Nashville SX: Hammaker Penalized, Simonson Picks up First Career Podium Finish
During the Nashville SX main event, Seth Hammaker finished third but was penalized two positions for cutting the track.
Hammaker had two crashes, the first one was on his own before the 180-degree turn right before the whoops section. He remounted and cut the turn off since his bike was facing backwards. He was penalized one position for cutting the track, plus an additional position for position gained when off the track—which does align with the ruling in the rulebook.
Watch the incident starting at the 1:55 mark in the highlights video below.
Hammaker came through the finish line third behind Cole Davies and Nate Thrasher, but was penalized those two positions, bumping him back to fifth.
The post-race penalty was noted after the race had finished, so the awesome guitar trophy was taken back from Hammaker and given to Simonson.
The post-race penalty was noted after the race had finished, so the awesome guitar trophy was taken back from Hammaker and given to Simonson.
Here is the note from the Race Direction (RD) release from the SMX Media team.
250 Main – RD reviewed rider #10 (Hammaker) for a track cut after crashing in a corner. It was determined he gained an advantage and a position while off track. He received a 2-position penalty (1 position gained, plus one for the offense). Hammaker moved from 3rd to 5th overall.
Nashville - 250SX East Main Event
April 11, 2026| Rider | Time | Interval | Best Lap | Hometown | Bike | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Cole Davies | 52.268 | Waitoki, New Zealand  | Yamaha YZ250F | ||
| 2 |  Nate Thrasher | 53.590 | Livingston, TN  | Yamaha YZ250F | ||
| 3 |  Devin Simonson | 54.564 | Laurinburg, NC | Yamaha YZ250F | ||
| 4 |  Daxton Bennick | 53.830 | Morganton, NC | Husqvarna FC 250 Factory Edition | ||
| 5 |  Seth Hammaker | 52.418 | Bainbridge, PA | Kawasaki KX250 |
So, this means Hammaker is 19 points down on Davies now with just three rounds remaining in the 250SX East Division Championship.
| Position | Rider | Hometown | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cole Davies | Waitoki, New Zealand | 161 |
| 2 | Seth Hammaker | Bainbridge, PA | 142 |
| 3 | Daxton Bennick | Morganton, NC | 121 |
| 4 |  Coty Schock | Dover, DE | 103 |
| 5 |  Jo Shimoda | Suzuka, Japan  | 100 |
Hammaker said the following after the race in the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki post-race release:
“The day was okay. I qualified P1 and felt really solid, just gelling with the track right away. The heat race went well, too. I got off to a second-place start, made the pass for the lead, and felt like I was riding really well heading into the main.
In the main event, I didn’t get the best start, but I worked my way around the inside and came out inside the top five, then made a couple of quick passes to get into second and start chasing the lead. I made a mistake on my own getting too close to the tuff blocks, clipped my foot, and went down, which put me back a bit. I was able to regroup, get back up to fifth, and charge back into podium position.
Late in the race, I was pushing to make a move for second when [Daxton Bennick] made a mistake, and we came together, which was unfortunate. Even after that, I got going again with the bike pretty tore up and fought back to third. Overall, I felt good, just had one too many mistakes in the main. We’ll clean it up and come back stronger. I’m just glad to be healthy.”
Simonson posted on Instagram:
"Unreal…I’ve worked my a$$ off to be in this position. Thank you Brandon @clubmx for giving me this opportunity and believing in me before I believed in myself. P3 on the night in Nashville🤝 Gotta be in it to win it."
