Monster Energy® SMX World Championship Playoffs
Los Angeles, CA
Dignity Health Sports Park
Levi Kitchen Maintains the Red Plate Headed Into the SMX Final and Kade Johnson is Crowned SMX Next World All-Stars Champion
Monster Energy® Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider Levi Kitchen captured the 250SMX Moto 2 win at Playoff 2 of the SMX World Championship™ in Los Angeles to take third overall and maintain the red plate heading into the SMX Finale in Ridgedale, Missouri. Teammate Drew Adams claimed the first SMX moto podium of his career with a third-place finish in Moto 1 and finished the day seventh overall (3-14). Cameron McAdoo rounded out the Top 10 with a 10th-place overall finish (14-7), while Nick Romano pushed through the day for 16th overall (11-21). Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Garrett Marchbanks put together two consistent motos for seventh overall (10-8). Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green™ rider Kade Johnson crossed the finish line in second place and, combined with his win in Playoff 1, he secured the SMX Next World All-Stars Championship. His teammate, Vincent Wey, suffered a crash early in the first qualifying session that resulted in an ankle injury, forcing him to sit out the remainder of the day.
SMX Results
Levi Kitchen
250SMX
“The first moto was pretty bad; I didn’t ride like myself, but the second one was much better. I had a talk with Mitch after the first moto, and he helped straighten me out so I knew I needed to turn it around. Having to change the front wheel right before Moto 2 wasn’t ideal, but I think it got my intensity up a bit. I’m stoked to still have the red plate. It’s coming down to what I expected; no matter what I feel like with this series, you’re going to have fireworks at the end. I put myself in a good position right now, and I’m excited with where I’m at and look forward to ending the year as best as we can.”
Drew Adams
250SMX
“It was definitely a 50/50 day. Getting my first SMX moto podium was a great experience, and I was really happy with that first race. Moto 2 was frustrating. I got pushed off the track, and from there it was really difficult to make passes. I’m going to hit the reset button this week and make the most of those triple points at the finale.”
Cameron McAdoo
250SMX
“It was a pretty up-and-down day. Coming through the Wild Card meant I had a tough gate pick, but I was making progress in Moto 1 before I had a mistake and went over the bars. I bent the bars up pretty good, so 14th was all I could manage. In Moto 2, I got a better start and found a much better flow to finish seventh. Coming back after missing so much racing this summer hasn’t been easy, but I’m proud of the effort and looking forward to giving it everything at the finale.”
Nick Romano
250SMX
“There were a lot of positives to take away from today. In Moto 1 I ran inside the Top 6 for a while, but I just didn’t have much left toward the end and finished 11th. Moto 2 started well, but I was pretty flat. I still don’t have many days on the bike since my back injury, so right now I’m doing everything I can with the time I’ve had. We’ll keep working this week, and I’ll give it my best again at the finale.”
Garrett Marchbanks
450SMX
“The day was solid. We found some good settings for the second qualifier, and I ended up getting sixth overall. Moto 1, I was kind of struggling with myself, and I just couldn't find a flow. I wasn’t hitting my lines how I’d like, but got through it for 10th. The second moto, I was off to a way better start. I was around seventh for a little bit, but I was having similar struggles as Moto 1 where I couldn’t find my flow. I was trying to force passes and got passed by a couple of guys, and so I realized I needed to back it off a little bit and focus on riding better. I was able to regroup at the halfway point, and the last seven laps were really good. I hammered down, got around some guys for eighth place and seventh overall. After the last couple of weeks, I had some big crashes, especially last weekend, injuring my knee and ankle, and my crash on practice day Friday was not ideal for my body. So I’m happy with the Top 10 finish and being sixth overall in the series. I plan to just keep it going and end the season strong.”
Kade Johnson
SMX Next
“It’s a gumbo of emotions right now. I’m obviously very excited to get the championship, but I really would have liked to get the win too. Looking at the big picture though, I’m super happy with the day. I went 1-2 in the playoffs and qualified fastest here today, and got my fifth SMX Next podium in a row. I’m ready to take time to celebrate this win and then get back to training.”
