Another season of Monster Energy AMA Supercross is upon us, and there’s a great deal of anticipation surrounding this year’s championship. With five former 450SX champions on the gate and two stacked 250SX regions, 2025 intrigue has already been elevated entering the 2025 season. This latest Top 10 outlines the narratives that you must watch come A1.

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1: The Jett Lawrence factor:
Having already won every championship available at the young age of 21, can Jett Lawrence defend in 450SX? Honda HRC Progressive’s Lawrence is the defending champion after a stellar rookie Supercross season in the premier class and is now focused on stacking as many titles as he possibly can for the rest of his career. Jett and his older brother Hunter are onboard the all-new CRF450R for 2025, and he’ll need to work through the changes and find the optimum settings as the series progresses. This could pose an opportunity for the likes of Eli Tomac, Chase Sexton and Cooper Webb to secure an early advantage and try to defend from the front. If Lawrence starts the season strongly, it could spell trouble for his closest rivals.

2. The challengers – Chase Sexton and Cooper Webb:
Having both tasted 450SX success, Red Bull KTM’s Chase Sexton and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb will settle for nothing less than the red plate in 2025. Now both in the second year with their respective teams and having the luxury of having their bikes dialed in, all of the ingredients are there for these two to start their campaigns strongly. Having come to terms with the bike and having wrapped up the 450MX championship, Sexton is coming into 2025 much more prepared and is capable of winning more Supercross races than the one he claimed last year. As for two-time champion Webb, he might not have the outright pace of Jett, but his tenacity and race-craft are second-to-none and he’s proven how tough he is to beat over the course of a season.

3. Final season for Eli Tomac:
This year marks the end of an era for Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac, who has announced that 2025 will be his final year of racing. The two-time Supercross and four-time Pro Motocross champion certainly isn’t planning on just going through the motions of a victory lap though – he’s got his eyes solely fixed on a third 450SX title and will be a very real threat for the crown. Last year saw the 31-year-old continually improve throughout the Supercross season before an injury saw him sit out most of the outdoors. He returned for the SMX Finals series and charged to third overall behind the Lawrence brothers, then played an instrumental role in helping Team USA claim second at the Motocross of Nations, before racing to the World Supercross crown. Tomac’s late season burst has seen him return to the same near-unstoppable form he displayed in 2023 and he should be right in contention for a final Supercross title.

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4. Hunter Lawrence locks in:
No-one in the 450SX ranks improved as much as Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence did last year. In his rookie season, the Australian put the disapointment from failing to qualify for the main event at Anaheim 1 behind him and steadily improved as the series progressed, eventually logging two Supercross podiums, finishing runner-up in the Pro Motocross championship, winning the opening round of the SMX Playoffs, and finishing those three rounds tied on points with Jett. That provides the always-analytical Hunter with a near-perfect platform to springboard himself into contention this year. Expect him to win races, shrug off the underdog label, and establish himself as a championship threat. It wouldn’t be an absolute shock if the brothers finish the 17-round series first and second in the standings.

5. West for Haiden Deegan:
After two years as the runner-up, 2025 signals another chance for Haiden Deegan to secure a 250SX title. With a 250MX Pro Motocross and two 250SMX championships now in the bag, the polarizing Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider is the heavy favorite to claim this year’s western regional title. But it’s not going to be easy, since also confirmed for the Anaheim 1 opener are Levi Kitchen (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki), Honda HRC Progressive’s Jo Shimoda – who really needs to fire this year after a disappointing 2024 supercross season – and new Triumph signing Jordon Smith. Despite having a huge target on his back, Deegan’s gained a reputation as a fierce fighter who thrives in these sorts of pressure-cooker environments.

6. A clash of champions for 250SX East:
This year will see the two reigning 250SX champions RJ Hampshire and Tom Vialle go head-to-head for honors when the eastern series fires up in Tampa next month. For Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Hampshire, the past six months have been frustrating. After claiming his first Supercross title he fractured his wrist prior to the Pro Motocross Championship, then struck further dramas late last year. His initial plan was to race 250SX West, then race the east coast races on a 450 to gain experience before jumping to the 450MX class for outdoors, but now he will turn his attention to the east. For Red Bull KTM’s Vialle, 2025 is all about defending his title against some serious competition that includes Chance Hymas (Honda HRC Progressive), Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki duo Cameron McAdoo and Seth Hammaker, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Max Anstie and Pierce Brown, Triumph Racing recruit Austin Forkner, and more.

7. The great unknown – Jorge Prado:
Having dipped his toes in Monster Energy Supercross last year, two-time MXGP champion Jorge Prado has set his sights on a new challenge in 2025, lining up for his first full year of US racing with Monster Energy Kawasaki. The 24-year-old Spaniard is one of the real question-marks in this year’s championship, and all eyes will be on him to see how quickly he can adapt to the unique challenge that Supercross presents. Last year he finished his four-round preview with 13-7-11-12 results, with his best results coming at the mud-drenched rounds in San Diego and San Francisco, where he won a heat race. A practice crash in December saw him miss the SMX Media Days at Anaheim, but he’s back to full health and ready to make for his full-time Supercross debut this weekend. Where he’ll finish at A1 is anyone’s guess, but expect him to adapt and improve as the series progresses.

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8. A must for Jason Anderson and Aaron Plessinger:
Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson and Red Bull KTM’s Aaron Plessinger are two of the biggest personalities in the 450SX paddock, and they both have additional motivation to step up with their contracts up for negotiation this year. Now in his fifth year with Kawasaki, Anderson is racing alongside Jorge Prado and is facing pressure to continue upping his game if he wants to match the elevated level that Tomac, Sexton and the Lawrence brothers operate at. For Plessinger, 2025 will be more about building on the huge strides he took in last year, when he won his first 450SX main event in San Diego and held the red plate during the early part of the season. Combined with a convincing outdoor and SMX Finals campaign, Plessinger’s stock continues to grow and he’ll be wanting to add more wins to his resume this time around.

9. Don’t count out Ken Roczen:
For someone who wins races every single year, Ken Roczen is entering 2025 with very little attention on him. Of the entire field, the Progressive Insurance Ecstar Suzuki rider is one of the best riders to not yet win a 450SX championship, and his explosive early race speed is huge strength that few people can match. In 2024, Roczen was enjoying a strong season with five podiums and a race victory, before crashing spectacularly out of the championship at Nashville. This upcoming campaign is going to be a pivotal one for the 30-year-old, who’s about to enter those final few years of his career, and as each series passes it will get harder and harder to win against the next generation coming through the ranks.

10. Triumph goes all in for 2025:
After testing the waters in 2024, Triumph Racing has shown their full hand for 2025. The British manufacturer has secured the services of former Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 450 team manager Jeremy Coker, and has signed Forkner and Smith, in addition to Stilez Robertson and Jalek Swoll. Forkner and Smith are both proven race winners and Triumph will be banking that one of their four riders will stand on top of the podium at least once in 2025.