Deegan Finishes 2nd at Unadilla, Eyes 250 Title at Budds Creek Finale
Monster Energy’s Haiden Deegan holds a 43-point lead heading into Budds Creek, while Eli Tomac secures another podium in the 450 class at Unadilla.
Monster Energy’s Haiden Deegan (Star Racing/Yamaha) moved one step closer to defending his 2024 AMA Pro Motocross Championship 250 class title at the ELF Lubricants Unadilla National in New Berlin, NY, this past weekend, racing to a podium 2nd place finish and leaving ‘Dilla with a 43-point lead (460-417) in the 2025 championship points chase ahead of Honda’s Jo Shimoda.
Deegan’s double podium 2-3 two moto finish would secure just enough points so that he can (and should) clinch the 2025 250 title in the opening moto this weekend at the AMA Pro Motocross Championship season finale in Budds Creek, Md.
Said Deegan of his 2nd place effort at Unadilla: “It’s hard to push the edge when you have a championship to win. I think that’s how I got to where I am – being patient. I never felt very comfortable today (Saturday), but credit to Jo (Shimoda). He was ripping.
“We’ll go take care of business next weekend.”
Joining Deegan in the top five at Unadilla was Monster Energy’s Seth Hammaker (Pro Circuit/Kawasaki) in 4th place (3-6), with his Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki teammate Garrett Marchbanks, currently 3rd overall in the 250 title points chase with 320 points, a couple clicks back in 6th (5-5). And rounding out the top ten on the 250s at ‘Dilla for Monster Energy were Nate Thrasher (Star Racing/Yamaha) in 9th and Levi Kitchen (Pro Circuit/Kawasaki) in 10th.
Leading the way on the 450s at Unadilla for Monster Energy were, again, the Star Racing/Yamaha tandem of Eli Tomac and Justin Cooper, who mirrored their positions in the overall 450 class season standings with 3rd and 4th place runs, respectively.
“For Unadilla it was a pretty good performance for me,” said Tomac. “This place can be my Achilles heel… it’s just so challenging. Other than being outridden by the Lawrence brothers, I would say that it was a pretty good day. I gave it all I had; it just wasn’t enough to catch those two.”
In WMX action at Unadilla Monster Energy received podium finishes from Australian Charli Cannon (2nd) and USA’s Mikayla Nielsen (3rd).
| Unadilla MX 250 Class Results | 450 MX Class Results |
|---|---|
| 2nd - Deegan (Monster/Star/Yamaha) | 3rd - Tomac (Monster/Star/Yamaha) |
| 4th - Hammaker (Monster/PC/Kawasaki) | 5th - Cooper (Monster/Star/Yamaha) |
| 6th - Marchbanks (Monster/PC/Kawasaki) | 12th - Prado (Monster/Kawasaki) |
| 9th - Thrasher (Monster/Star/Yamaha) | |
| 10th - Kitchen (Monster/PC/Kawasaki) |
Overall Standings (10 of 11 rounds)
| 250 Class | 450 Class |
|---|---|
| 1st - Deegan, 460 points | 3rd - Tomac, 364 points |
| 3rd - Marchbanks, 320 points | 4th - Cooper, 349 points |
| 4th - Kitchen, 289 points | 6th - Prado, 241 points |
| 7th - Hammaker, 216 points | 10th - Webb, 151 points |
| 10th - Mosiman, 180 points |
Notes & Quotes
- With a 43-point lead over Honda’s Jo Shimoda (460-417) heading into the final round at Budds Creek MX, Deegan will, for all intents and purposes, clinch the overall 250 class championship in the opening moto this coming Saturday.
- Also in the 250 class at Budds, Marchbanks, who’s in 3rd place overall in the season standings, has a 31-point lead, 320-289, over Kitchen, who’s in 4th position. Marchbanks has the opportunity to clinch an overall podium spot in the opening Budds 250 moto as well.
- “Championship on the line… we kinda knew Haiden (Deegan) wanted to win. But he wasn’t gonna take too many risks.” – NBC Sports announcer James Stewart on Deegan holding up a bit and playing it smart when in pursuit of leader Shimoda.
- “Only way he (Deegan) can lose this thing is by doing something and hitting the ground – and he wasn’t going to do that.” – added Stewart.
- “Championship champagne is going to stay on the truck.” – NBC Sports’ Jason Weigandt on Deegan having to now clinch at Budds Creek (August 23).
- On the 450s, even though Tomac seems to have been racking up the podium finishes as of late, he still only holds a 15-point (364-349) lead over Cooper for the third and final season podium position. So that battle for 3rdoverall will go down to the final moto of the season at Budds.
- “I hope I’m as fast as I was,” said Tomac when asked if he is as fast now, as he was in his last full season of MX in 2022. “Doesn’t feel like it’s been four years. It’s always evolving and I’m always trying to improve and better myself.”
- The women’s (WMX) outdoor season also comes to a conclusion at Budds Creek next weekend. Nielsen and Cannon and the rest of the field will race three motos at Budds to make up for the moto they lost at Thunder Valley MX (Colo.) earlier in the season due to weather.
Up next: The 2025 Pro Motocross Championship comes to a conclusion at Maryland’s Budds Creek MX with the August 23rd running of the Yamaha Budds Creek National. For more information on the AMA Pro Motocross Championships, link to www.promotocross.com
