Skip to content
We Went Fast
PREVIEW

2025 Daytona Preview

By Brett Smith

We’ve got your weekly key stories ready for you. Note that you can always get the latest on a venue’s history via the 2025 SMX Race Center. As always, don’t hesitate to ask questions!

Welcome to the World Center of Speed!

Daytona is the the only event on the Supercross schedule to run uninterrupted for the entire 51 years of championships. A few important Daytona reminders/notes:

  • Every Daytona SX has been held in March but this is the first time the event has ever happened on March 1.
  • For the first time since 2004, we are guaranteed a first-time Daytona Supercross winner. Eli Tomac and 2024 winner, Jett Lawrence, are sidelined with injury. If Justin Brayton doesn’t show up for RDL duty, then we’ll know where to find him.
DAYTONA RESULTS HISTORY

Daytona’s dirt bike history pre-dates the series.

  • 1974: The first round of “The Yamaha Super Series of Motocross”, what we now know as the Monster Energy Supercross Championship. Pierre Karsmakers won.
  • 1973: Daytona was the opening round of the Pro Motocross Championship. ****Bob Grossi (250) and Pierre Karsmakers (500) were the winners.
  • 1971: First race. A motocross, the “Daytona M-X” was the final round of the Winter-AMA Series.

Much more on the Daytona Supercross history page above.

Who ‘New’?

In 2004, Chad Reed, Kevin Windham, Mike LaRocco Jason Thomas, et al, came to Daytona International Speedway knowing the Daytona Supercross would have a first-time winner because:

  • Ricky Carmichael (2000-2003) was recovering from ACL surgery.

Reed came away with his first of three victories on the tri-oval.

Twenty one years later, Cooper Webb, Chase Sexton, Ken Roczen and others find themselves in similar position.

Judging solely on Daytona history, Webb is the most likely to win; Sexton is in desperate need of a response for what happened in Tampa/Detroit/Arlington; Roczen has the most Daytona gate drops amongst active riders and many more reasons to prove that he can stay in the title fight through the second half of the season.

Here are the Daytona career box scores for each of them:

Cooper Webb @ Daytona
Ken Roczen @ Daytona
Chase Sexton @ Daytona

Other notables:

  • Jason Anderson’s only Daytona podium was in 2017 (3rd). He was 9th in 2024.
  • Aaron Plessinger finished 3rd in 2021.
  • Justin Barcia was on the podium once, 12 years ago! He got 3rd in 2013.
  • Noteworthy: There are 12 Supercross champions with two titles or more; Jeff Ward and Cooper Webb are the only among those without a Daytona SX win.

Chase Sexton’s Lost Points

Chase Sexton should have a +27 point lead over Cooper Webb. Instead he’s -3 and headed to Daytona where Webb has been the strongest rider – by far – in this field of riders.

In 2023, we calculated that unforced errors over six different rounds cost Sexton 35 points.

We’re not even halfway through 2025 and we’re in the same position. Here are the 4 rounds where Sexton turned over points

Sexton’s 2025 Missed Points vs. Webb’s Gained Points
A Recap of Sexton’s Mistakes

This is likely far more information than necessary but we’re only 7 rounds in and it seemed important to track.

Rd. 2. San Diego: 6th place
  • 5th across the white line. Missed a triple jump, avoids getting landed, then on same lap, falls in a run on left-hand 180.
  • 22nd on lap 1.
  • He raced back to 6th but based on his lap time averages alone, he should have finished 3rd. His avg. lap time was faster than 3rd, 4th and 5th places.
  • Additionally, he finished just a half second behind 5th and two seconds behind 4th place.
  • Missed points: 4
Rd. 5. Tampa: 5th place
  • First holeshot of the season. Led 18 laps
  • Crashed in whoops with a 1.2 second lead and only 2:43 +1 left in the race. Remounted in second but lost three more positions because of a damaged front brake and throttle.
  • It’s easy (and popular) to say Malcolm Stewart was winning this race anyway but Sexton’s mistake happened while leading. So that’s where the missed benchmark is.
  • Missed points: 8

