With the 2025 SuperMotocross World Championship in the books, a lot has been said on the giant purse paid out to the series winner Jett Lawrence. Jett is now a million+ dollars richer than he was three weeks ago. But what about the rider’s further back? Steve Matthes caught up with Benny Bloss and Swiss import Valentin Guillod to hear about the money they made during SMX, both for the individual race purse and the bonuses at the end, and their thoughts on the series.
Benny Bloss | 13th overall in SMX points
Matthes: Okay Benny Bloss, how much money did you win all together in the series?
Benny Bloss: I think 34 or 35 grand.
So, not too bad.
I am very happy with that! Definitely need it.
You had some ups and downs through the series but overall I thought you rode pretty well?
Honestly the motos I felt pretty good, I went 12-12-13 overall. I came in feeling super unprepared so I’m very happy with it.
Last week you were stoked on your riding right, even though you went down in the first one.
Yeah definitely, and this week too I was really happy with the first moto. I was a little bummed [Justin] Barcia got me with like two or three to go. But I just didn’t have the speed that he did. But the second moto I felt terrible, I just never really felt like I had any speed. But it is what it is.
What did you think of the track?
I thought it was cool to ride, not awesome to race, at all. I thought last week was kind of hard to pass and this week was way worse. Just super-fast too. It was very one lined. I don’t know.
I thought the sand was going to turn out good, but you couldn’t get close or else you would get blasted right?
That’s the thing, last week I thought the sand was good. That right-handed corner before the mulch section, it was pretty even inside and outside so you could make a pass. Where the sand here, one of them was wide open and the other one was just one lined. So not the worst track I’ve ever rode, not the best.
Yeah, I think the SMX stuff to me, I keep waiting for a bit more I guess.
Yeah definitely, I think the drag strip stuff is just hard to make the track passable… Also really hope Chase [Sexton] is okay, that was awful riding by that every lap.
Yeah, your teammate too [Mitchell Oldenberg] got hauled off too. Let me talk to you about that, all we have heard is bitching from the LCQ [Wild Card race] guys, Cameron McAdoo, Phil Nicoletti, would you say those races benefited you in the main or no?
I mean I wasn’t a fan of it. I understand the whole, having to race them thing but I went 12-12-13 and I had to race the LCQ every weekend which is a tad bit ridiculous.
It didn’t help you to like learn the track or anything?
No, no I don’t think so. But the think that makes me the most upset about it is in Supercross you get 17 chances at making points, where in outdoors you get 22. And I don’t think there is a single person in these pits that doesn’t think that supercross is the premier series. Supercross should count more. SMX for outdoors should be overall only.
I just think it should be your best 17 to match supercross.
Yeah, you could do that. I get they want guys to do outdoors, but I don’t have a choice. I ride for a team, we only do a couple of outdoors and I completely understand why, it's super expensive and you ruin the bikes. I understand where they are coming from, I just think that it could be done better. Also, I think it would be really cool, if we are going to have such a long day on Friday, just do the Wild Card race on Friday. Make the Wild Card guys, the two qualifiers, make those the gate picks for that. Because I find it a tad bit ridiculous that you can, I think Ty Masterpool did this, you can qualify first and the best gate pick that you could get is like 15th or something. Like that’s crazy.
I was hoping to get a guy to say that the Wild Card races helped him out, but I am not getting that.
No, I think they could if you did it a certain way, but I don’t want to be in it, obviously.
| Position | Rider | Hometown | Qualifying Points | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Jett Lawrence | Landsborough, Australia  | 580 | 166 |
| 2 |  Hunter Lawrence | Landsborough, Australia | 516 | 151 |
| 3 |  Eli Tomac | Cortez, CO  | 475 | 135 |
| 4 |  Ken Roczen | Mattstedt, Germany  | 288 | 117 |
| 5 |  Justin Cooper | Cold Spring Harbor, NY | 670 | 115 |
Valentin Guillod | 16th overall in SMX points
Matthes: Alright Valentin Guillod, SMX is over, how much money do you think you won overall?
Guillod: I was P13 so 35, but then Justin Hill pass me so I think 34 [thousand]. I hope so.
Thirty-four grand, not too bad.
I hope so. Just really sad about my first race, all weekend I was around P11, that was my place. First moto I was P13 the whole race and then after 15 minutes I got big, big arm pump. My suspension was too stiff for today, yesterday it was still soft, so it was okay but today was really hard. So then got arm pump. So, I had to just let go and let the guys pass, I couldn’t hold on so finished 19th. Really angry about myself. But second race was better, I rode well. I just opened the suspension [clickers], all the way full and I fight really well all the moto and I was P11. Then in the last corner I made a mistake and got passed by Justin Hill, so P12 I think. But the experience was awesome, I wasn’t expecting to ride one time in Vegas.
When you started at Pala there’s no way you thought it would end like this?
No, never.
What did you think of the track?
Just the bridge to table down, that was great. The one next to the start, I was making big whip all the day. But then the rest of the track I didn’t really like, was not easy to pass, and the big problem is the quality of the dirt. But I hear people tell me, even years before in supercross, it was always bad dirt [in Las Vegas]. But it's the same for everyone.
Well great job, and we will hopefully see you in America next year?
Yeah, it's my goal. Because I have number 40 for next year my goal is to do supercross and motocross and SMX, so I am looking with some teams to race. And I hope in a few weeks I can sign a contract.
