SMX Playoffs 2026: Now it's about the last title of the season

Is the season really over when Pro Motocross finishes? Quite the contrary. Now the battle for the SMX title begins.

The riders have completed 28 races – 17 Supercross rounds and 11 Pro Motocross rounds. Anyone who has made it through this season by the end of August has already completed a marathon. But that's precisely what makes the SMX format so special: only after Supercross and Motocross are finished does the decisive phase for the Monster Energy SMX World Championship title begin.

The playoffs now mark the beginning of the finale of a season that could hardly have been more different.

Hunter Lawrence starts the playoffs as number one.

Hunter Lawrence enters the postseason as the top seed. The Australian narrowly missed out on the Supercross title after a dramatic final against Ken Roczen, but struck back in Pro Motocross and secured his first 450MX championship.

This means Lawrence leads the combined SMX standings and goes into the playoff race as the rider to beat.

Ken Roczen also has every reason to approach the decisive races with confidence. The German rider overcame a 31-point deficit in the Supercross and secured the title in Salt Lake City – one of the greatest successes of his career.

The top 20 drivers are fighting for the final title.

The 20 riders with the most points in each of the 450cc and 250cc classes from the combined Supercross and Motocross standings qualify for the SMX Playoffs. Unlike the regular season, each race now counts double: Two playoff races determine who secures the best possible starting position for the grand final.

What makes it special is the blend of both disciplines. The tracks combine artificial supercross elements with motocross sections, sand sections, and significantly higher speeds. To win here, you have to excel on both surfaces.

Columbus opens the playoffs

The first stop of the series takes place in Columbus (Ohio) at the Historic Crew Stadium. A completely new SMX track is being built there, utilizing large sand fields, an elevated start, and parts of the existing stadium architecture.

Ohio has been considered a motorsports stronghold in the USA for decades. Expectations are correspondingly high for the start of the playoffs.

A week later, the action moves to Carson, California, to Dignity Health Sports Park. This marks only the second time ever that the SMX postseason has made a stop in Southern California – the traditional home of a large portion of the American motocross and supercross scene.

The final awaits in the Ozarks

The SMX World Champion will ultimately be crowned in Ridgedale, Missouri. The Thunder Ridge Nature Arena provides a spectacular finale to the season and is significantly different from the two playoff tracks.

The track lies in a natural amphitheater of the Ozark Mountains and has a much stronger motocross character. Changes in elevation, natural bumps, and long off-road sections are designed to demand everything from the riders.

Many drivers already described the facility last year as one of the most impressive racetracks in North America.

An era comes to an end

Besides the title fight, the postseason will also be emotional. So Tomac has announced after the final of the Pro Motocross season that he will end his career after the SMX final.

This marks the end of a career that shaped American motocross for over 16 years. Tomac won titles in Supercross and Pro Motocross, dominated the 450cc class for years, and now bids farewell with three final races on the season's biggest stage.

Defending champions only half-heartedly present

In the 250cc class, Jo Shimoda returns as the reigning SMX champion and aims to defend his title.

In the 450 division, however, last year's winner is missing. Jett Lawrence has to complete the entire postseason after a necessary ankle surgery He will miss out and cannot defend his SMX title.

This clears the way for a new champion – and the cards will be completely reshuffled between Hunter Lawrence, Ken Roczen, Eli Tomac and the other top drivers.

Three races will decide the title

The regular season is over. Now only three events count.

• SMX Playoff 1: September 12 – Columbus, Ohio
• SMX Playoff 2: September 19 – Carson, California
• SMX World Championship Final: September 26 – Ridgedale, Missouri

After 28 races, the last and perhaps most challenging part of the season begins – because only in Ridgedale will it be decided who will be crowned Monster Energy SMX World Champion in 2026.