I’ve gotta go back and clear the slate. It’s been three weeks in a row of this stupid stuff

–Chase Sexton after Arlington 2025
Rd. 6 Detroit: 3rd place
  • Stuck in gate at the start and crashes on opening lap.
  • Sets the two single fastest laps of the main while moving through traffic.
  • Fastest qualifier, heat race win and fastest main event lap; based on speed alone, he should have won this race.
  • Missed points: 5
Rd. 7. Arlington: 3rd place (3-2-5 in a Triple Crown)
  • Race 2: Sexton passed Justin Cooper for the lead but lost traction in a corner, which allowed Cooper to remain in the fight. Sexton ran into Cooper (who blocked the line) and high sided. He lost the race to Webb by less than 1 second.
  • Race 3: Sexton had a 2.7 second lead when the front end started to buckle in a 180-degree left. He caught his balance but stalled the bike.
  • Race 3: final lap, Sexton high-sided entering a 180-degree right while trying to pass Webb for the lead. Sexton didn’t need to pass for the overall win.
  • Instead of leaving Arlington with a 3 point lead, he left with a 5 point deficit.
  • Missed points: 5

Don’t Feed Webb After Arlington

The last two times Cooper Webb left Arlington with the points lead (+2 in 2019, +7 in 2021*, both over Roczen), he never gave it up.

  • Six and four years later, history seems to be repeating itself. Webb leaves Arlington (Round 7) with the red plate, +5 over Sexton and +19 over Roczen.
  • For the first time since Detroit 2023 (round 10), Cooper Webb has sole possession of the points lead.
  • For the 5th time in his career, Webb gets back to back wins (first time since Arlington 1, 2, 3 in 2021)
  • Webb has won three consecutive rounds once in his career, which happened in an 8 day period in Arlington in 2021. He is looking for his first three-peat in three separate weekends in three different venues.

*Three Arlington rounds (10-12) were held in 2021. Webb came into Arlington -2 but was +7 after round 10 and +15 after round 12.

I didn’t feel like I was the best guy tonight but I put myself in good positions, I guess

–Cooper Webb after Arlington 2025

Arlington isn’t always round 7 but here’s a look at where Cooper Webb has been in his 450SX career leaving round 7.

Cooper Webb 450SX Points Pos. After 7 Rounds

Odds & Ends

The riders currently in the top 11 in 450SX points have a combined 68 Daytona Supercross starts. Here is a snapshot of their performances.

Current Top 11 Performance at Daytona
  • Ken Roczen (45) has led the most laps of all riders this season (includes laps led in Triple Crown Races) Cooper Webb (42) and Chase Sexton (40) each have two wins.
  • Roczen’s average holeshot position is 4.7, the best in the class.
  • Webb’s average holeshot position is 8.7.
  • Chase Sexton has led 40 laps and his avg. holeshot position is 8.1.
  • Justin Cooper has a series leading 3 holeshots. He’s led 25 laps and has two Triple Crown Race podiums. His best overall/main finish is 4th (Arlington)
  • Only three riders have been in the top 10 at every round: Cooper Webb, Chase Sexton, Malcolm Stewart.

Return of 250SX East

For the second year in a row, Max Anstie comes into Daytona (round 3 of 250SX East) as the points leader. But his lead in 2025 is far less tenuous.

  • 2024: Anstie came to Daytona with just 38 points after 2-6 finishes in Detroit and Arlington. He had a 4 point lead over Pierce Brown.
  • Anstie finished 8th in Daytona, yet still held the points lead.
  • 2025: Anstie comes to Daytona with 47 points after 1-2 finishes in Tampa and Detroit. He has a 9 point lead over Levi Kitchen.
  • This will be Anstie’s 3rd Daytona start. He finished 2nd in 2023.

Tom Vialle, the 2024 Daytona Supercross winner, is third in points.

  • 5th in Tampa
  • 4th in Detroit
  • This will be his 3rd Daytona start. He finished 22nd in 2023.

