Monster Energy Riders Set for SMX Playoffs as Davies, Deegan and Kitchen Lead the Charge

Fresh off an AMA Pro Motocross Championship 250 class victory and 250 ESX Monster Energy AMA Supercross title, Monster Energy’s Cole Davies (Star Racing/Yamaha) and teammate Haiden Deegan (1^st 250 WSX, 3^rd 450 MX) lead a contingent of Monster Energy-backed pro dirt bike racers into the three-round Monster Energy SuperMotocross (SMX) World Championships beginning this Saturday, Sept. 12^th, with Playoff 1 at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

For 2026, the Monster Energy SMX Playoffs will feature three brand new venues on the schedule. Joining Ohio’s SMX Playoff 1 round will be the Sept. 19^th SMX Playoff 2 held at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif., followed by the Sept. 26 SMX World Championship Final at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in Ridgedale, Mo.

SMX Playoffs Explained

As in the previous three years, dating back to 2023, the SMX Playoffs are held on three consecutive Saturdays in September and combine traits from both the high speed, rugged outdoor motocross style racing with the high wire/high risk airborne stadium version of dirt bike racing, aka supercross.

Racers are selected based on their combined points from the 17-round Monster Energy AMA Supercross season, along with the 11-round AMA Pro Motocross Championship. The top 20 racers in each class (450 & 250) received a guaranteed spot on the gate for all three playoff rounds. Racers ranked 21-30 compete in Wild Card/LCQ races at each playoff round to qualify for one of the final transfer spots in the 22-racer gate.

Things ratchet up from round to round as the single points awarded in Ohio turn into double points in California, then culminate with triple points in Missouri to decide the eventual SMX champions.

SMX Playoffs 250 Class

Davies, on the heels of his 250 class double MX/SX championship, enters Ohio with 25 points – and the No. 1 seed in the class. He’ll be joined up top by Monster Energy’s Levi Kitchen (Pro Circuit/Kawasaki), who, with 22 points (250 WSX runner-up & 3^rd place MX), earned the No. 2 seed. Joining Davies and Kitchen with top ten seeds from Monster Energy are: 6^th seed Kayden Minear (Star Racing/Yamaha) and 7^th seed Nate Thrasher (Star Racing/Yamaha). Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker earned the 8^th seed, but is out with an injury.

Other Monster Energy 250 class racers with Top 20 points include: Michael Mosiman (Star Racing/Yamaha), Caden Dudney (Star Racing/Yamaha), Drew Adams (Pro Circuit/Kawasaki) and Landen Gordon (Star Racing/Yamaha).

SMX Playoffs 450 Class

Given Deegan’s points were split between 250 (SX) and 450 (MX), his Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha teammate, Cooper Webb, enters Ohio with the No. 3 seed (to Deegan’s 7^th seed in the 450 class). Webb carries the momentum of completing an entire outdoor national season – culminating with his lone podium of the year at the Ironman MX National (Ind.). In addition, Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Garrett Marchbanks, who put together a very solid year outdoors (6^th overall), comes in just a click ahead of Deegan with the 6^th seed.

All that said, Deegan has been phenomenal in SMX Playoff racing, winning the 250 class championship in both 2023 and ’24. And throughout the 2026 outdoor season he was a fixture on the 450 class podium, scoring seven rostrum finishes (out of 11 races) and placing 3^rd overall in his rookie campaign on the 450.

Just outside the 450 class top ten seeds for Monster Energy are Justin Cooper (Star Racing/Yamaha) and Chase Sexton (Kawasaki), in 11^th and 12^th positions, respectively. However, both have been healing up from injuries and their status at the SMX Playoff rounds is doubtful. But in with the last seed, 20^th ranked Justin Hill (Tedder/KTM), will be one to keep an eye as he’s healthy and always ready to send it when the NBC cameras roll.

Lastly, there’s a good chance fans might get to see Monster Energy’s Jason Anderson (Suzuki) back in action after a long layoff. Anderson, based on a limited SX season where he placed 17^th overall (coupled with zero MX starts), is seeded 27^th at the SMX Playoffs and will have to battle through the Wild Card/LCQ race to make the main. But don’t count “El Hombre” out!

Monster Energy seeded racers for 2026 SMX Playoffs

Up now: Monster Energy’s MX & SX racers will be showcased at the three round SMX Playoffs, beginning Sept. 12^th with Playoff 1 at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.