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A lot has changed around the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing facility over the last few weeks.
The team recently brought former pro Kyle Chisholm into the fold to help with testing and development, while Haiden Deegan’s longtime mechanic Brent Duffe is set to leave the team at the end of the season, reportedly for an opportunity with a Formula One team. For Deegan, it means some notable changes to the group that has surrounded him throughout his rise to the top of the sport.
While things have been changing behind the scenes, Deegan also appeared to make a significant step forward on the track at Budds Creek.
In the opening moto, the 450 rookie showed perhaps his best sustained pace of the Pro Motocross season, running with eventual winner Hunter Lawrence for the majority of the race and keeping the pressure on at the front. Deegan backed that up with a fourth-place finish in moto two, which was enough to put him on the overall podium in third.
The result continued what has largely been a learning season for Deegan in the premier class, but Budds Creek offered another glimpse at how quickly that learning curve is beginning to flatten. Following the race, Deegan opened up about some of the changes happening around the Star Racing program, including the impact Chisholm has already made through testing, the upcoming departure of Duffe, and how the team continues to work on getting him more comfortable on the 450.
Another great weekend landing you on the podium. Tell us about this weekend and what you’ve learned. You’ve said that each weekend you’re learning more from being in this class and I want to hear about that.
Haiden Deegan: A long week of testing, getting the bike right. And first moto ripped a nice start. Held with Hunter probably that whole race. So that was good. Finally, the body felt good the whole race. I felt strong at the end, felt strong at the beginning. That’s what I need. Little achievements like that. And I think that was the big gain this week.
That battle with Hunter in the first moto, being able to stay with him the whole race, we’ve heard you mention a little bit about having to deal with either arm pump or just not quite being as good as you wanted to be through the whole moto. What ticked it off of this week? The work with Chiz [Kyle Chisholm] on the bike? Is there anything you found just in your own riding? What’s the big-ticket item that you feel like got you all the way through that moto?
Just a lot of testing with the team. Got my bike a lot better. I still need to keep tuning the suspension a little and get it a little better. But engine wise, suspension, I mean, we’ve just been trying everything we can. And this week it was a lot better than that first moto. I was able to hang the whole time. I felt strong, so that’s a positive. Second moto, unfortunately, I kind of got stuck in that pace and couldn’t get out of it. And I started overheating my bike, eating [Justin] Barcia’s roost, but good achievement in that first moto.
And then Chiz has become like the test rider to the stars, it seems like. What’d you think working with him this week?
He’s got a lot of knowledge. He’s a smart guy. He’s ridden a lot of team’s bikes, a lot of factory bikes. So he definitely knows what he’s talking about. It’s nice having someone else that’s experienced try the bike. He’s obviously ridden a lot of 450s, so that’s what I needed. I needed someone to give me input like, “Hey, this feels good, this doesn’t,” because obviously I’m new to it. Some of my input may not be right. And a guy that’s experienced, that’s ridden a lot of 450s can help with that.
You mentioned a few minutes ago about being able to hang with Hunter the whole race. How much were you able to learn about line choice and navigating your way through lappers now that you were able to really latch onto him the entire 35 minutes?
It’s cool being there, but again, I’m happy that my body felt good and my bike’s going in the right direction. Obviously your position, you want to go for that win, that’s the goal. And we only got one more round to try to do it, but we got plenty of racing in the future. I’m just stoked we got the bike a little better.
Back to that first moto battle with Hunter. You caught him, you put in some sprint laps, and then it seemed like he responded. What are you learning about the chess match of the 450 class of getting close to a guy, but then he responds and then you have to kind of up your pace again to get back to him again?
The lappers were a big play. He was getting stuck with lappers. he’d come back to me. Then I’d get stuck in some lappers and we kind of just yo-yoed the whole entire race, to be honest. Unfortunately, I didn’t do a sight lap, so I didn’t get to see the track, but I did pull a holeshot. You kind of weighed your options out. So, first lap, I was coming on the track. I didn’t have a clue where to go. And yeah, I went inside straight to that bank and it was just mud. I didn’t see it coming, just sucked me in and he went right around. I was like, damn, whatever.
You talk about the bike changes that you made this week. Are they part of the natural progression of you learning more about the 450 or are they the fact that the season’s going on and you’re getting stronger and you’re finding more speed and you’re wanting more speed out of the bike?
I just needed some outside knowledge, to be honest. Chiz helped a lot having that outside knowledge on having that experience on a 450 and kind of helping with the power as well. It’s a fast bike and you can obviously go too fast with the power. So just getting that right, to be honest.
Second qualifier: Everybody did one lap, pulled in and you stayed out there. Was that just a power move? Do you just love the mud or what was that about?
Yeah, it was fun. I was like, screw it. Might as well go throw some whips and send it to the rain. We don’t get a ride in the rain much come race time. I think that was pretty cool. And I’m on a factory team, so get those boys to work, that’s their job. If you’re a privateer guy, I totally recommend pulling off before that one. My bike was just destroyed. I just sunk it. It was fun though. I guess that’s the whole point. Enjoy it.
Next weekend, Jett or Hunter, who’s going to win?
I mean, I’m ready to just give them hell, really. Make it hard for both of them because I don’t really care for either.
This is going to get announced next week, but it got leaked out pretty much today that your longtime mechanic, Brent Duffe, will be moving on. Cool new career for him, but just gut feeling. What was like when he told you? I imagine you’re going to miss him.
Yeah, for sure. I mean, Duff’s been with me since the start. It’s kind of hard to just let him go like that. It’s obviously his choice. He’s getting older now. And I mean, when you get money in a little bit different future, why not take it? He’s getting to the point where he wants to have a family as well. And these dirt bike races, it’s 24-7. Every single day, to be honest. They don’t get a time off. I don’t like bag on him for it because it was a smart decision. But again, it sucks because I’ve been with him for a while. So hopefully we can find a guy with a good personality like Duff and keeps the team excited.
Favorite Duff memory?
We got a lot of them. I could go on for days. Duff’s just full of excitement really. I mean, I feel like he’s probably got one of the best personalities in the pits. He’s always just hypes everything up, to be honest. And I’m just glad to have a mechanic like that. It’s hard when you have a mechanic that’s kind of a downer. Doesn’t get you motivated much, but Duff’s always there to get you hyped.
Photos: octopi.media
