Troy Dog
Haiden Deegan is about the closest thing that this sport will see when it comes to an American hero. He’s got the confidence, patriotism, a fan following that the sport has never seen before, and wicked good babysitting skills.
Now he’s won at Southwick, which didn’t go to plan in his rookie season last year, so this was a big checkmark off of the list.
“It’s just people doubting me,” Deegan said on the podium after his first Moto victory. “I don’t doubt myself, so that’s why I came in here and won that first Moto.”
Although, looking back he went 4-10, so I’m not sure how that creates a narrative that he can’t ride sand, nor have I heard of such a narrative, but here’s another quote.
“After last year, kind of the narrative was that I couldn’t ride a sand track,” Deegan said in the press conference. “So, I had to come here and show everyone that I could.
Okay, so he squashed that narrative with the overall win at the Wick, but Deegan added some of his signature sauce as Tom Vialle sat to his right. (Also, why is Jo Shimoda always late to the press conference? I’m going to look into this.)
“It was a big motivator,” Deegan continued. “I feel like if I could win this track I’ve proved that I’m pretty much unbeatable, so I had to put out a good race here.”
Deegan had a busy week leading up to Southwick. He spent a couple of days practicing at the Wick’ and it paid off with a ‘new and improved’ Deegs.
He also spent time training with Chad Reed and his family down in North Carolina.
Deegan now has the same amount of points as his rookie race number: 238 AND holds a 42-point lead over Chance Hymas in the 250MX standings.
It would be a sin not to include his scrub from the second Moto…
Main Image: Octopi Media
