Image: Octopi Media.

Making the most of a misfortunate first-turn crash in the second moto for first-moto winner Hunter Lawrence, Haiden Deegan finished second and third in the two 250MX races at the 50th anniversary FMF RedBud National to earn his first professional win.

With Lawrence (Team Honda HRC) out of the race and having his wrist examined by the Alpinestars medical unit after handily winning the day’s first moto, the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing duo of Levi Kitchen and Haiden Deegan engaged in a battle at the front.

Deegan later gave up the second position to Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM), finalizing the running order for the podium positions in the concluding 250MX moto.

Kitchen beat Vialle to the checkers by just under 9s to secure the moto win and solidify his second-place overall result.

Deegan was a further 3.281s back at the end, but knew before the appearance of the checkered flag that his 2-3 moto scores were enough to secure his first professional victory, indoors or out, at one of the most famed stops on the Pro Motocross Championship calendar.

Justin Cooper (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) ended his return to racing after a practice crash at the previous round with his second fourth-place result of the day, enabling him to join his Star Racing Yamaha teammates Deegan and Kitchen on the final podium.

Last year’s RedBud winner Jo Shimoda (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) came home fifth, followed by Max Vohland (Red Bull KTM), RJ Hampshire (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna), Jalek Swoll (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna), professional debutant Daxton Bennick (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing), and Seth Hammaker (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) in the top 10.

Swoll’s eighth-place result marks a strong recovery after an early bike issue in the day’s opening moto.

The 200 points Lawrence amassed before his early moto two exit is enough to keep the red plate on his Honda CRF250R as the series heads to the Southwick National in a week’s time. Deegan holds second in the 250MX standings, 11 back from Lawrence, with Hampshire third a further 22 back.

Detailed results