Round 1 of the Pro Motocross season gets underway this weekend at Fox Raceway in Pala, California, but the Monster Energy SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) hits its halfway point with the conclusion of 17 rounds of Supercross action.
In 2023, Honda swept all three divisional championships in Supercross marking the first time in more than 20 years that manufacturer won the 450 title. Storylines such as those, along with the anticipation of the SuperMotocross championship, contributed to a record season for the stadium series.
Sexton enters the outdoors Motocross season as one of the favorites to take that title, but equally important he currently has the SMX lead with 372 points to Cooper Webb’s 304. The SMX Championship will be made up of three races in September that will crown a unified champion among the two disciplines. The top 20 riders in combined points will get an automatic berth in the main event of those three events.
Sexton has a gap of 294 points over the 21st rider in the standings.
Combined points will be important for another 2023 champion. Jett Lawrence will debut on the 450 bike this week and begin his quest for the SMX 450 title with zero points after abandoning his 250 tally. If Lawrence rides even remotely close to how he performed on his way to the 250 West championship, it will not take long for him to make up the 85 points that separate him from the top 20. Run in a two-moto format with 25 points available to the winner of each race, Lawrence could be in contention for a SMX invitation as quickly as two rounds from now.
After starting in Pala this week, the Motocross series heads north to Hangtown on June 3, 2023.
Hunter Lawrence holds the top seed in the 250 class after winning the Eastern Regional title and has a 138-point cushion on 21st.
All three Supercross championships had storyline that kept fans engaged and headed to the track. In 17 rounds, 850,000 fans swept through the turnstile with 343,000 arriving early to attend FanFest activities and catch a glimpse of their favorite riders. Four races, (both Anaheim events, San Diego and the season finale at Salt Lake City), sold out.
The new television package with NBC Sports and Peacock provided continuity to fans and the reaction was positive. Peacock exclusively streamed 12 Supercross races this season, with consumption up nearly 100% vs. 2022. The five rounds that aired on NBC and USA Network reached more than 5 million total viewers.
That new package also allowed Pro Motocross to increase their purses by more than 40 percent.
The excitement surrounding the inaugural SMX season will continue as America’s top motorcycle racers take the fight outdoors.
All 11 rounds of the Pro Motocross series can be seen live on Peacock.tv and with the extension of the popular RaceDay program, fans will have the opportunity to watch practice sessions leading up to each National.
NBC will air live network showcases of the opening motos from the Southwick National, on July 8, and the second motos from the Unadilla National, on August 12. USA Network will broadcast Sunday re-airs of the final motos from the Spring Creek National, on July 16, and the Budds Creek National, on August 20.
Encore presentations of the second motos from all 11 rounds will air on CNBC every Monday following a National.