The following press release is MX Sports Pro Racing:
Deegan Wraps Up Back-to-Back 250 Class Titles with Dominant Outing at Pro Motocross Championship Finale from Budds Creek
Jett Lawrence Caps Off Championship-Winning 450 Class Season with Ninth Win
MECHANICSVILLE, Md. – The 2025 Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, came to a captivating conclusion on a balmy afternoon in Southern Maryland, as Budds Creek Motocross Park hosted the 11th race of the summer campaign and the 28th and final round of the SMX World Championship regular season. The Yamaha Racing Budds Creek National Finals locked in the field of athletes that will contest the upcoming SMX Playoffs, but more importantly crowned a 250 Class Champion as Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan captured the Gary Jones Cup for the second consecutive season in a dominant effort. With the championship already decided in the 450 Class, Honda HRC Progressive’s Jett Lawrence enjoyed another solid afternoon to wrap up his second title-winning summer with a ninth victory.
450 Class
Moto 1
The first moto of the afternoon began with newly crowned champion Lawrence leading the field to the Pro Motocross Holeshot however Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Justin Cooper was able to briefly move out front before Lawrence asserted his hold of the position. The lead duo was then able to put some distance over the rest of the field as riders jockeyed for positions early, with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire slotting into third.
The top three ran unchanged throughout the first 20 minutes of the moto, with Lawrence able to establish a lead of around five seconds, while Cooper looked to fend off a hard-charging Hampshire. Behind them, Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence lurked from fourth, slowly closing the gap as the final 10 minutes unfolded. A persistent Hampshire was able to close to within a second of Cooper with just over three minutes to go as the leaders navigated heavy lapped traffic. That allowed Lawrence to close in to make it a three-rider battle for second with under a minute remaining in the moto. Lawrence made a quick strike to pass Hampshire and then looked to take advantage of lappers to make a move on Cooper. The battle for second went down to the final lap.
Back out front, Jett Lawrence took an uneventful moto win, his 16th of the season and 42nd of his career, by 2.9 seconds over Cooper, who fended off Hunter Lawrence for the Yamaha rider’s first moto podium since the sixth race of the season at RedBud. Hampshire followed in fourth, with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac in fifth.
Moto 2
The final premier class moto of the season kicked off with Hunter Lawrence leading Jett Lawrence to the Pro Motocross Holeshot, with Cooper able to slot into third. The lead trio wasted little in distancing themselves from the rest of the field and then settled into their respective positions through the opening 10 minutes.
While Jett was able to close in on Hunter through the middle of the moto, the elder Lawrence responded and soon stabilized his lead at just over three seconds. Cooper slowly lost touch and soon dropped more than 10 seconds back, with Hampshire closing in from fourth. As the moto entered the final five minutes, Hunter Lawrence added to his advantage, which approached nearly 10 seconds, while Hampshire caught and passed Cooper for third.
Hunter Lawrence ended the summer with his second moto win, 12.9 seconds ahead of Jett Lawrence. Hampshire wrapped up his rookie season with a third moto podium.
Overall
Jett Lawrence’s 1-2 effort was enough to secure his ninth win of the season and the 24th win of his career, solidifying his hold of fifth all-time in the 450 Class. Hunter Lawrence’s sixth runner-up finish of the season (3-1) completed the sixth 1-2 finish for the siblings this summer. Lawrence also added to his all-time record of consecutive top five finishes to begin a 450 Class career with 22 in-a-row. Cooper landed on the overall podium for the third time this season and fifth time in his career (2-4).
The final standings saw history made by the Lawrences, who became the first siblings to finish 1-2 in the championship. Tomac, who finished eighth (5-8), rounded out the championship podium in third.
Cooper’s podium result put the finishing touch on an impressive regular season. He contested all 28 motos to earn the top seed for the SMX Playoffs. Jett Lawrence, who missed the final 13 races of Monster Energy Supercross with a torn ACL, surged to the second seed as he chases a third consecutive World Championship. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Malcolm Stewart moved up to the third seed on the final day of the regular season following a sixth-place finish (7-6).
![Jett Lawrence]()
Jett Lawrence Align Media ![Hunter Lawrence]()
Hunter Lawrence Align Media ![Justin Cooper]()
Justin Cooper Align Media
1st Place: Jett Lawrence, Honda HRC Progressive (1-2)
“It feels good [to end with a win]. I’m super happy. Hunter [Lawrence] rode really well in Moto 2. I’m really happy with the season. I’d love to be a three-time champion, but injuries are a part of the sport. Nevertheless, it’s another 1-2 finish for Honda, which is awesome."
2nd Place: Hunter Lawrence, Honda HRC Progressive (3-1)
“That was cool. What a good way to end the season. I’m happy with that. It took a true team effort this weekend to make all this happen, so I’m grateful to have such an amazing group of people around me.”
