SMX Next – Supercross Program Overview

The SX Futures program began years ago and provided amateur riders and average Joes the chance to race on tamed down supercross tracks the day after the professional race (Sunday). Due to COVID-19, the program did not run in 2020 nor 2021, and when the program came back for the 2022 season it was changed significantly. Gone were Sunday events on a tamed-down track, as well as the C, vet, and young classes. The newly revamped program focused on the top riders of the sport (A and B divisions together at once) racing as part of the actual Saturday night show in order to be a steppingstone toward professional supercross.

The current format allows riders to get experience racing on the legitimate professional supercross track, on pro race day, with a schedule similar. Free practice, qualifying, and meetings with current and former pros, AMA officials, and more all take place throughout the day, then the main event takes place in the middle of the pro night show. This gets the amateurs experience racing under the lights and allows them to get some TV coverage form the Peacock/SuperMotocross Video Pass broadcast. Essentially, it is a simulated pro day.

Since the 2022 season, there have been three different riders to win the main event championship finale: Honda’s Chance Hymas in 2022; Husqvarna’s Casey Cochran in 2023, and GasGas’ Cole Davies in 2024.

Current 250SX Pros That Went Through the Program

And speaking of Davies, in just his third pro race/supercross main event start, the 17-year-old earned his first career 250SX main event podium last weekend at the Anaheim 2 Supercross! Actually, the 250SX main event podium of Haiden Deegan, Julien Beaumer, and Davies was not only an all-teenager podium but an all SX Futures graduates podium.

Deegan and Beaumer are the first two riders to come through the current SX Futures format and earn race wins in the pro 250SX Class. Chance Hymas has won a Pro Motocross overall but has yet to win a supercross main event. 

Here is a rough list of active pro riders in supercross that have gone through the current format: Beaumer (one win, two 250SX podiums this year and leading the points after three rounds), Deegan (one win and two podiums so far this season), Ryder DiFrancesco, Drew Adams, Talon Hawkins, Avery Long, Lux Turner, Parker Ross, Gavin Towers, Evan Ferry, Brad West, Preston Masciangelo, Braden Spangle, Dylan Cunha, Vincent “Slade” Varola, Reven Gordon, Kaden Lewis, Robert Hailey, and more.

Come the 250SX East Region opener in Tampa, Florida, in two weeks, we will see Hymas, Daxton Bennick (podiumed his first 250SX pro race last year), Mark Fineis, Bryce Shelly, Trevor Colip, Preston Boespflug, Gage Linville, Jaxen Driskell, and more.

2025 SMX Next SX Futures Schedule

The 2025 schedule features four qualifying events. Riders in the top five in the main event of each qualifying event will be added into the main event at the championship finale. Obviously, if a rider gets a top five finish in more than one qualifying event, the second event they raced will take the sixth-place finisher to transfer to the finale, and so on.

While the SX Futures main event finale had been at the Salt Lake City SX finale the last three years, the ’25 championship finale will take place at the Pittsburgh Supercross on April 26, which is actually round 15 of the 17-round 450SX schedule. Sean Brennen, Director Public Relations - Supercross for Feld Entertainment, told us back in October the goal of switching the SX Futures finale away from the 450SX season finale was to put an emphasis on the SX Futures championship finale instead of letting it get overshadowed by titles in the main classes.

“I think part of the decision: unique area, unique event wanting to give something more to Pittsburgh for the very first time. But obviously having something in the eastern region as well—SMX Next, an AMA National Championship—and being able to shed more light on that in its own event and not getting caught up in being part of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship in Salt Lake City.”

So, the 2025 SMX Next Supercross Schedule will be as follows:

*Round 1 – Glendale, AZ, on Feb. 1 at State Farm Stadium
*Round 2 – Daytona Beach, FL, on Mar. 1 at Daytona International Speedway
*Round 3 – Birmingham, AL, on Mar. 22 at Protective Stadium
*Round 4 – Foxborough, MA, on Apr. 5 at Gillette Stadium
**Pittsburgh, PA, Saturday, Apr. 26 at Acrisure Stadium

*SMX Next – Supercross Premier Qualifying Events
**SMX Next – Supercross AMA National Championship

Entry List for the Glendale SX Event

Notes: Now, with Drew Adams racing the Anaheim 2 SX in the 250SX Class, his eligibility for the SMX Next – Supercross program is gone.

Caden Dudney, who had a big week at the Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in August 2024, is expected to be a favorite in this year’s program. Dudney’s new Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing teammate, Kayden Minear, will be making his racing debut with the team on Saturday. Neither have raced the SMX Next – Supercross program.

[UPDATE: Late Thursday night we learned Minear is actually out for this weekend with an injury.]

Landon Gibson raced the program in 2024 at just 15 years old and he showed a lot of speed. Landen Gordon and Landon Hartz also competed in 2024 and are back racing again this year, as is Muc-Off/FXR/ClubMX Yamaha riders Alex Fedortsov and Ryder Malinoski.

Leum Oehlhof (now on a Honda), Cole Timboe, Grayson Townsend (now on a Honda), Ely Gross (now on a Triumph), Krystian Janik (now on a Yamaha) and Kade Johnson are also making their debut in the program, as are Wyatt Thurman, Nathan Abbott, and more.