Takes: Haiden Deegan’s First 450MX Podium Comes With a Different Set of Expectations

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If any other rider opened their 450 Pro Motocross career with 5-3 finishes through two rounds, we’d be talking about a breakout start.

Haiden Deegan is not any other rider.

“Media hype” aside, the Deegan marketing machine came into the opener with a full head of steam. And, why not? Deegan’s move to the 450 Class was one of the most anticipated debuts in recent memory. Believe the hype and all. 

And he’s delivered.

A podium in just your second 450 race is nothing to shake a stick at. But, with Deegan comes a lot of things. None of which I care to discuss. They have been beaten to death by now. 

On the track, he’s been good. And he will get better. Humbled? Maybe. Jett and Hunter and others have been better. The 450 Class is filled with former championship and race winners. Battles for 12th feel like life and death here. 

“They have a fast pace,” said Deegan on racing Jett and Hunter. “So I think it’s really, honestly, all it’s going to come down to is that I can keep starting up front with them and keep learning that pace and keep advancing each weekend. They’re on it, right? So it’s my second race, though, and I got to take it step by step and not get ahead of myself. I don’t want to put myself backward either, so I’ve got to be smart with it, but any chance I can get to run up front with these boys is good.”

Whatever Deegan does will be viewed through a tinted lens. Good, bad, or indifferent, his results will always be judged differently. Building seems to be the theme right now, and if that’s the lens we’re using, he’s been just fine.

Following his first career podium, Deegan spoke with the media.

First podium, second start. Are you happy with being on the box so quickly? Did you expect to be here? I’m assuming you did, but it was a great day overall for you. Solid all around how you feel about today?
Haiden Deegan: For sure; definitely good. Just keep building on these weekends. I think that’s the only way I can progress is if I’m up there every weekend. I’m getting some better starts or a little better today. At first, moto is a pretty good start. It was able to run it with the boys and just kind of get a feel for it. They’re fast, so find their lines and see how they do it up there, and that’s kind of my thing right now, and just keep building each weekend and hopefully keep on reeling them in.

This weekend was a big weekend. Haiden Deegan goes P1 in the first qualifier, Jett, you get the qualifiers overall. Hunter, you rode fantastic in the race. Jett, you showed us that your ankle’s great, but we’ve seen some racing among all three of you guys, and coming into this outdoor season, there is a level of respect that a rookie doesn’t have until they race, become faster, and are in the fight. And today I’ve seen that Haiden rode pretty clean against you guys. Has that respect level changed between you guys, and how is that racing going?
It’s good for me if I can battle with them, even if it’s for a little bit, even if it’s for a lap or a section and just get that pace. They have a fast pace. So I think it’s really, honestly, all it’s going to come down to is that I can keep starting up front with them and keep learning that pace and keep advancing each weekend. They’re on it, right? So it’s my second race, though, and I got to take it step by step and not get ahead of myself. I don’t want to put myself backward either, so I’ve got to be smart with it, but any chance I can get to run up front with these boys is good.

After the second moto restart, you made a pass. I believe it was on Cooper Webb off the step down, and you toss that bike just completely sideways. Was that a little bit of a flashback to the pass at Southwick a couple years ago? Was that intentional, or did you just save it?
I’m still pretty loose on that 450. I enjoy sometimes just scrubbing that thing. It’s heavy, and you can kind of get a good rotation out of it. So when I passed Webb, I just laid it over off that thing, it was pretty sick. I’d like to see that clip for sure. But yeah, it was dope.

Building on that, were you aware that that was Bam Bam that you did a slide job on partway through the Moto 2?
I mean, honestly, it was just charging towards the front. I lay into that corner, I saw someone on my outside, and I wasn’t letting them get me back, honestly. It was either Bam Bam or Ferrandis, there’s only two of those bikes out there. But no, really, I was charging forward. I was trying to get to that lead pack quickly. I know they break away fast.

You’ve had relatively modest starts, certainly not what you were getting in 250s, but that’s allowed you to come through the field and race a variety of these veteran 450 racers. What are you learning as you’re moving up through the pack?
Yeah, I feel like I kind of said that before we even started this season. You kind of learn that each rider, learn what they do, and it’s, in a way, good and bad. I feel like I’m kind of learning each one of those guys, having to start … I mean, that second moto was probably 10th or so, but again, I don’t want to start back there, I’m going to go back to work again. Even better than Fox, so that’s a positive, but I mean, we just got to keep building on that.

The first moto, you finally got out front and got to see what this guy’s pace was. Was their pace higher than you expected out of this class?
No, it’s what I expected. It’s nothing surprising. I know these boys are quick, and I think it kind of goes back to the fact of just each weekend trying to close that gap. I feel like I did a whole lot better than Fox and just made baby steps, not right over my head also. So, I got to take that into account, and going back to my 250 rookie season, I just kept building each weekend and was there for every race, and I feel like that’s my goal for this 450 season as well.

Lucas Coenen is coming over for Colorado. Do you care about that? Are you excited that the GP guys are coming over?
I’m down to ride with anyone. That’s cool. Those guys come over here and race. I feel like every GP guy is slowly making their way over here. I don’t know why that is, if the money’s better or something, but maybe I’ll just start to go over there and race those guys next. But I don’t know. I think the coolest one is if Herling would come over again and race. That’d be sick.

Photos: octopi.media