3rd Place: Justin Cooper, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing (2-4)
“I felt really good today. Had a great battle with the boys [Lawrence brothers] and it felt awesome to be in the lead group. I made a mistake in Moto 2 and went down and kind of lost my flow after that. But all in all it was a good day.”
Budds Creek - 450
August 23, 2025| Rider | Hometown | Motos | Bike | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Jett Lawrence | Landsborough, Australia  | 1 - 2 | Honda CRF450R |
| 2 |  Hunter Lawrence | Landsborough, Australia | 3 - 1 | Honda CRF450R Works Edition |
| 3 |  Justin Cooper | Cold Spring Harbor, NY  | 2 - 4 | Yamaha YZ450F |
| 4 |  R.J. Hampshire | Hudson, FL | 4 - 3 | Husqvarna FC 450 |
| 5 |  Justin Barcia | Monroe, NY | 8 - 5 | GasGas MC 450F Factory Edition |
| Position | Rider | Hometown | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jett Lawrence | Landsborough, Australia | 509 |
| 2 | Hunter Lawrence | Landsborough, Australia | 454 |
| 3 |  Eli Tomac | Cortez, CO | 395 |
| 4 | Justin Cooper | Cold Spring Harbor, NY | 389 |
| 5 | R.J. Hampshire | Hudson, FL | 366 |
250 Class
Moto 1
The first pivotal moto in the smaller displacement started with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle leading the field to the Pro Motocross Holeshot, with Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker and Honda HRC Progressive’s Jo Shimoda in tow. However, a red flag before the completion of the opening lap necessitated a restart. When the gate dropped for the second time, it was once again Vialle at the head of the pack, followed by the rookie duo of Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies and Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Drew Adams. Title combatants Deegan and Honda HRC Progressive’s Jo Shimoda started fourth and sixth, respectively. Vialle then crashed out of the lead, which allowed Davies, Adams, and Deegan to move into the top three while Vialle remounted just ahead of Shimoda in fifth.
In his first opportunity to lead a Pro Motocross moto, Davies sprinted out to a lead of nearly three seconds over the field as Deegan made the pass on Adams for second and Shimoda moved by Vialle for fourth. Shimoda continued his push forward and passed Adams for third. Meanwhile, Deegan erased his deficit to Davies and began to apply pressure on the lead 10 minutes into the moto. Deegan showed patience and made his move count just a few minutes before the halfway point. Not long after, Shimoda caught Davies and made quick work of the rookie to move into second. With 15 minutes left in the moto, the top two riders in the championship were separated by 3.5 seconds. While Shimoda closed initially, Deegan responded and was able to stabilize the lead at nearly six seconds.
The Yamaha rider added to his advantage in the closing stages of the moto and went on to take the win by 9.3 seconds over Shimoda, while Davies captured his first career moto podium result in third. Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen finished fourth, with Adams in fifth.
At the conclusion of the moto, race officials determined that multiple riders violated the procedures surrounding a red cross flag for a downed rider, which precipitated the red flag at the beginning of the moto [Section 3.1.8, E. 1st Offense*]. The riders penalized included Deegan and Shimoda, with an implemented penalty of one deducted position apiece and the subtraction of 5 championship points for each rider. As a result, Davies was awarded the moto win as Deegan dropped to second and Shimoda dropped to third.
*3.1.8 At-Track & On-Track Violations; E. On-Track Violations & Penalty Table, 1st Offense: Red Cross Violation in a Moto, Advantage Gained – Position Gained Penalty + 5 Championship Points & Purse (2 positions).
Moto 2
The final moto of the summer saw Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Nate Thrasher grab the Pro Motocross Holeshot just ahead of Deegan, while Shimoda started third. A spirited opening lap saw the lead trio in an all-out sprint. While Thrasher held on to complete the opening lap in the lead, Deegan applied heavy pressure and soon seized control of the moto. Shimoda made the move for second not long after that to set up a head-to-head battle between the class’ top two racers. As the field settled in through the opening 10 minutes, a second red flag brought the race to a halt to tend to a downed rider.
A staggered restart continued the action with a little more than 23 minutes left in the moto as Deegan and Shimoda reasserted their positions at the head of the field, while Kitchen went on the attack to pass Thrasher for third. Deegan picked up where he left off and pulled away from Shimoda to establish a multi-second lead.
The front of the field went unchanged the rest of the way as Deegan cruised to his 13th moto win of the season by 13.5 seconds over Shimoda. Kitchen finished third.
Related: Vialle DNS, Beaumer DNF in Finale Moto of Season at Budds Creek National
Overall
With the Moto 1 penalty, Deegan’s 2-1 finishes were enough to not only wrap up his seventh win of the season but also back-to-back 250 Class titles. He completed his 250 Class career with 14 career victories, which places him in a four-way tie for eighth all-time with Blake Baggett, Broc Glover, and Jett Lawrence. Shimoda earned his eighth podium finish with a runner-up effort (3-2), while Kitchen landed on the overall podium for the first time since the fifth race of the season at Southwick (4-3).
