It’s Round 3 of the 2024 SuperMotocross World Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada, and like last year, three riders are engaged in a winner-take-all battle for the $1 million prize in the 450 division.
What else is at stake? There will be $4.6 million handed out Saturday night: $385,000 for the race and $4.2 for the championship across both divisions.
Hosting 29 races during the course of its history, Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, was the site of many season finales during the history of the sport. The COVID-19 pandemic ended that streak and when the Monster Energy Supercross series moved to Salt Lake City, many wondered if the city would return to the schedule. It has, but the venue has not.
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway provided the room to stretch out and create a hybrid track needed to mix supercross and motocross elements for the playoffs.
Hunter Lawrence’s win last week at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas set up a scenario in which three riders control their fate. Hunter took the lead by one point over Chase Sexton while third-place Jett Lawrence landed nine points behind.
If Jett wins and Hunter finishes second, Jett would have the overall victory because the tiebreaker would fall to the rider with the most wins during the playoffs and Jett was victorious at zMax Dragway in Concord, North Carolina. Notably, that round was also decided by a tiebreaker when he beat Eli Tomac in the second moto after finishing second to that rider in Moto 1. Tomac was second in Moto 2.
Should Hunter win the round, he would end 2024 exactly the same way Jett did in 2023 with results of fourth in Round 1 and back-to-back victories in the final two rounds.
There have been more winners in the past four motos than there were in the previous 26 rounds from the Nashville, Tennessee, Supercross race through the Ironman National in Pro Motocross. Jett, Chase Sexton, and Hunter dominated those rounds. In the SMX playoffs, Tomac, Jett, Sexton, and Hunter have each won.
To pull off the upset, the remainder of the field will almost certainly need to add their name to the list of moto winners.
According to Clint Fowler at WeWentFast.com, Aaron Plessinger needs to win overall while Hunter finishes seventh or worse, Sexton sixth or worse, and Jett fourth or worse.
Ken Roczen and Cooper Webb have identical paths to victory with Hunter eighth or worse, Jett fifth or worse, and Tomac third or worse.
Tomac is also in the mix and he needs Hunter and Chase to finish off the podium. He could still take the overall victory if Jett finishes third.
Haiden Deegan has the inside track in the 250 division, but Tom Vialle needs Deegan to finish fourth or worse if he wants the red plate. Levi Kitchen needs the current points leader to be fifth or worse, Jo Shimoda needs a finish of sixth or worse for Deegan, and Julien Beaumer, (who got his first podium at zMax), needs Deegan to be eighth or worse while Vialle is no better than third.
Those are tall orders as Deegan has won all four 250 motos and posted the laps fastest three times.
Previous SuperMotocross Winners
2024
zMax Dragway: Jett Lawrence [Moto results 2-1]
Texas Motor Speedway: Hunter Lawrence [1-3]
2023
Los Angeles Coliseum: Jett Lawrence [1-1]
Chicagoland Speedway: Jett Lawrence [1-2]
zMax Dragway: Chase Sexton [1-1]
Motocross by the Numbers
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More SuperMotocross News
Cooper Webb joins Team USA for MXoN on a 250
Justin Cooper re-signs to one-year deal with Star Racing
Cameron McAdoo renews with Pro Circuit Kawasaki
Max Anstie named MX2 rider for Team Great Britain
450 Results from Texas | 250 Results
Hunter Lawrence wins SuperMotocross Round 2
Chance Hymas out of 2024 SMX playoffs
Carson Mumford breaks leg in SMX Texas qualifying crash
Chase Sexton fastest in Friday practice at Texas
Ty Masterpool, Pro Circuit officially announce 2025 plans
