HAIDEN DEEGAN | GRIT-210 | 250SX

HAIDEN DEEGAN | GRIT-210 | SX 250

From the moment the day began in Arlington, various members of the 250 class could be striving for the top; albeit, the pole position of qualification. The confidence that accompanied an admirable time on the timing and scoring sheet, was something that couldn't be forged; and Haiden Deegan acquired that, after all was said and done through the multitude of laps that had been etched in the afternoon hours. Every section was mastered aboard his Yamaha engine, and the motorcycle seemed to be excelling at the highest regard prior to beginning the sequences of the first moto. Shortly thereafter, riders converged into the first corner of racing action, where his rear wheel would slightly spin prior to leaping into the opening section of obstacles. His pace was superb, but an unfortunate miscalculation in the whoops would have him off track and into the tuff-blocks that were just near! Hopping back on the track as urgently as possible, he looked to make as many passes in bundles. The Star Racing rider would be stealth-like in his maneuvers, and seemed to attempt various passes as they neared the finish-line. The ninety-degree corner before the dragon's back would be a platform that was open to various attempts of overtaking, including circuits number three and four where racing remained chaotic. However he wasn't fazed by this atmosphere, and seemed to skip atop the left-side of the ascending obstacle at the height of third gear. Jumping through the obstacles that followed, he was steadfast and focused on the bigger picture, rather than becoming overwhelmed with adrenaline at this point in time. Traveling over the "SX" triple on the final circuit, he tried to obtain as much knowledge as possible prior to bypassing the checkered flag; knowing that the abundance of traction for the first moto, would be an afterthought for the main event(s) that were to follow. Finalized in fifteenth, his next obstacle to conquer was that of the second segment, where Jordon Smith began the trek as an early leader. His pace was on the same trajectory though, where his ability to pivot the chassis and unleash the clutch and rear brake simultaneously (in the corner after the whoops) would help him to amplify his lead over Chance Hymas ever so slightly. The continuous game of cat and mouse was prolonged past the halfway point, between he and the fellow rookie; where he seemed to be faster on the second-half of the circuit, while his rival appeared to gain momentum in the section following the finish-line. Lines had now become entrenched with pot-holes and square-edges, causing his rear wheel to skip through final portion of whoops; though with precision, he remained resilient in the final three laps of action, to be granted a solid score of fifth prior to beginning the third round. Though fatigued, he showed resilience from the green flag and onward, manifesting a single-digit overall with continuous error-free circuits. Managing to keep a rhythm in the challenging whoop section, his gap over Jace Owen would steady (little by little) as they passed the halfway point. Reaching into his array of tricks, he continued to plant and pivot the rear wheel when necessary, to avoid bottoming-out in the corner prior to the "SX" triple; and even when the likes of Nate Thrasher and Jordon Smith's crashes had the field in disarray, Deegan remained poised under intense pressure. Racing with a craft beyond his years, he would rally to an ultra-impressive fourth-place standing (for the moto) to claim eighth overall.

More from GRIT