Is Kade Johnson the top amateur mud racer? The Monster Energy Team Green Kawasaki rider picked up the SMX Next race win at the Columbus SMX Playoff 1, and it was not the first time he has excelled in tough, muddy conditions. If you remember, Johnson's first SMX Next win—the 2025 Foxborough SMX Next round—came in the mud! At that point, Johnson had very limited SX showings. Then, at the '26 SMX Next - Supercross finale in Philadelphia back in April, Johnson finished second to champion Deacon Denno. 

Johnson is just about two years into his full SX training, but he has had some strong results in his less than two dozen showings. He has:
2 main event wins
7 total podiums 
8 top fives
11 top tens
13 top-15 finishes

He now leads the two-race SMX Next - SuperMotocross Championship and he will wear the red plate in Carson as the points leader. And just like the 250SMX and 450SMX racers, this weekend is double points for the SMX Next riders, too. This weekend's race is the final round for them, so a number-one plate will be handed out to the champion. SMX Next will not race the final round in Missouri, as WMX will take to the track instead.

While it is tough to compare mud races to one another, Johnson said his riding this time was his best ever in the unpredictable conditions. 

"I would say this race, I actually rode the best in mud that I ever have," he said. "Foxborough was just complete survival. So there really wasn't racing. Me and Landen Gordon were going back and forth, but it was just one person would fall and one person would pass. It was just absolute complete survival. Philly was: You could jump a little bit and I feel like I was just a little bit too patient. I let the win get away from me. I still got a second, but I could have won if I would've been a little bit more aggressive, thinking it was more like Foxborough. And then this race is pretty similar to Philly as well. Me and Ryder [Malinoski] were jumping a ton of jumps, especially early on in the race. It was super gnarly. It was super tricky, but I wouldn't say it was as deep and as gnarly as Foxborough, per se."

Johnson spent this summer racing the Canadian Triple Crown Motocross Championship in order to get some professional racing experience, coming away with some race wins and podiums. Unfortunately, his title fight was cut short due to a crash and neck injury. That injury impacted him when the Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch rolled around, but he still put his best foot forward. Now, he was able to add another win to add to his resume as he looks to finish this season strong. 

"A ton," he said on what this does for his morale and confidence. "It's been pretty sweet. I'm on a five-race podium streak in the SMX Next class. It's been pretty cool and I'm trying to prove to the teams my worth and try to get a pro contract, so it's always good to get a win. Hopefully next weekend is the same. I felt really good today. This year kind of had a slight turn, because in Canada I was just starting to feel pretty good and I had a bike malfunction, hurt my neck pretty bad. That injury was lingering through the [MX Sports Scouting Moto] Combines and Loretta's, so it wasn't the results I necessarily wanted, but I think we're getting back to a better spot."

Johnson is searching for a pro deal for 2027. With an uncertain future, this race surely helped his stock—and this weekend’s race could really help his stock.

“I'm ready to go to A1,” he said. “If I have to go Futures again, so be it. I mean, I would've liked to go pro this summer, but it just is what it is. This program is great because you get to race a lot more and prove your worth. So hopefully we can just keep checking the boxes and get a ride and go pro.”

Rain dance or not, the chances are likely very high that this weekend's race in California will not be a mud race. So, Johnson will have to prove himself in dry conditions as he looks to finish the '26 SMX Next season on a high note, keep his podium streak going, and receive offers for '27.