Deegan Dominates: 1-1 Sweep at High Point MX National

With a two moto victory sweep at the UFO Plast High Point, Pa., MX National, giving him six moto wins on the season (out of eight tries), Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha’s Haiden Deegan regained his dominance over the 250 class field through four rounds of racing on the 2025 AMA Pro Motocross Championship tour.

Deegan flat out dominated Moto 1, starting in the top three out of the gate, then passing Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha teammate Nate Thrasher before the end of the opening lap for the lead – a lead he’d never relinquish.

The 250 Moto 2 Deegan took the inside route off the start and caught – and passed – the lead riders, including Honda’s Chance Hymas (who beat Deegan the previous weekend at Lakewood, Colo.), over High Point’s famous Tunnel Jump, taking the moto’s early lead. Deegan would build a 10+ second lead, seemingly cruising around the track and gaining time of the world’s best 250 class dirt bike racers. The Moto 2 win would be his 6^th of the season, giving him a commanding 199-152 points lead over 2^nd place Jo Shimoda (Honda) in the overall 250 class standings.

“I was like ‘There’s no way I’m in the lead right now.’ I went from sixth to like third in two turns,” said Deegan of that brilliant Moto 2 charge to the front. “I was out in the lead, had a rider behind me, Chance (Hymas), and obviously he’s pretty good. So I just had to send it for a few laps. Got my gap, I’m pretty sure like ten seconds at one point. Then once I got it around that bubble I just kind of held it and, uh, yeah.”

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen also had an excellent day in the dirt at High Point, getting around Thrasher and into 2^nd place in Moto 1. Then parlaying that moto podium finish with a 6^th place effort in Moto 2 to make the overall 250 class podium in 3^rd place. Kitchen’s Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki teammate Seth Hammakerwould place 3^rd in the opening moto (7^th on the day).

“I actually though I was going to be off the podium for sure. I rode pretty bad that second moto,” admitted Kitchen, who went 2-6 for 3^rd place.

In 450 class racing at High Point, Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha’s Justin Cooper, in 4^th place overall heading into Round 4, challenged points leader Jett Lawrence (Honda) early on, actually taking the race lead for a moment on the opening lap. Cooper would manage to hold onto a 4^th place finish in the opening 450 moto, while Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha teammate Eli Tomac brought ‘er home in 5^th position – despite recording the moto’s fastest lap times.

In 450 Moto 2, right when the skies opened up and the rains began to fall, Tomac would rip past race leader Jett Lawrence – and into 1^st place over the Tunnel Jump. Tomac would then put the hammer down, improving upon his 5^thplace opening moto finish with the Moto 2 victory at the lightning-shortened High Point National.

Said Tomac: “It was like I had just two different days. It’s crazy, when you get out front, how quiet the race is. And I’ve just been in chaos, war, these past few motos. So it was honestly a strange feeling, leading some laps early in the race.”

Cooper would hold on for a top five (5^th) place finish with a 4-5 moto effort on the day. Then rounding out the 450 class top ten for Monster Energy at High Point were Jason Anderson (Kawasaki) in 7^th (7-7) and Cooper Webb (Star Racing/Yamaha) in 10^th (9-11).

Overall Standings (4 of 11 rounds)

Notes & Quotes

• “(Some) didn’t feel he could win again – and he showed these boys.” – NBC announcer James Stewart on Deegan’s opening moto win at High Point.
• Deegan’s wire-to-wire wins in both Moto 1 and Moto 2 at High Point were the first time this season he’s led every lap of a National, enroute to a 1-1 sweep victory.
• “(Deegan) didn’t let anybody have any sense of pride, hope at this moment.” – Added Stewart.
• “Nice to have a weekend off. I’ll practice in the sand in North Carolina, just like I did last year,” said Deegan of his upcoming weekend off and preparation for the June 28 Southwick (Mass.) MX National.
• Good to see Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Hammaker back on the gate after he missed Round 3 at Lakewood. 
• “The positive were… I think I’ve gotten 10^th year, my best finish.” – Kitchen on his first career podium, or top five for that matter, at High Point. “I’ve always struggled at this place.”
• As mentioned earlier, AMA officials red flagged the second 450 moto, putting an end to the race with seven minutes remaining due to nearby lightning.
• The Monster Energy racer effected most by the race stoppage was Cooper. The AMA ruling that states, “When a race is stopped, the running order reverts to the previous lap.” Cooper had just passed KTM’s Aaron Plessinger, and would have had a 4-4 overall finish (to AP’s 3-5).

Up next: The 2025 Pro Motocross Championship takes a short break before returning to action, June 28^th, for Round 5 of the series – the Crestview Construction Southwick (Mass.) National. For more information on the AMA Pro Motocross Championships, link to www.promotocross.com