The fourth round of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship went off over Father's Day Weekend and the action left us with plenty to talk about. From the wild weather in the last moto, to Haiden Deegan's domination, and everything in between, the UFO Plastic High Point National sparked all kinds of questions. For answers we turned to former pro and NBC on track analyst, Jason Thomas.
There’s always potential for inclement weather at High Point, and this happened to be one of those years. How did the precipitation affect the track, and in what ways did riders have to adjust?
Well, it wasn’t a factor until it was. It was the talk all week and I thought we were going to get very lucky. Storm clouds repeatedly moved around us throughout the day and then it was finally our turn. A few minutes into the final moto, the skies unleashed with ferocity. The track went from great to iffy to horrific within ten minutes. The rain was so heavy that it pooled very quickly and made the hard portions of the track a slippery mess. The vision issues were the most prevalent as it changed the outcome of the day for some. Overall, it was still a fortunate day but those in that last moto might disagree with me.
Does High Point react and develop differently to moisture than other tracks? If so, what were some examples of that from Saturday?
The base dirt is incredibly hard at High Point so, yes, it does react differently than say, Southwick. It doesn’t absorb moisture well and it’s saturation point is much lower. So, as that rain came in, the transition from good to bad happens very quickly. If this were Southwick, the track would have been totally fine up until the red flag flew. The harder the soil, the less moisture will be absorbed. Conditions deteriorate much more quickly on clay than sand. It’s that simple.
When it’s wet in one moto and dry in another like it was on Saturday, do riders have to come up with completely different settings between motos, or do they just run what they’re familiar with and hope it works?
If they have warning, yes. This rain was not expected and riders went with dry settings. Teams may have had an idea that rain was possible but the more prudent approach was a dry track setup. I think the most forward thinking move I saw was Eli Tomac going to roll offs just before the gate dropped. That was a great decision that had little downside and offered a lot of protection for worst case scenarios.
High Point Raceway is known for its ruts, and this year was no different. What were the differences in how they developed here, versus last week at Thunder Valley? Were there more passing opportunities at High Point?
The High Point ruts are a little more firm than Thunder Valley. They both offer long, winding ruts but High Point ruts harden more quickly and are more clay based than the sand/clay mix of Thunder Valley. The base of the ruts at High Point are like concrete, also, and late in the day, they are super slippery.
Haiden Deegan was back on point at High Point, going 1-1 for the overall victory. He always wants to win, but did you see any signs of Deegan being fueled by and fired up by last week’s loss to Chance Hymas at Thunder Valley?
Yes! He was all business after timed qualifying and that showed in the motos. He was nearly flawless on the day. His starts were better than usual and he methodically took it to the field. This was the resounding answer he wanted to send to the questions being asked all week. Deegs thrives when he feels pushed or motivated by someone else’s advances. Hymas was incredible in Colorado and while that was a great thing, I think it also brought out Haiden’s best a week later.
Casey Cochran has been up front quite often lately. Are you surprised to see this level of fight in him after having missed all of supercross with a broken leg?
He’s been one of the biggest upside surprises this summer (along with Garrett Marchbanks). I was unsure of how this would all go and honestly, I thought Ryder DiFrancesco would be the team leader there. Cochran has upended all of that and looks fantastic. Good for him, this is exactly what he needed.
Chance Hymas suffered an apparent knee injury late in the second moto. What happened there?
This was tough to watch. Hymas stuck his leg into the dirt on the last lap of moto two and suffered some sort of trauma. He was in obvious pain even after being able to finish the moto in third. Early reports were not great so let’s just hope for the best. Hymas has put in a lot of work to overcome adversity and could use a break.
Last year we saw Ty Masterpool put in a hero ride at High Point to win the overall. Do rides like that inspire confidence the following year, and did you see any evidence of that dynamic in Masterpool?
He was truly great in 2024. I haven’t really seen that magic yet in 2025 but he’s been sick, too. He really does need to break out, though, because his contract is on the line. The time is now.
Jorge Prado has been underwhelming so far this summer, and High Point was more of the same. We know he’s much, much better than this. At High Point specifically, where was he badly in need of improvement?
This has been an unmitigated disaster. His starts were a little better this weekend, so that’s a highlight, but that’s where the optimism stops for me. I haven’t seen any of the trademark Prado stuff as of yet and that’s worrisome. This is one of the best starting, most proficient, rock solid motocross racers I’ve seen. To have this level of drop off is startling. Injury, too much change, different motorcycle, lost confidence… Take your pick but something is way wrong here.
Well, Jett Lawrence beat them all yet again. He had to overcome a bad start in moto two but in the end, a win is a win. How is he doing this?
He just keeps finding ways to win overalls. It didn’t seem likely that he would get to AP7 in that second moto but all of a sudden, he was closing ground by multiple seconds a lap. It’s a mystery how he can turn on and off this speed burst he has but make no mistake, he has it when needed. He continues to amaze me, and in new ways.
Eli Tomac ran away with the second moto but when all was said and done, he lost three more points to Jett. How does this set up for his championship hopes?
It’s the same story as it’s been. Tomac can win. He’s fast enough and capable. The problem is, the points are slipping further and further away amidst the great form. Winning motos is awesome but if you look up after the day ends and you slipped further behind, that’s not anything to smile about. It should be said that this is only when considering how to win the championship. If that’s not the pass/fail line, he’s doing really well. Winning motos is a great place to be. I just think his aspirations are far higher.
