Ryan Nitzen | December 26, 2023
The 2024 Monster Energy AMA Supercross series kicks off in a few short weeks and we’re bringing you an in-depth look at the competing teams and riders.
Schedule Updates
For 2024, west coast races start earlier than normal to give east coast fans a better viewing experience. The A1 night show now starts at 5pm local time and continues that trend for most of the west coast rounds. See the full TV and Streaming Guide here.
Round four at Anaheim Two is the first triple crown of the year along with Round 10 at Indianapolis and Round 12 in St. Louis. Rounds 14 (Nashville) and 17 (Salt Lake City) are both East/West Shootouts. San Francisco is back on the schedule replacing the Oakland round, with Birmingham, Alabama and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania being new rounds for the series.
A1 is just a few weeks away!
450 Class
Chase Sexton – The defending Supercross champ comes into the 2024 season with a new number and a new team. Sexton is set to debut the number-one aboard his Factory Red Bull KTM 450 SX-F at Anaheim One as this will be his first race with the new team. He won the 2023 Supercross championship in dramatic fashion and finished second in the Pro Motocross series. Look for Sexton to be a championship contender as he looks confident on his new machinery.
Sexton joins Red Bull KTM with his new number-one plate.
Eli Tomac – Many worried that Tomac’s achilles injury would be the last we saw of the fan favorite. Good news is the number-three is back for the 2024 Supercross season (at least) with the Star Racing Yamaha team. Tomac did not want an injury to force his retirement and he’s likely to come out strong at A1. Remember he won the opener last year even with a crash. This will be the first time we’ve seen Tomac on a gate since his injury in Denver.
Tomac returns for 2024.
Cooper Webb – The Webb Wagon is rolling at full steam as he’s paired up alongside Tomac on the Star Racing Yamaha team. Webb is back with the BluCru after winning two championships aboard the Red Bull KTM and reunited with the team he turned pro with. He finished third in points last year (tied with Roczen) and chalked up podiums on the new bike at SMX and the Paris Supercross.
Webb and Tomac are teamed up on Star Racing Yamaha.
Ken Roczen – Kickstart Kenny is back for his second year aboard the Progressive Suzuki. He won the Indianapolis round last year and was arguably Jett Lawrence’s biggest threat during the outdoors, SuperMotocross rounds, and the Paris Supercross. The 94 tied for third in points last year before winning his second consecutive World Supercross title. Roczen is always a threat for race wins as he looks for that ever-elusive AMA Supercross crown.
Ken Roczen is back for another season with the HEP Suzuki team.
Jett Lawrence – Depending how you look at it, Jett Lawrence is arguably the biggest or smallest wild card in this scenario. The Australian swept the Pro Motocross championship in his debut 450 season and then proceeded to win the $1 Million prize at the SMX playoffs. 2024 marks his first full Supercross season on the 450 and the first time he’ll line up against Eli Tomac.
Is Jett Lawrence a wild card or a shoe in?
450 Wild Cards
Without making this list too long, we’ve added some previous race winners to the lineup. Justin Barcia grabbed a W in 2023 before injuring himself at the Nashville round. Jason Anderson is a former champ and enters 2024 with an all-new Kawasaki KX450. Malcolm Stewart is recovered from a knee injury and looking to be a front-runner too. Hunter Lawrence is also bumping up for his first season in the 450 class alongside brother Jett. And don’t forget the MXGP World Champ, Jorge Prado who’s here to race the first three rounds of the AMA Supercross series.
Barcia finised fifth overall in Supercross in 2023.
250 Class
There will be a new 250 champion this year. That’s due to the fact that both Hunter and Jett Lawrence are moving up to the 450’s which leaves the doors wide open for some new blood. Let’s get into some of the contenders.
Haiden Deegan – Hard not to put Little Deegan at the top of this list. After winning the SMX title in his rookie year, the 38 machine is now a sophomore and hungry for some wins. He looked good training with Eli Tomac in Colorado over the off-season and having Coop and ET3 on the team isn’t going to hurt. He’ll be a threat no matter which coast he’s on.
