Team Honda HRC Progressive’s Jett Lawrence returned to racing in grand style by taking the overall win at Playoff 1 of the 2024 SuperMotocross World Championship Finals, fueled by Monster Energy. After missing most of the Pro Motocross season, the defending SMX Champion showed he hasn’t lost speed or endurance with a thrilling battle for the final moto win and overall victory at zMAX Dragway at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The SuperMotocross Playoff 1 at zMAX Dragway delivered great weather and a challenging track for the top athletes to start their post-season battle for $5.5 million in total prize money. Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac dominated the first 450SMX moto on the high-speed, hybrid SuperMotocross track. He led most of the second moto but finished in the runner-up spot after a fierce battle with Lawrence. SuperMotocross event results are determined by a combined two-moto score, so Tomac earned second overall with (1-2) moto finishes. The freshly-crowned AMA Pro Motocross champion, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Chase Sexton, was in the mix in both 20-minute plus one lap motos. Sexton had to settle for a third overall when the two leaders pulled away from him late in the final moto. In the 250SMX Class, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan delivered two impressive moto charges after mid-pack starts in both motos; Deegan took both 250SMX moto wins in convincing fashion to earn the 250SMX overall win.
First place 450SMX Class (2-1) – Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
“I surprised myself more than you guys, I think. That race pace [was] a little different than practice. But that’s so cool. I remember back in 2023 I was saying I really wanted to battle Eli in outdoors, and this is as close as we get to outdoors, so it was a really cool thing to do. I could say a goal checked off, or a little check off the bucket list, you could say. I’m just super pumped to be up here again, and yeah, I’m back!” – Jett Lawrence, from the podium after his second moto win.
Second place 450SMX Class (1-2) – Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
“I felt really good. It was close. The rhythm section got me. [Jett] was better in the sand, too, but I felt like I kind of could have survived that. But that rhythm section, as soon as I started missing my big quad, and then I wasn’t able to actually do the over-over so well, [I lost time], so [I’m] trying to learn from it. Either way it was a really fun day, [and I] felt really good on the motorcycle. That was so cool just to be having that flow again… [when asked why he stopped jumping the quad in the track’s rhythm lane] On the step-on step-off, the landing of it just got a little bit deep in the bottom of the transition. And then I wasn’t comfortable to go off the ramp and really gas it. So, I was too conservative, I was playing it safe, and it cost me.” – Eli Tomac
Third place 450SMX Class (4-3) – Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
“We definitely have a lot to improve on. I felt a little bit like a re-run of Chicago last year, by trying super hard but I wasn’t really going that fast. So [I] gotta find some more comfort, but these guys are riding really well. They honestly just smoked me today, so gotta get better. We have two more rounds, the ones that really count, obviously this one is just single points, then double points and triple points, so just trying to improve and really capitalize in that last race.” – Chase Sexton, when asked if he felt comfortable on the SuperMotocross track.
In 250SMX Class racing, Haiden Deegan swept both motos with exciting come-from-behind charges that had him working his way past nearly all the top racers. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Julien Beaumer led several laps in the first moto and battled up front in the second to score his first professional podium finish. Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen pulled an early gap on the field in the second moto but had to settle for second place when Deegan caught and passed him in the final minutes of the race.
First place 250SMX Class (1-1) – Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
“Yeah, we gotta go back to work this week. When I get back, we’re working. Because even though I went 1-1 today there’s a lot of errors that were made and I’m not happy about it… But it was nice to win the first one, that was a good goal [to] check off the list.” – Haiden Deegan, when asked about his two mid-pack starts.
Second place 250SMX Class (2-4) – Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
“Yeah, it’s very important leading those laps and getting good starts like that. It’s very important for confidence, and after that first moto I had a lot of confidence. I just made too many mistakes in those early laps [of the second moto], [then] got it going a little bit in the middle, and just [on] that last lap made another big mistake. But I was able to hold off Jo [Shimoda]; he’s riding great, and same with Haiden, they’re all riding great today, so I’m very excited to be up here and ready for Dallas.” – Julien Beaumer, when asked how important confidence will be going forward after earning his first professional podium.
Third place 250SMX Class (5-2) – Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
“You never know. It’s racing. I actually didn’t know I was that great at the beginning. I felt like I couldn’t actually get away. But it was a decent race. I’m happy to kind of bounce back after the first one. It’s a little emotional getting a holeshot and getting a red flag [after the first start of the opening moto]. If there’s one [event at which] to be a tick off, it would definitely be this one. We’ve got double points and then triple points, so [I’m] looking forward to the next two.” – Levi Kitchen, when asked if he thought he was going to win the second moto early in the race when he pulled out a healthy lead.
Between the professional races a select group of promising young amateur racers competed in the 65cc World All-Stars event. Unlike the two-moto event of the pros, these young racers between the ages of 7 to 11 years old lined up for one 8-minute plus one lap moto on the same track on which the professionals competed.
KTM’s Chase Brennan crossed the finish line in a very close second place. After a jumping infraction penalty was given to another rider, Brennan’s performance earned him the win in the 65cc World All-Stars race. Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
SuperMotocross Playoff 2 pits the racers against one another next Saturday, September 14th, at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. The racing intensifies as the points payout doubles in Playoff 2. And just seven days after that, the racers compete in the SuperMotocross World Championship on September 21st at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The final event pays triple-points for the overall results then pays out the huge prize of $1 Million for the top step of the 450 SMX Class and $500,000 for the 250 SMX Class.
