Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan clinches his first Pro Motocross title with an emphatic victory in the first moto at the Budds Creek National
MARIETTA, Ga. – August 18, 2024 – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan sealed the deal on his first Pro Motocross 250MX Championship with a dominant victory in the first moto at the penultimate round in Mechanicsville, Maryland. After being crowned, the young Californian rode on to secure third overall with his 1-10 moto score at the Budds Creek Motocross Park. Jordon Smith came back from an early crash in the first moto to end the day eighth overall (10-6). Nick Romano finished 11th overall with a pair of 12th-place finishes, and rookie Daxton Bennick was 17th overall (17-14) in the challenging conditions. Unfortunately, Max Anstie was caught up in a first-turn pileup in Moto 1 and was sidelined from the event.
Heading into the penultimate round with a 70-point lead in the championship, Deegan showed no signs of slowing down and topped both qualifying sessions. From there, he grabbed the holeshot and built a big lead up front. Although he had a tip-over late in the moto, he quickly rejoined and won the race by a healthy 12-second margin, securing the title three motos early. The newly crowned champ didn’t get the start he was hoping for in the second moto and found himself 11th after the first lap. Deegan rode on to score a top-10 finish and end the day third overall for his ninth overall podium this year. It’s been a stellar sophomore season for the 18-year-old, with five overall wins and nine moto wins en route to the title. Deegan also has a comfortable lead at the top of the 250SMX combined points with one round remaining in Pro Motocross.
With rain in the morning sessions, Smith had a solid qualifying in 10th. He had a good start in the first moto but unfortunately went down on the opening lap and found himself 14th. Undeterred, the North Carolina rider made his way to 10th on a track that was difficult to make passes on. In the second moto, Smith was eighth after the first lap and worked his way to sixth to end the day eighth overall.
Qualifying 15th in the tricky conditions, Romano made progress in the motos. The 19-year-old got a solid start in the first moto and was 10th after the opening lap. He made his way to ninth and battled for a top 10 position, ultimately crossing the line 12th. In Moto 2, Romano was once again 10th after the first lap and moved up to ninth early in the moto. Before the halfway point, he was passed by a couple of riders, including his newly crowned teammate, and rode on to finish 12th for 11th overall.
Their rookie teammate Bennick qualified 18th, giving him a less-than-ideal gate pick for the first moto. He was 17th after the first lap and tried to make his way forward, but would finish 17th in the challenging conditions. In the second moto, the North Carolina rider got a much better start inside the top 10 and was seventh for the opening laps but ultimately finished 14th, ending the day 17th overall.
Anstie was on course for a strong day at the penultimate round of the championship, qualifying fifth. Unfortunately, his day ended early after getting caught up in a first-turn pile-up in Moto 1 and was sidelined from Moto 2 to undergo concussion protocol. The British rider looks ahead to his return at the final round at Ironman.
Next up for the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team is the Pro Motocross season finale and Round 28 of the SuperMotocross World Series at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana, on August 24.
Jensen Hendler – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250 Team Manager
“We had a goal for today, and we achieved that. We wrapped up the championship early. I’m super proud of Haiden and the team. He and his family have put in a lot of work, as did everyone on our team. It’s definitely a whole team effort to do something like this, and seeing it come to fruition is awesome. We’re super happy with the year, but we’ll keep digging. We’re looking to continue to finish out the year strong at the final round of outdoors and then on to SMX to defend the title.”
Haiden Deegan – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #38
“It was a good day. I qualified 1-1, which was perfect. I dominated the first moto and was able to win the championship, so that was nice. In the second moto, I was feeling the championship, so it was hard to push out there. I just wanted to get to the podium and hold the title. I’m hyped I got the Pro Motocross Championship. That’s good to check it off the list; now it’s onto defending the SMX title in three weeks.”
Jordon Smith – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #31
“It was a pretty solid day. I got two good starts. Unfortunately, I got cross-rutted and went down on the first lap of the first moto. That just seems to be the story of the year so far for me, but we had a lot better starts, and I rode great. If you’re in the top 10, everyone’s going so fast right now. Even outside of the top 10, if you’re just a little bit off and you’re not going forward, you’re going backward. I’m happy with the day, though, with a respectable 10-6. We’re just going to keep grinding, finish strong at Ironman, and move on to SMX.”
Nick Romano – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #511
“We have some positives to take away from Budds Creek. My starts were okay, but my riding was solid. I fought in the top 10 for almost all of the first moto and had another good ride in the second moto. I was dealing with some health-related stuff all summer, but I’ve been feeling much more like myself lately. We still have a ways to go, but I'm happy and motivated and looking to keep building for the finale next weekend at Ironman.”
Daxton Bennick – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #59
“It was a rough day at Budds. We’re going to put it behind us and get back to work. I’m looking forward to Ironman next weekend.”
Max Anstie – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #37
“The day was progressing quite well with a fifth in qualifying, but it was short-lived as a first-turn pile-up in Moto 1 kept me from racing. We’ll heal up and be back next week.”
