Haiden Deegan and Levi Kitchen Sweep at SMX Opener in Ohio

While foul weather rained down on Ohio’s Historic Crew Stadium on Saturday, fans in attendance knew darn well that the ‘Show must go on’ as motocross, combined with supercross to create the hybrid Monster Energy SuperMotocross (SMX) World Championship, races rain or shine. And two of Monster Energy’s finest – Haiden Deegan (Star Racing/Yamaha) and Levi Kitchen (Pro Circuit/Kawasaki) – shined the brightest as they swept top honors in the 450 and 250 classes at the opening round of the three round series.

Beginning with Deegan, the 450 class rookie would score his first-ever indoor (stadium) victory on the big bore bikes, winning the opening, rain-shortened 15-minute moto wire-to-wire. Deegan then topped veteran and defending 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross champion Ken Roczen (Suzuki) in the 12-lap second moto to sweep Ohio SMX round with a 1-1 performance.

Said Deegan: “I don't think you understand how badly I wanted this. I've been working my butt off, grinding these last two weeks. Two weeks can make a lot of difference. I know it's a mud race, but man I felt good.”

Scoring a podium finish in 450 Moto 2 with a 3^rd place run, and finishing just off the overall podium in 4^th position (9-3) was Monster Energy’s Cooper Webb (Star Racing/Yamaha). And rounding out the 450 class top ten for Monster Energy was Garrett Marchbanks (Kawasaki) who placed 10^th (7-16). Also noteworthy in the 450 class was the effort from Monster Energy’s Jason Anderson (Suzuki). After missing much of the supercross season, and all of the outdoor season, Anderson qualified for the 450 main event with a 2^nd place finish in the LCQ, then placed 5^th in the first moto before wrecking in Moto 2. Anderson would score a commendable 12^th place overall finish, going 2-5-22.

In 250 class action Monster Energy’s Kitchen, fresh off a podium 3^rd place overall finish in the AMA Pro Motocross Championship this past summer, rallied back from a tough final two outdoor rounds to win the Ohio SMX with a 2-2 effort. And, unlike with AMA Pro Motocross scoring, the Olympic format for scoring in SMX gave the win to Kitchen, ahead of Husqvarna’s Daxton Bennick’s 1-3 two moto finish.

“Did I win?,” said Kitchen right after the race.

No. 1 SMX 250 class seed heading into Ohio based on his 250 ESX supercross title and recent 250 class outdoor title, Monster Energy’s Cole Davies, wound up with a rock stuck in his brake and ended up 22^nd. Davies came blazing back and dominated Moto 2, going 22-1 to sneak into the top ten (10^th). Also joining Kitchen and Davies in the top ten from Monster Energy were: Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Cameron McAdoo, back from a long injury layoff, in 5^th position (4-6-7), Caden Dudney (Star Racing/Yamaha) in 6^th (5-8), Landen Gordon (Star Racing/Yamaha) in 8^th (7-9) and Drew Adams (Pro Circuit/Kawasaki) in 9^th (10-11).

Noteworthy: Since SMX’s Round 2 is double points, and Round 3 is triple points, Davies is still well within the hunt for the overall SMX championship.

Notes & Quotes

• Tough day all around for the No. 1 seeds as mentioned with Davis in the 250 class as 450 class top seed and defending outdoor champ Hunter Lawrence (Honda) placed 21^st in the opening moto and 15^th overall.
• Nice gesture by Husqvarna racer Malcolm Stewart who took the time to help Anderson up out of the mud when the two both went down in a Lap 2 crash in 450 Moto 2.
• Davies was actually leading Moto 1 at the halfway point when he slammed his bike down hard off a jump – and had a small rock wedged itself into Davies’ rear brake. 
• The 10^th place finish for Davies means he’s going to have a more challenging road to accomplish what no racer ever has… to win a Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship title, an AMA Pro Motocross Championship title and a Monster Energy SuperMotocross Championship.
• Monster Energy’s Nick Romano (Pro Circuit/Kawasaki) was the lone Monster Energy-backed racer to win a Wildcard or “LCQ” race, doing so in the 250 class to qualify for the main motos. Monster Energy’s Pierce Brown (Star Racing/Yamaha) would finish second to Romano in the 250 LCQ.
• Dudney was riding well, passing Kitchen in Moto 1 with five minutes to go in the race - and looked to be in podium position – when a crash allowed Kitchen to get by for 2^nd. Dudney would remount and place 5^th in 250 Moto 1. 
• They also sent the SMX Next racers out into the muddy conditions at Historic Crew Stadium and Kade Johnson (Monster Energy/Team Green Kawasaki) came out on top with teammate Vincent Wey making the podium in 3^rd.
• Cool seeing the “Beast from the East,” pro motocross great Damon Bradshaw, serving as Grand Marshal for the Ohio SMX, along with being inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame in nearby Pickerington, Ohio, over the weekend.

Monster Energy Ohio SMX results

Overall SMX Playoff points (after 1 of 3 rounds)

Up next: After all the mud’s power washed off the Tuff Blocks and signage, the SMX Playoffs pack up and head west for Round 2 of the Monster Energy SuperMotocross Championship set for Saturday, Sept. 19^th, at Los Angeles’ Dignity Health Sports Park.