We also had a first-time winner in the 250SX class—the bike, not the rider. Jordon Smith became the fourth different winner in four races and, and he’s won before, but this time he did it on Triumph, landing himself in the history books as the first rider ever to win in AMA Supercross or Motocross on a Triumph.

Which brings us to the other part of this brand-new season, which is the beginning of the 250SX East tomorrow night. I personally was thinking that there was a good chance that it would be Austin Forkner who be the man to make history on the new black bike. He won the opener last year before crashing out in the second round. Seems like the SX gods owe him some success! Sure, both of last year’s 250SX Champions are in the East, as RJ Hampshire wasn’t ready to defend his West title after an injury ahead of Pro Motocross last year put him behind schedule and he re-aggravated the injury this off-season, and Red Bull KTM’s Tom Vialle will wear his #1. There is also Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen, who was set to ride the West but then came down with what he said was pneumonia at today’s press conference in Tampa. Other past race winners who will be in the lineup are Kitchen’s teammates Cameron McAdoo and Seth Hammaker, and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Max Anstie and Nate Thrasher. And don’t forget that Honda HRC Progressive’s Chance Hymas won the RedBud 250 National last year and Star’s newcomer Pierce Brown won the final round of the SMX Playoffs last year when he was still with GasGas. Also of note are Star’s Dax Bennick, former 250 MXGP rider Jack Chambers, Estonia’s Harri Kullas, Muc-Off/FXR/ClubMX’s Max Vohland and Mark Fineis, Phoenix Racing Honda’s Nick Romano, Quad Lock Honda’s Carson Mumford … I’m thinking the East is deeper than the West this year, and the West has had four different winners in four races!

QUICK TRIVIA: When was the last time we saw someone wearing #10 in this class in Monster Energy AMA Supercross? Answer is down below):

Back to Jett for a second. He’s not alone in being an SX Champion that got injured while trying to defend his title. I mentioned Tomac in ’23 already. In 2019, #1 Jason Anderson broke his arm while practicing between the third and fourth rounds. In 2010, defending champ James Stewart had to have wrist surgery after three rounds, and then in ’08, again as reigning champ, Stewart dropped out after the second round (which he won) with a knee injury. And in 2004, Ricky Carmichael would have been going for his fourth SX title in a row, but he got hurt over Thanksgiving at his practice track in Florida and missed SX altogether. In ’89, Rick Johnson won the first five SX rounds in a row but then broke his wrist at the Gatorback 250 National. And before that both Donnie Hansen (’82) and Bob Hannah (’79) got hurt in September and did not line up the following year for supercross (and, in Hansen’s case, he never lined up again). So, Jett has some company in this kind of setback. One thing—he’s younger than all those guys were when he was defending his SX title and got injured…

Here's today’s press day riding, from Tom Journet and Mitch Kendra:

Pro Perspective (Jason Thomas)

Glendale was a challenging round on multiple levels. The lack of traction created more than a few slip-ups (Julien Beaumer threw away two different leads). The more notable variable was the level of difficulty on the jumps and rhythm sections. Not only were the combos massive, there were several wall jumps that turned into big jumps-to-flat. Those harsh landings (flat or just getting rhythms a touch wrong) created a mechanical aspect to the weekend, too. Many riders were braking wheels, bending axles, and generally just putting their motorcycle through Hell. Many teams reported it being an "expensive" weekend as many parts had to be replaced and sometimes more than once. I do think the bigger rhythms were a nice change up, but the wall jumps need a second look. The goal was to slow the track down but when the riders are still just launching to the moon, we aren't accomplishing that goal. I don't have a solution so really, I'm only exacerbating a problem but someone smarter than I am can make an adjustment.

As riders look east, that means changes to climate, soil, and the 250 line up. Tampa is a confusing round because most will immediately think "more traction" but that's not really how Tampa shapes up. The hard clay will be slippery and even stranger, the dirt used is incredibly dark. That makes overall vision very challenging and the subtleties of ruts and bumps hard to make out. Watch for riders to use lenses that brighten vision to help accentuate the edges and shadowed ruts. After Tampa, that increased traction will become a thing; Detroit, Arlington, Daytona, and Indy all loom in succession. But for this first round, traction will be at a premium yet again.

