The final round of the 31 rounds of SuperMotocross World Championship racing concluded last Saturday.
This was the third year that this championship format has run. For many years before, Supercross and Motocross had nothing to do with each other besides the riders that would race in each competition. However, at the end of the 2022 season, it was announced both series would combine to create a year-long championship battle.
Jo Shimoda had the points lead in the 250 class going into the finale. He took over the lead after Haiden Deegan and Levi Kitchen made contact and both wrecked at round two.
In the 450 class, the points were close going into the final round. Jett Lawrence had 91 points, Hunter Lawerence had 85, and Eli Tomac had 75. With the finale being a triple points format, this left everyone close together, and anyone could have won the title.
In the 250 class, Deegan had to finish ahead of Shimoda by multiple positions to be able to win his third 250 SMX title. Deegan had an uncharacteristic start, leaving him deep in the pack. He was able to dig and find his way back into second place, but he still finished behind Shimoda.
Ultimately, Deegan was going to have to get into some risky business to win the title. He was already on written warning by the American Motorcycle Association, the sanctioning body of the SuperMotocross championship. Back in May, he made an aggressive pass on rookie Cole Davies, sending Davies off track, to win his first 250 West title.
In the second moto, Deegan was able to get out front. He made the decision to start bunching up the riders to cause chaos, with hopes of winning the title. He was banging bars with Kitchen, Seth Hammaker, and Shimoda. Deegan ended up breaking his collarbone after making contact with Shimoda, and this ended his hopes of another title.
This gave Shimoda his first ever professional title, as well as extra momentum going into next year as a 250 class favorite along with Hammaker, who had a breakout season.
In the 450 class, Jett Lawrence won the 450 SMX title for the third year in a row. This means he has won the title every year since this championship has been created. His brother finished second on the night and in the championship. Tomac finished third on the night and in the championship.
On Tuesday, the 2026 regular season schedule will be released. Next year is looking extremely promising for racers and fans, and it should be another great year of SMX racing.
