Haiden Deegan Crowned Back-to-Back 250SX West Champion in St. Louis
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan adds a sixth title to his stellar 250 career, securing the crown early with a dominant win at St. Louis Supercross / Apr 6, 2026 /
There was one more box for Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan to check off before moving on to the 450 class – defending his 250SX West title in dominant fashion. Well, it was mission accomplished for the 20-year-old Californian in St. Louis.
“That was sick,” said Deegan. “Seven in a row, too. That was a fat lead. It’s just heart, baby.”
It was another masterclass performance from Deegan at The Dome at America’s Center. He opened the night by winning the nine-lap 250SX West Heat Race by an impressive 13-second margin. In the East-West Showdown Main Event, he quickly worked his way into second in the opening laps, passed teammate Cole Davies on Lap 7, and rode on to claim another commanding victory, and by doing so, secured the championship a rare three rounds early.
“We’ve been digging, but we're just getting started,” said Deegan. “I'm going to go to Nashville and have some fun. We’re still going to stay in line because we have a whole other goal to chase – 450 outdoors. But for now, we'll celebrate this 250 title. Man, it feels good!”
The second Monster Energy AMA Supercross East-West Showdown of the season was also another display of strength from the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team as a whole. The 250 team extended its win tally to 11 victories in 12 rounds, swept both divisional heat races, and once again finished 1-2 in the combined main event.
Leading the way in the East was red plate holder Cole Davies, who continues to impress during his sophomore season. Entering the round on a three-race win streak, the young New Zealander won his divisional heat race and grabbed the holeshot in the main event, leading the first six laps. After being passed by Deegan, Davies ran a calculated race to secure second, extending his 250SX East Championship lead to 11 points with four rounds remaining.
“That track was so gnarly tonight,” said Davies. “It was by far the most challenging conditions I’ve ever ridden on. I pulled the holeshot and led early, but a couple of mistakes let Haiden capitalize, and he was on a mission. At that point, I locked in and focused on the championship. We extended our lead, and that’s the main goal. The bike was handling really well. I’m bummed to see Jo (Shimoda) go out the way he did, and I hope he’s all good. Congratulations to Haiden and the team on the West Coast title. Now we focus on locking up the East.”
Nate Thrasher continued to build momentum, earning his best result of the season. After charging back to fourth in the 250SX East Heat Race, the Tennessee rider got a strong start in the main event and ran fourth on the opening lap. Thrasher battled for position, reclaiming fourth in the latter half of the main event, crossing the line fourth to earn his best result so far this season.
“I felt really good in the main,” said Thrasher. “I just fell a little short of the podium. I’m going to keep pushing and come out swinging at my home race in Nashville.”
Max Anstie faced a challenging night in the demanding conditions. After recovering to finish seventh in the 250SX West Heat Race, he got a better start in the main event and ran eighth early. Unfortunately, he got stuck on a tough block, dropping him back to 15th, where he would finish to salvage some points. Anstie heads into the Western Divisional break third in the standings, just three points shy of second with two rounds remaining.
“It was a rough night in St Louis,” said Anstie. “I was around eighth in the main and went down on a tough block and got stuck, so that set me way back. It is what it is. We will rebound in Denver.”
Caden Dudney continued to gain valuable experience in his sixth pro Supercross start. After transferring through the heat race with an eighth-place finish, the rookie started 17th in the main event and charged forward to 12th in the opening laps. As the race wore on in the challenging conditions, he ultimately finished 16th.
“I felt alright in qualifying and had a good heat race,” said Dudney. “I was making good passes in the main, and got a little tired, but I need to get better starts and get some laps up front.”
“It was a good night for the whole team from 450 to 250, said Wil Hahn, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s 250 Team General Manager. “Haiden got the win and the championship, Cole extended his points lead, and Nate getting back in the fight was fantastic. Max and Caden had a struggle of a night, but we’ll keep working. We’ll see you in Nashville.”
With the 250SX West title secured, the focus now shifts to the East Championship. Next up, the team heads to Nashville, Tennessee, for Round 7 of the 250SX East Championship and Round 13 of the Monster Energy SuperMotocross World Championship at Nissan Stadium on April 11.