Round two of the Pro Motocross Championship provided action from all angles, however in the end, it was both Jett Lawrence (450MX) and Haiden Deegan (250MX) who were able to reign supreme and make it two from two overall victories to start 2025. Reaction dives into the commentary from around the paddock following Hangtown.

450MX

Image: Octopi Media.

Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – Second:
We’ve made some really good progress as a team outdoors, and I feel like I have a great motocross bike underneath me. I felt good in that first moto, and I wanted to see how long I could go out front, knowing that it was really hot, but I misjudged the timing of when the race would end, unfortunately. That was a bit disappointing, but the second moto we went after it again, I made the pass on Hunter (Lawrence) for third, then I got really hot out there in the conditions. Second overall on the day, I’m pumped with that, and hoping it’s a little cooler next weekend.

Jett Lawrence (Honda HRC Progressive) – First:
Not too bad of a day. In the first moto, I missed a shift off the start, so I didn’t get the greatest jump, but I made it back to third and kind of rode it in from there to save energy for the second moto. They ended up shortening that one, and I got a good start, sprinted early to build a gap, and then maintained it to the finish. It was hot out there, but we got it done. I’m happy and looking forward to Colorado.

Hunter Lawrence (Honda HRC Progressive) – Fifth:
I got out of here healthy, which is always a win. Myself and the team know what we need to work on, which is great. We have a direction. Hopefully we can keep moving forward and improve both the bike and myself. In the second moto, we made some progress, but in the first moto we made a bit of a mistake by not running a paddle tire, we were the only ones who didn’t, and that definitely hurt us off the start. It’s something new this year, with so many guys going to the paddle just for the gate. It’s something we’ll adapt to going forward. I’m happy to head into Thunder Valley healthy and getting better.

Malcolm Stewart (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) – 10th:
This round was a hot one, for sure. First moto we got eighth, so that was a really good one for me, and then second moto I went down, which had us playing catch up from that point – a shortened moto made it especially tough to come back from. This round feels like the first for me, just because last weekend was a pretty big disaster, so now I think we are on the right track, and we’ll keep moving forward and get ready for Colorado.

RJ Hampshire (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) – Seventh:
Hangtown was brutal. We had another good qualifying session with good speed, and then in the first moto, I made some passes and I was right around that top-five again, finishing P6. Second moto, I went down on the first lap and had my work cut out for me on a really hot day. Ended up with 6-8 results, so that’s a bit better than last weekend, and the next goal is to shoot for that top-five and to keep building.

Cooper Webb (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Sixth:
I had a solid day and made a step forward at Hangtown. It was nice to get a good start and run up front for a few laps in the second moto. Overall, it was a challenging day with the heat. I haven’t raced in conditions like that for quite some time. My goal is to keep building with each gate drop and get myself closer to the front these next few rounds.

Eli Tomac (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Fourth:
It was great to get a first moto win this weekend. Unfortunately, I made two costly mistakes for my chance to win the overall in moto two.

Justin Cooper (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Third:
It was a good day. I’ve always liked coming here. I’m not really a hard-packed conditions guy, but somehow I seem to like this place. The day went well. I qualified second and got the holeshot in moto one. I couldn’t hold the pace, though, and dropped back to third in the first couple of laps, and eventually fell back to fourth. In moto two, I came out firing and got up to second. I tried to latch onto Jett (Lawrence) and see if I could make anything happen, but I wasn’t able to close in on him, so all I could do was just manage the gap. I was able to get second in that moto, putting me third overall, which was really good for me. Now I’m excited to go to Thunder Valley. It’s probably my favorite track of the outdoor season, so I’m looking forward to that.

Jason Anderson (Monster Energy Kawasaki) – Eighth:
This weekend was a tough one. We knew coming in that the temperatures were going to be intense, so managing my energy throughout the motos was really important. I ended up going 9-6 on the day, which was similar to last weekend. But for me, this race was a big test. I haven’t had much time on the bike, so just being fit enough to push through both motos in that kind of heat was a real challenge. But we made it through.

