2025 Supercross Preview [Guide to Top 10 Riders To Watch]

It is time for the 2025 AMA Monster Energy Supercross Championship Series to commence at Angel Stadium in Anaheim. The riders will line up on Saturday, January 11, at 4:30 p.m., and the gate will drop. With that in mind, let’s talk about the Top Ten Riders to watch in 2025.

The Returning Champions

• Jett Lawrence (2024): The phenom from Australia is back to defend his 450SX title and his 450SMX crown. When Jett is on form, he looks to be unbeatable. With great starts and well-managed leads, Jett won the Supercross championship with 8 wins in 17 races. Expect him to be even better in 2025. Jett is the man to beat in Supercross. Team: Team Honda HRC Progressive.

  

• Chase Sexton (2023): Sexton did not successfully defend his 2023 Supercross title against the Jett onslaught. Sexton was on the podium in 9 of 16 races but only had two wins. An injury kept him out of the Nashville round, and he ended up 41 points behind Jett in the standings. With a year on the KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition under his belt, expect Sexton to be more consistent on the podium, though wins will continue to be hard to come by. Team: Red Bull KTM
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• Eli Tomac (2022 and 2020): The two-time Supercross champion returned from injury last year but never fully got his season on track. Although he was on the podium six times, he notched just one win. Tomac is 32 years old, and this is expected to be his final season. He will need some magic to retire as a 450SX champion, though he can certainly win a few races and finish the season in the top five after a P4 season last year. Team: Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing.

  

• Cooper Webb (2021 and 2019): Although Webb hasn’t nailed down the title in the last three campaigns, he remains a force. Webb was runner-up to Jett last year, trailing by just 15 points when the dust settled in Salt Lake City. Webb’s four wins put him behind only Jett for victories, and he was on the podium 8 times in 17 tries. Webb knows how to take advantage of off-nights for Jett, as Jett was off the podium at three of Webb’s four wins. At 29 years old, this might be Webb’s last shot at a third Supercross title, so expect a hard-fought season. Team: Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing.

  

• Jason Anderson (2018): It can be easy to forget that Anderson is a past Supercross champion, as he hasn’t been a serious threat since finishing runner-up to Tomac in 2022. Regardless, Anderson managed four podiums last year, and was one of the most consistent riders in the top five. Anderson turns 32 next month, so time is not on his side. He will have to work to maintain the P5 overall performance he had in Monster Energy Supercross. Team: Monster Energy Kawasaki.

The Contenders

• Justin Cooper: Cooper’s first full season in the 450SX class was a learning experience. He didn’t qualify in San Francisco and was in the top five only twice. However, he scored his first podium at the Salt Lake City finale, so he has some momentum coming into the series. Cooper finished last year in P6 in the standings, though he moved up a couple of spots due to late-season injuries to Ken Roczen and Aaron Plessinger. Cooper will have to show significant improvement to be a top-five contender in 2025. Team: Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing.

  

• Ken Roczen: Although he has never won a Supercross championship, Roczen has been a contender for years. He has 22 career 450SX wins, having added one more last year. With six podiums and eight top-fives, you would have expected higher than P7 for last year’s season. However, a season-ending crash in Nashville meant just two points in the final four rounds. Turning 31 in April, Roczen is in a holding-on phase of his career, though he may still have many top-fives and podiums in him. Team: Progressive Insurance Ecstar Suzuki.

  

• Hunter Lawrence: Overshadowed by his younger brother Jett, Hunter did not set the Supercross world on fire during his rookie season. There were flashes of brilliance from Hunter, as he was on the St. Louis and Denver podiums. He was a consistent P7 finisher, racking up five last year. Failing to qualify at A1, crashing at Daytona, and sitting out the following round in Birmingham left him in an underperforming P9 overall in ’24. Expect more from Hunter in 2025 as he looks to challenge for the top five. Team: Team Honda HRC Progressive.

