SMX Next combine brings 25 prospects to Ironman Raceway
NXTbets Pro | Published On: August 28, 2026
SMX Next combine
SMX Next Motocross will stage its second Scouting Moto Combine this weekend at Ironman Raceway, putting the program’s amateur pipeline in the spotlight during the U.S. Army Ironman National Finals Presented by Tucker Freight Lines. The combine also sits inside the season-ending Monster Energy SMX World Championship weekend, which gives the event a larger place on the calendar and ties it directly to the sport’s biggest championship stretch. SMX Next has become one of the clearest development tracks in the series, with two summer scouting combines, five SMX Next Supercross races and the SMX Next World All-Stars during the SMX World Championship Playoffs. That structure gives prospects multiple chances to show speed, learn from veteran voices and move through a format that mixes racing with instruction. The Ironman stop continues that plan with a field of 25 elite amateur prospects selected from three countries, all arriving with the same goal, to make an impression in front of coaches, teams and observers who track the next wave of motocross talent. The combine also helps connect the amateur side of the sport to a marquee weekend that already carries championship weight, which gives the riders a high-profile setting for both learning and racing.
Prospects and coaching
The prospect list came together with help from Honda, Husqvarna, Kawasaki, KTM, Suzuki, Triumph and Yamaha, a sign that the combine carries broad manufacturer interest across the motocross ladder. Those brands helped identify the riders who earned a spot in the field, and that makes the group a cross-section of young talent worth watching over the two-day format. Broc Glover, Kevin Windham, Michael Byrne and Gareth Swanepoel will coach the prospects, giving the riders a mix of experience and perspective from names tied to different eras of the sport. The combine is built around more than laps, too. Riders will take classroom sessions on health, fitness, nutrition and media training, which keeps the focus on full development and not just speed on the track. That matters in a program like SMX Next, where the goal is to prepare amateurs for the demands that follow once they move closer to the pro ranks. The classroom work gives the riders a chance to sharpen habits off the bike, while the coaching staff handles the on-track side. Together, those pieces turn the combine into a full evaluation and learning environment rather than a simple test session. The setup also gives each prospect a chance to absorb instruction in a group that includes riders from different backgrounds and different countries, all under the same competitive and educational umbrella.
Friday motos and practice
Friday’s program will give the field its first real competitive look, with two 25-minute-plus-one-lap motos to decide an overall winner. That format gives the combine a clear race result and puts an emphasis on consistency across both motos, since one strong run will not be enough by itself. The schedule also gives the riders another important step before Saturday’s National, when the full group will take part in a 10-minute practice session. That short session adds one more layer to the weekend and lets every prospect get on the track together before the National card begins. The pre-entry list already points to a deep group, with Landon Gibson, Carson Wood, Kade Johnson, Tanner Dorman, Tristan Prueitt, Dane Pappas, Jesson Turner and Riley Busse among the notable entrants. That mix of names adds more depth to a field already described as 25 elite amateur prospects from three countries. The weekend format gives those riders a direct path from classroom work to coaching and then to racing, which fits the purpose of the combine and the larger SMX Next program. It also gives Ironman Raceway another role in the sport’s development ladder, with the combine landing inside one of the most visible weekends of the season and putting the next generation of riders in front of the motorsports audience that follows the SMX Championship schedule.
