In 2021, I participated in some amateur races, but I was still recovering from a lingering injury sustained in 2019. Two weeks before Loretta’s, I had torn my ACL, which turned into something much worse. So, at the beginning of June 2021, I had extensive knee surgery that should have left me sidelined for nine months. Things changed when we started hearing rumors of what would become the SMX Futures class.
We had heard that we would be racing on the same track as the pros, and it would be the only way to obtain a Supercross license. Because the SMX Futures’ qualifiers were scheduled to start in December of 2021, we thought it was out of the question. We spoke with my physician in depth about the timeline, and he provided me with specific targets to meet before the first qualifier. If I had not hit those targets, he would not have released me to race.
I was 21 years old and felt like the clock was ticking. I needed to get my Supercross license for 2022 and beyond. My largest supporters and financial backers, my parents, were in agreement. We needed to make this happen, so I worked day and night getting healthy enough to race. Mere weeks before the races, I met the targets my physician set and received clearance to start riding lightly again.
I spent a week on a turn track doing light riding, but I needed time on the Supercross track. The few days of SX riding leading up to the first qualifier were not pretty, but I got them done. We easily qualified for the SMX Futures rounds, and I surprised myself with how well I was riding.
After the qualifiers were done, I took some more time off the bike to let my knee heal as much as possible before the races began, since I wasn’t even six months post-surgery. Once the time came, the races went fairly smoothly, and I had some good rides, allowing me to procure my license after three races. The timing of receiving my license allowed me to sign up for the last few East Coast rounds, and man, was that a rude but expected awakening.
My first professional Supercross race was March 5th, 2022, at the iconic Daytona Speedway. Unfortunately, during the second round in Detroit, I crashed after the track crew performed some track work without informing the riders. As I recall, 10-plus riders crashed on the same jump. I broke some bones in my foot, and it hurt a lot, but after talking with my parents, we decided to tough out the last few rounds. Gaining experience for the coming years was important, and, man, was it an experience.
My last round that season was in Foxborough, MA, where I qualified for my first-ever night show. Then, after SX was over, I took some time to let my foot heal and discussed with my parents what was next. We had to determine what we could afford. After much discussion, we were undecided about participating in any nationals, as they were outside our budget.
I didn’t want to hear that, so I made a call that changed my course. I called Smith Pro Rodeos, with whom I was super close. They were gearing up to support Lance Kobusch for the entire outdoor season out of their rig. I asked if there was any way I could tag along, and in the end, they did much more than just allow me to tag along. We came to an agreement where I would drive the rig to all the rounds, and they would pay for my entry fees. I was going to start at the Colorado national because by the time we got everything lined out, Lance and the rig were already in California for the first two rounds.
Doing the outdoor nationals and driving to every round was an experience I will never forget. I got my butt kicked every single weekend, and I missed the top 36 by less than .1 of a second in a majority of the races. It hurt mentally, but I was getting to experience something that so few get to do. I chose to take the good from every weekend. The views, the people, the tracks, and just the overall life I was getting to live. I didn’t qualify for any motos in outdoors, which still stings a bit. Haha.
After we got home and regrouped, my parents sat down with me and had a talk. They said they weren’t done supporting me, but they were stepping back significantly. They would pay for the race entries for the SX season, and the rest was on me. I took a few weeks off the bike and then the training and search for support for the 2023 East started.
I was feeling much better on the bike as we entered the ’23 season. Smith Pro Rodeos stepped up again. They said they would help with the fuel, and I would drive my van to all the rounds. I practically lived out of it. I made contact with Dave Drakes, owner of The Collective Experience, who helped me obtain something I had never had in my racing career outside of my father, a mechanic for select rounds. That was insanely helpful.
While training for Supercross, I was working my butt off by taking odd jobs for people I knew. I was also training others how to ride dirt bikes. The start of the season was upon me before I knew it, and to say I was nervous would be an understatement. The first round was in Houston, and it started off about as bad as it could have. I went down in the whoops on the third lap and messed up my shoulder. Thanks to everyone who supported me, including both new and old sponsors, and my determination to make my dream a reality, I pushed through. Not just the first round, but the entire season. In the end, it didn’t go great because a messed-up shoulder and racing Supercross don’t mix well.
My last round of the 2023 SX season was in Nashville, TN, and was my best result. I made the night show and was riding the best I had all season since my shoulder injury. The shoulder had begun to feel better, but that marked the end of my East Coast SX run.
