Round 13 of the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) may have been a day race, but Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, was filled with stars running the gamut of premier athletes, podcasters, and musicians.
Nashville is known for its wide diversity of entertainment, and the Monster Energy Supercross series brought them out in droves.
From comedian and popular podcaster Theo Von, who greeted Eli Tomac upon the completion of his heat win, to country music star and guest of Cooper Webb, Brantley Gilbert, record-setting Paralympian Victoria Arlen, and several members of the Tennessee Titans, fans had multiple opportunities for stargazing.
Jeremy McGrath’s Holeshot Challenge
Round 13 got underway with Jeremy McGrath’s Holeshot King Challenge.
Won by Axell Hodges earlier this season during the Daytona Supercross and last year by Chad Reed when it was part of the Motocross of Nations at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana, McGrath still sought his first victory when Monster Energy took over Broadway Avenue, just on the opposite side of the river from the stadium.
“You’re just concentrating on the gate, thinking, ‘Man I haven’t done this in a while,’ ” McGrath said during Saturday’s Race Day Live show. “But it’s supposed to be about laughs and fun and getting the old guys out.
“But when you get that helmet on, you want to throw down.”
McGrath was part of the final pair in the bracket-style event, facing long-time rival and NBC analyst Ricky Carmichael.
“I haven’t had this much fun on a motorcycle in a really long time,” Carmichael said. “What [McGrath has] been able to create is awesome.”
The competitive nature persists, but 25 years after McGrath, nicknamed the King, and Carmichael, the GOAT, competed for the coveted holeshots that ensured track position for so many Supercross and Motocross races, there is more respect than rivalry.
“Still haven’t won my own event,” McGrath continued. “Stoked for RC; stoked for all the fans, and thank you for all the riders that came out. We’ll give it another try next time.”
Theo Von
Popular podcast host and comedian Von was a standout attendee in Nashville.
Bursting onto the scene in 2006 as a contestant on NBC’s Last Comic Standing in 2006. He did not make it to the finals that season, although he held the record for the most clips downloaded.
Von got his revenge two years later when he beat Amy Schumer, Bert Kreischer, Tiffany Haddish, and many other renowned comedians in another reality show. Von went on to guest star in “Inside Amy Schumer” and “Why? with Hannibal Buress” to capitalize on the relationships created during those experiences.
Von launched his podcast, “This Past Weekend,” in 2016. It remains one of the most popular shows and was the fourth-largest podcast on Spotify in 2024.
Von watched all four heats from the stadium floor, and while his attention was directed at the athletes, many of the riders and industry members watched him. Von took the time to shake hands with them all.
Tomac dominated in qualification and his heat and after winning it, Von was standing nearby to congratulate him. Tomac admits to being a fan of Von.
Brantley Gilbert
Gilbert boasts seven No. 1 country hit singles and 8.3 million streams of his songs. His eighth studio album is due out later this year.
Gilbert attended his first Supercross race two weeks ago when the series visited Birmingham, Alabama, for the Triple Crown. While this is only his second time attending a Supercross race, his tie to the sport is significant.
Gilbert and Cooper Webb have been close friends for quite some time.
In October 2025, Webb visited Gilbert to present him with a YZ250F and a TT-R110 bike for the singer and his son. Part of the gear that weekend was a special jersey designed by FLY Racing.
“Today, I’m going to put you in my world a little bit,” Webb said in the video embedded above. “We got you some moto gear. FLY made you this jersey, gloves. You rode on the street; we’re going to teach you to ride in the dirt today.”
Afterward, Webb called Gilbert a natural.
FLY was back at it this weekend, creating special gear for the rider and singer’s Nashville meetup. Webb finished second in the Supercross feature.
Korn drummer Ray Luzier, genre-bending singer Coey Redd, country singer Emily Brooke, and Christian musician Jordan Feliz completed the singer lineup.
Victoria Arlen
SuperMotocross has a special relationship with musicians. The series also recognizes the struggles many of their fans endure.
Last week’s Love Moto, Stop Cancer Supercross race, benefitting St. Jude, highlighted another rising country star and cancer survivor, Darren Warren. Like Arlen, he faced his battle at an early age.
This week, one of SMX’s special guests was Victoria Arlen, a Paralympic swimmer and record holder. At the age of 11, Arlen developed two rare medical conditions that caused her to lose the ability to speak, eat, walk, or move.
Arlen described the experience as being “locked” inside her body, fully aware of what was happening around her, but unable to communicate. Her doctors did not believe she would recover.
In 2010, after four years, a new medication that eased the seizures that caused Arlen’s symptoms was discovered, and Arlen’s recovery began.
Only two years later, in 2012, she won one of the 31 gold medals awarded to disabled athletes in the Women’s 100-meter freestyle event. She brought home another three silver medals that year.
Tennessee Titans
Football stars are often a huge part of the guest lineup at a Supercross race.
Tennessee Titans defensive end John Franklin-Myers, outside linebacker Jaylen Harrell, and defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons attended the round.
Since SuperMotocross is one of the most family-friendly sports, Simmons brought his daughter along.
Former Titans tight end Delanie Walker was also on site to film a video for his podcast, Bussin’ With the Boys. Walker practiced a few gate drops with the ClubMX crew and the excitement continued into the heats and feature program.
Devin Simonson went on to give them their best result of the season when he finished on the podium, in third, on Saturday.
Delanie Walker, in the white jersey, far right, and Bussin’ with the Boy producer Mitch Carsley joined Coty Schock (22) and Devin Simonson (89) at Nissan Stadium. Feld Entertainment
Delanie Walker, in the white jersey, far right, and Bussin’ with the Boy producer Mitch Carsley joined Coty Schock (22) and Devin Simonson (89) at Nissan Stadium. Feld Entertainment