Deegan won the 250 SMX crown in his rookie year.
RJ Hampshire – Putting Rick up here in the mix is a no brainer. He’s a veteran now with the Rockstar Husqvarna team and just locked in another two years with the Husky squad. Hampshire scored a win last year but he’ll have to fight off the young guns again this year. The number-24 has his eyes on a title in ‘24.
RJ Hampshire grabbed a race win last year.
Jo Shimoda – The Jo Show is back on Honda this year and he looks good. Remember how Shimoda came alive in the latter parts of 2023? Well now he’s also training with the Lawrence brothers and took the win at the Paris Supercross in his first race aboard the CRF. He’ll certainly be carrying that momentum into A1.
Shimoda signed with Honda for 2024.
Levi Kitchen – Don’t sleep on Levi Kitchen. Remember he won the final round of SMX and is now under the guidance of Mitch Payton at Pro Circuit Kawasaki. Somehow PC allowed “The Chef” to live in Florida as he’s training at Moto Sandbox with Ken Roczen and Chase Sexton. If Kitchen gets a start he usually wins and we’ll see where he lands in ’24.
Kitchen is on Pro Circuit Kawasaki this year.
250 Wild Cards
There’s so many names that could be thrown onto this list so we’re consolidating them here. Factory KTM’s Tom Vialle could be a contender in his second year in the US. Remember he’s a two-time MX2 World Champion and finished second at the Paris Supercross. Austin Forkner, Cameron Mcadoo, and Seth Hammaker are all back on the Pro Circuit Kawasaki team and all have potential to win. Deeper into the list is the TLD GasGas duo of Pierce Brown and Ryder Difrancesco who are hungry for wins along with the the seven other riders for Star Racing Yamaha.
There will be a new champ in the 250 class.
Teams
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing – Big news here is the signing of defending champion Chase Sexton. Sexton will sport the number-one indoors before moving to his new career number-four outdoors. His setup looks the same as last year (Alpinestars head to toe with Oakley goggles) save for swapping out Monster for Red Bull. He joins Aaron Plessinger in the 450 class while Tom Vialle and Supercross rookie Julien Beaumer hold things down in the 250s.
The 2024 Red Bull KTM SuperMotocross Team.
Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha – Star Racing brings three heavy hitters to the 450SX division in the form of Eli Tomac, Cooper Webb, and Justin Cooper. All three of these riders have potential to win races and we’re curious to see the dynamic of Tomac and Webb under the same tent. J-Coop makes the full-time jump to the 450 in Alpinestars gear, helmet, and boots.
The 2024 Star Racing Yamaha 450 team.
In the 250 division they’ve enlisted Haiden Deegan, Jordon Smith, Nate Thrasher, Stilez Robertson, Daxton Bennick, and Nick Romano with newcomer Enzo Lopes rounding out the pro ranks. Gavin Towers is also on the team under the amateur tent and will race Supercross Futures before turning professional.
Eight riders make up the 2024 Star Racing Yamaha 250 team.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna brings back the same 450 squad with Malcolm Stewart and Christian Craig. Both riders suffered season-ending injuries in 2023 but are healthy and ready to race come Anaheim 1. They’re also sporting a new all-white look on the Husky machines.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s 2024 team.
Three 250 riders make up the Husqvarna team with veteran RJ Hampshire leading two Supercross rookies, Casey Cochran and Guillem Farres. Our assumption is Hampshire on the west coast while the rookies give themselves more time to prepare and race the east coast series.
Five riders for Husqvarna.
Honda HRC – The Red Riders put in a record-setting season in 2023 and bring two brothers as rookies to the 450 class in ‘24. Both Jett and Hunter Lawrence will line up together under the HRC canopy for their first full season after winning both 250SX titles last year. The CRF’s have a new look this year with updated team graphics.
Hunter and Jett are teamed up in the 450 class.
Jo Shimoda and Chance Hymas are set to carry the flag for Honda HRC in the lites division. Shimoda kept his Monster and Fox deals with Hymas also being a Monster rider but wearing Fly Racing.
With Shimoda and Hymas on 250s.
