Slaw
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Drew Adams was awarded the Marty Smith Rookie of the Year honors at the final round of Pro Motocross at Budds Creek.
The Tennessee native finished his first season in Pro Motocross 11th in 250 points with a season-high fifth overall coming at Ironman.
“Budds Creek was a day of ups and downs,” said Adams in a Kawasaki press release. “I qualified P2, which was exciting, even though Seth [Hammaker] got me right at the very end of the session. In Moto 1, I went P5—not my best, but still solid. In Moto 2, I finished P10, which wasn’t where I wanted to be. The highlight of the day, though, was earning Rookie of the Year. That was my goal from the start of the season, and I’m really proud to have achieved it. Now I’m focused on making the next step into SMX.”
Adams, who turned pro in Monster Energy AMA Supercross with the team, is coming off winning the coveted Nicky Hayden AMA Motocross Horizon Award at the Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in 2024.
Adams enters the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) Playoffs, which kick off Sept 6 in Charlotte, 16th in 250SMX points.
In 2020, MX Sports and the AMA renamed the award the Marty Smith Rookie of the Year after the late champion who won the first-ever 125cc championship.
“Marty Smith was the original Rookie of the Year. He won the first AMA National he ever entered back in 1974, and then he became the first-ever 125cc AMA National Champion. It’s pertinent that we rename this prestigious award in his memory, in recognition of his contributions to the Pro Motocross Championship and the sport as a whole,” said Davey Coombs, President of MX Sports Pro Racing at the time.
Red Bull KTM’s Julien Beaumer won the award in 2024.
