Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1547519
SMX Next Expands Championship Format for 2027 T he SMX League has an- nounced an expanded SMX Next World All-Star Champion- ship for 2027, combining ama- teur prospect races held during AMA Supercross and Pro Moto- cross into a single points-based series. The program will also expand internationally with the addition of SMX Next Australia. The 2027 schedule will feature 10 races, split evenly between five Supercross and five Pro Motocross events, with 25 riders competing at each round. The first four races in each dis- cipline will lead to an SMX Next Showdown at Foxborough, Mas- sachusetts, for Supercross and Ironman Raceway in Crawfords- ville, Indiana, for Pro Motocross. Riders will qualify through six major amateur events: Spring A Ding Ding, Ricky Carmichael Amateur Supercross, Mammoth Motocross, Loretta Lynn's AMA Amateur National Champion- ship, Ponca City and Mini O's. The top three 250A finishers at each event will qualify, except at Loretta Lynn's, where the top five will advance. A maximum of 20 riders will qualify through race results, with at least five additional riders selected by invitation. Results from 2026 will determine the field for 2027. At the conclusion of the regu- lar season, the top 15 riders in combined Supercross and Pro Motocross points will automati- cally qualify for the SMX Next World All-Stars. Up to three addi- tional riders will qualify through SMX Next Australia, which runs in conjunction with the AUSX Supercross Championship. Four more riders will be selected by invitation, bringing the postsea- son field to 22. The SMX Next World All-Star races will be held during the first two rounds of the SMX World Championship Playoffs. "We've achieved tremendous success since the introduction of SMX Next, but as the program continues to grow, it's impor- tant that we continue to do our part in creating a streamlined and defined path to the profes- sional level of the SMX World Championship," said Mike Muye, Sr. Director of Supercross, Feld Motor Sports. "Expanding SMX Next to not only unify Super- cross and Pro Motocross events but also establish an equal bal- ance of each discipline is crucial to proper athlete development. Moreover, this expansion pro- vides an opportunity to properly showcase these prospects on the sport's biggest stage with tentpole events throughout the calendar season." CN WIND IN THE P32 The SMX Next World All-Star Championship will include five Supercross and five motocross races, which includes one Showdown race in each category.