And just like that, the fourth installment of the Monster Energy SMX World Championship Playoffs are upon us. The first round ventures away from Charlotte for the first time in playoff history and heads to Columbus, Ohio. MLS stadiums have become a solution to the very difficult question of where to host these September races.

With college football, the MLB, and the NFL all in season, plus ever popular late summer concert schedules in full swing, there simply isn’t enough availability for SMX to take over a venue for a full week. That’s somewhat forced these races to alternate locations like drag strips and MLS stadiums. Good, bad, or indifferent, understanding why we aren’t at AT&T Stadium or MetLife for races as prestigious as these is important. 

The track in Columbus feels very “Monster Cup” to me. No, it doesn’t have the portion of the track that goes outside the stadium but it does have very fast sweepers and straightaways that made Monster Cup feel a certain type of way. Both fast and technical, it forces riders to remain patient in the tight stuff but then giddy up and go when it opens up. 

The start is long and bends to the right. That is a difficult combo as the rear brake is hard to utilize for those in contention for a good start. Speeds escalate with the length and riders often think they have more room to slow down than they do. Contact in the first corner wouldn’t shock me and it could be a deciding factor in the overall, if not the series. Even more challenging, it gets very tight at corner entry, the right side of the gates bending back left, those on the outside will be veering towards the inside, and those in the middle will be holding on for dear life in the midst. 

The first straightaway has a few small jumps before entering the first of two sand sections. This sand should be manageable on most laps but the first lap when vision is blocked by riders directly in front of you, Godspeed. 

A bowl berm send riders back parallel with seven jumps in rhythm. This will likely be executed in a 3-3-1 or a 2-3-2 option. The final option would be 2-2-3 but this would be much slower than option A or B. 

Another bowl berm leads to the finish line jump and immediately into the fastest section of the racetrack. A long, sweeping 180 bends behind the starting gates and then jumps over them onto the start straightaway. Riders will instead bend left on normal laps at the end of the start and into a bowl berm. 

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Exiting said bowl berm leads to the longest rhythm section of the racetrack. The fastest way to execute here is to triple onto the tabletop, step to the next tabletop, and step off yet again. That leaves either a 3-2 (ideal) or a 2-3 to end the section. Make no mistake, as the track is drawn, there is no faster way to go through this section than to triple onto the tabletop and step across to the next. 

A netted bowl berm leads to the “home” sideline of Historic Crew Stadium and into the second sand section. This one is longer and exiting the corner with momentum will be important. Trying to gain speed once in the sand will be difficult. Having speed going in and maintaining is paramount. 

A basic but larger double exits the sand and leads to back-to-back-to-back inside/outside set of corners. The inside of the initial corner will put riders on the outside of the final corner. Often times, riders will utilize Dartfish software to overlay laps, choosing each option to tell them which lane is faster. Once the faster lane is ascertained, riders will stick to that singular option unless a passing opportunity presents itself. Ideally, the option lanes will be very close in timing, otherwise it becomes a one-lined section, just much narrower than a normal lane. Tricky dynamic to get right for the SMX Track Crew. That final inside/outside leads to the exit of the first corner and onto lap 2. 

Cole Davies is two-for-two in championships in 2026 and looking to be the first to ever sweep the season in either class.

Julien Beaumer won the final Pro Motocross race and has been eyeing the playoffs since his injury a year ago.

Chance Hymas is peaking as we enter the playoffs and looking to make some money.

Hunter Lawrence finally got over the hump, winning his first 450 title. Now, he sits as the favorite as we enter the playoffs where he has been oh so close to winning it in 2024 and 2025.

Jorge Prado won the first race of his American tenure and looked awfully confident on his way out of Ironman. Can he continue the magic?

Deegs knows how to playoff. He’s still looking for his first 450 win and with Jett out, Hunter nursing a bit of a wrist injury, and Prado never having raced a playoff, this could be the time. 

Cooper Webb is licking his chops at SX style playoff tracks minus whoops. Can he win it all? Who knows, but he does know that there is a lot of money to be made if he can hover near the podium. 

Levi Kitchen scored zero points at the Pro Motocross finale and lost second place in points for his troubles. He needs a serious bounce back here.

Jett Lawrence had another procedure done on his ankle, sidelining him until Anaheim 2027. 

Justin Cooper has missed most of the summer and is likely going to miss the opening playoff round, too.

Hunter Lawrence arrives to Columbus in a flying saucer and he employs a real life sasquatch as his fill-in mechanic.

Weege asks Jorge Prado if he’s familiar with Christopher Columbus at the press conference.

NXTbets takes action on which Haiden Deegan we get for the playoffs. Do we get the loud, in-your-face Deegs or do we get the 2025 playoffs version where he says nothing?