Rookie Haiden Deegan Crowned 2023 250SMX Champion
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan wins the inaugural SuperMotocross World Championship 250 class title in Los Angeles, earning the overall victory and a big payday in his debut season / Sep 24, 2023 /
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan made every lap count inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, earning the overall win (5-2) to secure the 250 class title at the inaugural SuperMotocross World Championship. The day was filled with challenges, but Deegan rose to them all and became a champion in his first professional season. Justin Cooper had a solid night as he claimed fourth overall (7-3) and sixth in the 250SMX Championship. Teammates Levi Kitchen and Jordon Smith both took moto wins, finishing fifth (10-1) and sixth (1-10), respectively. Kitchen ended the SMX championship standings in fourth, while Smith was fifth.
With triple points on the line, the final round was a winner-takes-all scenario for the top competitors, which included Deegan coming into the final round third overall. He started the day qualifying fourth and looked to enjoy the track inside the historic venue. Deegan’s Moto 1 start was exactly what he was looking for as he filed into second right behind the leader. He tried to get within striking distance in the first half of the race, but the Californian ended up riding a little tight, and it cost him a few spots. He was still in contention for the championship after his fifth-place finish in Moto 1, but Deegan knew it was going to come down to a good start in Moto 2. The 17-year-old delivered with another great start into the runner-up spot and rode a smart race to hold the position to the end. Deegan’s 5-2 score secured the overall win and the 250SMX SuperMotocross World Championship, completing a stellar rookie season in 2023.
After a tough run in Chicago, Cooper bounced back in Los Angeles with a consistent ride. He was back on top of qualifying once again, giving him a great gate pick. Cooper was one of the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing YZ250Fs coming around the first turn at the front but was shuffled back to sixth after the first few corners. He kept pushing but ended up crossing the finish line in seventh place. In Moto 2, Cooper got a great start behind Deegan and, with passing limited on the track, he kept it in third until the end of the race, awarding him fourth overall.
Kitchen worked to find his flow on the track during qualifying and was 10th in the combined times. In the first moto, he got pushed wide and found himself 14th after the first lap, but he kept fighting the whole race. The Washington State rider made it up to 11th by Lap 9 and continued to push to break into the top 10 by Lap 12, where he would finish. In the second moto, Kitchen launched out of the start into the lead and pulled the pack of riders the whole race to earn his first moto win of the SMX Playoffs. His 10-1 moto score gave him fifth overall and fourth in the championship standings.
With only two races under his belt since returning from injury, Smith has been fast and proving he’s a front-runner at any given time. The day started out with a sixth place in qualifying, but his speed was only starting to be showcased. Smith got out to a fourth-place start in Moto 1 and charged to the lead on Lap 11, holding on until the end for the victory. Once again, he got a good jump off the line in Moto 2 but came together with another rider early on the opening lap, sending him off the track. He remounted in 20th place and then used the whole 20-minute moto to claim as many spots back as possible. Smith put in an impressive charge back to 10th by the end of the race to give him sixth overall after the tiebreaker with teammate Kitchen, securing a top-five finish in the championship.
In addition to the 250SMX Championship, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing completed a successful end to the inaugural SMX World Championship Finals, securing the Yamaha brand the 2023 manufacturer title.
Jensen Hendler – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250 Team Manager“What a night! It was definitely a roller coaster ride and a fight to the finish. Haiden got the job done, going 5-2 to secure the overall win and the championship. What a ride from him and an incredible rookie season.
“We also got some great starts and wins in both motos with Jordon in Moto 1 and Levi in Moto 2, plus a 1-2-3 finish for our team in that second moto. Justin also had a good comeback after a tough first two playoff rounds and put in a great ride to end the day fourth overall with his third-place finish in Moto 2.
“I’m proud of all our guys. It was a great finish to the 2023 season. Now it’s time to get back to work and get ready for 2024.”
Haiden Deegan – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing“Today was a dream come true. Qualifying went well, and then in the first moto, I got a little tight and finished fifth. It all came down to the second moto, and I knew I had to capitalize – to either win or just beat Jo and (Jordon) Smitty. This was a big goal of mine to win a championship during my rookie year, so all I can say is chase your goals and never give up.”
Justin Cooper – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing“I felt really good with the track all day. It really seemed like where you started was where you were going to finish. It was really hard to pass. I had trouble moving through the pack in the first moto, then in the second moto, I got a third-place start, and that’s where I finished. It was pretty uneventful. I had a lot of fun though, and now it’s onto the 450.”
Levi Kitchen - Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing“I had a pretty good night of racing. I made a big mistake early in Moto 1, so I had to come back from last. In Moto 2, I ripped the start and rode pretty well! I’m glad to end the season strong.”
Jordon Smith - Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing“The last race of the year was a good one. I put it up front in the first race and had a shot for the overall with my win, but unfortunately, I went down early in the second moto. I made the best comeback I could from the back and finished 10th. Overall, I was happy with my riding, and I’m ready to build on this for 2024.”
2023 SuperMotocross World Championship 250SMX Los Angeles Results
2023 SuperMotocross World Championship 250SMX Standings
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