Haiden Deegan OUT for Motocross of Nations

Update: Yamaha made it official late Tuesday, Haiden Deegan is out, Justin Cooper is in. You can read their press release below.

Racer X is reporting that Haiden Deegan will not race the upcoming Motocross of Nations at Ironman this weekend due to a broken collarbone sustained at the final round of the SuperMotocross Playoffs in Las Vegas. 

Per Racer X, he attempted to log motos today and realized that pushing at sprint pace causes a significant amount of pain. 

With Deegan out, this moves his Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing teammate Justin Cooper into his MX2 spot. 

Cooper, who is a 450 Class rider, will drop down to race the YZ250F. 

Huge bummer for Team USA on the eve of the event. The team will now feature Eli Tomac, Justin Cooper and RJ Hampshire. 

Chase Sexton is also out due a crash in Las Vegas. 

Here is the full announcement via Yamaha:

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Justin Cooper will fill in for Haiden Deegan on the United States Motocross of Nations Team and race the MX2 class at the 2025 Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) Motocross of Nations. Cooper joins Eli Tomac and RJ Hampshire on Team USA to battle for the Chamberlain Trophy this weekend at the Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana, on October 3-5. 

Coming back from a collarbone injury sustained at the SMX Finals, Deegan was doing everything to be able to represent the U.S. this weekend. After riding today, the decision was made for the five-time AMA 250 Champion to sit out of the event and focus on returning to full fitness. Cooper, who has been on the ready to fill in for his teammate if needed, will race the YZ250F in the MX2 class, with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing teammate Eli Tomac racing MXGP aboard his YZ450F, and fellow American RJ Hampshire racing the Open category. This year’s 2025 MXON marks Cooper’s third appearance at the international event. In 2022, the New Yorker played an important role in Team USA’s Motocross of Nations victory at RedBud MX, where he also took the overall win in the MX2 class. 

Wil Hahn – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250 Team Manager
“The team is proud to represent the U.S. on home soil at this year’s Motocross of Nations. Haiden was doing everything he could to be back from injury and represent his country, but unfortunately, after riding today, he’s just not quite there yet to ride at his level. Justin’s been working hard, and we all thank him for changing his plans and being ready to fill in on short notice. We’re looking forward to the weekend.” 

Justin Cooper – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing
“I’m really excited to get the call and line up for Team USA this weekend at Ironman! It’s a bummer to see the injuries to both Haiden and Chase (Sexton) these past few weeks, but I’ve done my best to stay ready for this exact scenario. I only have a few days riding on the YZ250F, but I feel really good and was able to get back up to speed quickly. The MXoN has always been an event that I take a lot of pride in, so I can’t wait to get back out there with Eli and RJ and make America proud!”

Haiden Deegan – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing
“At this point, I have done everything in my power to race this weekend. I rode today for the first time after my surgery to prepare for MXON. After riding today and discussing with the team, it became clear that I couldn’t sustain my speeds at a winning level. The team has decided the best option is for me to fully recover and have Justin Cooper fill my spot. I appreciate the opportunity and look forward to representing the USA in the future when I’m healthy.”