The 250 class is set to go racing in Columbus, Ohio, for the opening round of the 2026 SuperMotocross Playoffs, but the day has already taken an unexpected turn. Qualifying was canceled earlier in the day, meaning the riders will head straight into racing without the usual timed sessions to learn the track and dial in their setups. Cole Davies enters the postseason as the top seed after collecting 638 combined points and begins the playoffs with 25 points, while Levi Kitchen starts second with 22 and Ryder DiFrancesco sits third with 20. Chance Hymas enters fourth with 18 points, followed by Julien Beaumer with 17, keeping the front of the championship extremely tight heading into the opening round. Davies comes into Columbus with momentum after wrapping up the 250 Pro Motocross Championship at Ironman, while Kitchen, DiFrancesco, Hymas and Beaumer will all look to make an early statement in the postseason. With no qualifying laps and very little time to adjust to the hybrid Supercross and motocross-style layout, the 250 field will have to adapt quickly as the gate drops on the first SMX race of the year.

2026 COLUMBUS SMX NATIONAL // FULL COVERAGE

250 OVERALL RACE RESULTS

Daxton Bennick hung on to second for the entire moto but lost it on the last lap.

Daxton Bennick grabbed the holeshot in moto two, but Cole Davies quickly moved into the lead and immediately began to pull away from the rest of the field. Bennick settled into second and did not need to match Davies’ pace to secure the overall, as his main concern was keeping Levi Kitchen behind him. Kitchen ran fourth in the opening laps before beginning to work his way forward, while Jo Shimoda and Julien Beaumer both ran into more trouble after going down early in the race. As the moto wore on, Kitchen closed the gap to Bennick and began applying pressure for second. Bennick held him off for several laps and made Kitchen work for every inch, but with one lap remaining, Kitchen finally found a way past. Davies went on to take the moto win, but Kitchen’s late move into second was enough to give him the overall victory.

Levi Kitchen took the overall win.

Jo Shimoda had a tough day after hitting the ground multiple times in both motos.

250 RACE RESULTS MOTO ONE

Cole Davies was able to get out front early and hold the lead through the full moto but in the closing laps his bike would give up on him.

Cole Davies grabbed the holeshot with Daxton Bennick and Levi Kitchen right behind him. Nick Romano also worked his way into the top five early after being forced to come through the LCQ following a back injury earlier in the year. Julien Beaumer went down early and dropped to eighteenth, while Jo Shimoda and Chance Hymas were also buried deep in the pack. The conditions were nearly unrideable as heavy mud made traction difficult and sent riders down all over the track. Within the opening five minutes, Davies had already built a ten-second lead and continued to stretch it lap after lap. Just as he looked to have the race under control, disaster struck when his bike began to fail, causing him to lose positions and fall back through the field. Bennick inherited the lead and stayed out front from there, taking the win in the brutal Columbus conditions.

Daxton Bennick had a great ride after putting himself up front in the opening laps. He would go on to take the win.

Levi Kitchen did what was needed to salvage second on the podium.

2026 COLUMBUS SMX NATIONAL // FULL COVERAGE