450 Storylines: St. Louis Recap

HUNTER LAWRENCE: Took control of his own destiny with an overall victory in St. Louis, meaning he can win the Championship with an overall victory in Las Vegas. It was his 24^th SMX League* victory tying him with Justin Barcia and Pierre Karsmakers for 31^st on the all-time SMX League wins list. His 2^nd 450 SMX Playoff victory moves him behind Jett Lawrence for second all-time and he has won three straight Rd. 2’s (2023 250 Class, 2024-2025 450 Class).

JETT LAWRENCE: Holds the points lead after a runner-up overall finish in St. Louis. It was his 7^th 450 Playoff podium in 8 starts and 86^th career SMX League podium (24^th all-time). He is looking for his 3^rd consecutive 450 SMX World Championship title by winning the overall or by finishing on the podium with anyone other than Hunter winning.

ELI TOMAC: Nailed his 230^th SMX League podium, 4^th in five 450 Playoff starts, and 2^nd in as many Playoff rounds this season. Already has the 2^nd most 450 Playoff top-5 finishes even with missing 3 of the 8 rounds since its inception with 5. Tomac’s easiest path to the Championship is winning while Hunter finishes 3^rd or worse and Jett finishes 4^th or worse.

NOTES: Honda continues their dominance of the 450 Playoffs their 8^th win in 8 rounds. Jett has 5, Hunter has 2, and Chase Sexton has 1 for the brand. It was Honda’s 2^nd sweep of a Playoff round (2023 Chicagoland, Hunter in 250s and Jett in 450s). Honda has won 12/15 450 Playoff motos as well, with KTM, Suzuki, and Yamaha each winning one. Honda has won all 3 motos this year (1 in Concord, 2 in St. Louis). If Jett clinches the title in Las Vegas, it would be his 10^th SMX League Championship, which would tie him with Ryan Villopoto and Jeremy McGrath for 2^nd all-time (Ricky Carmichael leads all-time with 16).

450 Class: Las Vegas Facts

• HISTORY LESSON: The first Premier Class SMX League* round held in Las Vegas was on May 19, 1985, at Las Vegas Motocross Park and included all three Motocross classes (125/250/500). Rick Johnson (Yamaha) swept the Premier Class while David Bailey (Honda) swept the defunct 500cc Class.
• HISTORIC SUPERCROSS CITY: The 1985 Las Vegas Motocross was the only Motocross round that took place in Vegas. The first 450SX Class round in Las Vegas was held on March 17, 1990, in Sam Boyd Stadium and Jeff Matiasevich (Kawasaki) earned his first and only 450SX Class victory. The series returned almost every season through 2019, only missing 1996, but hasn’t returned to Sam Boyd Stadium since.  Sam Boyd Stadium hosted 26 Premier Class finales from 1993-2019 which is far and away the most in Supercross history. L.A. Memorial Coliseum is a distant second with 9 450SX Class finales.
• FINALE TRADITION CONTINUES: Sam Boyd Stadium was set to host the 2020 finale until the COVID-19 pandemic scrapped the event. The 2024 Las Vegas Motor Speedway SMX World Championship Finale was a welcome return to the historic racing city and stood as the third SMX League* discipline to host in Las Vegas. Including the 1985 Motocross round, 29 Premier Class Supercross rounds, and 2024 Playoffs Finale, the 2025 Playoffs Finale will be the 32^nd Premier Class round held in Las Vegas.
• CHAMPIONSHIP %: In only 14/31 (44%) Las Vegas Premier Class rounds the winner scored the Championship. Only 10/26 (38%) 450SX Class finales had Championship implications, and the other 16 had already been clinched. Jett Lawrence was 9-points behind in third last season, but used a 1-1 finish in the triple-points Las Vegas finale to tie in the SMX World Championship last year, winning the tie-breaker over his brother Hunter. He is in a much better position this season holding a 6-point lead over Hunter going into the 2025 Las Vegas finale.

