Deegan and Mosiman Top the Podium at Anaheim 2
Haiden Deegan scores back-to-back 250SX West victories, with Michael Mosiman joining him on the podium for a Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 1-2 finish / Jan 26, 2026 /
As the Southern California swing of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship came to a close with a return to Angel Stadium for Anaheim 2, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing continued to show its strength aboard its YZ250Fs. Following a podium sweep in SMX Next, the celebrations continued with Haiden Deegan earning his second-consecutive victory in front of the home crowd.
The win extended the reigning champion’s points lead over teammate Michael Mosiman, who also returned to the podium with a strong runner-up finish. Max Anstie, who claimed the opening-round victory in Anaheim, endured another challenging night but pushed through adversity to finish sixth and remain firmly in the title fight.
“It was a great night with the Futures (SMX Next) starting it out and going 1-2-3,” said Wil Hahn, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s 250 Team General Manager. “That was an awesome way to start the night, which got the momentum going, and then with Haiden and Mosi (Mosiman) going 1-2. Unfortunately, Max had a big case in the middle of the race and had to regroup after knocking the wind out of himself pretty badly. But like I said, it was an awesome night with the podium sweep in Futures, another win and double podium, and we’re sitting 1-2-3 in the points in the West – we'll take it.”
The start of the 250 Supercross season has certainly been great for the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing, and despite not meeting his own expectations at the season opener, Deegan responded with two perfect nights at the following rounds.
After topping qualifying, he earned his third heat race win. When the gate dropped for the Main Event, Deegan slotted into fourth and immediately went to work, claiming the runner-up spot by Lap 3, and throwing down consistently fast laps. With around five laps remaining, he made the pass on Mosiman and rode away to secure his second straight victory by a healthy margin. The ninth 250SX win of his career also made championship gains, extending Deegan’s lead to nine points.
“It was another perfect day – P1 in qualifying, P1 in the heat race, and then P1 in the main,” Deegan said. “The main event wasn’t an easy race. We had to push all the way until the very end, and we were able to put our hard work and fitness to use. I was able to capitalize on some of Mosi’s (Mosiman) mistakes, but he was riding great. That was definitely a challenge. That’s two in a row. I’m ready to keep on swinging.”
Mosiman’s upward momentum continued at Anaheim 2, as the Californian’s confidence was bolstered by strong results and good starts. After finishing third in his heat race, Mosiman grabbed the holeshot in the Main Event and immediately set the pace at the front. He led the majority of the race before getting passed by his teammate. Choosing to ride smart, Mosiman brought it home in second, moving up a step on the podium from the previous round and advancing to second in the championship standings.
“Anaheim 2 was awesome,” Mosiman said. “We had press the other day, and I did some whips, and immediately started feeling good. I think having a couple of good results under my belt from the early rounds and knowing my capabilities, I felt at peace all day. That allowed me to ride free and clearheaded, not forcing anything, and just taking what was there. Tonight, that was a second. I got a great start in the main, which I was really happy with. That's really what led to the great riding. So yeah, I’m stoked and going to keep the momentum rolling.”
As for Anstie, it was another challenging night in Southern California. He had a good start in his heat race, grabbing the holeshot, and after getting passed by Deegan, rode a smart race to maintain second. It was a challenging main event, with Anstie back in 11th after the start, but the British rider put his head down and quickly made his way through to sixth by Lap 3. Unfortunately, a couple of laps later, he cased a jump and was dropped back to 10th. Anstie regrouped and made his way back to sixth in the final laps, earning valuable points to sit third in the standings and within 10 points of Deegan.
“It was a rough night,” Anstie said. “In the main event, I got shuffled back on the start. My starts have been solid all season, but that one, I just caught an edge coming out of the gate and ended up getting squeezed. Then a few guys went down in the first turn, so it pushed me back a little bit. Everything was okay after that. I was feeling fine, and then I made one mistake in the rhythm lane – I actually caught my rear brake going up the face of a triple and nearly went over the bars. It was a hectic race. I regrouped and made it back to sixth, but yeah, it’s disappointing. I obviously would've liked to have been on the box, but we will take it and move on to next week in Houston.”