Jorge Prado (Monster Energy Kawasaki) – Ninth:
It was a better day overall. We made some good improvements during the week, which was positive. I could already feel the difference during timed practice, I was feeling better. We still need to improve the bike, but we’re heading in the right direction. The heat today was brutal. I’ve never ridden in conditions like this, it was crazy. In moto one, we made some changes to try and help me feel more comfortable on the bike, but it didn’t work. I had a bad start, wasn’t feeling great on the bike, and the heat just drained me. For the second moto, we went back to the setup we ended the week with, which worked better. I still didn’t get a great start, but I managed to come back to fifth. I was just riding consistently, not amazing, but not terrible either. You can see some improvements. We still have a lot of work to do, but it’s always good to see some progress every week. Hopefully, next weekend we do a little better.

Joey Savatgy (Quad Lock Honda) – 11th:
It wasn’t easy out there, the heat, the throbbing, the swelling. I had to manage everything lap by lap. We’ve been working closely with our technical partners, and the progress is showing. The bike feels better each week. Qualifying in the top 10 proves we can run with the best, but I knew the real challenge would come during the motos, between the heat and the injury.

250MX

Image: Octopi Media.

Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – 17th:
Not the weekend I expected. I was running fourth in moto one, and then I had a crash about four laps in and couldn’t finish the moto, unfortunately. I hurt my elbow pretty badly, but we lined up for the second race and I had last gate pick because of the first race. I got a bad start and then came back to eighth, so I salvaged some points towards the championship, and I will be back to 100 percent for Colorado.

Julien Beaumer (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – Fourth:
It was a solid day for me at Hangtown. Fourth overall was a little unexpected after P8 in moto one, but we made some changes for moto two, and I felt better, which was good. My fitness was good with how hot the weather was, so it was a good end to the day, and I’m excited for Thunder Valley.

Jo Shimoda (Honda HRC Progressive) – Second:
It was a good day, finishing second in both motos. I made some quick passes early on, but I still need to find a little more speed to really challenge for the win. Overall, we’re moving in the right direction. The goal is to keep consistency high and keep scoring good points.

Chance Hymas (Honda HRC Progressive) – 19th:
My Hangtown weekend was not very good. I had food poisoning on the Monday leading up to it and didn’t quite fully recover for the weekend. I ended up losing my food and my electrolytes before the first moto and wasn’t strong enough to make the second moto. I’ll get healed up this weekend and go on to Lakewood.

Ryder DiFrancesco (Rockstar Energy GasGas Factory Racing) – 18th:
Difficult weekend for me at Hangtown. We showed great speed in moto one, and it was unfortunate to go down, but we’re still building as a team and will look forward to the next one.

Casey Cochran (Rockstar Energy GasGas Factory Racing) – 11th:
Overall, Hangtown was a decent day. We showed really good speed all day with my qualifying and starts, we checked a lot of boxes there, but yeah, it was a hot one! I’m confident in my speed and abilities, so I’m feeling good for the rest of the season. We will keep working.

Haiden Deegan (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – First:
It was a solid day out here at Hangtown. It was around 104 degrees, so it was pretty brutal. I woke up this morning feeling sick and came into the race not feeling too great, so to be able to go 1-1 still, I’m pretty stoked about that. Thanks to all the boys on the team. The bike was dialed. We’ll get recovered and come out swinging next week.

Nate Thrasher (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – 22nd:
I had a great start to the second moto, but unfortunately, I got caught up in a pile-up. It’s not the result we’re looking for, but we finished both motos. We will continue to work hard and get better.

Jeremy Martin (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – DNF:
Everything was trending in a much better direction at Hangtown until my crash just after halfway into moto one. I’m glad to walk away from it and move on to next weekend.

Michael Mosiman (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – 10th:
It was an awesome day. I love this track. It feels so good to be in front of the hometown fans. We made some improvements on the bike this week, and that was all the difference. I just had a lot more confidence in my corners and a lot more speed, which is exciting for the future. I had an unfortunate crash there towards the end in moto two. I really wanted to get on the podium, but I probably should have laid up and stayed where I was. Ultimately, I’m stoked with the progress, which is how I’ve been measuring everything. This has been a step in the right direction, to be able to come from way back and get to the front. It feels really good.

