Deegan Expands Pro Motocross Championship Lead with Runner-Up Finish at High Point
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan charges back in both 250MX motos to secure a runner-up overall finish and make championship gains at the High Point National / Jun 16, 2024 /
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan expanded his points lead in the 250MX Championship to 32 points with a runner-up overall finish at yesterday’s High Point National, Round 4 of the Pro Motocross Championship in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania. The young Californian showed grit and determination, charging through the pack in both motos, winning Moto 1 and coming just shy of victory in Moto 2. Jordon Smith charged back to earn a 9-10 moto result for another top-10 overall finish in the tricky conditions. Nick Romano was 15th overall (12-16), and rookie Daxton Bennick showed heart to come back from a big crash at the start of Moto 2, ending the day 21st overall (18-26).
With thunderstorms overnight at High Point Raceway, riders were met with tricky conditions, but Deegan hit the ground running and was the fastest 250 qualifier. The red plate holder didn’t get the start he was looking for and found himself toward the back of the field. Undeterred, he quickly wove his way through the field to 14th after the first lap and put in an impressive charge to the front. Despite the demanding conditions, Deegan set the fastest laps of the race in the last two laps and claimed the lead just before the white flag was drawn. He got a better start in the second moto and made his way to fourth, but went down on the opening lap and rejoined towards the back of the field. Deegan quickly went to work, making his way to 18th by the first lap, and charged to the front. Once again, he set the fastest laps of the race in the final two laps and kept charging to make a run for the lead in the final two corners of the race, finishing a mere .0387 seconds shy of the win and overall victory. His runner-up overall finish made championship gains, extending his lead to 32 points as the series heads into a weekend break.
Smith, who was still getting back to 100% from an illness the week before Thunder Valley, had a solid qualifying effort in demanding conditions and was 11th in the combined times. The North Carolina rider didn’t get the start he was hoping for in the first moto and found himself 18th after the first lap. Smith put his head down and charged back to ninth. Unfortunately, it was another difficult start to the second moto, but once again he made his way forward, advancing from 16th to 10th and securing 10th overall.
Romano qualified 16th in the tricky, changing conditions. Despite the less-than-ideal gate pick, the New Yorker got off to a great start to grab the holeshot in the first moto but struggled to find his flow and ultimately finished 12th. He got another great start to the second moto, but in the chaos of the run to the first turn, he and another rider came together, and he found himself 12th after the first lap. Romano continued to battle but ultimately finished 16th to end the day 15th overall on a track he was not comfortable on.
Bennick once again set about learning an all-new track during his rookie Pro Motocross season. The 18-year-old navigated the rapidly changing conditions as the track dried and qualified 25th. He got a solid start in 16th, despite the less-than-ideal gate pick, but had some arm pump issues and pushed on to finish 18th. Bennick got a much better start to Moto 2 but unfortunately got caught up in the first-turn collision and went down. He rejoined as quickly as he could at the back of the field and ultimately finished 26th to end the day 21st overall.
The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team returns to action on June 29 as racing resumes at The Wick 338 for the Southwick National – Round 5 of Pro Motocross and Round 22 of the SuperMotocross World Series – in Southwick, Massachusetts.
Jensen Hendler – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250 Team Manager
“It was definitely tough out there today. The track was pretty gnarly. Haiden put in another awesome ride. Coming through the pack and setting the fastest laps of the race at the end was pretty incredible in those conditions. So a 1-2 for him, second overall, and looking at the big picture, more points for the championship lead is a great way to head into the break.
“Jordon didn’t get the starts but was riding great and fought his way back for another top-10 finish. Romano got great starts, but unfortunately in the second moto, he came together with (Tom) Vialle, and Dax got the rough end of that. It was another new track for Dax and a tough one. So all in all, it was a good day for the team. We’re going to keep working, keep building and come back after the break stronger for Southwick.”
Haiden Deegan – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #38
“Today was super solid. I qualified first, and then in the first moto, I got a bad start – 30th place – and made my way to first with two laps to go, so that was sick. In the second moto, I had a decent start, and I got up to fourth on the first lap, and then I just washed the front and got stuck. I was 30th again, so pretty much it was, ‘Alright, I did it once, so let’s see if I can do it twice.’ Literally two turns to go, I caught my way back up, and me and Ty (Masterpool) pretty much went over the finish line together. He won, and I got second, so we tied on points. Second overall on the day, and we definitely have a good points gap now over second and third in the championship. So yeah, we’re digging, baby, we’re digging.”
Jordon Smith – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #31
“It was gnarly out there today. TV did not do it justice. I was watching the 450 race between the motos, and it is a completely different track than what it looked like on TV. I had two very poor starts and was just trying to battle back from the back all day, but I rode decent and stayed off the ground. We’ll take this weekend off, try to get better, and come back swinging for Southwick.”
Nick Romano – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #511
“It was an okay day. Qualifying was so, so, and then in the first moto, I ended up 12th. I struggled a lot to find my flow and was riding against the track, so I was kind of happy with 12th. In the second moto, I had the jump on everyone off the start, and then (Tom) Vialle kind of kept going straight into the first turn, and we collided. So I went from first or second to around 10th to 15th right away. Then I was in a dog fight the whole time with a lot of the guys. Again, it was an okay day, but for me, I’m not really a fan of this track, so I’m just happy to be healthy. We’ll take away the positives with my starts and keep working. We’ve got a weekend off, and we’ll see everyone at Southwick.”
Daxton Bennick – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #59
“It’s my first time at High Point. It started out muddy, but it turned out decent for both motos. In Moto 1, I got a little arm pump and rode tight, and in Moto 2, I crashed really hard after the start. I got back up, but then I had another crash down the hill a few laps later. So it was a tough Moto 2, and I ended up 21st overall, which is not what we are looking for, but I’m happy that we’re all good and will keep fighting.”
2024 Pro Motocross 250MX High Point Results
2024 Pro Motocross 250MX Championship Standings
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