Former Daytona Supercross winners in the field include Vialle and Austin Forkner (2019)

  • Five 250SX riders have won twice in Daytona
  • Marvin Musquin (2013, 2015) was the most recent rider to do it.
  • Christophe Pourcel (2009-2010) was the most recent to do it back to back.
First Time Daytona Riders

Two notable riders are making their Daytona debuts:

  • Levi Kitchen
  • Max Vohland

SMX Next: The Land of Landons (and Landen, and possibly Landin)

SMX Next returns at Daytona for round two of their championship series.

Looking at the 2024 results sheet, 7 different riders from a year ago have already qualified for 250SX main events. One of them (Cole Davies) has won 3 Triple Crown individual races.

  • 2024 Daytona SMX Next Winner: Drew Adams. Adams finished 8th at the Anaheim 2 Supercross. He’s recovering from a broken collarbone.
Like Father, Like Son

There are several fun father/son stories happening at Daytona, specifically, SMX Next riders who have big shoes to fill from the men who raised them.

Vincent Wey (15)

#27 on a Kawasaki. Eldest son of Nick Wey, will make his SMX Next debut.

  • Vincent is destined to eventually win in SMX Next: he won the 2018 KJSC in Las Vegas, the 65cc 7-9 Supercross Futures race in 2019 and was competitive in the 2023 SMX Super Mini All Stars in Chicago.
  • Two-time Amateur National Motocross Champion (2021, 2023)

Nick Wey raced pro from 1997-2016.

  • 4th all-time in 450MX main event starts
  • Four career 450SX podium finishes (and two top five Daytona Supercross finishes).
  • 3rd at the 2000 Daytona Supercross in the 125 class.
  • 1999 Millville 125MX Pro Motocross winner
Leum Oehlhof (18)

#132 on a Honda. Son of Joe Oehlhof

  • Leum finished 4th at the 2025 Glendale SMX Next race.
  • Two-time Amateur National Motocross Champion (2022, 2023)
  • Sept. 2023, broke both ankles while training for Supercross.

Joe Oehlhof raced pro from 1995-2007

  • 131 Supercross and Pro Motoross events (all classes).
  • He had 7 starts here in Daytona between the 125 and Premier classes and had two top fives in 125SX.
Hayes Edwards

Son of Colin Edwards

  • Colin Edwards is a two-time World Superbike Champion and also has a dozen MotoGP podiums. He started in motocross on a PW50, racing at the national level.
  • Hayes once asked Valentino Rossi if it’s true that his dad (Colin) taught Valentinto how to go fast.
2025 Glendale SMX Next Recap

WINNER: Kawasaki’s Landen Gordon

  • 17, holeshot at Glendale and led every lap for his first SMX Next victory.
  • 3 Total SMX Next Starts (7th and 8th in 2024 at Anaheim and SLC)
  • Two third place finishes in the 2024 Motocross Combines.
  • Note: All the riders who beat Landen in 2024 are now racing 250SX East or West

SECOND: Kawasaki’s Enzo Temmerman

  • 5th at the 2024 SMX World All Stars Finale in Las Vegas.
  • His father, Paul Temmerman, once lined up with Ricky Carmichael, James Stewart, Jason Thomas and Nick Wey. He went 35-30 at the 2007 Hangtown Pro Motocross Classic.
  • Enzo’s SMX Next campaign has been bogged down by a strong of injuries. His debut was derailed at Anaheim 2 2023 when he bruised his ribs during free practice.
  • He DNS-ed at Arlington 2023 because of a broken wrist. Dec. 2023: broken femur, wrist and collarbone. Early fall, 2024: dislocated and broken shoulder, along with a torn labrum.
  • Much more info in this Vurb Moto writeup.

THIRD: Yamaha’s Landon Hartz

  • From Chelsea, Alabama
  • 2024: 8th at Foxborough SMX Next
  • 4th and 6th at the Amateur National Motocross Championships in 2024 (Schoolboy 2 and 250B)

Key Milestones

450s
  • With a win, Cooper Webb ties Ricky Johnson (28) for 8th all-time on the 450SX wins list. RJ won his 28th and final SX in Miami in Feb. 1989.