Not the Plan X2

Seth Hammaker badly needed to make up points on Cole Davies in Nashville, and at the very least he needed to limit any potential damage. Unfortunately for Hammaker he was unsuccessful on both fronts. Two crashes relegated Hammaker to third, and he was later penalized two spots for cutting the track, dropping him to fifth. Hammaker now trails Davies by 19 points with just three 250SX East Division races left. Can Hammaker get some of those valuable points back in Cleveland? -Hansel 

On Target

Things couldn’t have gone a whole lot better for Hunter Lawrence in Nashville. After a gnarly crash in Detroit deprived him of the points lead, he was back to his winning ways in Nissan Stadium. And since his main rival, Tomac, had a bad night, Lawrence now has a bit of breathing room with four races left. If he’s able to get another win in Cleveland, it’ll be a huge step toward putting this title on ice. -Hansel

Hanging in There

Ken Roczen looked great early in the 450SX main event in Nashville, but he seemed to lack the same spark that spurred him to victory at the previous two rounds. He took third in Nashville and is now ten points out of the lead. Roczen is certainly capable of bridging that gap, but with just four races remaining, he doesn’t have time to spare. Each race in which he doesn’t finish ahead of Lawrence from here on out makes obtaining the title exponentially more difficult. -Hansel 

What the Hill?

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to see Justin Hill holding down a podium spot for most of the race in Nashville. No, he hasn’t been there all season, but this is Hill we’re talking about—he’s known for having these kinds of races out of the blue! He was also riding with some hurt ribs earlier this year, so it makes sense he’d be putting in stronger rides now that he’s feeling better. Will he be on the box in Cleveland, in the top five, or 15th? Nobody knows! -Hansel 

On the Box

Devin Simonson has been terrific this year! The ClubMX Yamaha rider has been notably better in 2026 than ever before, and things culminated in Nashville, where he earned his first 250SX podium. Yeah, he had some help in the form of some crashes from other riders, and he actually inherited third after Seth Hammaker was penalized two spots for cutting the track, but who cares? A podium is a podium, and the record book will forever say that Simonson earned his first one in Nashville. Will he be able to back it up with another great finish in Cleveland? -Hansel 

Running Steady

Daxton Bennick has looked pretty good this season, but since taking third at the 250SX East Division season opener, he hasn’t been able to get back on the podium since. That nearly changed in Nashville, however. Bennick holeshot and held second until deep in the race but made a mistake and tangled with Hammaker, ending Bennick’s efforts to get back on the box. We’ll see if he can make it happen in Cleveland. -Hansel

Triple The Action

Cleveland is the third and final Triple Crown event of the season. Triple Crowns are a fan favorite as it is just nonstop action for the entire night program. However, it is triple the stress for the riders who have to make it through the first turn clean three times. Sometimes the most consistent rider doesn’t even win a race to get the overall! Who will be the most consistent Saturday? -Sarah Whitmore

Tut Tut Looks Like Rain

How did we make it to round 14 without a mud race yet?? Even Seattle, which took place in February this year, was no worse than normal. But with rain in the forecast this weekend and an open air stadium this just may be the weekend for it. Love em or hate em, mud races usually mix things up as far as championships are concerned. How will the points look after this weekend? -Whitmore

Day Time Television

For the second weekend in a row, we are not talking about what, but when. Another day race is in the cards for this weekend with the “night” show starting at 3 p.m. Eastern. This means getting up early for the riders and actually being able to make Saturday night plans for the fans. The race will also be live on NBC as well, so tell all your buddies without Peacock to tune in! -Whitmore