Matrix Champions

Prado..."Been Here Before"

What a strong last three races it has been for Jorge Prado. First, he ended the AMA Pro Motocross Championship season with a 1-1 day at Ironman. He went into the first SMX Playoff round seeded second behind Hunter Lawrence. Then after a third place overall in the mud in Columbus for Prado, and a disastrous 15^th overall for Lawrence, Prado took over the points lead. Holding the red plate for the first time since coming to the United States of American, fans saw a more confident Jorge Prado in Las Angeles, California.

Of course, the fans also saw a lot of action at SMX Playoff 2. The two moto, Olympic scored, format means riders need to get two good starts, be consistent, minimize mistakes and have speed for two 20 minute +1 lap motos. Take for instance Ken Roczen who has not been racing all summer long, he had plenty of speed in moto one and then fell flat in moto two. Even more than speed, consistency is most important in the SMX format, and Jorge Prado had both in LA.

After losing the early lead to Ken Roczen in the first moto, Jorge came on strong at the end, pressuring Ken right to the checkered flag. Then in the second moto, which might have been the most exciting race of 2026, Jorge took over the lead with an aggressive pass on Hunter, only to lose the lead a half of a lap later when he cased a quad. With Hunter getting fourth in the first moto all Jorge had to do was get second to get the overall. Seemed simple enough until Jorge went down in the sand and went back to fourth. With double points on the line, plus the two moto format, Jorge went from having the points lead to losing it with that crash. With such a short series, every pass is important and no one is settling for a position. Jorge made his way back around Ken and then Haiden Deegan also went down in the sand, allowing Jorge to retake second in the moto and the overall victory.

"My goal was to get to second after I took a crash and that’s exactly what I did." -Jorge Prado on his way to a 2-2 for the overall in LA.Align Media

Jorge spoke about his crash in the post-race press conference.

“When I crashed I was like, ‘Man, if I thought I was in a good spot, now I’m not in a good spot. Now I really gotta fight,’" he said. "I already thought I was fight[ing] but now I really need to dig and get to the guys in front of me. I mean, I am not really good when I crash, to get back in the fight quick, but for some reason today I was quick. I was again in the fight, and I catch the guys up front and I was doing good lap times, physically I was feeling perfect. So, why not hammer down and let’s try to get the win. I knew Hunter was too far but my goal in those laps was just to get to second. And I knew, I didn’t have to make too difficult calculations, that I was going to be the overall winner. My goal was to get to second after I took a crash and that’s exactly what I did. It was tough. A couple of laps my heart was going.”

Saturday may have been the best we have seen Prado ride, and even Jorge himself noticed a change.

“I have been in this position before, so I feel like I am capable of dealing with the pressure," he said. "For some reason every time I get the red plate, it doesn’t matter if it is here in the States like right now, or back in Europe, I just feel better. I feel more confident and my riding just gets better for some reason. So, it looks like the red plate suits me a lot.”

Some riders crumble under the weight of the red plate, but for Jorge it gives him confidence. And if he can carry this confidence and riding into this coming weekend at the finale, Jorge might be in for a large pay day, as well as his first championship stateside.

Prado has a large margin, a 16-point lead, but with triple points on the line next weekend he still needs to finish on the podium. Which is easier said than done when there are at least five guys with podium speed at the moment.

 

“It's hard because, getting on the podium, it's never easy. You can’t go to the next race with the mentality that ‘podium is okay.’ No. You probably won’t even end up on the podium with a mentality like that because these guys are super-fast." -Jorge Prado, who need to land on the podium in Missouri to claim the SMX World Championship. Align Media

“It's hard because, getting on the podium, it's never easy," Prado said. "You can’t go to the next race with the mentality that ‘podium is okay.’ No. You probably won’t even end up on the podium with a mentality like that because these guys are super-fast. My goal for the next round, it's the same; try to win. I know if I win, I get the title, that’s 100 percent sure. So, I stick to those facts.”

It is crazy to think that last year Prado and his relationship with the Monster Energy Kawasaki had gone so south that the team benched him for the SMX Playoffs AND the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations. Now, he is leading the damn thing with a shot at the title just one year later!

Will Jorge be able to pull it off and win the Monster Energy SuperMotocross World Championship? The only thing that is for sure is James Stewart better get his popcorn ready because it is bound to be an exciting finale.

Is WSX Toast?

WSX is looking for an investor: Will the plan fail this time?

The World Supercross Championship (WSX) is once again fighting for its future. Birmingham has been cancelled, SX Global is seeking fresh capital, and according to Steve Matthes, the teams are waiting for money they had long expected. This means it's no longer just about a Grand Prix disappearing from the calendar. It's about whether the business model behind the WSX can finally work after four years.

The idea of ​​a true Supercross World Championship had its appeal from the very beginning. Top American riders would compete outside the USA, international fans would get to see the stars on their doorstep, and there was good money to be made for teams and riders.

