Like a game of musical chairs shifted into the fastest possible speed, a handful of elite athletes are saying farewell to their teammates, finding new homes, and throwing their legs over different colored motorcycles. Before the dramatic conclusion of the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX), the industry was abuzz with whispers and speculations, but as the famous October 1 date passed (the date that usually defines the beginning of new team deals), the rumor mill stopped spinning and new contracts finally became official in public. Well, most of them, at least. This post-championship shuffle isn’t just about riders looking for a fresh start; it’s a reflection of the ever-evolving dynamics of the sport, where loyalty, strategy, and intrinsic motivation race side by side. Once the dust settled in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, new chapters began off the track. Let’s jump into (another) silly season!
Reflecting on the final round of SMX at the Las Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the most striking team change in the 250 Class is undoubtedly that of Levi Kitchen. Yes, he’s battled some inconsistency, but no one can argue that he can ride the wheels off that Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing YZ250F. After a disappointing tenth-place finish in moto one, he went into his final moto aboard his blue motorcycle with an unconventional game plan. In desperate attempt to force himself to get a good start, he admitted that he pulled almost all his tear-offs off his goggles. He would have been stranded with poor vision if his risky plan didn’t work, but it did. Levi got the holeshot, led the entirety of the race, and took the final checkered flag of the year in the 250 class in a dominating fashion. You can’t argue that he doesn’t have chemistry with his Yamaha—his commanding victory in the second moto was nothing short of spectacular. Despite the championship battle (not to mention the matter of a half-million dollars up for grabs) going on behind him, Kitchen was the only rider who logged a lap time in the 1:08’s. He was the fastest rider on the track, and that’s not the first time. After this win, though, it was time to say goodbye to the BluCru and hello Team Green. Let’s hope he finds the same flow on his Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki as he’s inked a two-year deal going into 2024.
Speaking of Monster Energy Kawasaki, they will have an intimidating line up headed into Anaheim 1. The 450 squad remains locked with the veterans Jason Anderson and Adam Cianciarulo, but their 250cc Pro Circuit team is where the complications begin. Mitch Payton and his team has retained Seth Hammaker, Austin Forkner, and Cameron McAdoo. As Levi Kitchen and Max Vohland put on their green jerseys for the first time, a plethora of riders will be taking them off. These riders include Jett Reynolds, 2023 fill-ins Carson Mumford and Chris Blose, Ryder DiFrancesco (who was actually working with the team as part of the end of his Team Green amateur contract), and, arguably the best of them all, Jo Shimoda. It has been confirmed that Mumford has signed with the MotoConcepts Honda team. Alternatively, Ryder DiFrancesco has joined Pierce Brown (250cc) and Justin Barcia (450cc) on the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GasGas Factory Racing team—and the team easily clinched the signing-announcement-of-the-year award with this Old School-inspired video.
DiFrancesco has grown into a serious threat in the 250 Class as he progressed through the ‘23 season. It will be interesting to see how well he carries that momentum going into the new year. Remember, Ryder D is only 18 years old at the moment!
Shimoda, on the other hand, ended his summer with a bang after bringing home a 1-1 overall win in the final round of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship at Ironman Raceway. That long overdue victory in Indiana gave him a much-needed boost of confidence going into SMX, and almost single-handedly salvaged Kawasaki’s AMA SX/MX year. After a win at zMAX Dragway and a second-place finish at Chicagoland, Shimoda was in position to take the inaugural SMX title at the LA Memorial Coliseum. His day started well as he chased down SMX title rival Haiden Deegan in moto one and passed him late in the race. Unfortunately, Jo struggled to find the flow he had earlier in the day in the winner-take-all finale, saying that the track was groomed and fresh early in the moto, which made it tougher to find the edge on opponents and slice to the front like he did in moto one. He was noticeably upset on the podium after Dangerboy wrestled the title away, along with the first-ever SMX #1 plate. And to add insult to injury, if the SMX playoffs didn’t mix things up and add double and triple the points for the final rounds, Shimoda would have won the title. Nevertheless, with Justin Cooper stepping up to the 450 Class (and Hunter Lawrence expected to as well), Shimoda will have another chance to battle Deegan for a title, except this time, he’ll do it on a Honda HRC. It’s common knowledge that Jo Shimoda and the Lawrence brothers have become good friends over the years. We shall see if Jett and Hunter can help Jo evolve into a champion, as they both know what it takes to win 250 titles. Hopefully Shimoda gets the memo that red bikes should have red number plates as often as possible!
