Carson Wood delivered a breakthrough performance at RedBud MX, sweeping both motos to capture his first SMX Next – Motocross victory at the Scouting Moto Combine. The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider’s dominant 1-1 performance also earned AMA Hall of Famer Kevin Windham the Coaches Cup on a weekend that coincided with the 5.11 RedBud National and America’s 250th Anniversary celebrations.
The event brought together 25 of America’s best amateur prospects for a comprehensive development programme that extended beyond racing. Before taking to the track, riders participated in classroom-style education sessions covering training and fitness, nutrition, and media engagement. The group was divided amongst four Rider Coaches, with Windham joined by fellow AMA Hall of Famer Broc Glover and former international stars Michael Byrne and Gareth Swanepoel.
Wood set the tone in qualifying, topping both timed sessions with a best lap of 2:23.248 – more than 1.7 seconds ahead of Australian Quad Lock Honda rider Kayd Kingsford. The Florida native converted that speed into results when racing commenced on Friday in sweltering conditions.
After grabbing the Moto 1 holeshot, Wood established an early advantage over Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Landon Gibson. A brief mechanical stall erased Wood’s gap, but he resumed just ahead of Gibson and held on through lapped traffic to take victory by 1.5 seconds. Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Kade Johnson finished third after Kingsford encountered misfortune whilst battling for the position.
Severe thunderstorms on Friday forced organisers to reschedule the second moto for Saturday morning, shortening it to 15 minutes plus two laps. Running before the National and opening ceremonies in front of a massive crowd, the moto saw Gibson claim the holeshot before Wood aggressively passed on the opening lap. The Yamaha rider then maintained a sprint pace that prevented any serious challenge, completing the sweep with a winning margin of just over a second.
Behind the leading duo, Kingsford produced an impressive charge from sixth to third after ClubMX Yamaha’s Jesson Turner made a small mistake at the halfway point. The Australian’s podium finish came after his disappointment in the opening moto.
“It is so hot out here. The track is super challenging and you have to be patient, but when you have someone behind you that can be difficult,” said Wood. “I was about third off the start [in Moto 2] and was following [Gibson] for a little bit, but was able to make the pass super quick. That made the moto a lot easier on myself. I’m pumped, it was a perfect weekend.”
The result marked Wood’s first SMX Next victory, aided by experience gained in two Pro Motocross starts earlier this summer. For Gibson, the 2-2 scorecard represented his fourth runner-up finish in SMX Next competition, including his third second-place result in the past four Scouting Moto Combines. Johnson captured his first SMX Next – Motocross podium with 3-4 finishes for third overall.
The second SMX Next – Motocross event of the summer will take place at Ironman Raceway on Friday, 28th August, as part of the U.S. Army Ironman National Finals.
Photo: MX Sports Pro Racing Media
