Deegan New Point Leader In Southwick

Monster Energy made its presence known over the weekend at the legendary AMA Pro Motocross Championship round the locals dub “The ‘Wick,” taking four of the six podium spots in the 450 and 250 classes on the demanding Southwick, Mass., sand track.

Leading the way in the 450 class, in back-to-back podium efforts for Monster Energy, were Chase Sexton (Honda) in the runner-up spot (2-2 moto finishes) and Dylan Ferrandis (Star Racing/Yamaha) in 3rd (3-3). And on the 250s it’d be Justin Cooper (Star Racing/Yamaha) and Jo Shimoda (Pro Circuit/Kawasaki) representing the M-claw on the box, Cooper going 2-2 for 2nd and Shimoda 6-1 for 3rd.

Victory also came out of a 6th place finish for Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha’s rookie sensation Haiden Deegan as the Californian parlayed a 4-10 two moto finish into the overall 250 class series points lead. Deegan now holds a five-point lead over veteran racer Hunter Lawrence (218-213) through 6 (of 11) rounds of racing.

On the 450s Sexton, in just his second race back from injury, would work his magic in the oppressive heat, deep ruts and massive braking bumps the ‘Wick’s known for, keeping within a couple seconds through much of the opening moto with eventual race winner Jett Lawrence (Honda). The Honda teammates continue to get closer and closer in what may prove to be a thrilling crescendo over the last five rounds of racing as Sexton looks to disrupt Lawrence’s undefeated 450 class run this summer.

“Speed is not a problem,” says Sexton.

Added Ferrandis of his second moto 3rd place run on Saturday: “I just tried everything I had to keep up with Jett – and hit a wall.”

And for Deegan, the move into 1st place overall further fuels the fire the 17-year-old rookie pro’s feeling as the series heads to Minnesota next weekend. “We got the red (leader) plate, and we’re coming.”

Southwick MX

450 class results                                               250

2nd - Sexton (Monster/Honda)                            2nd - Cooper (Monster/Star/Yamaha)

3rd - Ferrandis (Monster/ Star/Yamaha)              3rd -  Shimoda (Monster/PC/Kawasaki)

8th - Cianciarulo (Monster/Kawasaki)                 5th - Hammaker (Monster/PC/Kawasaki)

Overall Standings (6 of 11 rounds)

450 class                                                           250

2nd - Ferrandis, 233 points                                 1st - Deegan, 218 points

4th - Cianciarulo, 176 points                                4th - Shimoda, 198 points

7th - Sexton, 130 points                                        5th - Cooper, 196 points

450

Moto 1

Out of the blocks in the opening 450 moto it’d be Sexton, beating teammate Lawrence to the MotoSport.com holeshot stripe. Lawrence would wrestle the lead back from Sexton on the following turn, with Ferrandis out in 4th, Jason Anderson (Monster Energy/Kawasaki) in 5th and teammate Adam Cianciarulo in 6th. As the 30-minute + 2 lap race clock clicked down, Sexton kept Lawrence honest, staying within a couple seconds of the overall class point leader. But a couple minor mistakes would allow Lawrence to open the gap late in the race, with Sexton easily cruising in with the No. 2 position. Ferrandis and privateer Ty Masterpool (Kawasaki) hooked up early and battled, with Ferrandis eventually getting past and into 3rd place – a position he’d hold through the checkers. Anderson would soldier on in 6th place, while Cianciarulo took 7th.

Moto 2

A ripping start from Ferrandis in the second moto gave him the holeshot and early lead, battling up front with Lawrence. Sexton was good off the start as well, coming around the opening lap in 4th (behind KTM’s Aaron Plessinger). Sexton would make quick work of Plessinger, passing him on Lap 2 and setting his sites on Ferrandis in 3rd. Sexton would then get past Ferrandis, running to the outside of the Frenchman’s inside line selection, on Lap 5 (of 16), and again held that position through the checkers. … Ferrandis would not let Sexton’s pass affect him, holding strong onto 3rd place for the second straight moto. Cianciarulo would ride consistently in the rugged conditions, placing 8th, while his teammate Anderson faulter a bit, settling on 14th.

