2026 SuperMotocross World Championship Preview

The fourth iteration of the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) is set to commence on September 12 at the Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Following the conclusion of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship, SMX takes center stage, determining the ultimate champion through a three-round playoff format. This playoff system amalgamates the points from 17 Supercross rounds and 11 Pro Motocross rounds, subsequently seeding the contenders for the three playoff rounds.

To qualify for SMX, riders must secure a top 20 position in the combined points tally from both Supercross and Pro Motocross seasons within the 450 or 250 divisions. The top 20 riders in each division are automatically seeded into the SMX field. Should there be a tie, a Wild Card race will determine the remaining two spots. Additionally, any rider outside the top 30 who has won a Supercross Main Event or a Pro Motocross moto is eligible to participate in the Wild Card race.

The points scoring system resets after the seeding phase. The top seed commences with 25 points, and the ranking decreases by two points for each subsequent position, reaching 2 points for the 20th seed. Riders ranked outside the top 20 begin the playoffs with a standing of zero. The first playoff round, Playoff 1, adheres to the standard Supercross or Pro Motocross race structure, awarding 25 points for first place and 1 point for 21st.

The subsequent round, Playoff 2, doubles the points, while the SMX World Championship Final triples the points.

Each round in SMX is structured around a two-moto format for both the 450 and 250 classes. Every moto lasts 20 minutes plus one lap, with the riders' positions being determined by Olympic scoring and corresponding championship points awarded accordingly. The SMX playoffs bring significant prize money, with the 450cc champion securing a $1 million payout, followed by the 250cc champion's $500,000 award.

The remaining purse is distributed among the top 22 finishers, with the 450 SMX payout starting at $1,000,000 for the champion and gradually decreasing, while the 250 SMX payout begins at $500,000 and decreases similarly.