Carson Wood Sweeps Summer Scouting Moto Combines 
with SMX Next – Motocross Victory at Ironman

CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. (August 30, 2026) – Amidst an abundance of championship festivities ahead of the season-ending U.S. Army Ironman National Finals Presented by Tucker Freight Lines, the second SMX Next – Motocross gathering of the summer took place on Friday at Ironman Raceway. The Ironman Scouting Moto Combine brought together 25 of the most elite amateur prospects in motocross for the final race weekend of the regular season, from which Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider Carson Wood [#260] completed a sweep of the summer Combine events. AMA Hall of Famer Broc Glover was the recipient of the Coaches Cup.
 
Before the gates dropped on the motos, the invited prospects participated in classroom-style education sessions that provided key insights into various aspects of the sport away from the racetrack, including training & fitness, nutrition, and media engagement. The group was split into groups amongst four Rider Coaches, where Glover was joined by fellow AMA Hall of Famer Kevin Windham and former international stars Michael Byrne and Gareth Swanepoel. Collectively, the coaches provided guidance, mentorship, and invaluable insights towards each athlete’s on-track performance.

Qualifying

• Wood made his presence felt immediately by topping the time charts in qualifying with a time of 2:08.226, which placed him 1.7 seconds ahead of ClubMX Yamaha’s Jesson Turner [#57], who paced the first session with his time of 2:09.927.

• The first Combine moto began with Triumph Factory Racing’s Darren Pine [#58] leading the field to the holeshot ahead of Turner and Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Kade Johnson [#177]. Wood started just outside the top five in sixth.
• In his first SMX Next race, Pine showed impressive poise at the front of the field and maintained his hold of the lead through nearly the first half of the moto.
• As Pine continued to lead, the battle behind him picked up between Johnson, Turner, and Wood in a battle for podium position. Misfortune took Turner out of the fight and deep into the top 10, but Johnson and Wood continued their fight, with Wood able to get the upper hand.
• Once into second Wood closed in on Pine and pressured for the lead. The Yamaha rider made the move just before the halfway point of the moto and never looked back.
• Pine settled into second and kept Wood honest, while Johnson continued his pursuit from third. The lead trio opened a considerable gap over the rest of the field.
• Wood carried on to a third straight Combine moto win dating back to RedBud, crossing the line 4.2 seconds ahead of Pine’s impressive debut effort. Johnson rounded out the top three followed by Turner and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Landon Gibson [#23]. 

• The second moto saw Gibson, the newly crowned Nicky Hayden AMA Motocross Horizon Award recipient, storm to the holeshot ahead of Wood and Pine. 
• Pine pushed his way into the lead early on the opening lap and looked to repeat his performance from Moto 1, but Gibson was able to battle back to reclaim the position. Not long after, Wood made the move for second. Pine then dropped out of podium position after he was passed by GDR Honda’s Dylan Rempel [#9].
• Once he regained control of the moto, Gibson set a torrid pace that allowed him to pull away from Wood and eventually establish a double-digit lead over the field.
• Despite losing touch with Gibson, Wood solidified his hold of second, recognizing he controlled his own destiny in terms of the overall.
• Rempel impressed while running third, as the Canadian was able to hold off some pressure from KTM Orange Brigade’s Luke Fauser [#46].
• Gibson was never challenged and stormed to a dominant moto win by 12.9 seconds over Wood. Rempel followed in third, with Fauser fourth and Altus Motorsports bLUcRU Yamaha’s Kane Bollasina [#14] in fifth.

• Wood’s 1-2 effort easily secured the overall win at Ironman to go along with his triumphant effort in July at RedBud. He took the win in three of four Combine motos this summer.
• Gibson’s 5-1 effort gave him a fourth runner-up finish in the Scouting Moto Combine, including three in-a-row.
• Johnson rounded out the podium with a 3-6 effort, which extended his current SMX Next podium streak to four, combining both Supercross and Motocross events.
• The Combine podium at Ironman replicated the top three finishers from RedBud.