one of them wins (these are the only riders to have won SMX motos so far), he’ll take the championship, and $500,000. -Hansel

The (450) Frenchman

With Dylan Ferrandis facing a 19-point deficit to Sexton, winning the SMX championship is a longshot. But that doesn’t mean he’s going to roll over this weekend. No matter what, Ferrandis is always a threat to the podium and winning races, and if things go his way this weekend, we could see just that. How will Ferrandis do in his final race with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing? -Hansel

The (250) Frenchman

Tom Vialle has been very, very good so far in these SMX races. He was second overall at Charlotte, and after taking fourth in the first moto, was ripping his way to another outstanding finish in the second moto until his shifter broke. Whatever Vialle’s been doing lately, it’s working for him. Will he put more brilliance on display in Los Angeles? -Hansel

The New Guy

Okay, so Cooper Webb isn’t exactly a new guy, but he is new to the 450 side of the truck at Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha. And so far, things haven’t exactly been a cakewalk for Webb, who’s gone 8-7 at both rounds. Webb is a multi-time champion, and there’s no doubt he’s going to get things sorted out eventually, but you know he doesn’t want to go into the off-season with an underwhelming performance fresh in the rearview. We’ll see if Webb shows improvement when the gate drops this weekend. -Hansel

Triple Points

The points payout for these SMX rounds are keeping things interesting. With double points last weekend and triple points this weekend, if a rider is only going to win one round of SMX, this is the weekend to do it, where it will count the most. The question is, will triple points play a role? Or will the current points leaders, Chase Sexton and Hunter Lawrence, make it a moot point by winning? -Sarah Whitmore

Ghost Rider

Haiden Deegan has said that when he wins his first supercross he will ghost ride his bike, just like his father Brian Deegan did for his first (and only) supercross win. The real kicker is Brian’s win came at the L.A. Coliseum, the same location of this weekend's SMX race. It’s so poetic that even non-fans of Deegan (do they exist?) are probably hoping to see him win, just to see the iconic event take place. -Whitmore