The opening round of the 2026 SMX World Championship Playoffs kicked off in wet and muddy conditions at Historic Crew Stadium, where a committed crowd braved the rain to witness a dramatic start to the postseason.
With the weather wreaking havoc on the racing surface, organisers shortened the opening motos for both classes to 15 minutes plus one lap, while the second motos were reduced to 12 minutes plus one lap in an effort to preserve the track.
When the mud settled, Haiden Deegan celebrated a breakthrough first premier-class victory in the 450SMX category, while Levi Kitchen emerged victorious in the 250SMX Class after a points tie was decided on a second-moto tiebreaker.
450SMX
The opening 450SMX moto saw Jorge Prado grab the holeshot ahead of Deegan and Joey Savatgy. Further back, Hunter Lawrence, the top seed and newly crowned Pro Motocross Champion, crashed early and was forced to fight from the rear of the field.
Deegan quickly closed on Prado and made the pass before the completion of the opening lap. Ken Roczen soon followed into second, while Lawrence’s afternoon went from bad to worse after another fall effectively ended any chance of a strong result.
Out front, Deegan steadily built a comfortable advantage. Roczen briefly cut into the gap, but the Yamaha rider responded and powered away to claim his first-ever 450SMX moto victory by 17.2 seconds over Roczen. Prado completed the podium in third, followed by Dylan Ferrandis and Jason Anderson.
Moto two started much the same way, with Deegan taking the holeshot ahead of Prado and Roczen. Roczen quickly moved past Prado and closed on the leader, applying pressure during the early stages before Deegan settled into a rhythm.
Further behind, Cooper Webb moved into third and traded positions with Prado before securing the spot for good.
Deegan continued to handle the treacherous conditions with impressive composure, using lapped traffic to extend his lead and eventually completing a second wire-to-wire victory. He crossed the line 17.1 seconds clear of Roczen, who recovered from a late-race fall to finish second, while Webb edged Prado for third.
The perfect 1-1 scorecard delivered Deegan his first premier-class victory in just his 12th career 450SMX start. Roczen’s consistent 2-2 finishes secured second overall, while Prado rounded out the podium with 3-4 results in his SMX Playoff debut.
After the race, an emotional Deegan said, “This is a dream come true. I just won a 450 race. This is crazy. I can’t express how happy I am right now. It’s just a weight off my shoulders, especially on a day like today when conditions were like this, and I’m racing against guys with a lot more experience on a track like this. I’m just so happy and ready to keep it going.”
Roczen was equally pleased with his runner-up finish, explaining, “Just nice and content [today]. That was my game plan coming into here. I had a blast out there. To get a 2-2 [effort], I couldn’t ask for anything more, honestly. What a solid weekend. I can’t wait for the next [race].”
For Prado, the result marked another significant step forward in his rookie premier-class campaign. The Spaniard admitted, “I really don’t know what to say. My worst races came in the mud this year and I got up here on the [podium], which is amazing for me. Just improvement, from being in the top 15 [earlier in the season] to getting on the podium. We’re now leading the SMX series, and I cannot be happier than this.”
The podium finish was enough for Prado to move into the lead of the 450SMX Playoff standings and claim the red plate for the first time. He now holds a two-point advantage over Deegan, who jumped from seventh to second in the standings. Webb sits third, four points behind Prado, while Roczen climbed from 10th to fourth, eight points off the lead. Lawrence’s difficult day saw him drop from first to sixth in the standings, 10 points behind the new series leader.
250SMX
The first 250SMX moto began with Cole Davies taking the holeshot ahead of Daxton Bennick and Kitchen.
Davies, the top seed and reigning Eastern Divisional Supercross Champion and Pro Motocross Champion, immediately took control and built a commanding lead. The New Zealander dominated the opening stages, stretching his advantage to nearly 20 seconds and lapping riders up to 10th place.
However, disaster struck with just over three minutes remaining when Davies appeared to encounter mechanical issues aboard his Yamaha. He eventually stopped on one of the circuit’s jumps, bringing his race to an abrupt end.
That handed the lead to Bennick, who kept his Husqvarna upright in the difficult conditions and claimed the moto win by 18.1 seconds over Kitchen. Ryder DiFrancesco finished third, ahead of Max Vohland and Caden Dudney, while Davies was classified 22nd following the DNF.
Moto two saw Bennick grab the holeshot before Davies surged past in the opening rhythm section. Chance Hymas slotted into third ahead of Kitchen as Davies again wasted no time pulling clear.
The Yamaha rider built another double-digit advantage while Bennick held second. Behind them, Kitchen eventually found a way around Hymas and set his sights on Bennick.
As the race progressed, Kitchen steadily reeled in the Husqvarna rider and closed right onto his rear wheel approaching the white flag. A decisive late-race move secured second place and proved crucial in the final overall standings.
Davies rebounded from his Moto 1 heartbreak in dominant fashion, taking the win by 16.5 seconds over Kitchen, with Bennick third and DiFrancesco fourth.
When the points were tallied, Kitchen’s 2-2 scoreline tied Bennick’s 1-3 results on four points. The overall victory was decided by the second-moto tiebreaker, giving Kitchen his first SMX Playoff win. Bennick earned the fifth SMX podium of his career, while DiFrancesco completed the overall podium with 3-4 finishes. Despite his moto win, Davies could only salvage 11th overall after his opening-race DNF.
Kitchen explained how important the final-lap pass proved to be.
“We were coming to the white flag and I saw Dax [Bennick]. I knew if I could get him I might have a chance, but I really had no idea. That was nice, I was able to put two motos together. This was a great race to have [to begin the Playoffs]. I’m feeling better and looking forward to next weekend.”
Bennick was satisfied despite narrowly missing the overall victory, saying, “I gotta be happy with [today]. Two solid motos. I had [the win] with two laps to go but Levi [Kitchen] was riding good. Gotta give it to him. I’m just grateful for a great day and excited to start the Playoffs like this.”
DiFrancesco credited consistency for his podium result, noting, “I just tried to get a good start and ride consistent laps. I figured if I could do that it would work out and that’s what happened. Excited to try and keep this going into next weekend.”
Following the opening Playoff round, Kitchen leads the 250SMX standings after entering the weekend as the second seed. DiFrancesco sits second, seven points behind, while Davies drops to third, 10 points adrift after his costly first-moto retirement.
