The first of three 2025 SuperMotocross World Championship Playoff races is in the books. Even though the zMAX Dragway round was cut in half due to weather, it was a revealing round. So, let’s take the lessons learned and apply them to Playoff 2 at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis.
- The only rider who can beat Jett Lawrence is Jett Lawrence. Unless he makes a colossal error, Jett will win SMX Playoff 2.
- While not a realistic threat to Jett, Chase Sexton is solid in P2. It shouldn’t even be close. Jett will keep Sexton at arm’s length, and the rest of the pack will be chasing. Sexton is my P2 choice.
- Eli Tomac proved that he is back, and he should do fine with the SX-style track at The Dome. Tomac was a mystery going into zMAX Dragway. However, he has made his statement, and P3 should be his.
- Expect a bounce-back from Justin Cooper. Although Cooper came into the SMX Playoffs as the top seed. Playoff 1 did not pan out for him. Cooper was pushed wide off the gimmicky start, went down, and suffered a burn. Cooper worked his way up to P11, so he had speed. He won’t likely run with the top three, but expect much more from him in St. Louis. I have Cooper down for P4.
- The track in The Dome will benefit SX riders, so it comes down to Hunter Lawrence vs. RJ Hampshire for P5. Hampshire is still unknown in 450SX, so Hunter gets the nod for Playoff 2. However, Hampshire is a great P5 pick, even though I’m going with Hunter.
- Ken Roczen and Cooper Webb are the dark horses for SMX Playoff 2. However, their showings in Playoff 1 don’t hint at better things this week.
- The Wild Card is P14, so anyone who finished from P12 down last week is a possibility. Most likely, we’re looking at Benny Bloss, Justin Hill, Shane McEltrath, Dean Wilson, or Mitchell Oldenburg in P14. I left out Playoff 1’s P14, Valentin Guillod, as he got all his points in 450MX, and the track favors 450SX riders. Wilson was a last-minute participant, so he could easily move up a couple of spots with a round under his belt. Your guess is as good as mine, though my guess is Wilson.
- 2025 SMX Playoff 2 coverage starts at 1:30 p.m. EDT with Race Day Live on Peacock. Check our 2025 SuperMotocross Television Schedule for details on the entire day.
Photography by Align Media, et al
2025 SMX Playoff 1 Results, zMAX Dragway at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, NC
- Jett Lawrence, Honda
- Chase Sexton, KTM
- Eli Tomac, Yamaha
- Hunter Lawrence, Honda
- RJ Hampshire, Husqvarna
- Ken Roczen, Suzuki
- Cooper Webb, Yamaha
- Dylan Ferrandis, Honda
- Joey Savatgy, Honda
- Justin Barcia, GasGas
- Justin Cooper, Yamaha
- Benny Bloss, Beta
- Justin Hill, KTM
- Valentin Guillod, Yamaha
- Shane McElrath, Honda
- Dean Wilson, Honda
- Mitchell Oldenburg, Beta
- Coty Schock, Yamaha
- Harri Kullas, Husqvarna
- Mitchell Harrison, Kawasaki
- Jeremy Hand, Honda
- Romain Pape, Yamaha
2025 SuperMotocross World Championship Standings (after Playoff 1)
- Jett Lawrence, Honda, 47 points
- Chase Sexton, KTM, 38
- Justin Cooper, Yamaha, 36
- Eli Tomac, Yamaha, 35
- Hunter Lawrence, Honda, 35
- Cooper Webb, Yamaha, 33
- RJ Hampshire, Husqvarna, 29
- Ken Roczen, Suzuki, 27
- Justin Barcia, GasGas, 25
- Dylan Ferrandis, Honda, 24
- Joey Savatgy, Honda, 21
- Malcolm Stewart, Husqvarna, 20
- Aaron Plessinger, KTM, 14
- Shane McElrath, Honda, 13
- Justin Hill, KTM, 12
- Valentin Guillod, Yamaha, 12
- Benny Bloss, Beta, 10
- Jorge Prado, Kawasaki, 9
- Jason Anderson, Kawasaki, 7
- Dean Wilson, Honda, 6
- Mitchell Oldenburg, Beta, 5
- Colt Nichols, Suzuki, 5
- Coty Schock, Yamaha, 4
- Mitchell Harrison, Kawasaki, 4
- Harri Kullas, Husqvarna, 3
- Jeremy Hand, Honda, 1