That's precisely where the problem has been from the start. Sending Supercross around the world costs a hell of a lot of money. And now there are some indications that this calculation won't add up again.

Teams are expected to wait for their money

SX Global confirmed on September 22nd the cancellation of the British GP scheduled for October 10th in Birmingham. At the same time, the company announced that it was in talks regarding a "significant new investment." This capital is intended to put the World Supercross Championship on a more stable footing in the long term.

SX Global does not specify who should invest, the amount of money involved, or when an agreement can be expected.

Steve Matthes goes much further regarding PulpMX. According to his information, the registered teams have not yet received the payments they were expecting. Furthermore, a potential deal with a buyer or investor has reportedly already fallen through. Matthes also reported, even before the official announcement, that the next British race would likely be cancelled.

This part of his information has since been confirmed.

The situation is different regarding the payments and the allegedly failed deal. There has been no public confirmation from SX Global about these matters. Therefore, both must be treated exactly as what they currently are: information from Steve Matthes.

However, they shouldn't be completely dismissed.

Financial support for the teams isn't just a side note to the WSX model; it's been an integral part of it from the very beginning. SX Global attracted teams with financial backing, appearance fees, and assistance with the enormous travel costs of a World Championship.

It is precisely this structure that makes the current situation so interesting.

The calculation has always been difficult.

Matthes' fundamental criticism of the WSX is not new. After the 2026 season opener in Calgary, he reiterated that he fundamentally approves of the series' concept. Riders can earn additional income, teams gain another source of revenue, and fans outside the US are offered high-level Supercross.

His problem lies in the underlying logic. And that's actually not difficult to understand.

For an international series, motorcycles, spare parts, and materials have to be transported around the world. This also includes flights, hotels, and meals for riders, mechanics, and other personnel.

At the same time, the WSX needs well-known names. Without them, it will be more difficult to sell tickets, attract sponsors, and convince organizers to invest the necessary money in a race.

Conversely, the drivers have little reason to fly halfway around the world again after a long American season if it is not financially worthwhile.

Craig Dack had already addressed this problem quite openly in 2023. Support from the WSX alone was not enough to cover all of a team's costs. Additional sponsors were necessary.

Three years later, we are basically still discussing the same issue.

Full stands alone are not enough

The fundamental problem is unlikely to be a lack of interest in international Supercross.

Paris has shown for years that Supercross works outside the USA. Australia has a strong scene of its own. The WSX has also proven that fans want to see well-known riders.

However, a full stadium does not automatically mean that a World Cup is economically viable.

The WSX needs multiple revenue streams simultaneously: tickets, sponsors, media and streaming rights, local promoters, and some public funding. On the other hand, there are significant costs for events, teams, and riders.

If one of these pillars fails, it quickly becomes expensive.

That's precisely why the current search for investors is more important than the usual phrase about the "next growth phase" suggests. SX Global itself says that short-term operational measures are necessary due to the timeline of the investment process. One of these is the cancellation of the Birmingham bid.

Behind SX Global's cautious wording lies a rather simple message: the financing must be secured before things can proceed as planned.

Birmingham is not the first warning sign

If Birmingham were the first setback in WSX history, the matter could probably be dismissed relatively quickly. But it isn't.

Since its launch in 2022, the project has undergone several changes. Calendars have been adjusted, races have disappeared, and ownership has changed hands. In 2023, the French Grand Prix was initially postponed, followed by the removal of other events from the calendar. London 2025 also did not take place. The reasons for each change were different and should not be lumped together.

For teams, drivers and fans, one pattern remains: Between the announced international ambition and the actual calendar driven, there was always a gap in the WSX.

Now, for the first time, the search for investors is being addressed quite openly. And, according to Matthes, there may be outstanding payments owed to the teams.

What happens without an investor?

That is currently the most important unanswered question. SX Global states that the talks are progressing positively and that they are looking for the right long-term investor.

The statement doesn't address what will happen if this investor doesn't come through. Can SX Global then finance the championship on its own? Will more races be canceled? Will the team support model change? Or will the WSX come to a complete standstill?

There is no reliable information on this. The joint statement from the WSX teams is therefore particularly noteworthy. They stand behind the championship, emphasize their belief in international Supercross, and conclude: "The teams remain committed and will be ready to race when the championship returns."

When the championship returns. One shouldn't conclude from this that the end is already decided. That would be too much interpretation. But it doesn't sound particularly reassuring either.

And what will happen to the SMX then?

Should the WSX actually disappear, the story takes on another interesting dimension. Because then the question will eventually arise as to what role the SuperMotocross World Championship, in its current form, will still play.

From our point of view, its origin can hardly be completely separated from the emergence of the WSX.

SX Global entered the market in 2022 with a rather aggressive concept. Teams and riders were to be financially supported, and suddenly an alternative existed outside the established American championships where decent money could be made.

Ken Roczen, one of the biggest names in the American paddock, committed early to the new series.

