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Max Anstie’s win at Anaheim 1 feels like a life-time ago. Anstie, the veteran on the Monster Energy/Yamaha Star Racing team, won the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross 250SX West Division season opener over Chance Hymas and Ryder DiFrancesco.
Haiden Deegan finished fourth.
Since that opening round finish off the podium, Deegan has been unstoppable, winning six straight races, capping off a brilliant season with a second 250SX West Division title in St. Louis on Saturday. (Ed note: He won the East/West Showdown in Birmingham, but had his win taken away due to a penalty when he crossed over track markers in a split-lane section of the track.)
For all Haiden has accomplished in his highley successful 250 career—two 250SX titles, two 250MX titles and two SMX titles—this year might have been his strongest showing (in Supercross at least).
Rarely challenged, Deegan sweep through the class like a raging bull, winning anything and everything in his path, putting an emphatic stamp on his 250SX career, where he collected 13 (so far) career wins tying him with Jeremy McGrath, Jett Lawrence, Austin Forkner and Nate Ramsey for second all-time.
Now, the 450 Class awaits in Pro Motocross where we get to see where Deegan stacks up against the likes of Jett and Hunter Lawrence, Chase Sexton, Cooper Webb, Eli Tomac and more.
After clinching a second straight 250SX West title two rounds early in St. Louis with another (this one counts) East/West Showdown win, Deegan spoke with the media.
Haiden, congratulations. You did exactly as you said you were going to do in your final 250 championship. What makes this one so special?
Haiden Deegan: I mean, it’s the last one that’s probably the best part about it. Pretty quick 250 career. It’s gone by really fast, and it’s kind of crazy. It went by like a flash, so I’m stoked to win it though and especially win it three rounds early, do some history book stuff right there, even though they were trying to take it away from me, but we got it done, so that was pretty cool to put the name of the record books right there.
I know that you have family at most of the rounds, so they’re here to celebrate with you. I just saw your sister, Hailie, is here. How much more special does that make A moment like this?
I’m really family-oriented. We do everything together, and I think that’s why I’m so good. You just kind of have that family nature on you all the time. But yeah, it’s super cool. Sis came out, did a little signing today, so that’s always nice.
As you mentioned, a very short time in the 250 class compared to quite a few of the guys go through nowadays, four years, I believe, six titles total. If you would’ve picked up a Supercross Regional title a year earlier, it would’ve shortened this up. Do you feel like you hit the perfect amount again? Some people consider short four years, how you feel about that?
No, I’m really grateful that kind of took me a little longer to win a Supercross title because it let me learn. It kept me in the class long enough to keep learning and I feel like this year I finally ticked off a lot of the boxes that I needed where I feel like if I would’ve went 450 last year, I didn’t have everything I needed. So I really think this was a good thing that we won a title last year and were able to race this year as well. Keep building.
And then speaking of that, checking off all the boxes, clearly you got it done. SMX, Pro Motocross, you’ve been there for a couple years now. Yes, you had a Supercross title last year, but it feels like this year you did it in a much more dominant fashion, maybe the way people expected of you. What is the difference this year? What are the things that you were taking away from this to go to the 450 class?
Yeah, I feel like one thing that was hindering me was just, I mean a lot in the whoops, and I feel like I really just a lot of early mornings trying to get those dialed and it’s kind of switched the path. I feel like if you can hit whoops, you can win races. So I mean, it takes a little more than that obviously too, but that does help it a lot and I feel like it’s just a lot more consistent in them and it’s really helped overall.
What are the emotions of this particular title win versus the other ones that you’ve had already in your career?
Yeah, basically, I mean, like I said, it’s the final one, last one in 250s that before I get bumped out, so it means a lot and I feel like it’s just a stepping stone.
Can you confirm that 100 percent? You will still race a 250 in Denver and Salt Lake, or is that maybe a bit of a question now?
No, I’m actually working on a deal with Bobby [Regan, Star Racing team owner]. He offered me 2 million to race outdoors on a 250, so we might take that up. I’m just kidding.
Basically, what’s the highlight moment of the 250 career standing here as it is basically coming to an end? What stands out to you first that you’re the most proud of or a race or a moment that really stands out to you?
I think the seven in a row. I feel like no one’s done that in a long time. So just that consistency, even starting mid-pack and being able to go to the front and win these races. So I mean, the biggest thing in the Supercross season has been able to go seven in a row so far, and obviously it means six, 250 titles. Winning every form of championship twice is awesome.
Haiden, of course, you’ve had great mentors along the way, but if you were to go back five to 10 years and have a conversation with your younger self, any advice you would give him?
What’s funny is on our YouTube channel, the Deegans, it literally shows me probably five years ago, maybe a little longer than that, on our way to Pala and I was like, I just want to win one title at one championship. So I literally said it like that. Now we’re six in and it really is a dream come true as a kid to just win one and now we’re six in, so it’s awesome.
Photos: octopi.media
