Racers Switch from Stadium SX to Outdoor Motocross Tracks
Defending 250 MX champion Deegan (Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha) leads a bevy of Monster Energy-backed star racers into Pala, CA opener
The comfortable confines of NFL and MLB stadiums for Monster Energy AMA Supercross give way to the raw, grassroots version of the sport of dirt bike racing with the opening of the 11-round AMA Pro Motocross Championship this weekend at Fox Raceway in Pala, Calif. And leading the all-star cast of Monster Energy-backed racers, and perhaps the biggest MX Nationals crowd draw in recent years, is Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha’s defending 250 class champion – Haiden Deegan.
Brash, cocky, and certainly not afraid to speak his mind on the podium, Deegan, in just his second season as a pro, flat out dominated last year’s outdoor season, wrapping the 250 class championship early and winning by 69 points over 2ndplace, international veteran and former multi-time MXGP MX2 class World Champion Tom Vialle (KTM).
The Californian Deegan, fresh off a 250 WSX Monster Energy AMA Supercross championship – including winning the Dave Coombs Sr. 250 Showdown at the Utah SX final - will roll into the gate this weekend against a field of seriously impressive 250 class talent. Here’s a look who Monster Energy’s got going in the 250 outdoor class, as well as the 450 division.
250s
Starting with Deegan’s teamma`tes on the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha team, probably the biggest news this spring is the return of former 250 MX champion (2014 & ’15) Jeremy Martin to the Blue Cru. The Minnesota product has been away from the summer race scene for a couple years, actually racing mountain bikes a bit as part of his comeback from a number of injuries. But word from Star Racing’s compound is he’s looking fast – and pumped to be back racing.
The next highest Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha MX Nationals placer from 2024 was Pierce Brown, who racked up 269 points for 8th place in the standings. The Utah native backed that top ten outdoor effort with an impressive 3rdplace run in the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) last fall. Also in the hunt for an overall podium spot will be Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha’s stacked team, includes: 2024 MX Futures champion Cole Davies (New Zealand), who’ll miss the first portion of the outdoor season as he recovers from a broken arm suffered at the SLC finals, and international MXGP star Max Anstie (UK). American racers Nate Thrasher and Michael Mosiman will make an immediate impact, as will rookie pro racer Daxton Bennick when he returns from injury.
The historically highly decorated Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team features the return of 2024 MX Nationals podium placer Levi Kitchen. Kitchen, who scored 405 points last season outdoors (3rd overall), returns from missing much of the SX season with an injury (collarbone/back fractures) suffered at the Daytona SX. Also returning from injury from Mitch Payton’s team is Ty Masterpool, who was sidelined with a hand injury suffered at the San Diego SX. Both Kitchen and Masterpool won Outdoor National races last summer.
High anticipation also for the return of Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker, who placed 2nd in 2025 250 ESX, to outdoor racing. Hammaker battled valiantly in supercross this past season, and has the speed to threaten Deegan and the guys up front, provided he can stay healthy this summer (after missing the entire 2024 MX summer with an injury). Joining the aforementioned Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team racers this summer will be the always fast and consistent Garrett Marchbanks, along with Pro Nationals rookie racer and Loretta Lynn’s amateur championships star, Drew Adams. And once he’s recovered from injury, Cameron McAdoo adds a proven winner to Payton’s powerful summer lineup.
450s
While Monster Energy’s top 450 class placer, Justin Cooper (Star Racing/Yamaha) returns to the summer series having place 4th overall last year, the slate has been wiped clean from supercross’ injury-riddled season that saw former MX champ Eli Tomac (Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha) injured (broken fibula), along with one of Tomac’s main MX rivals, Honda’s Jett Lawrence, on the bench with an injury.
New York’s Cooper, in just his first full season in the 450 class, opens the outdoor season with the confidence of scoring two podium finishes (Thunder Valley & Spring Creek) and eight top five finishes as a 450 class rookie. Tomac, one of the sport’s all-time greats in both SX and MX, won consecutive 450 class titles from 2017 to ’19, with his third outdoor championship won in 2022. He also scored a 250 class title in 2013.
Teaming with Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha’s Cooper and Tomac will, of course, be newly crowned Monster Energy AMA Supercross 450 class champion Cooper Webb. The 2016 250 class champ outdoors, Webb’s best 450 MX season came in 2021 where he scored 358 points for 4th place overall. But with four SX titles in his back pocket, you know he can wick it up and challenge for a Nationals podium with the crack of a throttle. Rounding out the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha 450 team will be 2024 top ten placer (8th) Christian Craig.
Another highly anticipated Monster Energy racer to enter the 2025 MX Nationals starting gate(s) will be multi-time MXGP World Champion Jorge Prado (Kawasaki). Prado, in his first season of Monster Energy AMA Supercross, got just three races under his belt before he was injured (shoulder). Prado’s healed up nicely from his surgery and reportedly looking fast according to Monster Energy/Kawasaki team officials. Back to action as well from missing the second half of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross season is Prado’s teammate, Jason “Hombre” Anderson. The fan favorite out of New Mexico had a solid season outdoors in 2024, placing 5th overall with 362 points and one podium (Washougal) and five top five finishes.
2025 AMA Pro Motocross Championship schedule
Fox Raceway National: May 24, 2025 in Pala, CA
Hangtown Motocross Classic: May 31, 2025 in Rancho Cordova, CA
Thunder Valley National: June 7, 2025 in Lakewood, CO
UFO Plastic High Point National: June 14, 2025 in Mt. Morris, PA
Southwick National: June 28, 2025 in Southwick, MA
RedBud National: July 5, 2025 in Buchanan, MI
Spring Creek National: July 12, 2025 in Millville, MN
Washougal National: July 19, 2025 in Washougal, WA
Ironman National: August 9, 2025 in Crawfordsville, IN
Unadilla National: August 16, 2025 in New Berlin, NY
Budds Creek National: August 23, 2025 in Mechanicsville, MD
Up next: With the conclusion of 2025 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, Monster Energy’s dirt bike racers return to action with the opening round of the 2025 Pro Motocross Championship, the Fox Raceway National, in Pala, Calif., May 24.