  

• Aaron Plessinger: A perennial fan favorite, Plessinger took his first career 450SX win last year at round three in San Diego. After starting strong with top-five finishes in each of the first four rounds, he managed just one top-five in the next six rounds. He returned to form in Seattle and St. Louis with P4 finishes before injuries ended his season, leaving him P11 in the standings. Plessinger turns 29 this month, so his window of opportunity for “The Cowboy” is starting to close. That will likely be a strong motivator. Team: Red Bull KTM.
• Jorge Prado: The two-time defending MXGP champion is the real wild card in 2025. Prado tested the waters last year with middling results, going 13-7-11-12 in four rounds before returning to Europe for his final MXGP season. Prado is switching from GasGas to Kawasaki and moving from MXGP to AMA Supercross—those are two big changes. It’s impossible to tell how well he will do until the Main Event gates start dropping. While it’s unlikely he will be a title contender, don’t be surprised to see Prado show up in the top five and stand on a few podiums. Team: Monster Energy Kawasaki.

We also have some resources to help you watch the 2025 Monster Energy Supercross Championship Series:

We will also have weekly picks and tips for fans who play the RMFantasySX fantasy supercross game—it’s free with prizes. More serious gamblers can bet money on the races via NXTbets, though we prefer to play for fun.

Photography by Will Embree / SMX Pictures et al

2024 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship Series Final Standings

1. Jett Lawrence, Honda, 351 points (8 wins, 10 podiums, 13 top fives)
2. Cooper Webb, Yamaha, 336 (4W, 9P, 14 T5)
3. Chase Sexton, KTM, 307 (2W, 9P, 12 T5)
4. Eli Tomac, Yamaha, 282 (1 W, 6P, 8 T5)
5. Jason Anderson, Kawasaki, 282 (4P, 11 T5)
6. Justin Cooper, Yamaha, 227 (1P, 2 T5)
7. Ken Roczen, Suzuki, 223 (1W, 6P, 8 T5)
8. Justin Barcia, GasGas, 217 (1P, 4 T5)
9. Hunter Lawrence, 207 (2P, 4 T5)
10. Malcolm Stewart, Husqvarna, 200
11. Aaron Plessinger, KTM, 198 (1W, 3P, 7 T5)
12. Dylan Ferrandis, Honda, 147 (1 T5)
13. Shane McElrath, Suzuki, 132 (1 T5)
14. Adam Cianciarulo, Kawasaki, 95
15. Benny Bloss, Beta, 94
16. Dean Wilson, Honda, 91
17. Justin Hill, KTM, 71
18. Kyle Chisholm, Suzuki, 66
19. Vince Friese, Honda, 64
20. Colt Nichols, Beta, 62
21. Mitchell Oldenburg, Honda, 55
22. Jorge Prado, GasGas, 45
23. Christian Craig, Husqvarna, 39
24. Freddie Norén, Kawasaki, 38
25. Cade Clason, Kawasaki, 34
26. Derek Drake, Suzuki, 33
27. Mitchell Harrison, Kawasaki, 25
28. Jeremy Hand, Honda, 23
29. Ty Masterpool, Kawasaki, 19
30. Grant Harlan, Yamaha, 13
31. Jerry Robin, Yamaha, 10
32. John Short, Kawasaki, 8
33. Austin Politelli, GasGas, 7
34. Anthony Bourdon, Suzuki, 7
35. Ryan Breece, Yamaha, 6
36. Justin Rodbell, KTM, 5
37. Devon Simonson, Yamaha, 4
38. Carson Mumford, Honda, 3
39. Aaron Tanti, Kawasaki, 3
40. Tristan Lane, KTM, 3
41. Justin Starling, Honda, 2
42. Josh Hill, Yamaha, 2
43. Kevin Moranz, KTM, 2
44. Jason Clermont, Kawasaki, 1
45. Robbie Wageman, Yamaha, 1