Minear Leads Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing with Top-Five Finish at SMX Playoff 2
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Kayden Minear finishes fifth overall, with Pierce Brown sixth and Landen Gordon eighth at the penultimate round of the SuperMotocross World Championship / Sep 21, 2026 /
The SMX World Championship resumed with Playoff #2 in Southern California, and it was another rollercoaster day for the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing squad. Kayden Minear led the way with a top-five overall finish, improving his position in the standings. Pierce Brown also had a strong outing, coming through the LCQ and charging back from a first-moto crash to finish sixth overall, while rookie Landen Gordon made it three riders inside the top 10 with an eighth-place finish in front of the home crowd. Nate Thrasher finished 12th overall, while Cole Davies suffered a blow to his title hopes with a crash in Moto 2 that had him finishing 14th overall. Caden Dudney, who was feeling under the weather, finished 15th.
The weather was much better for SMX Playoff #2 at the L.A. Galaxy’s home stadium – Dignity Health Sports Park – in Carson, California, with Minear having a solid outing at his second pro playoff round. The young Australian qualified 15th but got a good start in Moto 1 and was sixth early. He continued to push and broke into the top five on Lap 11 when a rider ahead went down, riding on to secure fifth at the checkered flag.
In Moto 2, Minear was 14th after the start but quickly went to work, charging his way through to fifth by Lap 4. Although he was shuffled back to ninth, he continued to fight and made his way back to eighth before the halfway mark, where he would finish to secure fifth overall. The result also moved him to fourth in the 250SMX Championship standings, 30 points from the leader.
“That's a wrap for SMX round two,” said Minear. “It was kind of a good day. I started off a little slow in qualifying, but all day I felt comfy on the bike. In the first moto, I got a good start. I executed the first few laps really well and put myself in a good spot. Then I was just kind of riding around in fifth place by myself. So that was kind of nice – quite relaxing. The second race wasn't so easy. It was mostly a death battle the whole race. I think I ended up like eighth in that, but was P5 overall. I felt really good, and we’re fourth in the championship. So we're looking good coming into the last round.”
Brown had a great outing as well, especially as a Wildcard having to qualify for the night show. The Utah rider was ninth in the combined qualifying times and then won the 250 Wildcard LCQ race. He got a decent start in Moto 1 but came together with another rider and went down on the opening lap, finding himself at the back of the field. Undeterred, he steadily made his way forward, breaking into the top 10 in the final laps to finish 10th.
In Moto 2, Brown was 13th after the start and once again started making his way through the field. He was up to fifth by Lap 11 and continued to push. With four laps remaining, Brown made his way past his teammate to move into fourth, where he would finish to earn sixth overall with his 10-4 scores.
“It was a better day for me in L.A.,” said Brown. “I felt good on the bike all weekend. Unfortunately, Moto 1 started with a fall on the first lap, but I was able to get back to 10th from last, and finished fourth in Moto 2. We’re taking the positives and carrying it into next weekend.”
Gordon continued to show strength in his second playoff appearance. After qualifying 10th, the rookie was 14th after the start of Moto 1 and quickly made his way to 11th on the opening lap. He dropped back to 14th on Lap 5 but continued to fight for position, ultimately making his way back to 12th at the finish.
The second moto was a much stronger showing for Gordon. Sixth after the start, he made his way to fourth by Lap 3 and then into third two laps later. The Californian did what he could to hold onto the podium, but as the moto wore on, he started to drop back, ultimately crossing the line sixth. His 12-6 scores earned him another eighth-place overall finish.
“It was another eighth-place day in Carson,” said Gordon. “It was nice to be home for a few days, and I’m happy with my second moto. Let’s keep it rolling!”
It was a tough outing for Thrasher, but the Tennessee rider kept fighting despite a crash in the first moto. Although he qualified 14th, he got a decent start to the first moto in seventh. Shuffled back to ninth on the opening lap, he fought his way back through to sixth before a crash on Lap 11 dropped him back to 16th. Thrasher did what he could to make his way back through the field, crossing the line 13th. In Moto 2, Thrasher got a top-10 start but dropped back to 13th during the first half of the race. He fought his way back into the top 10 before half distance and ultimately crossed the line ninth, with his 13-9 scores earning him 12th overall.
“It was not a very good weekend for me,” said Thrasher. “I just struggled after that crash in the first moto. I struggled in the second moto too. It was a short time to recover, and I just couldn't do it. We’ll regroup and come out swinging next weekend. We’ve still got a chance for some good money. We’ve just got to do well next weekend.”
After coming back from an unlucky first moto in Ohio with a dominant victory in Moto 2, Davies entered the weekend looking to reclaim the top spot. The New Zealander qualified sixth and got a good start in Moto 1 around fifth. On Lap 5, he started making his charge, passing a couple of riders to move into third. Davies was making a run at second when he went down in the sand section with five minutes remaining. He was able to quickly rejoin in fourth and held the position to the finish.
Davies got another strong start to Moto 2 in fourth, quickly making his way into the runner-up spot. Unfortunately, his race ended early after a hard crash on Lap 3, with his 4-22 score resulting in 14th overall. Sitting seventh in the standings and 34 points from the lead, the two-time 2026 250 class champion heads to the season finale looking to regain ground with triple points on the line.
“It was a disappointing day in L.A.,” said Davies. “I finished fourth in the first moto, and then unfortunately crashed in the second one, which I’m gutted about. It’s definitely not how we wanted it to go, but there’s still one round left. We’ll come back stronger for the last one and give it our all.”
Coming into the weekend under the weather, it was an up-and-down day for Dudney. After qualifying 12th, he didn’t get the start he was looking for in Moto 1 and was 18th on the opening lap. He started making his way forward but then dropped back to 20th on Lap 5, and ultimately worked his way back to 16th. In Moto 2, he found himself 15th in the opening laps. Dudney once again went to work and charged forward to ninth, but ultimately crossed the line 13th to end the day 15th overall.
“I felt off and on in qualifying, but in the first and second moto, I felt good,” said Dudney. “Starts are very important, especially when everyone is super close in speed, but I’m happy with my riding. I just need to put myself in the position to be with the front group and ride my laps. It’s triple points next weekend, so let’s get it!”
“Overall, the weekend wasn’t very good,” said Jensen Hendler, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s 250 Team Manager. “Cole again was the fastest guy, but small mistakes affected the results. There were some positives to take away from the weekend, though. It was cool to see Minear, Gordon, and Pierce Brown riding really well. This thing is still not over. With next weekend's triple points, anything can happen, and we’re going to Missouri fighting.”
The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team heads to Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in Ridgedale, Missouri, for the SuperMotocross World Championship Final on September 26.