Deegan dominates en route to third consecutive in 250SX West title chase
Photo Credit: Jeff Kardas
Defending AMA Supercross 450SX champion Cooper Webb was in desperate need of a spark to get back into the hunt for a second-consecutive championship when he entered NRG Stadium on Saturday, Jan. 31.
Shaking off his early-season lull, The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider delivered a much-needed victory in Houston, securing his first win of the season behind a solid showing during the first Triple Crown race of the campaign.
Webb surged to victory behind a 4-2-3 performance in the motos, finishing with nine points on the evening, while Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence (7-1-2) and Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki Team’s Ken Roczen (1-5-4) fell just short of the defending champion with 10 points, respectively.
“This feels amazing. I can’t even put it into words. Honestly, it’s weird not to win a [race], but I’ll take any skin I can get right now. It’s been a really tough month mentally, physically, emotionally,” Webb said. “Just to come in here today and make this happen means so much. It’s never over. I thought last week might be the nail in the coffin [in the title defense], but that’s a Cooper Webb move to come back a week later, put myself in a good position, and win. I’m proud of myself. We’ve still got plenty of work to do. We need to be better, but it’s a breath of fresh air and a boost of confidence. It’s just good to be back on top.”
Webb’s victory pushed him to 71 points on the season, good for fifth place in the overall standings. Despite a fourth-place finish in Houston, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac maintained his hold on the top spot in the standings with 88 points, while Lawrence and Roczen follow with 84 and 76 points, respectively.
Haiden Deegan of Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing maintained his dominance over the 250SX West class, sweeping the motos en route to a Triple Crown victory in Houston. In pursuit of Deegan, a pair of Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki riders landed on the podium as Levi Kitchen (2-2-3) produced seven points and Cameron McAdoo (3-3-4) finished with 10 points to land on the podium.
“[It was] a good race and it was nice to hear some cheers out there [from the fans]. I appreciate that,” Deegan said. “I tried to make it entertaining for them and hope they enjoyed it.”
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing holds the top three overall spots in the 250SX West standings, with Deegan leading the pack with 93 points while Max Anstie (74) and Michael Mosiman (73) follow in second and third place.
For the second consecutive week, the future of AMA Supercross took the track for a round of the SMX Next Series. In Houston, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Caden Dudney — a Texas native — held off Triumph Factory Racing’s Deacon Denno and teammate Landen Gordon for the victory.
“The track was pretty tough out there, but it feels good to get the win in my home state,” Dudney said. “I was pretty close last weekend and that kind of pissed me off, so I had to get redemption on that. I had to put in the work [during the week] and here we are.”
The AMA Supercross season shifts to Glendale, Ariz., on Feb. 7 for the fifth round of racing action. Gate drop is set for 7 p.m. Eastern and will be streamed live on Peacock.