Monster Energy Kawasaki – The Kawasaki crew looks identical to last year with Jason Anderson and Adam Cianciarulo. They received an all-new generation KX450 and have been testing it throughout the off-season. Look for them in the same gear dealsas ‘23 with Anderson in Airoh helmets and Alpinestars gear while AC rocks Fox head to toe.
Cianciarulo and Anderson are back on Kawasaki.
Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki – Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki continues to be the factory 250 effort for Kawasaki with five riders under their awning. Austin Forkner, Cameron Mcadoo, and Seth Hammaker return to the team after multiple seasons. Levi Kitchen and Max Vohland are new additions with Kitchen training in Florida alongside Sexton and Roczen.
Five riders under the Pro Circuit Kawasaki tent.
Troy Lee Designs Red Bull GasGas – Justin Barcia heads things up as the lone 450 rider for TLD GasGas. He’s a race winner from 2023 but suffered injuries at Nashville and the LA SMX. Barcia’s joined by Pierce Brown and Ryder Difrancesco. This marks Ryder D’s first season riding something other than a Kawasaki.
Difrancesco, Brown, and Barcia for GasGas.
Progressive Ecstar Suzuki – You’ll see two Factory Suzuki 450 teams again this year, both managed by Pipes Motorsports Group. Ken Roczen continues into his second season with the Progressive Ecstar Suzuki team (Red Bull athlete and can’t ride for Twisted Tea) and looks to add more than just one race win to his resume this year.
Kickstart Kenny is back with Progressive Ecstar Suzuki.
HEP Twisted Tea Suzuki – Kyle Chisholm and Shane Mcelrath complete the Suzuki squad riding for HEP Twisted Tea Suzuki. This is essentially the same team as Roczen, just different semi’s and different branding.
Mcelrath and Chisholm race for the Twisted Team Suzuki team.
Liqui Moly Beta Racing – Beta has entered the chat! New for 2024 is the addition of Liqui Moly Beta Racing as they’ll debut a new 450 RX motocross model for the first time in the US. Riders Benny Bloss and Colt Nichols are the team’s two 450 riders.
Benny Bloss (67) and Colt Nichols (45) are Beta’s new riders for 2024.
Triumph Racing – Triumph is the other new brand debuting in the US this season and they’re opting for a 250-east program with their new TF-250X. Jalek Swoll and Evan Ferry will race 250 Supercross with Joey Savatgy joining the team once outdoors begins due to a point-out rule that AMA is upholding.
Swoll, Savatgy, and Ferry for Triumph.
Phoenix Racing Honda – Phoenix Racing added former 450 outdoor champ, Dylan Ferrandis, to their roster during the off-season. Look for the red-14 as this is his first season in the US on anything other than a Yamaha. Cullin Park and Kyle Peters are slated to race the 250 class.
Dylan Ferrandis found a new home at the Phoenix Honda Racing Team.
BARX Suzuki – BarX is the official Suzuki support team in the 250 class. Derek Drake is their only 450 rider and he’s flanked by four 250’s including Dilan Schwartz, Preston Boespflug, Anthony Bourdon, and Max Miller.
The BARX Suzuki Team.
Club MX Yamaha – The Muc-Off/FXR/ClubMx team brings six riders to the gate in 2024 with Mark Fineis, Coty Schock, Jett Reynolds, Phil Nicoletti, and Jeremy Martin.
FirePower Honda – Dean Wilson enters what’s likely his final full-time season aboard the FirePower Honda. Deano won the Australian Supercross title this summer while his 250 teammate, Max Anstie clinched the World Supercross crown.
MotoConcepts Honda – MCR Honda is back with four riders for 2024. Vince Friese is the sole 450 rider with Mitchell Oldenburg and Carson Mumford riding 250 West. Noah Viney stays on Honda and is riding Futures with MCR.
AEO Powersports KTM Racing – The AEO KTM team is back with Derek Kelley and Talon Hawkins.
Heartbeat Hot Sauce Yamaha – Robbie Wageman and Cole Thompson are expected to race for the Solitaire Yamaha outfit in 2024.