Deegan completed the championship with a winning margin of 48 points over Shimoda and will enter the SMX Playoffs as the top seed, where he’ll chase a third straight World Championship. Shimoda finished as a championship runner-up spot for the second time in his career, while Marchbanks, who finished fourth (8-4), completed the best season of his career with third in the final standings.
The lead trio from Pro Motocross will also serve as the top three seeds for the postseason.
![Haiden Deegan]()
Haiden Deegan Align Media ![Jo Shimoda]()
Jo Shimoda Align Media ![Levi Kitchen]()
Levi Kitchen Align Media
1st Place: Haiden Deegan, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing (2-1)
“I wanted to go out there and make a statement, which is what I did. I wanted to wrap up the title on top of the box, so I was determined to go out there and make it happen. It feels awesome and I’m looking forward to the playoffs.”
2nd Place: Jo Shimoda, Honda HRC Progressive (3-2)
“I hope I can keep this momentum going into the playoffs. I don’t think I’ve ever felt better riding a motorcycle than I do now. Congrats to Haiden [Deegan] on a great season, he deserves [the championship].”
3rd Place: Levi Kitchen, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki (4-3)
“I’ve been trying my best every weekend, but I’ve hit the ground a lot and starting in the back. We found something on the bike, and it helped with the starts. Today felt like a win because it’s been a tough few weeks.”
Budds Creek - 250
August 23, 2025| Rider | Hometown | Motos | Bike | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Haiden Deegan | Temecula, CA | 2 - 1 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 2 |  Jo Shimoda | Suzuka, Japan  | 3 - 2 | Honda CRF250R Works Edition |
| 3 |  Levi Kitchen | Washougal, WA | 4 - 3 | Kawasaki KX250 |
| 4 |  Garrett Marchbanks | Coalville, UT | 8 - 4 | Kawasaki KX250 |
| 5 |  Nate Thrasher | Livingston, TN | 7 - 5 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| Position | Rider | Hometown | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Haiden Deegan | Temecula, CA | 502 |
| 2 | Jo Shimoda | Suzuka, Japan | 454 |
| 3 | Garrett Marchbanks | Coalville, UT | 352 |
| 4 | Levi Kitchen | Washougal, WA | 327 |
| 5 |  Tom Vialle | Avignon, France  | 288 |
WMX
Motos 1 and 2
This weekend’s 2025 AMA Pro Motocross Championship finale also brought us the sixth and final round of the Women’s Motocross (WMX) Championship. After a holeshot by Kyleigh Stallings, Charli Cannon (first moto) and Lachlan Turner (moto two) split the moto wins. Stallings, Cannon, and Turner had a three-way battle for the lead until Turner got tossed from her Yamaha on an early lap. Cannon and Stallings battled but Cannon was able to take over the lead. Stallings had a crash at the bottom of Henry Hill that cost her two positions to Jordan Jarvis and Mikayla Nielsen. Cannon would take the race win, just as she did in the first moto last weekend at Unadilla MX, as Turner came through eight seconds back in second place. After the race, Turner looked to be banged up following her crash. Jarvis would take the third spot on the podium as Nielsen and Stallings rounded out the top five. And let me tell you, these women had to race a gnarly track by the time they lined up for their first moto because of the morning amateur action on the track! There were tons of long ruts that caused problems for all riders.
In the second moto, another holeshot by Kyleigh Stallings saw the #21 machine out front early again (this is a very regular occurrence). Cannon wasted no time going for the lead once again as Turner quickly got into second. Cannon had a few seconds on Turner, who was on the charge, then a mistake and brief off track excursion from the #7 erased her gap AND handed the lead to the #1. Cannon tried to keep Turner honest, but another mistake allowed Turner just enough breathing room to take the checkered flag first. Jarvis held off a late surge by Nielsen as just 0.13 separated the two as they crossed the finish line! Unfortunately, Stallings had another tip over, which cost her a lot of time. She came through fifth.
Turner’s 2-1 led Cannon’s 1-2 as Jarvis has 3-3 finishes, Nielsen 4-4 finishes, and Stallings 5-5 finishes as the field regrouped Friday night and prepped for their final moto on Saturday.
Moto 3
The women have provided some great racing all season long, and once again, their final moto was broadcasted live on Peacock. This third and final moto was the makeup moto (no pun intended) for the moto that was missed at the Thunder Valley National due to weather on Friday as we only saw one moto raced that Saturday back in June.
The final WMX race got out of the gates and it was Mikayla Nielsen who led early as Charli Cannon went down with another rider in a first turn crash. Lachlan Turner charged up to the race lead and took the moto win, clinching the title. Nielsen held on for second as Kyleigh Stallings came through third. Cannon charged all the way up to fourth place in an impressive ride from dead, dead last. Jordan Jarvis rounded out the top five.
Overall
Turner claimed the overall win over Cannon and Nielsen. Turner goes back-to-back in terms of the title, becoming a two-time Women’s Motocross (WMX) Champion.