On August 2, 2022, Feld Motor Sports and MX Sports Pro Racing announced that from 2023 onwards, Monster Energy Supercross and Pro Motocross would be combined via a joint ranking and then decided in the new SMX playoffs.

In addition, there was a prize pool of ten million dollars.

Officially, the SMX was of course not presented as a defensive measure against the new FIM World Championship. Feld and MX Sports instead stated their intention to jointly develop Supercross and Motocross and strengthen the American product. Furthermore, there were already reports at the time that the collaboration had been prepared before the WSX even emerged.

Nevertheless, the temporal development is striking.

The WSX created a financially attractive opportunity for US riders to compete in another championship after their domestic season. Shortly thereafter, these same riders were given three additional races, another title, and an exceptionally large prize pool in the USA.

From the very beginning, we saw the SMX as the American answer to the WSX. Not necessarily as a championship created solely for that purpose, but certainly as a way to keep our own stars within our own system and to offer a counter to a new competitor.

Is a counter-proposal still necessary without a counterpart?

The situation has since changed. SMX has existed for several years and is now a fixture on the American calendar. Monster Energy has committed to a long-term title sponsorship. Supercross, Pro Motocross, and the playoffs are now marketed as a single package.

The SMX is therefore likely to be significantly less dependent on the existence of the WSX today than it was at its inception.

Nevertheless, the demise of the WSX would eliminate a significant competitive factor.

No international promoter would try to lure top American riders with high salaries to a competing championship anymore. Teams would no longer have to consider whether to continue racing in the WSX after the American season. And Feld and MX Sports wouldn't have to position their own product against a second series that also bears the title "World Championship."

Then one might well ask whether the SMX would still look the same in five years as it does today.

Is it still necessary to have three additional playoff races with their own title and substantial prize money if one of the factors against which this package was at least partially positioned, in our view, no longer exists?

Or is SMX now strong enough to continue completely independently? There's no answer to that at the moment. But precisely for that reason, a potential WSX demise wouldn't just be a story about SX Global.

Competition has helped the drivers

Steve Matthes raised another interesting point earlier. In his view, the high sums that WSX demanded for drivers and teams also meant that more money was circulating within the American system. The new competition couldn't simply be ignored.

For drivers, this is initially a good thing.

When two series compete for the same names, their market value increases. Teams gain additional opportunities, and promoters also have to consider how attractive their own product actually is to the stakeholders.

If one of these competitors disappears, this pressure also vanishes. Therefore, the end of WSX wouldn't automatically be good news for SMX, just because there would be one less competitor on the market.

Perhaps the exact opposite is true. A functioning WSX could, in the long run, force the American side to do more to retain riders and teams.

The idea is probably not the problem.

This makes the current situation at SX Global almost bitter. The fundamental idea isn't lacking. There's a worldwide audience for Supercross. There are riders who want to compete outside the US if the conditions are right. And there are markets where Supercross can work.

The only question is whether this model How does a world championship work economically? Four years after the first race, no convincing answer has yet been found.

Time is running out.

Birmingham is cancelled. SX Global is looking for a new investor. According to Steve Matthes, teams are waiting for expected payments, and a potential deal with a buyer or investor has already fallen through. While the last two points are not officially confirmed, his information about the impending UK cancellation has since proven accurate.

Perhaps SX Global will find a new partner in the coming weeks, and the WSX will finally get the long-term funding it has been seeking for years. If not, this time it could be about more than just another shortened calendar. And then, at some point, SMX would also have to answer a question that hardly anyone asked when it was launched:

What role does a counter-proposal still play when the opposing one no longer exists?

Idaho International Vet MX 2026

Coop Is Hot!

Reed talks MXoN

Reed and Villopoto on the team USA MXoN team and funding

If you want an honest and intelligent answer on anything motocross related, Chad Reed is one of the best people to ask and, on the Title 24 Podcast this week, Chad Reed gave his view on the MXoN and what it needs to have a stronger future with the Aussie believing the event needs more funding to get the best guys every year and the money not just going to the promoters.

Reed said: “So if you’re bringing, Levi, for example, it’s got to bring two bikes at minimum over there. So they’re shipping two bikes or creating that up along with all the personnel. What would something of that, that magnitude look like flights, hotels, bikes, shipping, all that stuff? What would that, what would that look like to you? From a cost perspective. Just to like, donations first, like a roughly for just me of how I expected to go and race donations and what it took for me to go and do it at the level that I did it. You were looking at just 100k for one guy.

“And I believe that that’s only gone up, you know, flights are more expensive, freight’s more expensive. You know, we were in the early versions of fuel injection. So, you know, now you have an engine guy, you have, you know, ECU guy, you have suspension guy, now data guy and ECU guy somewhat collaborate. And so there’s, you know, plus then you have a mechanic and then now teams have got crew chiefs. You’re looking at five to six team personnel prior to even the rider getting on a plane. And I don’t believe whether you call it spoiled or not, but no top rider should be ever jumping on a plane and going anything less than business class. So you’ve got a 10 to $15,000 ticket. Then he wants to take his girlfriend. You’re not going to put them in the back. Mom, dad, you know, like it’s endless. And I stand somewhere in the middle.