Once home, my parents sat me down again and told me they were completely stepping away from helping me with my racing. They helped me throughout my entire career up to that point, so I completely understood. I went on to work for Smith Pro Rodeos as a ranch hand after SX until late July. I ended up having a heat stroke, leaving me with significant medical issues, which hindered me from even being outside for more than a few minutes without passing out.
I worried my hopes of racing in 2024 were completely out, but I couldn’t take no for an answer. After battling with the lingering medical issues up until late December, with little to no time on a dirt bike, I felt well enough to want to race. The first person I called was Smith Pro Rodeos. They were competing in the West Coast series and said that if I raced the West Coast, they would help me financially for all the California rounds.
Next, I called a local business, Z’s Main Street Treats and Eats. They were my now wife’s employer. I asked them to dinner so I could talk with him about helping me for the year. He was able to help enough for me to make racing in 2024 possible. I knew that even with their help, the ‘24 season could easily be short-lived with the budget I would be on. I HAD to make night shows consistently to be able to race the full 250 West Coast season.
With only two days of SX training, I headed up to Cali to ride two more times before the first round. I made the night show at Anaheim 1 and had a pretty good night. I was a few spots out of the main in both the heat and LCQ. We then headed to the muddiest race I had ever raced at round two in San Francisco. There, I missed the night show after crashing early in the first qualifier and wasn’t able to put in a good enough lap due to the muddy conditions.
The third round, in San Diego, was a ‘What could have been’ for me for sure. Once again, it was muddy, but I made the night show. I followed that by crashing in my heat race on the start. I made it back to 12th and then crashed on the start in the LCQ. I then moved up to sixth and crashed again, finishing 14th.
At Anaheim 2, I couldn’t stay off the ground in qualifying. I had good speed, but just couldn’t put it together and didn’t make the show. All in all, that’s how the rest of the season went for me. If I’m being honest, for only having four days on a Supercross track before the season started and another five days throughout, it wasn’t a bad year.
I got home from the last round pretty fired up and wanted more. I went to work as a graphic designer for a great company called Legacy Graphics and Design, and I also set my sights on the 2025 250 West Coast series. There were some bumps in the road with work as they got slow, which left me doing anything I could to earn some money. From wrenching for Jake Masterpool as he tried to race outdoors with his medical issues to training riders. I was doing everything I could to make enough money to cover my racing expenses for the year without having to ask others for help. I hate doing that.
One day during the week, I was working for Jake Masterpool when Brian Storrie from Adventure Moto, a local KTM dealership, randomly rolled up. They had helped me for a few years previously. Brian told me there was an AMA Arenacross team looking for a rider, and he recommended me to the team. The team's owner, Lee Taylor, was out riding the same track, so I went over and introduced myself. We exchanged numbers and got to talking.
After a few weeks of me wrestling with the idea of riding the AMA Arenacross Series and missing out on some Supercross rounds, we came to an agreement. I would ride for the Motonation Suzuki AX team for the full AMA AX season. Then, I could race the remainder of the 250 East Coast SX series. I was happy with that, so we got the ball rolling. He would supply the race bike, gear, parts, and would cover all the entry fees for the series. All I had to do was get a practice bike through the dealership he sent me to and the fuel money to get to all the rounds.
The season started in November, so from the time the deal was made, there were only a few months. So, I had to start making calls. Over the summer, I became great friends with the owners of one of my local tracks, MSR Compound, and they were happy to help. So was Z’s Main Street. Smith Pro Rodeos was happy to help with the SX side of things, but not the AX stuff.
The team sent off the suspension as soon as they could, and the company that handles it found some internal issues in the forks that needed to be addressed. It took over a month for us to receive the suspension back, which wasn’t the suspension company’s fault, but that left me with about a week to ride the race bike. It was slightly different and much faster, which made for a huge adjustment riding SX/AX.
During the first and second rounds, we identified some issues with the bike that we struggled with, and we continued to struggle with them through the third and fourth rounds. They were things I should have considered regarding ECU tuning, but we figured it out after returning home before round five. My van then broke down, forcing me to go home and grab my dad’s little van. I then struggled a lot at round six. It was all me. I just struggled to go fast.
That weekend came and went, and I went home fired up. I trained leading up to the next round and was ready to come out swinging. Once at the seventh round, I left the race early with a broken right wrist without even hitting the ground. This ultimately turned out to be a huge blessing in disguise for reasons outside of our control.