Tampa '25 (Matthes)

Kick off to the 250SX East series this weekend and holy crap, is it stacked! We've got three guys coming in not 100 percent (Hampshire, McAdoo, and Hymas) and the goal for those guys should be get through these two weeks, then a week off and try to be ready to go at Daytona. I don't know what we're going to see here… I think Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki's Levi Kitchen is the slight favorite over last year’s champ Tom Vialle, Austin Forkner, and Max Anstie? It depends if Hampshire can be anywhere near 100 percent this weekend, I suppose. Seth Hammaker and Pierce Brown have the "can-he-take-the-next-step" questions around them while Austin Forkner has a lot of question marks around him after a rough time with injury and of course, on the new bike. Would anyone be surprised if Forkner comes out and wins? Then you have guys like Nate Thrasher, Max Vohland, Daxton Bennick, and more… It’s going to be an amazing series, and we’re going to see a fifth straight different 250 main event winner. 

Last Weekend's Win Ads (DC)

Was paging through the latest issue of Cycle News Magazine and spotted Triumph's historic first SMX win ad featuring Jordon Smith and the whole team on the podium at Glendale. For them to have earned this in less than one calendar year (363 days since their debut at Detroit '24) is amazing and impressive. Someone from Triumph asked me if that had ever been done before—a new brand to the sport winning a supercross within its first year—and, technically, I don't think it has. Then it was pointed out that Marty Tripes winning the Superbowl of Motocross in 1973, the first year that Honda participated on the AMA circuit with their new Elsinore CR250M. True, and impressive, but the '73 LA Coliseum race wasn't an official AMA Supercross, because the series didn't exist until 1974. The race Tripes won was considered part of the old Inter-Am Series run by Edison Dye. The first Honda to win an actual AMA Supercross did not happen until December 4, 1976, at the first official AMA Supercross at Angels Stadium in Anaheim, when Marty Smith took the win in what was the first race to feature single, winner-take-all main event format. 

Also, props to Kawasaki for running a win ad for young Landen Gordon, who won the SMX Next race aboard his Kawasaki Team Green KX250, Dubya for a Jordon Smith win ad, Dunlop for winning both class at Glendale to keep that streak going, and of course KTM on Chase Sexton's second win of the season...

Quick Trivia Answer (DC)

Okay, I admit I was thinking it was really, really long ago—as in maybe never—that a #10 was in the 125/250 class in supercross, but then I remembered that before Ryan Dungey became #5 or #1, depending on whether he was challenging for a title or defending one of his eight major titles, he was #10 in 2009.

RACER X DUNGEY COVER (2009)

And speaking of Dungey another year goes by without a repeat champion. It has been since 2017 (Dungey). The only longer streak without a successful title defense was the 1980s—all of them. After Hannah win three straight in 1977-'79 and then badly broke his leg while water-skiing at Lake Havasu, the next ten AMA Supercross Champions were:
1980: Mike Bell (Yamaha)
1981: Mark Barnett (Suzuki)
1982: Donnie Hansen (Honda)
1983: David Bailey (Honda)
1984: Johnny O'Mara (Honda)
1985: Jeff Ward (Kawasaki)
1986: Rick Johnson (Honda)
1987: Jeff Ward (Kawasaki)
1988: Rick Johnson (Honda)
1989: Jeff Stanton (Honda)
Finally, in 1990, Jeff Stanton repeated as SX Champion.

Billy Record Breaker (Aaron Hansel)

“There’s no way. It’s not possible.” Those are the words Billy Laninovich used earlier this week when asked what he would have thought about riders in their 40s trying to race supercross, before he actually went out and made it a reality last year by qualifying for two 250SX main events. At 40 years old, he was the oldest rider to ever do it, but last week in Glendale, a 41-year-old Laninovich broke his own record by qualifying for the main event Triple Crown races.

Unless you’re one of the 250SX riders who Laninovich beat in the LCQ in Glendale, this has got to be the coolest, feel-good stories going right now. One of the nicest dudes in the pits, he’s racing with a rib injury sustained during qualifying in San Diego, and still managed to make it in.

“Everyone was so stoked. They were giving me hugs and congratulating me, it was so awesome. Unreal,” Laninovich says. “I think my fanbase now is bigger than it was back in the day. There are so many fans out there and the crowd went crazy after I made it. It was insane. It was so cool.”

As surprising as it is for Laninovich to be doing what he’s doing, it’s even wilder considering that when he came back last year, he hadn’t raced for 12 years. And in fact, during that time he did not even ride either! He’s not planning on taking another break anytime soon though and plans on continuing to attempt to extend his own record for as long as he can.

“I think this is just the beginning. I feel like my career is starting again. As long as I can stay healthy, I hope I can stick this out for many more years,” Laninovich says.

Read the full interview we did with Laninovich earlier this week.

