Haiden Deegan attacks the whoop section at Supercross in Detroit. (Star Racing Yamaha photo)
Round 10 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross got off to a chaotic start last Saturday night with rookie Haiden Deegan and veteran Jordon Smith hitting bars during the opening 250SX East race.
With just over three minutes to go, the Star Racing Yamaha teammates engaged in a battle for the lead that eventually became one of the most contentious moments of the nighttime event at Detroit’s Ford Field.
With Deegan in the lead, Smith continued to close in on driver No. 238 as the clock ran out. The key factor in the equation was the whoops section, where Smith gained significant ground. He sped up the outside of Deegan and essentially passed him at the end of the section.
However, Deegan picked Smith up as they exited the whoops and pushed the #58 into the tuff blocks as the two riders rounded the berm. As the pair wound their way through the next three corners, they continued to exchange contact. At the third turn, Smith caught his front tire on Deegan’s rear wheel as he tried to slide inside for a pass.
The veteran fell to the ground, ending his race. Smith failed to advance to the main event from the Last Chance qualifier, which dropped him from fourth to sixth overall. Deegan finished third in the main event, knocking him down from fifth to third in the championship fight.
Jordon Smith does laps at Ford Field in Detroit. (Star Racing Yamaha photo)
When he was pressurized by the media about his decision in the heat race, the youngster admitted he had no regrets.
“I find [Smith’s] like fifth in points so he’s a little off. But apart from that it was good. I want to win as much as everyone else, whether it’s a heat race or a main race,” said Deegan. “We race out here and even though I’m the rookie I still have to assert myself a bit.”
The 17-year-old has put on an impressive run during his rookie 250SX campaign. In six starts, Deegan’s worst finish was eighth while his average finish is fourth.
Despite the positive performance, his encounter with Smith ignited a spark that couldn’t be ignored. Since the battle was between teammates and took place in a heat race that wasn’t about points, the aggression was arguably misplaced. But at the post-race press conference in Detroit, series frontrunner Hunter Lawrence jumped to Deegan’s defense and shared his thoughts on the matter.
“Everyone is easy to point fingers. We’re out there making split-millisecond decisions. People have all month to pay their phone bills and they still can’t do it on time,” Lawrence said. “Nobody’s perfect. We’re out there under a microscope.”
The Honda HRC rider also pointed out the inconsistency of fans and critics who claim there should be a return to the rough-and-tumble riding of the ’90s, while often complaining about the limited aggression riders expect in the sport’s modern era may show.
“Pick one. They say you want the gnarly block passes from 10 years ago, but when you get them everyone makes a big song and dances about it,” Lawrence said. “That’s my perspective.”
When Nate Thrasher, Deegan’s second Star Racing Yamaha teammate, was asked for his take on the heat race incident, Thrasher replied, “No comment.”
Smith was also keen to put the night behind him.
“We definitely didn’t want the night like that,” Smith said. “We’re just going to put that behind us and get back to work. At the end of the day I leave here healthy and I’ve been in a lot worse positions.”
The 250SX East championship contenders have a two-week break to cool tempers when the 250SX West series reclaims the spotlight on March 25 at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington. Deegan, Smith, Lawrence and Thrasher won’t be back on track until the series visits Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia on April 15.
Then, novices and veterans alike have a new opportunity to narrow Lawrence’s points lead.
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