250

Moto 1

Cooper, the fastest 250 rider in the A practice session, rocketed out to the MotoSport.com holeshot and early race lead. KTM’s Tom Vialle would pressure Cooper early, and eventually made the pass on the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider for 1st. Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker pulled a great start as well and was out and running in podium position (3rd) he neared the midway point of the 16-lap contest. A mistake would take Hammaker out of podium contention, while his teammate, Shimoda, worked to overcome a poor start (13th) and was quickly moving up through the field. On Lap 10 disaster would strike Cooper as he lost the front end of his YZ in a deep rut, handing over the race lead to Vialle. Cooper would remount in 2nd, and held that position solidly through the Moto 1 checkers. Deegan and Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha teammate Levi Kitchen were hauling the mail following mediocre starts, and raced all the way up to 4th and 5th places, respectively, in the opening moto. Shimoda (6th) and Hammaker (7th) would round out the opening 250 moto scoring for Monster Energy. Noteworthy: 250 points leader Hunter Lawrence would grenade his Honda, smoke billowing from the downed bike, and he suffered a critical DNF in the moto.

Moto 2

Vialle and Shimoda would go 1-2 off the opening lap, and worked to separate from the rest of the field, including Hammaker (3rd), Cooper (4th) and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Ryder DiFrancesco in 5th off the start. Through the first five laps Vialle would have the mark on Shimoda, but last year’s 250 class runner-up wasn’t content on 2nd place, railing a berm to the outside and passing the former MXGP MX2 class champ for the lead over a downhill jump on Lap 6 (of 15). During his pursuit of Vialle, Shimoda clocked a race-best 2:16.774 lap, and, at the tape, was more than five seconds out front of Vialle for the moto win. Coming in 2nd place, with a great run that saw him also pass Vialle and overcome a tip over (with Shimoda in sight), was Cooper. Hammaker would run a strong moto for 5th, while Deegan had to overcome a minor crash at the entrance to a right-hand turn, to place 10th, one spot behind Kitchen in 9th.

Notes & Quotes

• Said Sexton on his second 450 moto performance: “I was not flowing halfway through the moto. I’ve got to work on that and, overall, get back to where I was last year. … That’s the goal.”
• Cooper on the heat and humidity at Southwick: “I’m pretty wasted right now. I’ve very tired. Gave it everything. I had to push hard for that (2nd place overall).”
• And on his (Cooper’s) 2nd place overall finish: “I have to hold my head up. It was a great day. 2-2 with two falls in both motos. We just have to keep pushing. Good points today.”
• “This put a chip on my shoulder,” said Deegan of taking the overall 250 class points lead and earning the red leader plate for his YZ. “Now I have the red plate, and I’m frickin’ hungry.”
• Deegan on the opening Southwick 250 moto: “I threw it in that first moto. Hunter (Lawrence) was in front of me and I knew it was going to be hard to catch (him) at the end – and I kind of blew myself out. … I’m a rookie, and I’ll learn from that.”
• When Ferrandis and Ty Masterpool (Kawasaki) came together in a corner in the opening 450 moto, with Masterpool winning that elbow’s up battle, NBC announcer Ricky Carmichael quipped: “Last time I checked (Ty) Masterpool and Dylan Ferrandis paid the same amount to enter the race.” Ferrandis would get the last laugh on the podium.
• Said Ferrandis: “I need to rest right now. Last week we’ve been pushing really hard in practice and training and trying a lot of stuff on the bike and I think I paid the price. I was pretty tired in the second moto.”
• Said Shimoda of his second moto victory in the 250 class – Monster Energy’s lone moto victory on the weekend at Southwick: “I just kept pushing, and this team deserves it more than I do.”