Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan got his title defense off to a great start with a hard-earned victory in the first 250SMX moto at the SMX Playoff 1 in Concord, North Carolina. Severe weather forced officials to cancel the remaining races on the schedule at the zMax Dragway at Charlotte Motor Speedway – the SMX Next Main Event and the second 250SMX and 450SMX motos – leaving Moto 1 results as the final overall classification. Joining Deegan in the top 10 were Cole Davies, who finished eighth in his pro SMX Finals debut, and Nate Thrasher, who finished ninth to break into the top 10 in the 250SMX standings. Max Anstie and Daxton Bennick, both unseeded after missing multiple rounds due to injury, transferred through the Wildcard race and overcame challenging gate picks to finish 13th and 15th, respectively.
Coming off his second consecutive 250MX title, Deegan started the weekend with the first gate pick. Although he didn’t get the start he was looking for and found himself seventh on the opening lap, he quickly went to work and made his way to the runner-up spot five laps in. Deegan threw down some fast laps and claimed the lead with two laps to go, riding on to victory. The back-to-back 250SMX Champion’s hard-earned win, combined with his position as the top seed, has him heading to the second playoff round with the maximum possible 50 points and an eight-point lead.
Making his pro SMX debut, Davies once again had a strong showing as a rookie. After qualifying ninth, he got a great start to Moto 1 in fourth and made his way to the runner-up spot on Lap 3. Unfortunately, on the following lap he had a tipover in the tricky conditions and found himself seventh. The young New Zealander continued to fight and ultimately finished eighth.
Thrasher continued to make progress at the opening SMX Playoff round. The Tennessee rider had a solid qualifying in eighth and had a strong start in the same position. He tried to make his way forward but ultimately would finish ninth. His efforts made forward gains in the postseason title chase, advancing him to seventh in the points standings.
After being sidelined from the SMX World Championship since Birmingham Supercross, Anstie returned to racing at the first SMX Playoff round. The British rider showed speed from the start and was fourth in the overall combined times and finished runner-up in the Wildcard 250 race – a last-chance qualifier for the 250SMX motos – to secure the 17th gate pick. From there, it was an uphill battle with that less-than-ideal gate pick for Moto 1, especially with the split-lane start, and he found himself towards the back of the field. Undeterred, he put his head down and made his way through to 13th.
Bennick, who was sidelined for several rounds of the season with an injury, also had to transfer through the Wildcard 250 race. The North Carolina rider was fifth in the combined times and finished fourth in the Wildcard race. He, too, found himself at the back of the field after the start of Moto 1, but also dug deep to make his way to 15th.
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s SMX Next riders were poised for a top performance before the weather cancellation, with Caden Dudney as the fastest qualifier, Carson Wood third, and Kayden Minear fourth.
The three-round SMX Finals continue next weekend with a double points-paying round for Playoff 2 at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, Missouri, on September 13, which will also feature an SMX Next round.
Wil Hahn – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250 Team General Manager
“It was a great way to start SMX with Haiden showing how strong he is right now and having his strongest race of the year. Cole showed great speed and just had a tip over, so we’re excited to see what he has at these next two. Nate keeps making steps in the right direction to be back on the podium. Dax and Max had their work cut out for them with their gate picks, and we look forward to them getting stronger.”
Haiden Deegan – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #1
“It was a good day. The first qualifying was good, and the second qualifying wasn’t as great as we would’ve liked, but we ended up winning the first moto. I kind of got buried in the pack on the first lap, so we had to fight for that win. Even though it was one of the easiest days because there was a rain cancellation and we didn’t have the second motos, that was one of the hardest races, digging through the pack.”
Cole Davies – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #100
“The track was wild out there in Charlotte. I felt good in Moto 1. I had myself up front, but went down while running second, which was a tough one. I was ready to go again in Moto 2, so it’s a shame the weather didn’t let that happen. The good news is I’m healthy, I know where my speed’s at, and I’m already looking forward to St. Louis.”
Nate Thrasher – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #41
“We’ve got a little bit to work on, but I think my speed overall was really good in the moto. I just wasn't quite aggressive enough. I couldn’t get around some of the guys there and got stuck. I was looking forward to another chance in the next one. I feel like I really had some speed there and would’ve been able to fight up front, so that was a bummer. We’ll go back to work and be more aggressive next weekend. Next weekend is more of a supercross track in the stadium, which is a little bit more my style, so hopefully we’ll get on the podium.”
Max Anstie – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #31
“One moto today, which was a bit random. I’m just happy to be back. It was one of those things where that was a really tricky track for me to come back to. I’ve had five months off the bike and three weeks now, where I’ve had no pain. When I’m riding, I feel good, but that was definitely a test out there. I’m happy that we made it through. I’m definitely a bit rusty, but I think there’s a place we can build on. I’m looking forward to next weekend.”
Daxton Bennick – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #34
“It was an alright day. Coming in here unseeded, I qualified fifth overall in the combined times, so I was really happy with that. I went a little deep on the start of the LCQ, so we need to work on that, and we finished fourth. Then the first moto, it was really tough to get a good start from that far outside gate. I tried my best, but it was so hard. I dug through the pack up to 15th, and then they canceled the second moto. I really wanted to race, but it happens. We’ve always got next weekend.”