First Times, But Not Thus Time (Santiago Crevoiser)

A Racer X reader and SMX and MXGP follower from Uruguay reached out to us on Instagram with an interesting stat he wanted to share. Santiago Crevoiser is a self-admitted "stats and motocross freak" who follows racing all over the world. He also did a Spanish language podcast on the '24 MXGP season. Here's what he wanted to share:  

Triumph's first win was not Jordon Smith's first win, as he won once in '24 aboard a Yamaha and three times aboard KTM way back in 2017 and '18.

And for good measure, the first rider to win a 125/250SX on a four-stroke 250 was Yamaha of Troy's Ernesto Fonseca (Anaheim '01) and the last rider to win on a two-stroke 125 was James Stewart (Las Vegas 2004).

TAMPA '93 (Matthes)

Since it's Tampa SX week, Weege, Seth Rarick, and myself sat down to do a Fox Re-Raceables Podcast on Tampa 1993 with Chad Pederson, who won his one and only pro race in 125s that night. It was early in the rookie season of Jeremy McGrath who had all the announcers still doubting him as he ripped off three wins in a row at this point and moved into the points lead. Pederson, on his DGY Yamaha, got the holeshot and took off with the win rather easily while Honda’s Doug Henry and Suzuki’s Ezra Lusk had their issues behind him. Funny stuff, especially listening to Pederson tell us how little money he made back then where he would eventually end up second in the 125SX East points. Listen to the full pod.

LIVE SHOWS (Matthes)

We're bringing the Fly Racing LIVE Podcast shows to the Indinapolis SX, Seattle SX, and the Las Vegas SMX Finale, come hang out with us and some special guests. Tickets available now!

@mxonusa (DC)

It’s never too early to start looking ahead to the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations, especially when it’s going to be held right here in the USA. The rest of the motocross world will come visiting on October 4-5 to Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana, and I’ve been helping the social media team for the event get the Instagram page @mxonusa up and running with content, mostly historic stuff for now. For instance, today they posted this old photo nearly 60 years ago:

“MXON History: The 1966 Motocross des Nations (as it was called) was held in Remalard, France and was won by the British team, with Belgium second and Sweden third. A teenager was making his debut on the Belgian team that year aboard a CZ. He finished an impressive seventh in the first moto. His name? Roger DeCoster, future five-time 500cc World Champion and current manager for Team USA.”

If you’re into motocross history, and especially the history of the MXON, give @mxonusa a follow.

Tampa 2023 (Mitch Kendra) 

Last time supercross was in Tampa in 2023...

One Week to GNCC (DC)

We are now one week away from the 2025 Progressive Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series kicking off with the Buck GNCC in South Carolina. FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Johnny Girroir will begin his title defense against a slew of fast challengers, including Jordan Ashburn, Grant Davis, Stew Baylor, and more. The race will also mark the return of eight-time GNCC #1 Kailub Russell, who retired after winning the ’20 title, only to decide to pull his boots back on for 2025. He will be riding an AmPro Yamaha. The racing will air live next weekend on RacerTV.com with the ATV race feature Saturday afternoon and the motorcycles on Sunday. And here is what the ’25 stickers look like, as designed by someone named Vance Coombs (proud parent moment):

And here’s the GNCC Racing Schedule Announcement

Hey, Watch It!

Here’s today’s 250SX East Press Conference:

Weege and JT discuss Glendale winners Sexton and Smith:

Dirt Shark is back—in Glendale:

2025 Tampa Supercross Injury Report for 450SX and 250SX East: Jett Lawrence, Christian Craig, & More

How Tenths of a Second are Made in Supercross | LitPro Data Science Breaks It Down 

Head-Scratching Headline/s of the Week  

“Athletes Are Signing Endorsement Deals Before They Get Prom Dates”—Wall Street Journal

"NBA reporters, players were sure Shams Charania was hacked after Luka Dončić-Anthony Davis trade"—Awful Announcing

"Endangered frog dads travel 7,000 miles to 'give birth'"—BBC News

"Veteran NBA Player Traded Three Times in Five Days"—Athlon Sports

Random Notes

Cool story about a British rider's participation in the SMX Next race in Glendale from our friends at MX Large.

Lastly, we wanted to dedicate this week's column to longtime Michigan Mafia member and all-time motocross dad Drex Akin, who passed earlier this week. Drex was their father of all-time WMX great Lisa Akin-Wagner and also RedBud MX's referee and stager, as well as Dutch Sport Park. He followed every rider, every track, every moto and every lap of Michigan motocross for 50 years. He was a motocross man through and through, and he will be missed. Godspeed Drex, and thank you.