Ken Roczen and Kyle Chisholm Are Dialed-in for the Gate Drops of the SMX Playoffs and Final
With the Monster Energy AMA Supercross and AMA Pro Motocross seasons in the books, the riders and teams are gearing up for the third running of the SMX World Championship post-season. The series consists of three events on unique, hybrid tracks that combine the obstacles and challenges of Supercross and motocross on one course. With a $1,000,000 prize going to the 450SMX Class champion, the excitement and intensity are ratcheted up for the riders, the teams, and the race fans.
Race Highlights:
- Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki
o 450 Class
Ken Roczen, seeded in 11th position.
- Twisted Tea Suzuki presented by Progressive Insurance
o 450 Class
Kyle Chisholm, seeded in 27th position.
Ken Roczen (94) enters the SMX World Championship post-season in 11th position, which awards him 11 points; he has one race win already in 2025.
Ken Roczen (94) and his Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki look to top their performance from the inaugural SMX World Championship in 2023 when Roczen earned the runner-up spot and the $500,000 check that comes with it. Roczen sits in a strong position in 2025, having earned a top-five overall standing in the Supercross season despite missing the final two rounds due to injury. Also, Roczen won the Daytona Supercross this year, the one track on the regular-season schedule that most-closely approximates the hybrid SMX-style courses. Roczen missed most the motocross series but used the penultimate MX round to confirm that his speed is ready, and his return from surgery is on-track, to contest for the 2025 SMX World Champion title.
“I’m very excited to start the SMX Playoffs,” said Roczen. “I’m glad I was able to get a gate drop under my belt a couple weeks ago at Unadilla. I have been working hard coming off of the injury sustained in Supercross, and I plan on that translating [to a strong result] in Charlotte.”
Kyle Chisholm (11), in his final year as a full-time professional racer, became the winningest LCQ racer in Supercross history.
Kyle Chisholm (11) completed his 20th year as a professional Supercross and motocross racer and is retiring on that milestone at the end of 2025. A fan-favorite, Chisholm achieved the designation of the rider with the most Supercross LCQ victories when he won his 13th LCQ at the Seattle Supercross this season. Experience in the high-pressure ‘place or go home’ LCQs will benefit Chisholm in the 2025 post-season where he comes in seeded in 27th position. The racing structure requires Chisholm to battle his way onto the 22-rider starting gate at each round, but he and his Twisted Tea Suzuki RM-Z450 are ready to compete, and few riders will be having more fun in the fight for World Championship points.
“I’m glad to be back with the team after a of couple months off after Supercross,” stated Chisholm. “The SMX races are always fun events. I’m not too happy to have to go through the LCQs, but with my experience, I feel we will get good results.”
“Three rounds to decide the SMX Champion. I’m ready to get the SMX Playoffs started and have Ken Roczen back at the races,” said Larry Brooks, Twisted Tea/H.E.P. Motorsports/Suzuki presented by Progressive Insurance Team Manager. “The team is in a good spot, and our racers are coming in as prepared as possible. It has been a long season, but the team is focused on finishing in the highest position possible.”
“The SMX World Championship post-season brings a true winner-take-all atmosphere, and we’re ready to rise to the challenge,” added Chris Wheeler, Motorsports Manager for Suzuki Motor USA. “Ken Roczen is back in full swing, and Kyle Chisholm adds veteran strength in his final full-season appearances. The H.E.P. Motorsports Suzuki team has been working tirelessly to elevate our program and continue refining the RM-Z450, giving our riders the best possible shot at success when it matters most. We’re excited to line up and fight for it in this post-season showdown.”
Launched in 2023, the SMX World Championship combines the series points of both MX and SX seasons to rank the riders. Points are then re-set to zero and each rider is awarded the equivalent points of one Supercross race (or one motocross moto) based on their ranking. Each of the top 20 riders is guaranteed a spot on the starting gate, and riders seeded 21-30 (and any SX or MX winner in that season not already qualified by points) are slotted into the Last Chance Qualifier at each round to contest for the open spots on the 22-rider starting line. The two-moto format of each post-season race pays points for the event’s overall results. SMX Playoff 1 (zMAX Dragway at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. on September 6th) will pay standard Supercross event points, Playoff 2 (The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, Mo. on September 13th) will double the points payout, and the Final (The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas on September 20th) will pay triple the standard points awarded.
Fans attending any SMX World Championship round are invited to stop by the Twisted Tea/H.E.P. Motorsports/Suzuki presented by Progressive Insurance team pit for rider autograph sessions, to witness the race day activity up close, and to see new Suzuki models and go home with promotional items and Suzuki product information given out by the team.
Fans worldwide can watch each SMX World Championship Playoff and the Final live and on-demand on Peacock or view them in English or Spanish on Telemundo Deportes’ YouTube and Facebook channels. Race fans outside of the US can find live international coverage through the SuperMotocross Video Pass (supermotocross.tv) in three languages: English, Spanish, and French. Live audio coverage of each post-season round can be heard via NBC Sports Audio on SiriusXM Channel 85. Additionally, Playoff 1 will air live on NBC, Playoff 2 will be broadcast on NBC in an encore presentation on the day after the race, and the Final will be broadcast live on USA Network. Peacock will also present Race Day Live and pre-race shows live and on-demand for each round.
Please visit SuzukiCycles.com/Racing/Motocross and HEPMotorsports.com for more team news.
