The first round of the SMX Playoffs was back in Charlotte this past weekend. I don’t know if you heard or not, but it’s the playoffs! Playoffs where no one gets eliminated, but I digress. Look, I like dirt bike racing, and this is more dirt bike racing, so that’s all good. Am I a fan of everything that is happening with these three races? No, I’m not, but there’s more money for racers and teams, and that’s a good thing.
I’m sure you heard all about how this race was canceled after the first set of mains. The SMX Next kids got their one race called also due to two, maybe three, lightning holds and then also some big rainfall. The Charlotte Z-Max drag strip was definitely pushed to its limit in terms of water retention, and big puddles formed. And when there’s lightning getting close to an open-air stadium filled with aluminum benches, yeah, that’s never good.
We’ve raced in horrific mud before; in fact, we did it earlier this year in Foxboro. But as another bolt of lightning came down, which necessitated another 30-minute hold on things, well, that’s not going to work with the lack of lighting around the track. It was really the incoming darkness that did us in, as the skies got better shortly after being canceled.
Was it the right call? Yeah, I think it was. The fans got screwed out of the second motos, but that would’ve been a bunch of riders rolling around out there and barely jumping anything, if at all. So not that great; the track crew would’ve needed time to alter the track, and I can’t be upset that the Feld guys didn’t go and rent a bunch of very expensive lighting racks just to have in case we have 2-3 lightning holds and have to go into the evening. Like, I don’t think that’s a reasonable ask from them?
The team managers I talked to afterwards and texted with all seemed to be pushing to cancel the second motos. So, I don’t think the decision made many of the people that were actually racing upset.
Maybe this is recency bias, but I think that this year's Charlotte track was the toughest of the three. The dirt was wet when it was moved in, we had rain before the race, and the outdoor section was as gnarly as any real motocross track. Deep ruts developed out there, and the SX rhythm lane was nuts. A lot of close calls or crashes in that section, to the point where the track crew brought in some dry dirt from somewhere and fixed the transitions. It made setting up the bike really tough, and lots of riders weren’t comfortable. That is music to my ears because, yeah, you can’t have a bike that works perfectly everywhere, you know? SMX challenges the teams to work with a basic SX setup and then try to relax that to fit an MX track.
So not a lot to talk about with a couple of main events where not much happened. The SMX tracks generally don’t offer a lot of passing opportunities. St. Louis this weekend should change that if we’re getting some 180 bowl turns.
Let’s break this race down in some power rankings, yeah?
(UP) - Jett and the Deegs
Both of the riders that were heavily favored did exactly what they were supposed to do and dominated. Their margins of victory weren’t dominant, but the way they rode was. Jett led out of the second turn and was never challenged. He looked awesome as he rode just ahead of Eli Tomac and Chase Sexton. Ho hum for the Jett. Deegs, on the other hand, was way back off the start and just slowly rode up to early leader Seth Hammaker. The Hammburgler had over seven seconds on Haiden at one point and ended up three seconds back. Haiden just ground everyone else down in taking the win while Jett did it in his usual fashion, from the front.
(UP) - Sexton
Chase Sexton was back, and for one practice, he qualified fastest. Chase Sexton not racing for three weeks and then coming out and being the quickest qualifier on race day? Yeah, checks out. Sexton looked like he was going to get the start also, but he dilly-dallied around the first two turns and came out like fifth. From there, he got busy and got into second (thanks, Eli!) and was even catching Jett for a few laps in a row. In the end, he took second, but he looked good. It’s Chase Sexton; he always looks good!
(UP) - Kitch
Levi Kitchen was my sleeper pick coming in. I think the simple act of just turning the calendar over from one series to another was going to help him, as well as some bike stuff. And it did! He rode well to get third, then got docked for passing on a medic flag, but he hung with Deegan for a long time in the main. This was an improved Levi Kitchen.
(UP) - RJ
RJ Hampshire rode well again, continuing his last season push. The track wasn’t easy to pass on, and he moved up seven spots from his starting position. Good job to the #24.
(UP) - Jo Show
Jo Shimoda tried an ill-advised move on Seth Hammaker early on in the race and crashed. From there, he had his work cut out for him coming from the back. And boy, did he ever ride fast! Shimoda set the fastest lap of the main event (some 2.5 seconds faster than Deegs) and got back to third after Levi Kitchen’s penalty.
(UP) - Guillod
Valentin Guillod wasn’t looked at as an SMX specialist, and yeah, he crashed on the last lap to get 14th in the 450s, so, like, whatever on that. I list him as an "up" here because the dude was fifth in the second qualifying session for a while! I was joking that maybe he cut the track? And yes, his second-best time was nowhere near his fastest, but I don’t even care; he was on the board!
(MIDDLE) - Tomac
I mean, he got third and he rode well. It’s Eli Tomac, for God's sake. But I’m putting him here because he slid out while in second and had to settle for third. Still a good result, but he was looking at one position better until that mistake.
(MIDDLE) - Hammaker
Seth Hammaker rode well to lead early and get second, especially after going right over the bars in an ugly crash in practice. So I’m not sure whether to think great work by Seth to get a second or man, I can’t believe he let a seven second lead halfway through the race vanish? IDK, man, so we’ll just put him here.
(DOWN) - Pro Circuit
Not for the results because they finished well with Hammaker and Kitchen, plus Masterpool rode well also. The trouble is PC rider Garrett Marchbanks went down, and then Kitchen got penalized for passing while the medic flag was out for Garrett, and Hammaker got docked 5 points for jumping on the flag. So yeah, PC got hit three different ways, and all bad.
(DOWN) - Jordon Smith
I don’t know what happened to Smith, but he qualified way back, was way back early, and then was missing a visor and looked to have taken a soil sample. Probably not comfortable out there.
(DOWN) - Shimoda
I know I put him in the “UP” category, but also, he’s here because he would’ve won if he didn’t crash. Don’t crash, Jo!
(DOWN) - J Coop
Hey, Justin Cooper, great work being the only guy to race every round this year, and you are the red plate holder and are three points ahead! All of that, and the dude falls in the second turn and comes from way, way way back to pass a bunch of guys, but he still ends up 11th. Yeesh, and no second main to help himself out. Justin Cooper got screwed.
(DOWN) - Cancellation
As I wrote above, I get the reasons for the cancellations of the second mains, but it still sucks. Fans were left disappointed for sure, and the whole thing wasn’t good. So yeah, boo the weather.
Ok, we’re onto St. Louis, where I can guarantee you we will not get any lightning strikes holding off the second motos! Should be a fun one; email me at matthes@racerxonline.com if you want to chat about this or anything else.