Related: Jo Shimoda Confirms Departure From Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki
The November 2023 Issue of Racer X Illustrated
Green Daze
As the Lawrence brothers gain a teammate who’s a friend, they’re losing one who’s a rival. Chase Sexton is stepping away from Team Honda HRC and we anticipate he will be joining Aaron Plessinger under the tent at the Red Bull KTM. The 2023 Monster Energy AMA Supercross 450SX Champion will be replacing Cooper Webb, who of course has already jumped ship to the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing squad. Sexton’s move makes complete sense as he wants to be the focal point of the team he rides for. Not taking anything away from his speed, but it’s hard to be “the guy” when your younger teammate wins 22 motos in a row and the first SMX crown. It will be interesting to see how last year’s SX champion gels with his new orange #4 machine. Yes, #4—Sexton’s new career number.
Read: 2024 AMA National Numbers
One piece everyone is still waiting for is Dylan Ferrandis, who is expected to move to the same HEP Motorsports Suzuki team that found such great success with Ken Roczen this season.
It’s normal for riders to jump to new teams, but in 2024, they’re jumping to new manufactures as well. The addition of Triumph and Beta have certainly been interesting storylines to follow, especially as both these historic brands have been integrated in the world of motorcycle manufacturing for as long as they have (121 years for Triumph and 75 years for Beta). Will all those years of brand equity transfer over to a supercross track? Time will tell. To start off, it’s fair to say that Triumph hasn’t wasted any time signing racers who are more than capable of winning in the 250 Class…well, as long as you listen to the rumors, as the team hasn’t officially announced any riders yet. It’s fairly well known, though, that Jalek Swoll will be coming over from the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna team to reunite with Bobby Hewitt and pick up where they left off with the new (old) brand. In the meantime, the Austrian brands are moving up some young talent, with Casey Cochran now confirmed for a future on the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna pro side, and Julien “JuJu” Beaumer taking Vohland’s old spot on the Red Bull KTM team.
Another blazing fast 250 rider expected to go to Triumph brand is Michael Mosiman. Yes, he’s another rider with some history with Hewitt from his Rockstar Energy Husqvarna days. Although he only logged six races in 2023, let’s hope Mosiman’s shoulder is healed up after that unfortunate crash at Hangtown back in June. As if Swoll and Mosiman isn’t star-studded enough, Triumph also signed Joey Savatgy. He will be on a 250 as well, but since he pointed out of SX, Joey signed a motocross/SMX-only contract. (Yes, that’s a thing now.) When Triumph’s 450 is ready for 2025, we should see Savatgy on that bike.
As the Triumph squad only has a 250 program, ironically, the Beta Team only has a 450 program. Hopefully we get to see them go head-to-head in the future. Benny Bloss and former 250 SX Champion Colt Nichols also both signed SX- and SMX-only deals for the Liqui Moly Beta Racing Team. There’s a chance they will do a handful of outdoor rounds to score points for SMX, but that’s still up in the air. It is worth noting that Nichols had an impressive run at SMX on his Madd Parts Kawasaki KX450. He landed fifth overall at the final round, and that last minute effort shot him up to ninth overall in the SMX points. Nothing like a late season charge to add over $100,000 to the bank account!
As the 2023 silly season wraps up, the AMA SX, MX, and SMX landscape is shifting beneath our feet. With new alliances formed and legendary brands entering the fray, 2024 promises unparalleled excitement, with some very top guys are moving to different teams and others moving up to 450s full-time. Gear up, race fans—it's going to be a wild ride!
