Deegan Wins First Moto at SMX World Championship Finals Opener
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan wins the first moto, finishing third overall to tie the points lead in the SuperMotocross World Championship 250 class / Sep 11, 2023 /
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan won the opening moto at the first-ever SuperMotocross World Championship Playoff round at the zMax Dragway at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. The California rider ended the day third overall with a fifth-place finish in Moto 2, leaving Concord, North Carolina, with a tie for the 250SMX points lead and the red plate. Jordon Smith bounced back for a top-five finish overall with an 8-4 result in front of the home crowd at the venue north of Charlotte. Levi Kitchen was seventh overall with a 2-11 moto score. Joining his teammates inside the top 10 was Justin Cooper in ninth (12-6).
Anticipation was high for the kick-off of the inaugural SMX World Championship Finals. It was a new format at a new venue with a unique track layout and some tricky track conditions that threw some curveballs. Deegan rose to the challenge and came back from a big crash in qualifying. The rookie got a great start in the first moto from the 13th gate pick and advanced to the runner-up spot on Lap 3. He kept pushing to close the gap on his teammate, claiming the lead on Lap 12 and riding on to become the first moto winner in the SMX World Championship. Unfortunately, in the second moto, he found himself at the back of the field after the first turn and had to make a charge back to fifth for third overall. Deegan’s third-place result bolstered his position in the 250SMX standings, putting him tied for first at 42 points.
Anticipation was high for the kick-off of the inaugural SMX World Championship Finals. It was a new format at a new venue with a unique track layout and some tricky track conditions that threw some curveballs. Deegan rose to the challenge and came back from a big crash in qualifying. The rookie got a great start in the first moto from the 13th gate pick and advanced to the runner-up spot on Lap 3. He kept pushing to close the gap on his teammate, claiming the lead on Lap 12 and riding on to become the first moto winner in the SMX World Championship. Unfortunately, in the second moto, he found himself at the back of the field after the first turn and had to make a charge back to fifth for third overall. Deegan’s third-place result bolstered his position in the 250SMX standings, putting him tied for first at 42 points.
After being sidelined for most of the outdoor season with an injury, Smith had a good first race back and steadily made progress throughout the day. He qualified 12th in the tricky, slick conditions but then, unfortunately got caught behind a first-turn pileup at the start of the first moto. Undeterred, the North Carolina rider fought his way back from 17th to eighth on a track that was difficult to pass on. In the second moto, he got a much better start and was fifth after the first lap. Smith advanced to fourth and had the final podium spot in sight, but ultimately finished fourth to end the day fifth overall.
Kitchen had a solid qualifying effort in the challenging conditions in 10th. He came out swinging in the first moto with a great start and quickly took the lead, which he maintained for 11 of the 17 laps. The Washington State rider rode on to cross the line second for a stellar 1-2 finish for the team in the first-ever SMX World Championship moto. From there, Kitchen did what he could for a top result despite not feeling 100% and salvaged points with an 11th-place finish for seventh overall and leaves the first round of the playoffs sitting fifth in the 250SMX points standings.
Cooper qualified seventh and got a great start in the first moto. He was fourth after the first lap, but unfortunately he had a crash on Lap 3 that shuffled him back to 10th. The New Yorker kept soldiering on but ultimately finished 12th. In the second moto, he got caught up behind the bottleneck in the first turn and found himself 11th after the first lap. Cooper kept pushing and made his way to sixth to finish ninth overall.
Next weekend, the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team heads to Chicagoland Speedway for the SMX World Championship Playoff 2 on September 16 in Joliet, Illinois.
Jensen Hendler – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250 Team Manager“It was a good day overall for our team with all four guys in the top 10. It definitely was a tricky track with the conditions and the layout. Haiden came out swinging and got that first moto win. Unfortunately, he had a tough start to the second moto, but he kept fighting and came back from last to finish fifth for third overall. He’s leaving this first one in a good position with the red plate and tied for the lead.
“Jordon had a good first race back and really bounced back in the second moto to end the day fifth overall. Levi got a great start in that first moto and had a great ride to finish second, but unfortunately, he wasn’t feeling well and did what he could in Moto 2 and was seventh overall. Justin had a tough couple of motos but fought his way back for ninth overall.
“It was a good first playoff round. The stakes get higher at each one, so this was a good start. We’re going to go back to work and come back next weekend and keep fighting for this championship.”
Haiden Deegan – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing“We had a pretty big crash in qualifying but recovered from that one. The body’s sore, but we had to dig deep. That first moto went really well. I got a fourth-place start and moved into the lead. In the second moto, I was dead last after the start and made my way back up to fifth. I struggled with soreness today. My body was beat up from that crash, but coming out of the first round tied and with the red plate is a really good way to look at it. We’ll come back swinging next week at the second round.”
Jordon Smith – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing“It was a good day and good to be back at the races with the team and racing the boys. I didn't get off to a good start in that first one. I got caught up in that first-turn pileup. I didn't go down, but I was just buried and had to make a charge. I was really proud of myself for coming back to eighth. This was a hard track to pass on. In the second moto, I got off to a much better start and was right there in the battle; I just couldn't make any moves forward. We’re going to go back and build off of what we have today and see if we can figure out how to pass next week.”
Levi Kitchen - Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing“It was kind of a frustrating day for me. I came in feeling really good on the bike. I’ve been riding really well during the week, so I don’t know; I just struggled. Qualifying was decent, and the first moto was okay, but I got really sick yesterday, and I couldn’t keep any food down today. So I did what I could, but I really felt it in that second moto. I’m going to rest up and come out swinging at this next round.”
Justin Cooper – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing“It was great to get going with SMX. It’s definitely different. I like the format, but it definitely wasn’t one of my best days. I was expecting to be battling up front, but in the first moto, we had a crash, and in the second moto, we got shuffled around in the first turn, and we came back from pretty far back. Overall, it was a good day, though. I rode a lot better in the second moto. These races are going to be more important as we go, so we’ve got to get our butt in gear and get up front for these next two if we want a chance at this. If we’re going to struggle, this was the one to struggle at. We’ll put this one behind us and learn from it and keep our heads up.”
2023 SuperMotocross World Championship 250SMX Charlotte Results
2023 SuperMotocross World Championship 250SMX Combined Points
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