250 Storylines: St. Louis Recap

JO SHIMODA: Controls his own destiny with an overall victory in St. Louis. It was his 11^th SMX League victory (tied for 66^th all-time with Shane McElrath, Davi Millsaps, Mickael Pichon, Jake Weimer, Stephane Roncada, and Gary Jones). It was his 2^nd 250 SMX Playoff victory becoming only the 2^nd athlete with multiple wins in the class (Haiden Deegan- 4). It was his 6^th 250 Playoff podium (2^nd behind Deegan) and he is a perfect 8/8 in top-5 finishes (the only athlete with such results).

SETH HAMMAKER: Back-to-back runner-up finishes for his first two Playoff podiums and top-5 finishes. He is 4/4 in top-10 finishes in his 250 Playoff history. He is looking to make his 65^th SMX League start in Las Vegas. If he wins he would need Shimoda to finish 3^rd or worse to win the title, regardless of where Deegan finished. If Hammaker finishes 2^nd, he would need Deegan to finish 3^rd or worse and Shimoda to finish 5^th or worse.

NATE THRASHER: Made his 80^th SMX League start and earned his first Playoff podium overall in St. Louis. With 12 career SMX League podiums, Thrasher moves inside the all-time top-150 on the all-time list. He is looking for a top-5 finish in the World Championship point standings with a solid finish in the triple-point round of Las Vegas. He is the 11^th different athlete to earn an overall podium in 250 SMX Playoff history.

NOTES: Jo Shimoda becomes the first athlete to win a Playoff race on multiple brands, no matter the class. He joins Hunter Lawrence as Honda winners in the 250 Playoffs. It was Honda’s first win in St. Louis since 2013. Ty Masterpool (4^th): Made his 75^th SMX League start and earned his first Playoff top-5 finish. Haiden Deegan (6^th): Fell to 2^nd in the point standings, needs to win and Shimoda to finish 3^rd or worse to win his 3^rd straight World Championship. Justin Rodbell (22^nd): The only athlete across either class to make his first career Playoff start.

250 Class: Las Vegas Facts

• HISTORIC SUPERCROSS CITY: The first 250SX Class round in Las Vegas was on March 17, 1990, in Sam Boyd Stadium. Jeremy McGrath (Honda) famously scored his first ever SMX League* victory finishing ahead of Michael Craig (Kawasaki) and eventual Western Divisional Champion Ty Davis (Honda). 250SX Class racing returned to Sam Boyd Stadium, just like in the 450SX Class, through 2019 only missing 2016.
• BIG 40: Including the 1985 Las Vegas Motocross, 1990-1995 Western Divisional rounds, 1997-2015 Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Showdown exhibitions, 2011-2014 Eastern Divisional rounds, 2011-2014 Western Divisional rounds, 2016-2019 Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Showdown points paying rounds, and last season’s SMX World Championship finale, 2025’s SMX World Championship finale will be the 40^th 250SX Class gate drop in Las Vegas history and second at The Strip.
• HISTORY LESSON: The first 250 Class SMX League round held in Las Vegas was on May 19, 1985, at Las Vegas Motocross Park (then 125cc Class). Ron Lechien (Honda) swept the event on the way to his one and only Championship.
• DAVE COOMS SR. EAST/WEST SHOWDOWNS: The first official Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Showdown in Sam Boyd Stadium was in 1997 and Kevin Windham (Yamaha) scored the victory fresh off his Western Divisional Championship. The Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Showdown was solely an exhibition round (non-points paying) through 2010 and featured winners such as Windham, Ricky Carmichael, Travis Pastrana, James Stewart, and Ryan Dungey among others. From 2011-2014 Sam Boyd Stadium featured the finales for both East and Western Divisionals while qualifying the top-10 from each race for a Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Showdown, meaning an exciting night with three 250SX Class Main Events. 2015 returned to a Showdown only, while 2016-2019 featured the first points paying Dave Coombs Sr. Showdown exclusively.