“I use Jeff Ward as an example, because I saw a comment that he made and he his comments were it was in his contract that he had to do motocross of nations if eligible. That is not true today. And though this event personally means a lot to me because I’m probably more old school than new school, but I also believe that our sport of motocross and supercross isn’t growing because of that thought process.

“So I’m in favor of the event. I absolutely love it as a fan. Like it’s the only race that I pay for. I don’t watch MXGPs. I watch the highlights and stuff like that with my kids, but I generally love Motocross of Nations. There’s just no other event (like it).

“And I have to think that it’s a very well, you know, successful weekend. Like I would imagine that the promoters make a good return. And so taking the Jeff Ward perspective, I get it. I respect it. And I have one foot in and the fact that you should always represent.

“But then as somebody who has children wanting to do this sport and as somebody who’s been there and done it, and I want the sport to grow, want the sport to be bigger and better. I side with Star racing and the Deegans, and I believe that everything should be provided. I do believe Haiden Deegan shouldn’t get on a plane for less than a business class seat and things like that, because, I don’t know, maybe I’m wrong, but I just I did it and I paid for it all as a team owner. Like we were really lucky.

“I’ve never been on Team USA, but I kind of hear enough to understand that there’s things. But like in respect to Australia, Australia is really lucky as a as a federation or like motorcycling Australia as, you know, Australian industry to sports, which is more our Olympic division, provides funding. We have through Australian government, we have grants and funding there.

“And so we were always really well taken care of from the Australian side of it. I mean, it was still always an extremely expensive project and a project that continues to be something that they have to create funding and I see other sponsors and stuff like that.

“And so, you know, commenting on it and it’s like here’s from a business standpoint, only take my emotions out of it of what I think or don’t think about the event.But like business is about business, right? And it’s like when you’re bringing the best riders in the world for a promotional company to make a lot of money, in my opinion, one of the biggest races of the year. I mean, there is is there a bigger race than des Nations? I don’t think so. And I have to think that they do really well. There needs to be more funding.”

Hunter and Jett Straight Up!

Darren Lawrence on Claims Jett “Threw” Pro Motocross Title for Hunter: “We're not that type of people

After a wild day overall at the AMA Pro Motocross Championship finale at Ironman Raceway, three champions were crowned in WMX and the 250 and 450 Classes. Hunter Lawrence bested his brother Jett to claim his first 450 title and while Hunter had stats on his side to prove his title was legitimate, more overall wins, moto wins, etc.—some online chatter is claiming that Jett threw the title in favor of his brother. With having won the first 20 motos of the championship, the two Australians were the only two riders mathematically able to win the championship heading into the finale in Indiana. So, a Lawrence on a Honda was guarenteed the title.

The brothers entered Ironman one point apart, but then Jett pretty much ran the worst race of his 450MX career. Steve Matthes had Darren Lawrence, father of the two brothers, call into Monday night’s PulpMX Show to clear the air. As you will read, Darren simply said, “We're not that type of people.”

He added: “There's no way in the world we've come this far, risen to the to the top of the sport [and thrown it on purpose].”

And later said, “I understand why people think that because people believe Jett is an alien, Jett normally does Jett things and he just didn't, you know.”

You can read the interview with Darren Lawrence here or watch the full segment from Monday night’s live PulpMX Show at the bottom of the post. 

Steve Matthes: Look, Hunter Lawrence, man that supercross loss, right? Just devastating. And to come back and win outdoors and look, he was the better brother all year. He really was outside of like one stat. He really was. I'm happy for Hunter. Jet stole some SMX titles from him at the last round, so just congratulations on Hunter winning it. It was really cool to see.
Darren Lawrence: Thank you. The kid definitely worked hard and deserved a win for sure. After doing what he did in supercross and then just coming up short I'm pumped for the kid that he stuck in there and showed that grit that we all know Hunter's got. He didn't give up and just kept fighting.

Yeah. And when Deegs went down and Hunter plowed into him, I was like, “Oh, boy.” But once he got going, he was going faster than everybody but Jorge Prado for most of the moto. He really was.
Yeah. Jorge was on the gas on Saturday, man. He rode good. But, yeah, Hunter was on a mission because I was watching him and watching Jett and I'm just going, “Jett, what are you doing? Get going mate, get going!” And, yeah, Hunter was hauling.