That brings me to where I am today. I’m fired up to prove to myself and show others what I am truly capable of on a dirt bike. My tentative plan is to visit ClubMX and begin training as soon as possible. I will stay there through the full AX and SX series to give myself the best chance of surpassing all my goals. As I mentioned earlier, I dislike asking for help from others, but I need it to train before the season and to prepare for the races.
My plan is to write down every person’s name who donates on the top of my helmet. Whether it’s $20, $50, or $100. Anyone who donates $500 or more will get a jersey from me at the end of SX as well. You can literally ride along with me for my 2026 season. It’s legitimately a make-or-break season for me, and I hope y’all enjoyed reading my story.
God bless! -Doc Smith
If you would like to help support my racing program in 2025, you can email me at DirtBikeDocSmith@Gmail.com or DM on Instagram at @DocSmith464. Also, feel free to donate through any of the options below. Thank you!
Cash app - $DocSmtih (yes it’s correct)
Venmo - @Doc-Smith-464
PayPal - @DocSmith464
Making a vital account today and asking for money is wild
I have been on vital's forum and others for years and have just never commented/had a reason to make an account until I wanted to make this post. Could I use the help 100% but if nothing comes of it and people enjoy the story I am perfectly happy with that. I hope you enjoyed the read!
Are you back with Motonation Suzuki for AX again this year? I've enjoyed watching AX the past few years, and always have a soft spot for the yellow bikes!
I recognized your name from this thread posted by the owner of the Arenacross team and corroborating your story about the Brian Storrie introduction (I remember things!). If you could get him or your father who is a Vital member to comment and verify who you are, it would help your cause. Great story. I'm sure some folks would step up to help once they are comfortable that you really are "Doc Smith". Edit: Also update your IG with a link to this or verifying your plan. Best of luck!
https://www.vitalmx.com/forums/moto-related/so-i-started-arenacross-tea…
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TL;DR:
Doc Smith is a privateer motocross/Supercross rider who’s battled injuries, financial struggles, and limited support since 2021. Despite setbacks, he earned his SX license, raced select East/West Coast rounds, and joined an Arenacross team in 2025. Now he’s treating 2026 as a “make-or-break” season, training at ClubMX, and asking for donations/sponsorship to keep racing — with supporters’ names on his helmet and jerseys for bigger donors.
Driving truck and working as a ranch hand to get some cash for supercross! You are living a wild life buddy. Hope you can keep it rolling!
I am back with the team going forward. I am so stoked for 2026!
It’s definitely been a wild ride and man it’s been a fun run.
I hope he is, I just put the motor back in the frame for his race bike!
Doc’s been great to work with. He has a very analytical mind, sometimes he overthinks things lol. Happy to have him back. Rumor has it there will be an AX class for 250’s only again, and he should be a front runner there!
Great read and keep it up. I feel like on this form people are going to rip you apart for asking and posting how they can help and also if you don’t post that info. Good luck in the upcoming season.
I bought a bike from this young man 4 years ago. Very nice and polite and I said to myself rare for a young man in today's world. Good luck to his continued racing career.
Yes, this is my son. For people who don’t know, he isn’t big on asking for help and has been working all summer to reach his goal. He has gone farther and worked harder than I ever could have imagined and I’m a very proud dad. He hasn’t asked use to help one time since he has been doing this on his own. He put that there by recommendation just in case someone wanted to help. His budget to race is going to cost $20k and if I had it to just hand over, I would. Also, I REALLY hope this is the start of so moto Media for him.
I had a thought—maybe not the idea for this particular rider (since they might just need upfront funding to get to the races), but what if general supporters backed results instead of expenses?
For example: instead of giving money up front, fans could pledge, “I’ll give $X if you qualify for a main event.” The funds would sit in a holding account with a service that only releases the money if the rider hits the target.
It’s basically the rider betting on themselves, with supporters amplifying the reward. Someone might say, “Rather than giving you $100 now, I’ll put $1,000 in a results fund—and you’ll get it if you make a main.”
Crazy idea, or could it work?
Some might pledge it for the specific rider, some might even agree to fund an account and then all riders that make the main that are eligible get to share it? Support the privateers through a sort of results based crowd funding
I have implemented this method for the last two years with multiple sponsors and it does work great for both them and I. The first year I went to sponsors and asked for a lump sum and it was honestly hard for me to be okay with doing that as I felt like I didn’t do enough on the tract to reflect what they gave me financially. So the last two years I asked for a small amount up front for the spot on the helmet and larger sums of money for hitting specific goals in ax and sx.