Seth Hammaker (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – 15th:
The day started off strong for me with a solid qualifying and a good flow heading into moto one. I felt comfortable early on, got a great start, and was able to run up front for most of the race before finishing sixth. Unfortunately, in moto two, I got caught up in a crash right after the start and wasn’t able to continue. It’s a tough way to end the day, especially after feeling so good earlier, but I’ll regroup this week and come back ready for Thunder Valley.

Garrett Marchbanks (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – Fifth:
Overall, Hangtown was a solid day. Qualifying went well, I was fourth overall and felt strong on the bike. Moto one was similar to last weekend. I struggled off the gate and rode a bit tight early on, but I managed to work my way up to seventh. We made some changes before moto two, including switching tires, and I got a much better start. I was running up front but got shuffled back after a crash in front of me. I regrouped, made some good passes, and got up to fourth. Unfortunately, a couple of mistakes in the final laps dropped me back to fifth. Despite that, I’m happy with the progress, my speed and fitness are there. I’m looking forward to keeping the momentum going into Thunder Valley.

Levi Kitchen (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – Third:
It was a much better day for me overall. Qualifying didn’t go the way I wanted, it started off a little slow, but I was able to reset and turn things around once the gate dropped. My starts still need some work, but I managed to get out decent enough to put myself in a position to move forward. I made some good passes on strong guys in both motos and just focused on riding smart and staying consistent. Ending the day with 3-3 finishes for third overall feels really good, especially after how last weekend went. We’re making progress, and I’m excited to keep building from here.

Ty Masterpool (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – Eighth:
It was a pretty gnarly day. I came down with the flu a few days ago and had been throwing up for the last few nights, even between motos today. I couldn’t keep anything down, so I just focused on riding smart and conserving energy. In moto one, I did what I could and salvaged a fourth. I was close to third, but Levi (Kitchen) got me with a couple of laps to go. In moto two, I had a decent start but got shuffled back after some chaos in the first few turns. Racing with a fever in this kind of heat was no joke, it turned into survival mode. Still, we made solid progress with the bike this week, and I’m looking forward to getting healthy and coming back strong next weekend.

Drew Adams (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – 13th:
Hangtown had its highs and lows. Qualifying didn’t go the way I wanted, I was 20th overall after struggling in the first session. In moto one, I had one of the worst starts I’ve ever had and just couldn’t find my flow in the heat, finishing 19th. We made a tire change before moto two, and that helped. I got a much better start, ran up front, and finished seventh. It felt good to turn the day around.

Austin Forkner (Triumph Racing) – 16th:
Hangtown was a scorcher. I actually had a nice start in moto one, but I was pinched off coming into turn one. I paced myself, knowing how tough the challenge ahead was, and I was strong at the end for that reason. The same was true in the second moto, I passed two or three riders in the last couple of laps. I need to be better, and I am struggling with intensity at the start, but it was a trade-off in today’s conditions. There was a lot of progress today, which is good. I am ready for more improvements at Thunder Valley.

Jordon Smith (Triumph Racing) – Sixth:
Today was a lot better. I had two average starts and, with the conditions, I had to dig until the very end. I am proud of myself for pushing through, and the extra bike time this week certainly helped. I think that we will continue to grow as a team each week, so let’s shoot for the top five next week.

Mikkel Haarup (Triumph Racing) – Seventh:
I feel like this has been a very successful weekend for me. With no press day, I had to adapt quickly in timed practice, and I feel like I handled it well. I actually improved once the track slowed down in the second session. I am still working on intensity in the first half of a race, but I kept grinding for a 10th in the first moto. The better gate pick in moto two helped a lot, and I had a great start. I ran fourth for a little while, learned a lot, and then dropped back to ninth. It was great to experience the American heat as well.