Obviously there's a lot of talk, Darren, about the Jett and throwing this thing. , We know his ankle was hurt. He certainly looked like it after moto one. What do you have to say to those people though? You're probably not going to change their mind, Darren, but from the outside, what are your thoughts on some of that stuff that's out there in the universe?
Well, people always have their opinions, Steve, of what they think happened. If Jett did what Jett (usually) does and he won the weekend, well, then a different demographic of people would have went, “Oh yeah, well, Jett got it handed to him. Hunter should have won it.” So, you're never going to please all the people. You know the saying. But Jett just didn't Jett. That's the problem. You know, he didn't look good because I was watching going, “What are you doing, mate?” And then when I started to watch him, obviously you see he's off balance. And then I think one of the lads radioed up around the tree turn. He was going across all the ruts, he wouldn't go in the ruts. And I was just watching that right foot. And I'm just like, "Yeah, something's not right." He already tweaked it in the qualifying because the deep ruts were grabbing his toes and pulling his toes across and that's what was tweaking it pretty bad. So, he was already hurting. And then after that moto, he just said, “I couldn't go any quicker. It was hurting that freaking bad.” He said, “I just didn't want to die.” He said, “I just put my head down, bum up, and tried to get as much flow as I could do,” but he said I wasn't going to die over it. In the times that he did beat Hunter (this year), he said, “I've had to ride so close to what my edge is because of my foot.” He said, “Oh, just on that track. I wasn't prepared to go any quicker because I thought I would die.” And like we've seen that second one, he nearly did die. [Laughs] 

Yeah, that was a close one! Oh, boy. Honestly, what I thought Darren, I didn't know anything about the ankle. I didn't hear anything about it beforehand. So, I'm watching it live. Obviously he sees Hunter goes down. I thought he might be waiting for Hunter because and then he would be like, “All right, it's on now.” I thought, “Okay, Jett is going to go when Hunter gets close to him.” But dude, Hunter was going three seconds a lap quicker. Jett never got lower.
Yeah, Jett sat on 2:15. His fastest lap was a 2:15.0. Jorge went between 10 and 12. RJ averaged 2:13. I understand why people think that because people believe Jett is an alien, Jett normally does Jett things and he just didn't, you know? So, like I said, “Mate, it's one moto out of all your life that you just didn’t do Jett. So, I understand why people think you did what you did,” but everyone's going to have an opinion of what they think, and they don't understand that Jett doesn't get a bonus for second place. He wants to win.

Because of, you know, the self-proclaimed best agent in the world [former Lawerence brother agent Lucas Mirtl], Jett doesn't get second or third place bonuses. Jett only gets stuff when he wins. So, right, the people thinking we made bank you're getting the wrong information from obviously choice media people in the world that think they know their shit and they haven't got a clue. Hunter’s deal was done, base salary side of things was pretty much agreed to Budds Creek last year, and then we just worked out bonus structures throughout the start of this year, and it was signed months ago. So, it didn't matter what Hunter did this year, his salary, his contract was already done, and it's well, well above what he would have got with a kicker for a championship. So, people that think they know what what's going on in those circumstances, good on you. Obviously you're getting your five seconds of fame on the comments.

So, the Lawrence family would have won more money for Jett to win, right? That's what you're saying, right?
That's correct. Yes. If Jett would have won and Hunter would got second, we would have got made hundreds of thousands of dollars more. So, your theories are great stories and great clickbait, people. Yeah, good job. Because it dumbfounds me that people don't understand that these websites get money from more clickbait. They get more money from interactions. So, they say outlandish things or stretch the truth or stretch a lie just to make more money on themselves. So, they might as well be on OnlyFans, honestly.

Yeah, listen, it's actually it goes further than sports, politics, sports, you name it, the social media companies. Yeah, they thrive on hate. They thrive on dividing people. They love it. They're making money. People are making money.
And I understand it. That's how you get the division. And then people get on there and that creates debate and riles up and creates traffic on their site and gives money. But there's no way in the world we've come this far, risen to the to the top of the sport, and I say that humbly, obviously we're in the top six to seven of athletes in the world—

—You are! We'll give you that, right. [Laughs] You guys are at the top.
There's Jeffrey, Lucas, Sasha, Kay de Wolf, Haiden, Eli, you know, like Cooper [Webb], like, please, I can go on. But we've gotten to that level of, “Hey, we're in the conversation of the top of the world.” We don't do that from doing shit like what people think we did. We're not that type of people. And for them to, all of a sudden—and this is what the general public will do, they're like blades of grass, whichever way the wind blows, they'll go that direction. All of a sudden, there's one theory thrown out there and everyone wants to believe it and get in and put their $0.05 worth. So, I feel for them because it's a sad place to be.

