Haiden Deegan Victorious at Washougal MX National

Huge victory over the weekend for Monster Energy’s Haiden Deegan (Star Racing/Yamaha) as the rookie racer continues to be the talk of the 2023 AMA Pro Motocross Championship tour’s 250 class, going 1-1 in dominant fashion at the sport’s Pacific Northwest jewel – the long-running Washougal (Wash.) MX National.

Deegan, who qualified in 3rd place behind top 250 class qualifier, Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha teammate Justin Cooper, pulled the holeshot in the day’s opening moto at Washougal and never looked back. Deegan clocked the race’s fastest lap time (2:16.481) in putting the wire-to-wire win in the books. In the second 250 moto, Deegan would put an event-defining pass on Cooper late in a come-from-behind win to take the win in that race – and the overall, while also putting up the moto’s fastest lap, a blistering 2:15.502, following the pass.

The young Californian, son of famed MX racer-turned-FMX legend, Brian Deegan, moved to within just a few of points of 250 series overall leader, Honda’s Hunter Lawrence, who placed 3rd overall at Washougal behind Deegan and Cooper. Lawrence is up 300-297 on Deegan with three races remaining on the series schedule.

Said Deegan: “I know now Hunter’s (Lawrence) probably nervous. We’re getting close, getting towards the end, and he’s supposed to win this championship. Not let a rookie win.”

Cooper would also top Lawrence, placing 2nd (3-2), with local racer Levi Kitchen (Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha) also making the top five, 5th with an 8-3 two moto finish.

On the 450s Monster Energy’s Chase Sexton (Honda) recorded his fourth consecutive runner-up finish (fifth on the season), going 2-2 for 2nd at Washougal. Sexton would pressure Lawrence in the second moto, closing to within a second late in the race, only to suffer a tip-over fall that allowed Lawrence to escape. Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson put up his best result of the season after returning from injury at RedBud (Rd. 5), placing 3rd at Washougal with a 4-4 finish. Monster Energy’s Dylan Ferrandis (Star Racing/Yamaha) would bring it home right behind Anderson, going 3-5 for 4th, and remained in 2nd place in the overall 450 standings behind Jett Lawrence (Honda).

Washougal MX

450 class results                                                 250

2nd - Sexton (Monster/Honda)                            1st - Deegan (Monster/Star/Yamaha)

3rd - Anderson (Monster/Kawasaki)                    2nd - Cooper (Monster/Star/Yamaha)

5th - Ferrandis (Monster/Star/Yamaha)               5th - Kitchen (Monster/Star/Yamaha)

Overall Standings (8 of 11 rounds)

450 class                                                             250

2nd - Ferrandis, 305 points                                 2nd - Deegan, 297 points

4th - Cianciarulo, 236 points                               3rd - Cooper, 281 points

5th - Sexton, 218 points                                       5th - Shimoda, 269 points

450

Moto 1

Ferrandis would put the M-claw logo up front early in the opening 450 moto, ahead of Jett Lawrence and Monster Energy’s Sexton. Ferrandis would continue his lead through Lap 2, until Lawrence made a pass for the top spot. Ferrandis would hang with tough with Lawrence, while Sexton began to close the gap in 3rd. With Anderson running strong in 4th, Monster Energy featured three racers in the top four. Roughly halfway through the contest (15:37 mark) Sexton would make his move on Ferrandis, getting by the Frenchman and into 2nd place. Sexton was just under seven seconds back of Lawrence when he moved into 2nd. And that’s about where the lead would remain through the checkers, as Lawrence topped Sexton by 7.9 seconds to win the opening 450 moto. Battling feverously for the third and final podium spot were Ferrandis and Anderson, with Ferrandis holding off the efforts of Anderson to take 3rd. Anderson would come in just behind Ferrandis with his first of two 4th place finishes on the day, while Monster Energy/Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo added one more M-claw logo to the top five – placing 5th.

