Slaw
One of the most-anticipated opening rounds of Pro Motocross in recent memory takes place Saturday at Fox Raceway. A lot of that has to do with Haiden Deegan and his upcoming 450 debut. A lighting rod on the track–multiple 250 titles and plenty of race wins–and off, Deegan brings a certain level of hype to the opener.
While most of the focus centers on Haiden vs Jett, there are other riders, like Eli Tomac, a multi-time champion in his own right. In the pre-season press conference on Friday, Mitch Kendra at Racer X asked Haiden what is will be like racing Tomac as Haiden was just four when Tomac turned pro.
“No, 100% that’s bad ass. You’re racing Tomac. Even in WSX, that was the coolest thing ever. That was a dream come true. So, I’m ready to lay the hammer down, hopefully go battle with those boys.”
Deegan grew up in California and has spun as many laps as anyone at the Fox Raceway track. Asked what it will mean to make his pro debut in front of his hometown crowd, he said:
“It’s a dream come true, hometown race. Why this guy over here [Chase Sexton] talking about why people aren’t talking about other guys its because they are trying to get some views. Deegan vs Jett is obviously bringing a lot of views to the sport and it’s huge. This is massive. It’s going to be a good battle and I think it’s going to be massive to do it in my hometown. I think this is probably going to do some record numbers for fans.”
And, of course, he was asked about his pending rivalry with Jett Lawrence. (You can read what Jett said here.)
“Im excited. There’s obviously a reason why they put us on the other end of the table from each other. Rookie vs the champ, I feel like it’s been a while since that’s really been a thing. And I think it is growing the sport. And I think I have to put some respect on myself too, because they are comparing a rookie to the champ which is pretty cool. That hypes me up. That makes me work harder during the week knowing that that is the expectation.”
Rather you want to watch Haiden Deegan win or watch him lose this weekend, one thing is for certain: you will be watching.
