Tyler Collingwood
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The inaugural round of SuperMotocross Championship kicked off last weekend. Jo Shimoda followed up his Ironman overall win with a 4-1 to take the win in the 250 class. Chase Sexton was finally able to put Jett’s undefeated 450 run to rest. Cooper Webb made his debut back with Monster Energy/Yamaha Star Racing. But let’s not forget what SuperMotocross introduced this weekend: the “All-Star” classes at each round, where amateur riders get their chance to race on the big stage.
SMX, in early August, released that they would be introducing a new class to each round of the SMX Playoffs. This would be considered the “All-Star” class and would consist of 65’s, Supermini’s, and 250’s. There will be one class per round which is eight minutes plus two laps long. These riders are hand-selected by manufacturers to participate in this event. In the first round in Charlotte, we started with the 65 All-Stars.
Going into this race, I wasn’t sure what to expect with 65’s being on a “Supercross” track. This could be a little much for young kids, but holy sh!t, was I wrong. The first couple laps of practice/qualifying were living up to what I expected: they were jumping a few jumps and seemed a little timid. Well, that didn’t last long. I opened my phone, and the first clip I see is Easton Graves launching his 65 over the finish line?!?!!??!?!?! As if the finish line wasn’t enough, these kids started launching the triples. Yes, supercross triples.
Seeing what these kids were doing in practice, I knew the world was about to see just how competitive and thrilling amateur motocross truly is. When race time came, the crowd seemed quiet and unprepared for what they were about to witness. A few laps in, the crowd erupted as they started hitting those SX triples. These guys continued to put on a show for the next 10 minutes, keeping fans on their feet the entire race, showing these fans that they could be just as competitive as the fastest guys in the world.
As the race concluded, the crowd was still electric, and the top three riders crossed the finish line all within a few seconds of each other, throwing whips as they finished. The crowd was still cheering for them all. All 22 riders this weekend should be proud of how they rode and what they accomplished. They opened the world of amateur motocross to thousands and thousands of people. Fans could witness how dedicated these kids are to the sport and how badass they are to watch.
Amateur motocross is for sure put on the map after watching the races this weekend. SMX knocked this out of the park by introducing competitive amateur racing to national TV. If you were a fan of what you saw this weekend, check out all the amateur races around the US annually. There are multiple of these races every year, with a few being World Mini, Loretta Lynn’s, Mini O’s, the Vurb Classic (this weekend at NXT LVL 101 by the way) and the JS7 Spring Championship at Freestone. Those are just a few you can tune in and watch for FREE on YouTube, yes, FREE. Supporting these amateur riders helps our sport grow because they are the future of Pro Motocross.
SMX World All Stars Results
1. Jackson Vick, KTM
2. Easton Graves, KTM
3. Gavin McCoy, Cobra
4. Brayton Kreglow, Yamaha
5. Joseph Vicari, KTM
6. Carter Gray, Cobra
7. Jaydin Smart, Cobra
8. Anderson Waldele, KTM
9. Beckham Smith, KTM
10. Brody Bircher, KTM
Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
