Well, no one ever said picking fantasy SuperMotocross would be easy. Round 1 at zMAX Dragway was a wild one, so it’s a surprise to no one that there wasn’t a perfect score in RMFantasySMX play. So, with one round of the 2023 SuperMotocross Playoff Series in the record books, it’s time to try to go perfect for Round 2 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet.
- The top spot is going to be either Chase Sexton or Jett Lawrence. Sexton won each moto handily, and Lawrence unexpectedly struggled. However, after having a tough time in the first moto, Lawrence got his footing in moto 2 and started looking like a threat to win. So, it comes down to what you think is more important—Sexton gaining confidence after going 1-1, or Lawrence being motivated to top the podium. I’m a trends guy, so I’m going with Sexton to win and Lawrence to make him earn it.
- Picking the final podium spot is just as tricky, with Ken Roczen and Dylan Ferrandis making it a toss-up. Roczen went 3-3 at Charlotte, which was good enough for P2. With a 2-4 scorecard, Ferrandis had to settle for P3. I expect Lawrence will blow by Roczen and Ferrandis at Chicagoland Speedway, so the two will be squabbling over P3. Roczen was coming in raw, having not raced in a while, so I expect some improvement from him at Chicagoland. That earns Roczen P3 on my picks list, followed by Ferrandis.
- Jason Anderson is a solid pick for P5. Anderson finished 4-5 at zMAX Dragway, and that was a P5. The only riders to beat him in either moto, I have already mentioned. No rider that I haven’t mentioned bested Anderson in either moto. That settles it for me—P5 for Anderson.
- If you’re looking for a P5 dark horse, Cooper Webb is your best bet. He went 8-7 in his first ride after switching back to Yamaha, so expect some improvement in his performance at Chicagoland. I don’t think it will be enough to get him in the top five, but I’m wrong much of the time. Big risk-takers will look into Justin Barcia and Motocross of Nations-bound Aaron Plessinger for P5.
- The Wild Card is P12, and plenty of riders are in that vicinity. You’ve got Colt Nichols (12-10), Ty Masterpool (11-12), and Fredrik Norén (13-11) for top consideration. Keep in mind that they all moved up one spot after Adam Cianciarulo had a hard crash at the beginning of moto 2. This far down is always pretty much a wild guess (I hope you see what I did there), so I’m taking my chances with Masterpool. Outsider picks include Garrett Marchbanks (10-9) and Phil Nicoletti (14-13).
- This will be a twilight/night race, so check our 2023 SuperMotocross Television Schedule for air time on Peacock.
Photography by BrownDogWilson Photography, Align Media, Ryne Swanberg, et al.
2023 SuperMotocross Playoff Series Standings (after seeding and 1 of 3 rounds)
- Chase Sexton, Honda, 50 points
- Jett Lawrence, Honda, 38
- Aaron Plessinger, KTM, 38
- Dylan Ferrandis, Yamaha, 37
- Ken Roczen, Suzuki, 36
- Jason Anderson, Kawasaki, 32
- Cooper Webb, Yamaha/KTM, 30
- Justin Barcia, GasGas, 27
- Adam Cianciarulo, Kawasaki, 24
- Garrett Marchbanks, Yamaha, 22
- Fredrik Norén, Kawasaki, 21
- Ty Masterpool, Kawasaki, 19
- Grant Harlan, Yamaha, 18
- Colt Nichols, Kawasaki/Honda, 15
- Justin Hill, KTM, 14
- Eli Tomac, Yamaha, 13
- Kyle Chisholm, Suzuki, 10
- Phil Nicoletti, Yamaha, 9
- Shane McElrath, Yamaha/Suzuki, 7
- Dean Wilson, Honda, 8
- Josh Hill, Yamaha/KTM, 4
- Kevin Moranz, Honda/KTM, 1
