Glendale might be the best round of the series. The weather, huge stadium floor, and consistent dirt make it hard to beat. The dirt isn’t perfect for everyone, as those wanting excess traction and a rut or two will be out of luck. Still, it’s hard for anyone to say this isn’t a great round. Who will excel, and who will fight adversity based on the Glendale nuance? I’m so glad you asked.
The fast layout, slippery dirt (forcing the use of outside lines), and double leading into the whoops all make Glendale a round for the likes of Eli Tomac, Ken Roczen, Chase Sexton, and Jason Anderson. Their skill set is a perfect fit for these specific dynamics. If healthy, throw Malcolm Stewart in there, too. They can use their ability to find traction when others can’t, piecing the track together artfully. They will also be able to use all of that momentum when they enter the whoops. There is a huge double leading in, and those with the skill and the will can just keep it rolling into and through the whoops. Great blitzers love a setup like this because it allows them to unleash their talent.
Those who may not love this setup would be Justin Cooper and Cooper Webb. Coop is sick and tired of hearing about his Glendale trend and bucked that very trend a year ago, pulling off a second. He will need to find that same rabbit and rip him out of another hat because he can’t afford a sixth place finish, as the trend would indicate. Both he and Justin Cooper like to jump whoops when the situation arises and excel at the skill. The trouble is, this setup will not allow for jumping with efficiency. There is simply too much speed to shed before jumping. If they decelerate to jump, a rider like Sexton will blow past with ease (and anyone else trailing). Those who don’t feel blitzing is their strength will need to dig deep on Saturday. Lastly, Webb loves to use the insides of berms and shorten the racetrack. Glendale makes that difficult to do, as the dirt is hard and slippery. Also, it doesn’t develop the deep ruts on the outside that make the inside turn down so effective. The dirt negates the advantage he has in that aspect. Another reason for the historical sixth.
Certain races are nuanced and have specific aspects that directly affect the results. Glendale is the prototypical example of how certain tracks and weekends are easier or tougher for individual riders.
Cooper Webb won his first SX of the year in Houston, and just when his competitors thought they might have knocked him out of this thing, he rose up from the dead like that Undertaker GIF. It was such a “Webby win” to me as the track got worse and worse; he got better, and even without winning an overall main event, he was so good throughout the night. Other racers like Lawrence and Tomac were one mistake away from winning the overall, but there was Cooper Webb at the end of the night, standing there with the trophy. He rode great, and you have to think as this series heads east, he’ll get better, right? When I think of Houston SX 2026, I’ll probably think of ET’s crash, Hunter’s first-ever “main” win, the battle in the third 450 main, Deegs crushing it, etc., etc., and Webb’s riding won’t come right to mind, but it’ll be a “Oh yeah, Webb won that, didn’t he?” Because that’s what he does.
On Wednesday, the SuperMotocross League announced some more exciting news regarding women’s racing as Christina Denney was named series director for the Women’s Motocross Championship (WMX). Since transitioning from a team manager into her current rider representative role working with the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) and the SuperMotocross League (MX Sports and Feld Motor Sports), Denney has been doing a ton of behind-the-scenes work, including but not limited to the SMX Next program both in SX and MX, the WMX series, and working with Team USA for the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations. Denney has been and will continue to be a crucial factor in the future of both the SMX Next and the WMX programs. She has the racing program experience and the connections to help serve as the intermediary between officials, the series, and the riders.
Denney gets to know all of the athletes she works with on a personal level, and you can tell she, like many other behind-the-scenes individuals in the sport, truly cares about the athletes. Her contributions to help grow the WMX series have paid off, as this year the women’s championship is officially a part of the SMX League. This is huge news that would not have happened without Denney’s passion and dedication to the program.
“Being part of the growth of WMX is deeply personal to me. As Series Director, it’s about more than racing—it’s about creating space for women to be seen, supported, and believed in,” said Denney in the press release. “Before this role, I was the first woman in the U.S. to serve as a team manager, building a privateer team from nothing and learning what it truly takes to lead. Every challenge and lesson along the way prepared me for this moment. I never imagined I’d be part of something this powerful, but helping to grow this movement in women’s motorsports has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life.”