Deegan Battles Back to Runner-Up Finish at Spring Creek National
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan put in another determined ride to overcome adversity and expand his points lead with a 3-4 moto score / Jul 14, 2024 /
Once again, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan showed grit and determination to score a runner-up overall finish and expand his points lead at the Spring Creek MX Park in Millville, Minnesota. It was a wild conclusion to the seventh round of the Pro Motocross Championship, with weather delaying the start to the second 250 moto and making for tricky track conditions. After salvaging a third-place finish from an early race tip-over in Moto 1, the red plate holder made an epic comeback from a crash at the start of Moto 2 to finish fourth. Max Anstie earned his first 250MX podium in just his third outing this season with the team, ending the day fourth overall with his 7-3 score. Jordon Smith joined them in the top 10 with ninth overall, charging back from tough starts in both motos to a 6-13 finish. After technical issues ended their first moto early, Daxton Bennick and Nick Romano came back to finish 16th (35-7) and 20th (40-15), respectively.
Qualifying fifth, Deegan got a great start to grab his fifth holeshot of the season and threw down a blistering pace to build a gap up front. On Lap 4, he had a tip-over and quickly rejoined in third. It was a four-rider battle for the podium, and although he was shuffled to fourth after the halfway point he kept fighting and reclaimed third with two laps to go. He had second in sight but ran out of time and finished third for his 12th moto podium of the season. After the gate drop for the weather-delayed Moto 2, Deegan got caught up in a crash in the first turn and rejoined at the back of the field. Undeterred, he made his way to 23rd after the first lap and continued to charge his way forward in the tricky conditions, crossing the line fourth to secure second overall. The Californian’s efforts expanded his 250MX Championship lead to 51 points with four rounds remaining.
His new teammate, Anstie, qualified 14th and continued to make progress throughout the day. He had a strong start in the first moto in 10th and would finish seventh. In Moto 2, the British rider got an even better start in fourth. Although he was shuffled to sixth on the second lap, he rode a strong pace in the challenging conditions. Anstie made his way to third, where he would finish, completing his third round with the team just shy of the overall podium in fourth.
Smith qualified 15th, giving him a less-than-ideal gate pick for the first moto. The North Carolina rider did not get the start he was looking for but made his way to 12th by the first lap and continued his forward charge to cross the line sixth. In the second moto, Smith got caught up in the first-turn pileup and had to battle his way through the field to finish 13th in the muddy conditions, ending the day ninth overall.
His rookie teammate, Bennick, had a solid qualifying in 11th but unfortunately did not get off the gate as he had hoped in the first moto and then had to retire early with a technical issue. The 18-year-old came back swinging in Moto 2, getting a great start despite the 35th gate pick and slotted into the runner-up spot. He was passed on Lap 4 and was riding strong in third before unfortunately having a tip-over in the tricky conditions a couple of laps later. Bennick rejoined in sixth and rode on to finish seventh for 16th overall.
Romano had a tough start to the day. The New Yorker got caught up in a crash in practice and tweaked his ankle, ultimately qualifying 18th. Despite the gate pick, he got a solid start in the first moto and was 16th after the first lap. Unfortunately, his race ended early with a technical issue, and he was credited with 40th. Romano had a good start to Moto 2 and was ninth after the first lap. The 19-year-old did what he could despite the challenges and crossed the line 15th, ending the day 20th overall.
The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team heads west next weekend for the Washougal National, Round 8 of Pro Motocross, and Round 25 of the SuperMotocross World Series on July 20 at the Washougal MX Park in Washougal, Washington.
Jensen Hendler – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250 Team Manager
“It didn’t start so great in the second moto, but it ended very well. We got a bunch of rain here. We were on a rain delay, and the track got super muddy. Haiden ripped a sweet start but then went down in the first turn. He came back from dead last and ended up getting second overall, so that’s awesome. Max ended up getting third in that last moto, which was awesome. We’re happy to see him making progress. Jordon came back from some tough starts, especially after getting caught up in that first-turn pileup in the second moto. It was an unfortunate first moto for Dax and Nick, but they both fought back in Moto 2. Dax got a great start from the 35th gate pick and rode great. He was up in third before a tip-over but still finished seventh. All in all, it was a good day. We’ll keep working and go to Washougal. Haiden was great there last year, and we’re looking to continue on that path.”
Haiden Deegan – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #38
“Millville, that was a hectic day. In the first moto, I was leading and had a good gap, but I fell and got third. In the second moto, I crashed after the start and was dead last. I just had to ride my heart out, and I made my way back to fourth for second overall. That was cool. A lot of points gained today, which is all that matters. We’re going to keep fighting.
Max Anstie – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #37
“We made solid progress at Millville, and it was awesome to get a moto podium after just a few weeks with the new team. I’m happy with the performance but still have some things to work on to close the gap to the front guys. I’m looking forward to this week and to a different style of track in Washougal this weekend coming up.”
Jordon Smith – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #31
“It was another up-and-down day at Millville. Bad starts are really making it hard on me, but I feel that I’m riding really well and just need to keep pushing, and it will all come together soon.”
Daxton Bennick – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #59
“It was a good day overall. Qualifying was pretty good. I ended up 10th, so I was fired up for Moto 1. I didn’t get the best start, and then two laps in, I started having bike issues. I tried my best to manage it but wasn’t able to finish. That gave me one of the last gate picks. I got off to a good start, though, and ran third for half the moto, then ended up crashing up the hill, but still salvaged a seventh. I’m happy that Moto 2 was a lot better and looking forward to Washougal.”
Nick Romano – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing #511
“It was a tough day at Spring Creek. A rider hit me going down one of the hills in practice, and I tweaked my ankle and dealt with a lot of pain all day. So that was unfortunate. Then we had a bike issue in the first moto that caused me to DNF. In the second moto, I salvaged what I could from the last gate pick to score points. Some days don’t go to plan, but I’ll never quit. I’ll recover and be ready for Washougal.”
2024 Pro Motocross 250MX Spring Creek Results
2024 Pro Motocross 250MX Championship Standings
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