Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki Claims Three 250SMX Overall Championship Spots To Close Out Season
SuperMotocross Playoffs 3 // Las Vegas // Highlights:
- Qualifying: Masterpool 4th, Kitchen 6th, Marchbanks 10th, McAdoo 15th
- Masterpool pulled the Main Event 2 holeshot
- Masterpool earned his playoff finish with seventh (9-6)
- Kitchen finished eighth overall (6-10), Marchbanks was 10th (8-12), McAdoo 12th overall (13-11)
LAS VEGAS (September 22, 2024) — Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen, Ty Masterpool, and Cameron McAdoo all claimed top-10 spots in the 250SMX standings to close out the SuperMotocross Championship and the 2024 season. The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway played host for the very first time with a challenging course that saw Masterpool claim the Main Event 2 holeshot before finishing seventh overall (9-6), while Levi Kitchen and Garrett Marchbanks joined him in the top-10 with eighth (6-10) and 10th (8-12), respectively. Cameron McAdoo had several great moments and finished just outside the top 10 in 12th overall (13-11).
The final race was the first of the three-round playoff to go under the lights, offering some different challenges the riders faced in the night’s main events. Ty Masterpool started the day qualifying fourth and put his impressive starts to good use when the gate dropped. He jumped out to a top-five start at the first main event and held on pace for the first several laps, running in third. He went down briefly before remounting in seventh and held on to ninth when the checkered flag came out. The second moto was all Masterpool at the front as the No. 29 led the field, claiming the holeshot. Masterpool put up a good fight and relented a few spots before finishing sixth, giving him seventh overall. His solid showing throughout the playoffs landed him ninth overall in the 250SMX championship standings.
“It was great to run up front for a few laps, but I’m still not 100 percent there with my fitness and I wasn’t able to maintain for the full race,” said Masterpool. “I’m thankful my starts have been great because the tracks in the playoff were hard to pass on. I’m so thankful to the entire team for believing in me, and I can’t wait to get in a solid off-season and come out strong in 2025.”
Kitchen had one of his better qualifying sessions this playoff season, earning sixth to start the day. He was able to put that speed into the top five in the opening main event, but a mistake pushed him back to seventh. Kitchen fought around the one-lined track to claim sixth in the first race. The second race was a full-hearted effort to work his way forward after starting in 15th. He made a few good moves but had to settle for 10th, securing eighth overall with his 6-10 scores.
“That was a tough race to try and make up any time,” said Kitchen. “I rode okay, but the start was critical and I didn’t have it second moto. The first moto showed how tough it was to make up time, and it felt like a bit of cat and mouse, where I would feel like I was catching the top five, but then I’d lose a little bit. Having one of my toughest races during the triple point night was a little hard to take, but we learned so much this season. To have the season I had in my first year really makes me eager to get going and see what we can do in 2025.”
Marchbanks got the day going with a 10th in qualifying but had to showcase that speed in the first main event after starting outside the top 15. The No. 26 took a few laps before starting to make a charge forward on a track that was tough to make passes; Marchbanks kept at it and charged to the end to an impressive eighth. After another 16th-place start in the second moto, he was ready to charge, but he wasn’t able to get by as quickly at the start and had to settle for 12th, giving him 10th overall. Marchanks earned 12th overall in the 250SMX standings, just one point out of the top 10.
“It was great to get a chance to race after everything this year and I got two good months under my belt to have a great base for the off-season,” said Marchbanks. “I know we’ll be in an even better position than if I came on board when I was expecting to in October. I feel like I got to know the crew and team, and I’m ready to go to work. I love putting in the hard work and I’m just really excited to get a plan in place to have a great off-season.”
McAdoo had one of the most challenging jobs of his teammates during the playoffs, as he had to endure one extra race each week with a trip to the LCQ. He felt the extra effort and showed great speed throughout both main events. During the first main event, McAdoo took some time to settle in with his 11th-place start, but he was charging forward once he did. He was up to eighth when he went off the track and rejoined in 13th, where he would finish. The second moto, McAdoo got pinched off just like Kitchen and Marchbanks and started 15th. It was another moto of hard-fought effort, and McAdoo would claim 11th to score him 12th overall.
“Tonight wasn’t the result I was hoping for after two solid races, but what’s on paper doesn’t always show the effort on the track,” said McAdoo. “We had good speed overall, so I’m thankful for that, and we were building up to have a great off-season after I was out all summer with injury. Even though it wasn’t the result I wanted to finish out, I still got into the top-10 in the standings. We’ll take it and start working for another great season together.”
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250SMX Class Overall Results – The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
- Pierce Brown (GasGas), 2-1
- Haiden Deegan (Yamaha), 1-2
- Jordon Smith (Yamaha), 5-3
- Jo Shimoda (Honda), 4-5
- Tom Vialle (KTM), 3-8
- Max Anstie (Yamaha), 10-4
- Ty Masterpool (Kawasaki), 9-6
- Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki), 6-10
- Julien Beaumer (KTM), 11-9
- Garrett Marchbanks (Kawasaki), 8-12
12. Cameron McAdoo (Kawasaki), 13-11
250SMX Class Points Standings
- Haiden Deegan (Yamaha), 166
- Tom Vialle (KTM), 132
- Pierce Brown (GasGas), 131
- Jo Shimoda (Honda), 130
- Jordon Smith (Yamaha), 124
- Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki), 120
- Julien Beaumer (KTM), 108
- Max Anstie (Yamaha), 97
- Ty Masterpool (Kawasaki), 88
- Cameron McAdoo (Kawasaki), 72
12. Garrett Marchbanks (Kawasaki), 71
Team Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki uses WRP Titanium Fasteners
