Slaw
In the last four rounds of the 250SX West Division of Monster Energy AMA Supercross prior to Seattle on Saturday, Haiden Deegan has been dominate, riding to four straight wins in seemingly easy fashion.
Saturday night delivered something different. Instead of another runaway victory, Deegan found himself in a back-and-forth battle with Levi Kitchen that tested patience, race craft, and restraint.
“Before the race I was telling the guys, I want a battle,” Deegan said. “I haven’t really battled anyone all season. It’s nice to win, but a good battle makes each of us better. I feel like I needed that if I want to keep excelling at my race craft.”
The race unfolded as a calculated duel rather than an all-out sprint. With a sizable points lead already in hand, Deegan managed the situation carefully, choosing when to push and when to play the long game. After briefly losing the lead, he stayed composed, latched onto the pace, and waited for the right moment to respond.
“There’s no reason to risk getting hit too hard,” he explained. “I was like, he can have it. I’ll stay latched on and if I can win the race, I win the race. If not, it is what it is. I have a big points lead.”
In the end, Deegan outlasted Kitchen for a fifth straight victory, increasing his points lead even further at the West Division goes on hiatus until the East/West Showdown in Birmingham on March 21.
After the race, Deegan spoke with the media.
Winning is great, I would imagine. But to a race like that, how much fun was that from your perspective? You were just in control.
Haiden Deegan: Yeah, a hundred percent. It was funny, because I was in the semi before the race, I was telling the guys, I was like, “I want a battle. I haven’t battled anyone all season really.” I mean it’s nice to win, but a good battle makes each of us get better and I feel like I needed that too if I want to keep excelling at my race craft as well, going back and forth like that. And I figured eventually someone was going to put up a challenge, so it was good. I kind of made a little mistake there in the middle, that Red Cross, I was so scared to jump. I didn’t know whether I was good or not and I was losing time and Levi got me and I just played it by lap, played it smart and I mean obviously I have such a huge point suit, I’m not going to be stupid and try and lead a race.
It seemed like you were kind of playing some games out there and I say that respectfully because it’s so good for the fans and for us to witness. At any point though, does it ever feel kind of risky? I mean you do have a considerable points gap, but there is always a risk that things could not go the way you had planned in that situation.
Yeah, I agree. It was getting a little rowdy but I mean we were going so slow on that track because it’s so rutted that our running into each other, whenever I would run into him it was so minor, we were hitting each other so slow. It wasn’t much of a, I don’t know, there’s not too much that could go bad and I don’t know, I just wanted to win. I was like, “I want to keep my streak going. I’m not just going to lose like this.” But we made it work.
The want to win, I fully believe you there. Well with a commanding points gap as we go into a break, we’re not going to get to see much more of you. We have of course Denver and then a few East/West Showdowns. How does a points lead this affect the plans for this break?
This was the exact plan was go race West Coast and get a big points lead. I mean you guys can literally play back my first press conference, it was the goal and I mean I kind of stated what I was going to do, so just sticking to the plan, get ready, hop on that 450 and just start grinding outdoors. I have huge goals set this year for that, so just start cranking out those Motos and get strong.
In the first pass it kind of looked like you let Kitchen by, was that the case and if so, why?
There’s just no necessary to really risk getting hit too hard. I was like, “Ah, he can have it.” I’m just going to try and I’m going to try and stay latched on and if I can win the race, then I win the race. If not, I mean it is what it is. I have a big points lead.
Was there an intent to kind of go back and forth with him? Was that fun for you, I guess?
I wanted to battle. That was my goal. I was like, “I want someone to put up a battle.” I hate to say the races get boring, I mean I am cocky, so it is what it is, but it was like they’re nice to have a race where you hold shot and win. That’s amazing. But a good battle like that I feel like makes me better as a rider. I feel like these races where I’m just out there alone, it’s nice but it’s not really making me too much better, I’d say. These battles though, just kind of critique that race craft.
Could you hear the fans all around the track line following you?
Yeah, that was gnarly. Every lap. I mean we were within a second probably the whole race, so the fans were just going wild and obviously it’s his hometown so I was like, “Unfortunately I have to beat you in your hometown.” I maybe messed up my interview a little but is what it is.
So you had a little bit of a gap on Levi at first. Did you get a sense of where he was catching you and once he got by, did you see any lines that he was doing differently that maybe were a bit faster?
Yeah, I wasn’t risking that Red Cross. I was just starting to roll and I looked back and I was like, “Oh shoot, he’s doubling.” And by the time I picked up on it, he was already right on me and I know how that works and you could taste blood like that, they put a sprint in. So I was like, “I’m going to let him have it and I’m going to try and stay latched on and hopefully we can do something at the end of this race.”
What’s better winning a race running away or a good battle like that?
That one is more exciting. I haven’t been that stoked in a long time after a race. I was ecstatic for sure. I even went to do a little emote after and I just was like, “Nah.” I was like, Levi came up, I’m like, “Yeah, this one feels good, I’ll be a good guy.” And yeah, it was fun. That was a good battle. I think that one will go down in the history books for sure. So it was good.
We saw you and Levi talking after, what was said between you two?
A good battle like that, it never really got too out of hand and we went for 15 minutes plus one lap battling, so it was just a good job really. I mean that was a dog fight. None of us had it easy.
What did you mean to stay on the podium? Can we get a second shot at that? And also, that race was one of the most intense races I’ve ever watched and it was really cool to see your excitement after the race and actually dabbed Levi Kitchen up. Can you tell us why you dabbed him up? Because usually it’s a little more controversial than that.
Yeah, no, I meant to say there’s new chef in the kitchen, but honestly no, but listen, honestly, it’s fine. It’s going to get more views. It’s going to get posted everywhere that I said it backwards so I could care less. Yeah, it don’t matter. But yeah, I actually want to do an emote and he rode up to me and I was like, “Ah, come on, I can’t really do this straight to his face. I’m going to be cool, I’m going to be cool.” But I really did, it was my goal at this race and it was team orders like, “You got to beat him at his home track. You got to beat him where he thinks he can win.” So it was good, five in a row.
Photos: octopi.media
