Bloss and McElrath Close Out SMX Playoffs at Ridgedale Missouri

Oct 1, 2026 Michael Le Pard News

Liqui Moly Beta Factory Racing closed out the 2026 SuperMotocross World Championship at the SMX World Championship Final in Ridgedale, Missouri, with Shane McElrath and Benny Bloss both competing in the 450 Wildcard. McElrath put together a strong performance, winning the Wildcard LCQ to secure his spot in the night program before going 17-12 in the two points-paying motos to finish 14th overall. Bloss showed strong pace throughout the weekend, topping the qualifying session for the Wildcard and starting from the pole position. Unfortunately, his night came to an early end after completing three laps of the Wildcard race. McElrath finished the 3rd round of the SMX Playoffs 14th in the 450 championship standings with 50 points, while Bloss finished 22nd with 14 points, bringing the 2026 SMX season to a close.
Results:
Benny Bloss » 22nd Place Championship Overall » 450 Class

Shane McElrath » 17th/12th – 14th Place Championship Overall » 450 Class

Factory RX 450F
“We had some good speed throughout the weekend, and qualifying showed that we had the pace to run up front. Unfortunately, the Wildcard didn’t go the way we wanted, but we’ve learned a lot throughout these playoffs. I’m looking forward to taking that into the offseason and continuing to build with the team.”

Factory RX 450F
“Proud to win all 3 wildcard races and have some solid motos along the way. We came into the playoffs with the goal of gathering data and building toward SX ’27, and I feel like we took full advantage of it. Ridgedale was definitely the toughest track for me. We made changes every session trying to find more comfort, and our last moto ended up being our best with a p-12. Now we finally get a proper offseason to build. I’m ready for it.”

Photos: Align Media

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