It is a funny one this weekend, with the SMX championship. While it has huge names and even bigger prizemoney, the fact it’s a new championship, I just cannot get too excited about it.

The hype is big and the pre-event coverage and post event coverage by FELD and MXsports is always first class and as a media channel, I appreciate that more than anything, because it makes my job a lot easier.

I don’t want to offend anyone, because it is brilliant we get some extra racing and the riders get some really good pay-outs, but championship wise, I struggle that the championship is worth anything for now.

I am sure in years to come, if it continues, the prize of being Supermotocross champion will mean something, but for somebody who loves the history of our sport and see’s championships like the MXGP, MX2, AMA SX 450, AMA 450 and 250 MX titles, as the REAL championships. SMX feels a little like the AMA 250 SX regional titles to me.

Now, I might add, as a 64 year old, semi-retired media guy, I probably don’t have the enthusiasm as some of the younger generation. Getting to see the biggest names in AMA racing, doing something a little different, is a nice change and it will be worth finding out who wins each rounds, but still, I just cannot give the title of the champion much respect for now. Of course, in time with a little history, it will be worth everyone’s respect.

I might add, I also cannot give the World 650cc motocross championship much respect, but that was mainly, because often, those championships were more European level, than world level. Same goes with many of the years the world supercross championship was run, also not really world statue, comparing it to major AMA or FIM events.

When I was a kid, the AMA 500cc championship was one of the biggest championships in the sport, but as the 250 machines took over in the 1990s and the 500cc bikes lost momentum, that AMA 500cc championship disappeared and nobody outside of old blokes like me rate it anymore.

Of course, the premier class in Europe has gone from the 500cc class, to the 250cc class, back to the 500cc class, then again the 250cc class and now its the 450/MXGP class, so tradition can change over each era and decade.

Even now, the world supercross championship is a fun series, with potential, but its fields are not that deep and while their venues and effort by the promoters make it interesting, there is something missing.

What is great, for us, the fans, we don’t have a lot of free weekends this winter, with racing just about every single weekend from now until December.

Usually, when the AMA motocross championship ends, it’s just the Monster Energy Motocross of Nations and then the odd off-season supercross, like Paris, the Aus X Open, or in the past, Barcelona, Geneve or Genoa supercross races.

As of this weekend, we will hardly have a free weekend with SMX, MXGP, WSX, Aus X Open, Paris SX, and Aussie SX rounds. I think December might have some weekends free, but as we have mentioned in an article a few weeks ago, many weekends in October and November will have multiple major events.

Anyway, we will follow the SMX, we will have reports and highlights and everything the good people at FELD and MXsports send us, but we won’t be getting too excited until the Nations and then A1.

As much as we appreciate all this extra racing and also gives us something to talk about, being a traditionalist, I can only really get excited when it’s the big five (AMA 450 SX, AMA 450 and 250 MX and the MXGP and MX2 championships) are run and with all respect, for now, those are the championships that really matter.