Well, what I said is if Jett’s giving this to Hunter, why did he ride his balls off to get Jorge last week in the second moto? I mean he was pushing! You know, like it would have been so easy for Jett to be like, “Eh, I don't care. Yeah, here's three more points for Hunter.” You know.
Why did Jett even come back? Why did he put himself out to be hurt again, and to give someone a shot at beating Jett Lawrence? Why? He didn't have to. Most doctors and surgeons would go, “Ah, we don't think it's the greatest thing to do.” Honda definitely were like, hey, whatever you think, whatever you think is right. Lars went to meetings with Jonny O'Mara, Warren Kramer on X-rays and MRIs on Jett’s foot because he was concerned. “Hey, we just we want our investment of the future to be the best for years to come.” So, Jett Lawrence didn't have to put himself out there, but no one's actually reported that because that's probably just speaking the truth and that's a bit boring. So, it doesn't get the clickbait. But he didn't have to come back, you know, but he came back and put himself through 21 motos of pain to give it away in the last one? Yeah, I'm sorry. It doesn't make sense, but it makes a great story!

And again, in the end, Hunter was the best brother. He really was. Just totally deserves this thing, man. And he rode great. He rode amazing in that first moto, you know? So, second Moto Jett's ankle was just taped really good. It's what Doc G was telling Weigandt. 
Yeah, we taped it. We taped it and we put that other peg back on just to try it. But what was happening is when, because the peg was so long, it was putting pressure through the heel. So, when he hit a bump, the force of the bump would go through the heel and then push his knee forward. So, at Budds Creek, if you go and have a look, the first quarter of the track, where all the turns are, and you're on the side of the tire. Hunter and Jorge were faster than him. And then the second half of the track where he could charge downhills and use more rolling speed around ruts and so forth, Jett would pull them back in, so they were sort of matching each other's lap times. When I spoke to Jett about it, he said, “I can't get light enough going in over the bumps because it's pushing through my heel and pushing my knee forward.” So that's why this week we tried the normal peg and Jett was like, “You know what? My foot's not too bad now. And because I can put it in the arch and my heels not sitting on the peg. I have a chance of the foot sitting on the peg but not bouncing off."

So, he said it was sort of worthless on the side of the tire stuff. “Yes, it gave me a bit of comfort on big G outs and landings,” but the other peg, he thought he could perform faster. So, that's the first thing I asked after qualifying when it pulled his boot. I was like, “Mate, did we make a booboo? Was it too deep for the peg?” And he's like, “No, it's not the peg. I jammed my foot in the ground, the ruts, the dirt's pulling my toe around and off the bike. And because I can't grip the bike with my ankle as good, it's just shit. The track’s just deeper and the ruts are deeper and it's just nailing my foot.” I'm like, “Okay, well, let's just we've got to be smarter, pick shallow ruts.” So yeah, it was we tried everything because we knew Hunter would be on the gas. You know, we knew he was the strongest sort of opponent. So, we're trying to just match his speed, and we just didn't have it.

Darren, so, the ankle, we've seen it like he's tweaked it and it's bugged him before. Is this anything to worry about for SMX?
I really hope he's just broken the scar tissue off some more. And that's what the surgeon said when we went and seen him in the big break, you know, like, “How are we going? Are we doing damage?” He says, “No, you're not doing damage. It's sort of kind of a blessing because it can knock scar tissue off.” But he said, “As a surgeon would I say, yeah, keep on riding your motorcycle? I'd be saying no. Because of risk of hurting it again.” But he said, “You're doing a great job at looking after it all. The gap around the bone is really, really good,

symmetrical. The bone is solid. You're just going to have to go through pain and it won't start to improve until eight months.” And that's when we found that two weeks off was around about the eight-week mark. And it really did start to improve. But as it improves and you get a little more motion, then obviously typical an athlete just pushes a little more and therefore you start to hurt it again. So, I'd say Jett’s probably his own worst enemy because he wants to win. He wants to succeed. You just keep pushing it to the next level, you know?

Yeah, so hopefully it's going to be a yeah, and he'll race SMX?
It'll be a touch and go. It's obviously still sore because he tweaked it really good. But what we've got to work out is we got through MX without anything happening. Because as we remember last year or the year before when he injured his shoulder at Hangtown, we obviously were compensating with the bum shoulder and riding, and that's how he did his thumb, and he ended up missing out on the outdoors. So, that was our biggest concern. We've got to work out with SMX with the load of the rhythm lanes and so forth. Do we cut our losses and let the lad do some proper recovery and heal up? Because Anaheim 1 will be here in four and a bit months. Yeah. Or does the overextension and the extra pain he goes through, does that help knock and scar tissue off to get some more range of motion back? So, it's like everything, it's a gamble and there's probably no correct answer, but you try to make the best decision for Jett's future and long term.

Matthes: No, the bike excites you. That's good. Yeah, I, I like I said, you're such a tinkerer and you're l

symmetrical. The bone is solid. You're just going to have to go through pain and it won't start to improve until eight months.” And that's when we found that two weeks off was around about the eight-week mark. And it really did start to improve. But as it improves and you get a little more motion, then obviously typical an athlete just pushes a little more and therefore you start to hurt it again. So, I'd say Jett’s probably his own worst enemy because he wants to win. He wants to succeed. You just keep pushing it to the next level, you know?

