Race Report: SuperMotocross Playoff 2 Fort Worth

The 2024 SuperMotocross World Championship Playoff 2 round from Texas Motor Speedway was a hot one. Temperatures reached near 100 degrees and made for the track to dry out throughout the day, for perhaps the slickest and most challenging tracks we have seen in recent times for these riders. But that did not stop the great racing action we have had the pleasure of witnessing this year.

Here are the race recaps, along with overall results and points standing ahead of Vegas and the SMX Finale this weekend in Las Vegas:

250SMX Moto 1

The first gate drop of the day, the 250SMX class saw points leader Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan grab the holeshot ahead of Monster Energy Pro Circuit’s Kawasaki’s Ty Masterpool and Team Honda HRC Progressive’s Jo Shimoda. Shimoda quickly moved into the lead, but Deegan responded with a strong triple out of the over/under bridge to retake it. Deegan’s teammate, Nate Thrasher’s race, ended early with a crash on the over/under bridge. Masterpool suffered a similar crash while running third.

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Jordon Smith moved past Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire into fourth. At the same time, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle closed in on Shimoda but couldn’t make the pass for second by the checkered flag.

Deegan dominated, securing his third consecutive moto win of the SMX Playoffs.

Several riders, including Thrasher, Cole Thompson, Jett Reynolds, and Henry Miller, did not finish the moto.

450SMX Moto 1

The 450SMX Class kicked off their first moto with Team Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence grabbing the early lead ahead of Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb, while his teammate Eli Tomac went wide in the first turn. Hunter’s teammate and brother, Team Honda HRC Progressive, Jett Lawrence, quickly moved into second, setting up a battle between the Lawrence brothers. Points leader, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Chase Sexton found himself in ninth, needing to make up ground.

Tomac began his charge, passing Progressive/ECSTAR Suzuki’s Ken Roczen and Webb with a clever inside line through the sand turn. Once in third, he aimed for the leaders. Jett pressured his brother Hunter and took the lead when Hunter made a mistake in the rhythm section.

The drama continued as Jett stalled his bike, allowing Hunter to retake the lead and Tomac to move into second. In the end, Hunter pulled away for the win, with Tomac holding off Jett for second by just 0.87 seconds. Sexton battled up to fourth but couldn’t close the gap to the front.

250SMX Moto 2

For the last 250SMX moto in Texas, Haiden Deegan grabbed the early start and checked out on the field. Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen ran second early and was behind Deegan for a couple laps before Deegan pulled away. However, Kitchen was soon passed by Tom Vialle and Jo Shimoda, who were charging hard.

Meanwhile, Pierce Brown went down in the first turn for the second time, but he put in an incredible effort, battling from last place to finish fifth. His dead-last-to-eighth and dead-last-to-fifth rides were some of the most underrated performances of the day.

In the end, Deegan’s 1-1 scores easily earned him the overall win. Vialle (3-2) and Shimoda (2-3) swapped positions between motos, securing second and third overall on the day.

450SMX Moto 2

For the final moto of the day, off the start, Phoenix Racing Honda’s Dylan Ferrandis, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Aaron Plessinger, and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson led the pack through the first two turns, while the Lawrence brothers and Eli Tomac were outside the top five. Ken Roczen went down at the start, finding himself in last place.

Chase Sexton moved up from fifth, quickly taking control of the race and pulled away. Jett and Hunter Lawrence, both with bad starts, battled their way forward, with Jett securing second and Hunter taking third after passing Cooper Webb. On the final lap, Hunter had a close call, going off track but managing to recover in time to hold off Webb and secure third place. Sexton would take the moto victory and be his first in the 4 moto’s so far.

Hunter’s 1-3 scores earned him his first 450cc overall win, and the points lead heading into the final round. Sexton’s 4-1 finishes gave him second overall, while Jett’s 3-2 placed him third. Tomac went 2-5 for fourth, and Webb’s 5-4 rounded out the top five.

A three-rider battle between Hunter, Jett, and Sexton is going into the final round this coming weekend in Vegas. It’s what we all wanted. Three riders are going for $1 million; winner take all!

SuperMotocross World Championship Points Standings