Image: Octopi Media.

The 250MX class delivered a first-time winner for the second consecutive 2023 Pro Motocross Championship round with Tom Vialle making Southwick the site of his first win on American soil.

An initially dominant moto one performance for Justin Cooper (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) turned into the rider of the No. 32 Yamaha YZ250F settling for second 30 minutes and two laps after the day’s first gate drop.

Cooper secured the holeshot and kept Vialle behind until he lost the front and hit the ground just before the final quarter of the race. Vialle slipped by and built a lead of more than 10s entering the final laps.

The Frenchman, competing in his first Pro Motocross Championship season, finalized the moto win over Cooper by a margin of 17.41s.

Hunter Lawrence (Team Honda HRC) moved forward following a start near the back of the top 10, but did not finish the moto due to an apparent engine problem as the final lap began.

Seemingly in pain, Lawrence took a seat off to the side of the track near his fallen Honda CRF250R before his team fetched the bike and he began the trip back to the paddock to prepare for the second moto.

Even with an unideal start and a late tip over, Haiden Deegan (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) pushed forward to fourth at the checkered flag, increasing the impact of Lawrence’s engine failure in terms of the 250MX points standings.

RJ Hampshire (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) finished about 7s up the track from Deegan to claim third, while Deegan’s teammate Levi Kitchen, winner last time out at Redbud, finished fifth.

Jo Shimoda (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki), Maximus Vohland (Red Bull KTM), Caden Braswell (TLD Red Bull GasGas), and Talon Hawkins (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) filled the rest of the top 10.

Jalek Swoll finished 11th after running near the front early, while fastest qualifier and local favorite Jimmy DeCotis came home 12th ahead of Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s young rider Ryder DiFrancesco.

Similar to the first moto for the quarter-liter Pro Motocross class, unideal starts for primary championship contenders Lawrence and Deegan allowed other riders to surface and contend for the frontmost positions to conclude their day.

A masterful start for moto one winner Vialle seemed to be the setup for a 1-1 result on the day for the former MX2 rider, but a strong opening stanza to the race for Shimoda had the Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider near Vialle’s rear tire and looking capable of swiping the race lead.

Shimoda did so on the sixth lap and went on to lead the remaining 10 of 15 total, capturing his first moto win of the 2023 Pro Motocross season.

Despite a fall, Cooper stayed ahead of a battle behind him and finished second, 4.079s in arrears of the victorious young Japanese rider.

Vialle held off a charging Hampshire, who battled through mistakes and no eye protection after ditching his goggles as rain began to fall mid-moto.

After Hampshire in fourth, Hammaker closed out a strong day aboard his Pro Circuit-branded Kawasaki KX250 with fifth in moto two, ahead of Vohland, Swoll, Lawrence, Kitchen, and Deegan in the top 10.

Set to head next to Spring Creek MX Park in Millville, Minnesota for the 12th round in a week’s time, the 250MX class is now led by Deegan, who will take the track on Saturday, July 15 with the red plate. Lawrence will aim to overcome his new five-point deficit and take it back, while also keeping Hampshire, Shimoda, and Cooper behind.

Detailed results