The second round of the SuperMotocross Playoffs unfolded on September 19, 2026 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. With the championship points battle tightening, riders entered the 78-degree afternoon eager to capitalize on the final double-point opportunity before the season-ending showdown. The track, a hybrid of supercross rhythm and outdoor motocross terrain, featured two massive doubles, a deep sand section, and a split lane that would later become a focal point for strategic moves.
250SMX: Beaumer’s wire-to-wire triumph
From the moment the lights went out, Julien Beaumer seized the holeshot – the coveted lead at the start – and never looked back. He quickly built a comfortable gap over the early-pace challenger Ryder DiFrancesco who would finish the race in second place. Cole Davies, starting in fifth, surged through the pack, taking fourth from points-leader Levi Kitchen on lap 5 and moving up to third a lap later by edging past Drew Adams. However, with five minutes remaining Davies attempted an inside pass on the split lane, clipped the sand-filled corner and washed out his front wheel. He remounted in under a second but lost more than ten seconds, dropping out of contention for the win.
Mid-race drama and final standings
The middle phase of the 250SMX saw a tightly knit group of riders battling for podium positions. Kitchen, who had previously described his Ohio victory as the “lamest win” of his career, suffered a crash that relegated him to seventh place and opened the door for Kayden Minear to climb into fifth. Adams inherited fourth after Davies’ tumble and held that spot, keeping the defending Pro Motocross champion at bay. Chance Hymas was a top-five contender before a fall sent him spiraling to 15th. The defending champion Jo Shimoda rounded out the top six, finishing in sixth place.
450SMX: Prado extends his lead
In the premier 450 class, Jorge Prado delivered a masterclass, posting a best lap of 49.908 seconds and ultimately securing a 2-2 moto score that preserved his points advantage heading into the finale. Hunter Lawrence fought back from a sore wrist, posting a respectable fourth-place finish, while Ken Roczen settled for a 1-4 split. Haiden Deegan fresh off his first 450 win the week before, was aggressive throughout, even teasing a bumper-to-bumper moment with Lawrence before letting him pass. Deegan’s final time of 50.009 seconds placed him second, keeping the championship margin razor-thin.
SMX Next: Malinoski takes the win, Johnson claims the title
The SMX Next World Championship race added another layer of excitement. Ryder Malinoski crossed the line first, but the two-race championship was decided by the Kade Johnson who finished second in the main event, accumulated enough points to claim the SMX Next title, edging out his rivals despite not winning the individual race.
Track conditions, qualifying and injury notes
Practices revealed a track that behaved like a supercross layout but lacked traditional whoops, instead offering two large doubles and a ragged sand segment that began to rut after early runs by Justin Brayton and Adam Cianciarulo. The crew kept water in the dirt to preserve grip, yet the relentless sun gradually hardened the surface. Qualifying saw Simonson top the unseeded 250 session with a 52.060-second lap, while Julien Beaumer posted the fastest seeded 250 time at 51.328 seconds. In the 450 practice, Deegan blew a 50.008-second lap, briefly eclipsing Prado’s leading time. Injury reports listed Lawrence’s sore wrist, Kitchen’s thumb discomfort, and Anderson’s lingering wrist issue, all of which added intrigue to the playoff narrative.
