Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan capitalized on the misfortune of Hunter Lawrence to take the 250MX red plate at Southwick, with the YZ250F rider determined to ‘keep pushing forward’ following his P6 overall at round six.

Deegan qualified ninth fastest in the Southwick sand and charged forward to a P4 finish in moto one, before fatigue and a tip-over limited his push in moto two to 10th place.

Despite Deegan finishing off the overall podium for the just second time this season, a mechanical DNF in race one for Lawrence allowed the 17-year-old to capture the championship lead, now holding a five-point advantage ahead of the former leader.

“The day started off well,” Deegan recalled. “In the first moto, we went from 10th to fourth, which I was happy with. I got a little pinched off at the start, so I was happy to be able to ride the sand and dig through that.

“The second moto was a bit of a struggle for me. I was just fatigued a bit, so we’ve got to work on that. It’s always good to find some weaknesses that we can work on during the week. We’re leaving with the points lead, so we’re going to keep working and keep pushing forward.”

2023 has marked an immensely impressive debut professional season for Deegan and the number 238 will have the opportunity to score a second 250MX overall victory as the Pro Motocross moves to Spring Creek this Saturday.