So just to be clear — you’ve admitted that in the past your sponsors didn’t really get their money’s worth because the results weren’t there. What makes it different now? Why should someone feel confident backing you this time around
To be clear, I admire what you are doing and that you are putting yourself out there. I am just trying to clarify the ROI because it felt like the results based bonus thing was an option but you then said you didn’t get the results
With all the sponsors (talking about business or people who are looking at doing large sums of money for a logo on me) I still plan on using the same system (small entry fee to be on my helmet/gear and the rest is paid out as I hit specific targets). The sponsors and I were happy with that program. I definitely wasn’t clear about that fact. My apologies. I can do that with the smaller donations to the program if anyone would like to do that. To be honest I didn’t even think of doing it with the smaller donations until your reply. Thank you
I think a lot of people who love the sport would happily chip in to support a rider chasing results — but most don’t want to just hand over cash up front with no guarantees. A results-based model feels way more fair, because then fans can say ‘I’ll support you when you make a main’ instead of feeling like their money might vanish without much to show for it.
If you are still struggling to make the mains after a couple of years, its time to give it up. Its crazy to see privateers spend a shit ton of money year after year to not even qualify more than a couple times a year. In this day and age if you don't have a major sponsor/contract after Lorretta's then you probably won't make it racing
Pit Row
That is a very reasonable way to do it for sure! The way I have it laid out in the post definitely makes it seem like a (help me now or don’t help me). It’s far from that. No one HAS to help and that is fine with me. If people would like to help they go on the top of my helmet and it shows their support of me to others that care. Either that be from the first round or if someone helps for the last round it will be added to all the way to the end of the sx season and stay there the entire season. I appreciate the comments on the post and hopefully have some new people looking for my name at the races.
There definitely is some truth to that. If I felt that I have even come close to my skill ceiling I would have stepped away from racing by now. This coming year is my last year racing unless I do well enough to get picked up by a team that is able to pay for legitimately everything for me to race. I do believe I am good enough to do that. So I’m putting everything I possibly can into this year to make that either happen or walk away knowing I gave it everything I could to make it happen. If you read back through the post you can see that I haven’t had perfect circumstances yet still tried to put my best foot forward.
It’s really hard for people to understand. And I don’t mean that in a negative way. Most people actually don’t understand because they haven’t been there with you from the start. They don’t understand what you had to do just to race as a kid at a high level. I’m sure most think that you just had everything handed to you. Unfortunately everyone will think I’m biased, so they wouldn’t believe me 😂
I Love AX I would do the GT series better chance of making mains. There’s a rnd in Tx. Too but outside the top 3 not much money there. 125 12+ class riders some in Wi. Make more than a 4th place AX guy. Local businesses 3,500, 2,500 each & 3-4 of them kick in . Next to me at Xmas 2 boys spent 6 months at a training camp. The top 12 could run 10th at a national in 95. Vet classes super competitive x pro,s. I would do pro ams the next 3 weeks there’s 3 close ones. In the fall is the big money races quite a few of them . You could make more than the whole AX series. It’s gonna be tough to get money out of buisnesses . 2 salesmen pals just lost there jobs .
The team I am racing for has me racing the ama ax series and I have no problem with that. More exposure and faster riders. As much as I know the gt series is easier I would rather race the ama ax as it has riders closer in speed to what I will race against in supercross
Are you at Club already if not when?
I am not out there yet. Looking like I will get out there at the end up September/ early October. Waiting to hear back on some things and making sure I have everything lined out correctly financially before I get out there
Not wild at all McLellan. Vital is a place of folk with a common interest. I don't know the young lad looking for help but he is chasing his dream career and next year is his last shot. Make or break. Back in my day I rode my bicycle from business tp business looking for help to race. It paid off for me and rewarded those who pitched in.
No harm in him asking fork here to help.
Nothing against you McLellan, we are all entitled to our opinions.
I wish the young lad the best of luck for 2026.
Hit the big money pro ams then. Izah Clark went on a roll at the Pa,s last yr . And landed a sx ride & nationals.
Thank you sir. I have reached out to business through contacts for 2026 and even though I have a small following i could always use more. I posted this to possibly get some more following. I put on here about help aswell if anyone would like to but. No one has to pay to read the story
Art and I ride there when they are open to the public. Once you get there let us know and we will see what we can do to support you. Are meal plans included with you stay at Club?
That is one of the things I am still trying to get lined out I will post on here as things continue to progress and I have a more detailed timeline on everything
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