Yeah, so hopefully it's going to be a yeah, and he'll race SMX?
It'll be a touch and go. It's obviously still sore because he tweaked it really good. But what we've got to work out is we got through MX without anything happening. Because as we remember last year or the year before when he injured his shoulder at Hangtown, we obviously were compensating with the bum shoulder and riding, and that's how he did his thumb, and he ended up missing out on the outdoors. So, that was our biggest concern. We've got to work out with SMX with the load of the rhythm lanes and so forth. Do we cut our losses and let the lad do some proper recovery and heal up? Because Anaheim 1 will be here in four and a bit months. Yeah. Or does the overextension and the extra pain he goes through, does that help knock and scar tissue off to get some more range of motion back? So, it's like everything, it's a gamble and there's probably no correct answer, but you try to make the best decision for Jett's future and long term.

symmetrical. The bone is solid. You're just going to have to go through pain and it won't start to improve until eight months.” And that's when we found that two weeks off was around about the eight-week mark. And it really did start to improve. But as it improves and you get a little more motion, then obviously typical an athlete just pushes a little more and therefore you start to hurt it again. So, I'd say Jett’s probably his own worst enemy because he wants to win. He wants to succeed. You just keep pushing it to the next level, you know?

Yeah, so hopefully it's going to be a yeah, and he'll race SMX?
It'll be a touch and go. It's obviously still sore because he tweaked it really good. But what we've got to work out is we got through MX without anything happening. Because as we remember last year or the year before when he injured his shoulder at Hangtown, we obviously were compensating with the bum shoulder and riding, and that's how he did his thumb, and he ended up missing out on the outdoors. So, that was our biggest concern. We've got to work out with SMX with the load of the rhythm lanes and so forth. Do we cut our losses and let the lad do some proper recovery and heal up? Because Anaheim 1 will be here in four and a bit months. Yeah. Or does the overextension and the extra pain he goes through, does that help knock and scar tissue off to get some more range of motion back? So, it's like everything, it's a gamble and there's probably no correct answer, but you try to make the best decision for Jett's future and long term.

Matthes: No, the bike excites you. That's good. Yeah, I, I like I said, you're such a tinkerer and you're like looking at the bike and what they do and these changes and you're looking at, okay, they did this to do to address this, and they did this to address that. And you're like, sweet.
Yeah, I'm, I'm super pumped. I can't wait to get on the thing.

Derek Schuster: Dazzy, here. Just want to go back to the start of summer here a little bit obviously. I spent a little bit of time at the Dog Pound with you guys and see how calm and calculated you are. And you're kind of you know, you're very methodical about how you handle things there. And I'm kind of curious. So, Hunter comes off, you know, what I'd say is a devastating finish to the supercross season, you know, losing at the final round. How do you help him regroup to, like, challenge for this championship that's starting two weeks later again and get him prepped and in the right headspace for that.
Just congratulate him on such a great job because no one had him in the conversation at the start of the year, and I didn't think that we would get to there. I was hoping to be in the conversation. I thought we could be a wonderful guy this year, because the year before I thought we were a four to seven, and that was about right. You know, we're about there. So, I was hoping to be in the conversation and for him to progress through the year and be the guy that people are, were chasing sort of kind of for that little bit. I was, yeah, the kid’s…he's gnarly. He's a bad, bad mother…you know?

Schuster: Yeah. He is.
So yeah, I was super pumped for him. So, instead of just, yeah, I just built him up and told him what I truly thought, like, “Dude, impressed me.” He's a bad boy.

Schuster: And do you feel he needed a little help with that?
And so are the other 20 dudes. I don't want to discount any of the other lads. They're bad dudes like out there. All of them. So, I just built him up and said, “Right, let's go to motocross and let's start off. Let's build a championship.” And I think he was like, he knew his brother was hurt. I think he was like, “Damn, Jett’s going to struggle. I need to stamp my name on this thing.” And took the bull by the horns and went at it, you know?

So, hey, Darren. Today was a big deal. Eli Tomac announced he's done after SMX obviously like he's a legend for sure. And your boy, your boys were stoked to race with him when they first moved up and all of that. But yeah, man just a legend, right? Your thoughts on him hanging it up?
Yeah. Sad day, sad day. And I respect the man, the family and it's a shame, but it's also I'm happy the man's retiring. He's walking on both legs and can live his life now, knowing that he did not leave anything on the table. He gave it his all and achieved great things and will be known in the sport and his name will be embedded in that wall of greats forever. So, hats off to him and, yeah, cheers Eli. Great career. And thanks for being a gentleman of the sport and honorable, you know.

