Unbroken
Another race weekend, another overall win for Haiden Deegan. If you’re counting, that’s three wins in three rounds for the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider, who now holds a healthy 23-point lead over second place. Guys like Levi Kitchen, Tom Vialle, and Chance Hymas are going to have to start beating Deegan soon because if he’s allowed to keep stacking points at this rate, it’s going to be next to impossible to catch him late in the season. -Aaron Hansel
Standing Room Only
As mentioned above, Deegan has a nice lead on the rest of the 250 Class, but behind him, things are pretty crowded between Hymas, Kitchen, and Vialle. Hymas and Vialle are tied for second, and just two points back is Kitchen in fourth. With things that tight in the points, even the smallest misstep can result in going from second to fourth! How will this running order look following High Point? -Hansel
Emerging Contender
Chance Hymas had another fantastic showing at Thunder Valley. The Honda HRC rider went 4-1 to get the first moto win, and overall podium, of his career, and has now led an eye-popping 29 laps this summer (Note: second to only Deegan’s 44). His superlative ride also vaulted him into second in the points, tied with Vialle. It’s still early in the season, but it appears as though Hymas has entered the battle for the championship. -Hansel
- Motocross
High Point
Saturday, June 15- QualifyingLiveJune 15 - 2:00 PM UTC
- MotosLiveJune 15 - 5:00 PM UTC
- Motos (Re-Air)June 16 - 7:00 PM UTC
- Motos (Re-Air)June 17 - 6:00 AM UTC
Damage Control
Levi Kitchen, who felt uncomfortable with the high speeds of Fox Raceway and Hangtown, was looking forward to battling back at Thunder Valley, where he’s been pretty good in the past. Unfortunately for the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider, things didn’t go to plan, and he went 3-7 for fifth overall. That had to sting, but if you’re Kitchen, time is better spent preparing for High Point than licking wounds incurred at Thunder Valley. To maintain championship relevance, Kitchen needs to mount a counterattack and get the W this weekend. -Hansel
The Nomadic Red Plate
So far this season the 450 Class red plate hasn’t been able to stick around in one location for long. Jett Lawrence had it after the season opener, Chase Sexton left Hangtown with it, and now, after round three at Thunder Valley, it’s fastened securely to Hunter Lawrence’s machine. If Hunter wants to keep it, he’ll have to protect the six-point lead he’s got on Sexton, and the 16-point lead he holds over Jett. Will he hold on to it, or will it end up somewhere else yet again? -Hansel
Holeshot Machine
Whatever Justin Cooper and the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing crew are doing, they need to keep doing it. Cooper has holeshot the last three motos in a row, and at Thunder Valley he was absolutely incredible, leading a combined 23 laps and taking third overall, his first overall 450 podium. That’s a gigantic step forward for Cooper, and if he keeps progressing at this rate it won’t be long before we see him win one of these things. -Hansel
Puzzling Times
After Chase Sexton’s trouncing of the field at Hangtown, in which he went from worst to first in the second moto after crashing on the first lap, it looked like Pro Motocross just might be at a turning point after so much domination from Jett Lawrence. Well, that still might be true, but Jett Lawrence winning the overall and Sexton going 6-5 for fifth overall at Thunder Valley don’t support the theory. We’ll see what kind of data emerges when the gate drops this weekend at High Point. -Hansel
Déjà Vu
Remember High Point 2022 when the Lawrence brothers swapped moto wins and battled each other for the entire race? We had glimpses of that at Thunder Valley, now heading back to High Point this weekend, the question is will we get to see another battle like they put on at this venue two years ago? We can only hope. -Sarah Whitmore
The Dirt
After the first three rounds, many riders were talking about how they cannot wait to get back to the East Coast tracks with better dirt. Not everyone is a fan of the hardpack, high speed tracks in California. Surely not every rider can do better on softer soil, but the point is they believe they can. Since motocross is such a mental sport, that belief can make or break a rider. Will someone new step up this weekend? -Whitmore
Due Time
Ty Masterpool has had three races now on the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki KX250. He’s finished sixth place in a couple of motos, battled Haiden Deegan for the lead at Hangtown, and even had the fastest qualifying time at Thunder Valley. He keeps inching closer and closer to a podium position. Will he get there this weekend? -Whitmore
