Image: Octopi Media.

For the third week in a row to start 2024 AMA Pro Motocross, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan walked away with the winner’s trophy after a 1-2 performance at Thunder Valley landed him on the top step. Deegan now has a comfortable lead in the championship of 23 points and hasn’t finished lower than P2 in a moto.

In both motos at Thunder Valley, Deegan found himself in a battle. Red Bull KTM’s Tom Vialle sat in Deegan’s shadow the whole first moto and took advantage of a fall from the Yamaha rider to grab the lead. But Deegan would take the lead back and hold on for the win. In the second moto, the story was all Team Honda HRC’s Chance Hymas as the Idaho-native broke through for his first career 250 moto win.

Hymas would end up second overall on the day with 4-1 scores, while Vialle would round out the podium with a 2-4 day. Hymas’ teammate Jo Shimoda also had a strong second moto to finish a close third behind Deegan and he would earn P4 overall with 5-3 scores.

Leaving the day disappointed was Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen who had a strong third in the first moto but struggled to P7 in the second moto. It was the first moto all season that Kitchen finished worse than P3 and it dropped him to fourth in the championship in the process.

Behind him, it was Jalek Swoll (Triumph Racing) in sixth, Ty Masterpool (Pro Circuit Kawasaki) in seventh, Pierce Brown (Troy Lee Designs Red Bull GasGas) in eighth, Julien Beaumer (Red Bull KTM) in ninth, and Jordon Smith (Star Racing Yamaha) in 10th.

Thanks to the second moto victory, Hymas actually pulled even with Vialle in the championship as both riders are now 23 markers back of Deegan. The series finally heads east next weekend for the High Point National in Pennsylvania as many riders look to turn the tides on more familiar soil.

Detailed results