I always thought it was it Matterley [Motocross of Nations] with Jett and him,  was cool. I was like, “This is cool. Like, this is the future. And this is the old guy trying to hang on still and like, they're going at it.” You know, maybe that would be the last gasp of Eli, outdoor wise, not supercross wise. That was awesome.
Yeah. And it blew me away the start of this season, like Eli and Kenny, the start of the supercross season. Like Holy Dooley. I was like, “Man, these boys are on the gas. They are going to be a problem. We have to try and close this gap.” They were on it. I I've said it many times that some of the stuff I've seen at the start of this year in supercross, I'm like, that's the best I've seen. Eli. But then I'm probably talking through my butt a little bit because I probably didn't pay that much attention five years ago or eight years ago, you know, so I probably shouldn't say that, but I was impressed with how he rode the bike at the start of this year. I was like, “Man, that's impressive.” What a legend.

Jett Out for SMX

American Honda confirmed today that Jett Lawrence will miss all three rounds of the upcoming SuperMotocross Playoffs, to address the severe pain that he continues to experience in his right ankle that was originally injured last December while training. He was able to compete in the full AMA Pro Motocross series.

While he was extremely competitive—winning four rounds and finishing second to teammate Hunter Lawrence in the final standings—Jett fought through varying degrees of pain and discomfort throughout the entire series, but he experienced a renewed level of intense pain and instability when he aggravated the injury during the opening moto at Ironman Raceway.

Jett is scheduled to undergo surgery Wednesday, September 9, at the Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado. After speaking with the doctor, he felt it was best to address the pain and discomfort he’s experiencing in the ankle. Steadman Clinic specialists will continue to treat Lawrence as he recovers from this latest surgery.

“I’ve made the decision with my team to sit out the SMX series to get my ankle back to 100% for the longevity of my career,” Jett said. “I suffered through the summer and did everything I could to win the outdoor championship, but my ankle hasn’t felt right since the start of the season, and it’s even worse now after Ironman. I want to do everything I can to get back to being me. The most important thing is that I get back to being pain-free as I work towards next year. I appreciate the patience of my team, family and fans as I do everything I can to make that happen!”

The SuperMotocross Playoffs opener will take place September 12 in Columbus, Ohio, where Honda HRC Progressive will field newly crowned 450 AMA Pro Motocross Champion Hunter Lawrence in the premier class, along with Jo Shimoda and Chance Hymas in the support class. Hunter finished a close second to Jett last year in SMX, while Shimoda is the reigning 250 Champion.

“We’re sorry that Jett won’t be able to go for his fourth consecutive SMX Championship, but the entire team supports him in this decision,” said Brandon Wilson, Manager of Racing & Experiential at American Honda. “Although it would be great to see him battle for another SMX title, he has a long career ahead of him, and we’re in full support of doing what’s necessary to get back as close to 100% as possible. In the meantime, we look forward to taking on the SMX Playoffs with Hunter, Jo and Chance, all of whom should be very competitive.”

Eli to Hang'em Up!

BREAKING NEWS: ELI TOMAC TO RETIRE AT THE CONCLUSION OF 2026 SMX POST-SEASON

American motocross and Supercross legend Eli Tomac has announced that he will retire from professional competition following the 2026 SMX World Championship post-season, bringing a close to one of the most decorated careers in the history of the sport. At 33 years of age, Tomac has enjoyed a memorable season with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing this year, claiming four 450SX Main Event victories in the AMA Supercross Championship aboard the KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition.

 

Earlier in his career, Tomac captured the 2013 250National Motocross Champiomships after achieving 12 overall wins within the category – including his pro debut at Hangtown’s season-opening round in 2010 – prior to transitioning to the premier class full-time in 2014. He also earned the 250SX West Divisional Championship in 2012.

In addition, Tomac extended his Daytona Supercross record with an eighth-career victory in 2026, was notably crowned the 2024 FIM World Supercross Champion in the 450 Class, and he was also recognized in 2022 as an ESPY Award recipient in the prestigious Best Athlete, Men’s Action Sports category.

The entire Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team extends its gratitude and best wishes to Eli for the future, and looks forward to finishing the current season strongly together through the upcoming SMX Playoffs,

Eli Tomac: “I will be stepping away from Supercross and motocross racing at the end of September, following the final three SMX rounds. This has been the hardest decision I’ve ever made in my professional career, but I know in my heart that the time is now and that the time is right. I’ve won races and championships beyond my imagination. Racing has been the only thing I’ve woken up to and known the last 25 years, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Ian Harrison, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “Eli exploded onto the scene well over a decade and a half ago, and if he wasn’t on your team, you sure wished he was, because you’d ultimately be fighting against him to try and win. Over the years, Eli has become the second-winningest rider in Supercross history and has won multiple national and Supercross championships. We’ve had the privilege of working with him this year, and it was no different – he was fighting for the title and for wins each and every week. Eli is an amazing rider, and for the team and myself, to see how he operates and to get a better understanding of his sportsmanship and work ethic was a gift after all those years that we competed against him. But, like all good things, they do eventually come to an end, and with that Eli has decided to retire at the end of this season. Our team is grateful for the opportunity we’ve had and know that whatever he does in the future, it will be successful. Eli is a hard worker, disciplined and dedicated, and we truly wish him and his family all the best.”

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