Sacha Coenen – First SMX Next?

Will Sacha Coenen be at the starting gate for the opening round of the 250SX pros? On Donn "Swap" Maeda's Kickstart Podcast, a different entry point was discussed. The Belgian could initially ride in SMX Next and only then move up to the 250SX East. KTM confirmed Sacha for their 250cc factory team a few weeks ago. At the time, the Austrian manufacturer left open which division he would ride in and whether he would compete in the junior class beforehand.

Southwick showed Sacha's pace and risk

During his guest appearances in the US this year, Sacha demonstrated his speed on a new motocross track. He won the second moto in Thunder Valley and both motos in Southwick. There, he gained more than 33 seconds on the second-place finisher in the first moto. In the second moto, he crashed shortly before the finish, breaking his right collarbone, yet still managed to win. Six days after surgery, he finished eighth in the MX2 Grand Prix at Foxhill.

But Supercross is a different ballgame. Even a top MX2 World Championship rider has to get used to the tight approaches and jump sequences in the stadium. Given the crashes Sacha has already experienced, the concern about an injury upon his return is justified. His outdoor results show how much speed he possesses. How reliably he can maintain that speed in the stadium will only become clear under different conditions.

What changes in the crowd

In training, Sacha can approach a rhythm section on a clear track and choose the point at which to accelerate. In the race, it's enough if the rider in front of him changes line or hesitates briefly before the jump. Then Sacha has to decide during the approach whether to still jump the planned combination. If he takes the first jump individually, he'll arrive at the next obstacle at a different speed and has to replan the rest of the section.

For KTM, a lap in the middle of the pack can therefore be more revealing than the fastest lap of the evening. How does Sacha react when he misses his preferred line after the start? How quickly does he find his rhythm again after missing a combination? A race in SMX Next can be invaluable for precisely this purpose. But before Sacha can handle such situations in the pack, he needs to have mastered the jump sequences in practice. Brian Moreau's crash demonstrated just how much can be at stake even before the first race start.

Brian Moreau crashed during free practice.

The Frenchman was the EMX125 European Champion and had already competed in the MX2 World Championship when he was scheduled to make his US Supercross debut in Tampa in 2020. He crashed in a rhythm section during free practice and suffered a severe spinal cord injury, resulting in paraplegia.

For Sacha, the question of the right timing arises even before a potential start at SMX Next. The crucial factor is whether he can find a clean alternative in training even if the run-up for his planned combination is suddenly unavailable. A stint in the junior class could then demonstrate how well he can replicate this under race conditions.

Is an MX2 factory rider allowed to start in the SMX Next series?

SMX Next aims to guide amateur riders towards the US professional championships. For 2027, 25 starting slots are planned per race. Up to 20 of these will be awarded based on results in US amateur races, with at least five by invitation. Starting in 2027, the supplemental regulations stipulate a minimum age of 16 and AMA Category A status on the day of the event. Licensed Supercross riders who have qualified for the evening program at an AMA Supercross race in the past three seasons are ineligible.

Sacha's MX2 starts alone don't prevent him from participating in SMX Next in Supercross. The rule that excludes riders with younger starts in the 40-rider field of an MXGP or MX2 Grand Prix applies to the Moto Combine in motocross. For Sacha, an invitation in Supercross would be the obvious path. Whether he receives the necessary AMA classification and a starting place remains to be seen.

From a sporting perspective, his participation would be exceptional. Sacha is just starting out in US Supercross, but he comes as a third-place finisher in the MX2 World Championship, a KTM factory rider, and a winner of a US National. For him, SMX Next would be an opportunity to gain racing experience in the stadium. For the other riders, it's about scoring points in a series designed to pave the way to the professional ranks. With Sacha at the starting gate, there would be a rider who has already made that step in motocross.

Before the East Coast kickoff, only Anaheim remains.

SMX Next kicks off on January 22nd and 23rd in Anaheim. The second event follows on February 5th and 6th in Tampa, where the 250SX East race will already be held on Saturday. According to the supplemental regulations, Sacha can only compete in one of the two classes at the same event. If KTM wants to use him at the East opener, he has exactly one SMX Next weekend beforehand. If he also races in the junior class in Tampa, his East debut will be postponed to a later round. For that, he needs the appropriate AMA Supercross license.

There are two weeks between Anaheim and Tampa. If Sacha secures a starting position in Anaheim, KTM could use this time to specifically address the issues that caused him difficulties in his first outing. A second race in SMX Next would reveal what improvements he's made since Anaheim. If he moves directly to the East series, he'll need to demonstrate these improvements in the professional field. How much adjustment he actually needs will be easier to assess after Anaheim than it is now based on the calendar.