In the 450 class of the SuperMotocross Playoffs held in Charlotte over the weekend, Jett Lawrence emerged victorious, finishing with a 2-1 score across the two motos. Eli Tomac followed closely behind, securing second place with a 1-2 finish. Chase Sexton claimed third with finishes of 4-3, while Hunter Lawrence and Ken Roczen rounded out the top five with 3-6 and 5-5 results, respectively. The race showcased intense competition, with riders quickly adapting to the unique track conditions at zMAX Dragway, setting the stage for an exciting playoff series ahead.
In the post-race conference, Jett, Sexton and Eli were asked about the long SMX season with 31 races. They all shared the same opinion that it is a very long season. They all raced this SuperMotocross in the last 3 races only for the paycheck, and Jett said that if there wasn’t a paycheck, there wouldn’t be any riders racing it. He thinks that they need to make fewer races to make it more rare. Sexton shares that it is a very long season and only 4 guys raced in all races and haven’t missed one, including him.
The riders are making it clear in the post race conference how they are feeling about the long seasons (part 1/2) pic.twitter.com/VAPxCEWSfp
— Natasha (@Riverrat834) September 7, 2024
The second question was asked by Jase Mecalpine from Gipsy Tales about what the riders would like to change and implement in the season. Jett stated that the SuperMotocross Playoffs are dangerous races because they require a suspension setup that is too stiff for Supercross rhythm lanes and too soft for the fast sections in Motocross. This can create a lot of sketchy moments and potentially end a rider’s season. Sexton mentioned that the only solution he sees is to gather the top 8-9 riders to come together and say, “We are not racing this much.” He added, “At the end of the day, they control the narrative, and we don’t have much to say.”
Part 2/2 Gypsy mentions the TV conference is based off 31 races and asks for ideas how to make it easier on the riders. pic.twitter.com/P30yk8EdVC
— Natasha (@Riverrat834) September 7, 2024