Moto 2

A red flag would be flown opening the second moto due to a start gate malfunction, after which Sexton got out in 3rd place off the restart, with Anderson in 4th place and Ferrandis close behind in 5th. Moto 2 race leader Aaron Plessinger (KTM) was soon caught and passed by Lawrence. And then by Sexton. Following the Sexton pass on Plessinger, Lawrence had about a 2.6 second lead on Sexton. As the race moved into the hallway point, Sexton had trimmed several tenths off Lawrence’s lead, bringing the Washougal faithful to their feet as the two Honda greats were separated by a little over one second. It was at this point that Sexton would envelop the front tire on his bike, tipping over – then quickly remounting. But the damage was done, and Lawrence went on to win the moto. Sexton easily brought it home in 2nd, his 2-2 finish on the day being good for the runner-up slot. Anderson (4th) and Ferrandis (5th) rounded out the top five in Moto 2 for Monster Energy.

250

Moto 1

Monster Energy’s Deegan, rocking the 90s retro white, pink & purple graphics on his 50th anniversary YZ250F, bolted out to the Motosport.com holeshot, leading Cooper (2nd), Kitchen (4th) and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker (5th) around on the opening lap. Kitchen and Hammaker would hold off series 250 points leader (Hunter Lawrence) for a while, but were eventually passed by the Honda racer. Cooper would hold off Lawrence the longest, but also ended up dropping a spot – to which he’d (Cooper) get the last laugh in Moto 2. Deegan was up front and getting faster as the race went on. Lawrence tried everything he could to catch Deegan, but the rookie was just too much for the veteran at Washougal, cruising to victory in the opening moto by nearly three seconds. Cooper would bring it home with a solid 3rd place podium effort, joined by Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Jo Shimoda in 6th, Hammaker in 7th, Kitchen in 8th and, returning to action for the first time since Thunder Valley (Rd. 3), Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Carson Mumford in 9th – giving Monster Energy the win, along with six racers in the top ten.

Moto 2

The second 250 moto saw Cooper take charge with the early lead, out front of Kitchen and Deegan. At that point Cooper was in position to win the overall, with Kitchen and ahead of Deegan. But the rookie didn’t quite see it that way and got by Kitchen on Lap 7 (of 16). Cooper was riding excellent and looking comfortable up front. But midway through the race, and beyond, the lap time clock would favor Deegan. With three laps remaining, Deegan would pass Cooper, then proceeded to put up the race’s fastest lap time – late in the day and in the heat of the second moto, earning the overall victory with a decisive 1-1 performance. This, for Deegan, was the first 1-1 sweep for any 250 class racer this season. Cooper remained strong, coming home in 2nd to secure the runner-up position, while Kitchen pumped up the locals by earning the third and final podium spot in Moto 2. Rounding out the top ten scoring for Monster Energy in Moto 2 were Hammaker in 6th, Shimoda in 7th and Mumford in 9th.

Notes & Quotes

• “I’ll be honest. I’m not going to say exactly what I’ve been doing on the bike, but I’ve been learning some key things.” - Deegan
• By leading the 450 Moto 1 opening lap straight up, Ferrandis put a halt to Lawrence’s 105 laps led streak.
• Washougal marked the return of Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Carson Mumford, who crashed at a qualifying round at Thunder Valley Raceway (Colo.).
• The rad retro livery on the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha bikes was to celebrate 50 years of the YZ brand Yamaha dirt bike.
• Kitchen, who literally grew up right down the street from Washougal MX Park (in the town of Washougal), missed his debut at his home track last year with an injured wrist. So the local fans went coconuts when Kitchen was on the track this weekend.
• Heading into Washougal, Sexton had won the previous two 450 overall victories at the track.
• Another Pacific Northwesterner with Monster Energy ties, Josh Hill, made the top 20 (19th) aboard a Team Tedder/CDR Yamaha YZ450. Hill’s from Yoncalla, Oregon.
• “It’s nice being a rookie. No pressure on you. You just kind of go out and have fun every weekend.” – Deegan
• “Twenty-five minutes in, I was falling back into the clutches of Haiden. Hat’s off to him, he was riding awesome,” said Cooper of his Moto 2 effort.
• “Thankfully, my wife’s been handling most of that. I’ll get home from the track and get a couple in here and there.” – Anderson, a new father, on the wonders of diaper changing.