Recently, Cycle News spoke with Dave Prater, vice president of Supercross-Feld Motor Sports, about the current state of the Monster Energy SuperMotocross World Championship, which is nearing the end of its third season. The three-race Playoffs, which will decide the overall champions in the 450cc and 250cc classes, starts this weekend at zMax Dragway in Concord, North Carolina, and will end at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway two weeks later.
Cycle News: Let’s start with one for the fans. Are there any rivalries or storylines you’re particularly excited to see unfold in the upcoming SMX World Championship Playoffs?
Dave Prater: “I’m very excited about the racing in general. As far as rivalries go, I think it’s really “Jett against the world” and “Haiden against the world.” Those two are back-to-back SMX World Champions and both are in top form heading into the Playoffs looking for a 3-peat! I do think the rivalry between Jett and Hunter is interesting, especially with them being brothers. Don’t forget they tied in overall points last year, with Jett only winning with the tie breaker. In the 250 Class, Jo Shimoda has been fast over the last several rounds, so we’ll see if he can keep that momentum as we head into the post season.
CN: Justin Cooper and Haiden Deegan lead their respective divisions coming into the Playoffs. What’s your take on their advantage coming into round one? Should it be more, less, the same?
DP: It’s always an advantage to be the number 1 seed going in, but they can’t let up. With the way the points increase as we get deeper into the Playoffs, anything can happen, but they have a “bit” less pressure, given a 3-point lead to start.
CN: Are there any changes to the format this year?
DP: The format has been well received thus far. We’ll continue to look at ways to make it better and more competitive, but there are no changes for 2025.
CN: Supercross fans want to be on the level of other sports like F1 and MotoGP. What makes Supermotocross different/sets it apart from those other racing series?
DP: There are quite a few things that set SMX apart from those other racing series. First, and foremost is our demographic. SMX has the youngest fanbase in all of motorsports. The majority of our fans are Zillennials (Gen Z and Millennials). Two other things that make SMX special are the two different disciplines within one sport, Supercross and Motocross, and ending the season with a Playoff. The modern sports fan expects Playoffs and the SMX World Championship delivers that.
CN: What does the future of SuperMotocross look like? We’re already three years into the initial five-year deal with Peacock, does it look like a steady future with them moving forward?
DP: The future of SMX is bright. We have sustained double-digit growth over these first three years of the championship in almost every category. We’ll continue to work together as a league and industry to keep raising awareness and reaching more people.
CN: How has the Peacock deal impacted the sport from your perspective? Viewership, fan engagement, new fans, etc.
DP: Peacock has been huge for the sport. They are the best partners you could ask for. Having a consistent and quality platform for fans to consume the sport is huge. They love SMX and are continually impressed at the loyalty and devotion of our fanbase. They have continued to push and find ways to showcase the sport to their viewers as a whole, all in an effort to grow the audience.
CN: From someone who’s on the inside, what’s something you’d like to see the sport of SuperMotocross improve on? What’s something the sport already does well?
DP: I think communication falls into both of those categories. I think we have communicated internally over the last 4 – 5 years really well. We are in constant communication with race teams and our partners. While I believe communication is at an all-time high, we can still improve on it. There are so many stakeholders in our sport from OEMs, race teams, athletes, partners, promoters, etc. It’s incredibly important for us to continue to improve communication in order to all be pulling in the same direction for the same overall goal, to continue growing the sport of SMX.
CN: Any new venues on the schedule for the 2026 season?
DP: Yes, we’ll have one new venue for Supercross and at least two new venues for the SMX Playoffs in 2026.
CN: What’s the most exciting thing(s) we should look for in the 2025 SMX Playoffs.
DP: As I said before, the level of competition currently is incredible. I think the number one thing I’m excited for is to see whether Jett and Haiden can withstand the pressure and walk away a 3-time world champion, or can someone pull it together and dethrone one or both of them.
CN: Monster Energy just signed on to be title sponsor until 2030, talk about how a deal like that helps the sport.
DP: Monster Energy signing on through 2030 is huge for the sport. We are approaching two decades with Monster as the title sponsor of Supercross and now the title sponsor of the SMX World Championship as a whole. They have been a fantastic partner for years and have SMX embedded in the DNA of their company. Having them on board over the entire season now from January through September just adds to the consistency of the SMX League.
CN: What are some challenges of your job as Vice President that fans/viewers would be surprised to know.
DP: It’s hard for me to point out something. There are challenges every day, but I see challenges as a positive. Any time you are doing something new and pushing the limits, you’re going to face challenges, both large and small. I get to do this job every day, and I love it.
CN: The sport of Supercross continues to grow around the world. How does Feld Motor Sports continue to keep the SMX World Championship as the premier place for riders to be.
DP: We, as the SMX League, have an incredible team of hard working, passionate people who are truly elite at what they do. The team never rests on past accomplishments, always striving to find new ways to raise the level of everything we do and introduce the sport of SMX to more people around the world. I believe that as long as we continue to work together with the OEMs, race teams and athletes, the sport will continue to grow.
