Image: Octopi Media.

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan has clinched the 250SMX title after claiming the overall with consistency at the Los Angeles 2023 SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) Final.

With red plate-holder Hunter Lawrence (Team Honda HRC) ruled out of contention during the afternoon, 17-year-old Deegan remained composed to deliver 5-2 results and the crown.

It was Jalek Swoll (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) who won the battle to and through the opening corner after the night’s first gate drop in 250SMX moto one, but Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM) soon passed the young Husqvarna rider and took over the lead himself.

Jordon Smith, surging forward on his Yamaha, had just his teammate Deegan between himself and race leader Vialle once he passed Swoll for third.

In quick succession, Smith passed Deegan and Vialle to assume control of the race. Frantic battling continued, with Deegan and RJ Hampshire (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) trading back and forth and Jo Shimoda (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) charging from a sixth-place start. The action funneled into separate duels between Smith and Hampshire for the win and Shimoda and Deegan for fourth.

Smith expertly defended a lunge to his inside from Hampshire in a 180-degree bowl turn approaching the checkered flag and successfully closed out the moto win by a margin of 1.278s over Hampshire. Vialle took the checkers third, followed by Shimoda, who kept Deegan at bay after a pass involving heavy contact.

The fast-starting Swoll ended up sixth, followed by Justin Cooper (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing), Pierce Brown (TLD Red Bull GasGas), Maximus Vohland (Red Bull KTM), and Levi Kitchen (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) in the top 10.

A trio of factory-prepared Yamaha machines exited the first turn at the front of the field as the final 250 race of 2023 got underway.

Shimoda pursued Kitchen, Deegan, and Cooper as the field settled into an order, giving Deegan the upper hand in his battle with Shimoda for the inaugural 250SMX title.

Though Deegan didn’t find a way past Kitchen for the race lead, finishing 1.469s behind in second was enough to capture the overall win and the SuperMotocross title in the class.

Cooper found the final podium spot in the year’s concluding moto, followed by Shimoda in fourth, whose 4-4 results on the night earned him second overall behind Deegan.

Brown, Hampshire, Vohland, Swoll, Talon Hawkins (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna), and Smith completed the top 10, with Smith reaching 10th after being put on the ground midway through the opening lap. Hampshire earned third overall after Deegan and Shimoda on the results for the finale with 2-6 moto scores. Cooper finished seventh and third for fourth overall, followed by Kitchen with 10-1 finishes for the fifth overall position.

Deegan’s successful night in Los Angeles put the young rookie five points clear of Shimoda in the final SMX standings as the series’ first 250SMX champion.

Detailed results