The SuperMotocross (SMX) World Championship series pays the sport’s largest prize payout of $10 million: $4.5 million is awarded throughout the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, leaving $5.5 million to be earned through the SMX World Championship Finals, fueled by Monster Energy.
As the Pro Motocross Championship goes into its first break of the 11-round summer season, new details have been revealed regarding how the historic $5.5 million prize will be distributed across the final three rounds of the 31-event SuperMotocross World Championship.
The 450cc class SMX Champion is guaranteed a seven-figure payday of $1 million for earning the most SMX points in the three-round SMX Playoffs and Final. Second place earns $500,000, third place $250,000, while positions four through eight still pay in the six figures. Ninth position is worth $90,000 while a 10th-place finish will still earn a considerable $75,000. Positions 11 through 22 range from $50,000 to $25,000.
The champion of the 250cc class will earn $500,000, second place $250,000 and third place $150,000. Fourth place still awards in the six figures at $100,000 while fifth pays $50,000 and sixth $25,000. Seventh place earns $18,000, then the points fund continues in thousand dollar increments to 20th.
In addition to the championship points fund being awarded, each of the three events will also have an individual race purse of $404,810, the largest in off-road motorcycle racing. Athletes will earn based on their finishing position within each event. First place in the 450cc class will collect $100,000, second place $50,000, third $25,000, fourth $10,000, fifth $5,000, sixth $4,000, seventh $3,900, and then it continues in thousand dollar increments to 30th place, to include the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) competitors.
First place in the 250cc class will collect $50,000, second place $25,000, third $12,500, fourth $5,000, fifth $2,700, and then it continues by varying amounts to thirtieth position to include the LCQ competitors.
For the first time in the sport’s 50-plus year history, the top 20 athletes in combined Supercross and Pro Motocross points will compete in a postseason and will be automatically seeded into the SMX World Championship Finals. Athletes who have performed well in both disciplines of Supercross and Pro Motocross, or exceptionally well in one of the two disciplines, will be rewarded through a higher seeding.
Like traditional sports, fans can now look towards playoff scenarios by watching their favorite athlete gain additional points throughout the summer as racers vie for their position on the SMX World Championship starting gate. Every week, positions are gained or lost based on the outcome of the two moto, points-paying system used in Pro Motocross. Athletes like Dylan Ferrandis and Jo Shimoda, who were sidelined for most of Supercross due to injury, are now gaining valuable ground in the SMX points standings with their strong finishes in the first few rounds of the Pro Motocross series.
With Jett Lawrence’s move to the premier class, he is the only athlete to currently hold SMX top 20 points in both classes and is on pace to set near the top of the 450cc class standings with his exceptional debut in Pro Motocross. Lawrence is ranked seventh in 250 SMX points and 11th in 450 SMX points, which are only going to grow with seven rounds remaining.
Once the Pro Motocross season concludes, all points will be tallied to calculate the top 30 positions in combined Supercross and Pro Motocross points. Top 20 competitors are automatically seeded into the three postseason races. Athletes in positions 21 to 30, plus any Supercross Main Event winners or Pro Motocross moto winners, will have the opportunity to race a Last Chance Qualifier for the final two gate positions at each race.
The top 20 will be seeded according to their SMX points rankings. Once seeding positions are established, the points will be reset to zero, and then each position will start with a quantity of points based on their seeding position using a 25-point system. First place will start with 25 points, second 22 points, third 20 points, fourth 18 points and then will continue in single digit increments to 20th, starting with two points. Positions 21 and 22 will start with zero points.
The SMX World Championship Finals will feature a two-moto format for both classes as is the norm in Pro Motocross. Each moto will be 25 minutes plus one lap and will be scored using the same Olympic-Style scoring system used for Supercross Triple Crown events to determine the overall winner. For each moto, first place equals one point, second place two points, third place three points, ending with 22 points for the last position. Moto scores will then be added together to determine the lowest score for the overall: One plus one equals two points if an athlete wins both motos, ultimately producing the lowest score possible. SMX Championship points will then be awarded according to the overall finishing position for each event.
SMX Playoff 1 will award single points for the top 21 positions (25-1), while Playoff 2 will pay out double points (50-2). The SMX World Championship Final will then pay triple points (75-3), setting the stage for a wide-open, three-race showdown guaranteed to provide championship drama all the way to the end.
If a seeded, top 20 athlete is unable to compete in an event, an additional opportunity will be made available for a provisional racer to qualify through the Last Chance Qualifier.
All roads lead towards the SuperMotocross World Championship as Playoff 1 will take place on Saturday, Sept. 9 at zMAX Dragway at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. Playoff 2 is set for Saturday, Sept. 16 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois, followed by the SuperMotocross World Championship Final on Saturday, Sept. 23 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles.
For more information about the 2023 SuperMotocross World Championship, purchase tickets to the SuperMotocross World Championship Finals, or learn more about how to tune in via television, domestic or international streaming, visit supermotocross.com and Peacock.
