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AMA Supercross 2026 | Round 12, St. Louis | 250SX E/W Showdown HOT
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00:00yes and as they all come into their respective gate spots it is time to go
00:05around the berm and let's start at the top Ricky with you yes and Hayden Deegan
00:09yes sir Lee thank you very much and this guy right here I mean clinches the
00:13championship with a win and if Max Anstey finishes fifth or worse so that I
00:20would think is the first job at hand and then you go for the bragging rights and
00:25show everybody that you are the best double down you are the best 250 rider in
00:31the world here at SMX World Championship I assume that's what he's going to want to
00:35do well for Seth Handmaker forget the showdown forget Hayden Deegan forget any
00:41of that nonsense this is all about beating Cole Davies he sits nine points
00:46down if he does not beat Cole tonight that goes to double digits and that is
00:51going to change the narrative moving forward this championship is going to
00:54start slipping out of reach if he can't turn the tide tonight
01:00we talked about the 61 of Max Anstey and you said it he's got to get better than
01:06fifth tonight if Hayden takes the win to stay in this last time we saw him race in
01:10Birmingham he'd only just been cleared to get back racing due to an appendicitis and
01:16having to have that appendix removed in the surgery and recovery but obviously came
01:20with that Max told me he's looking at this big picture he knows he's in a really good
01:24position to take out Hayden Deegan he's sitting second in points and he's healthy
01:28now and he's just looking to maximize every single night and then while we keep
01:32the monster energy star Yamaha theme going there is the 18 year old New Zealander
01:37Cole Davies it was a pretty inauspicious start to the season in Arlington when he
01:41went down but then staged a great comeback to finish fifth and he finished on the
01:46podium in Daytona behind Seth Hamaker and after that it has been wins wins wins three in a row for
01:56Cole Davies can he take the fight think about all the times at the practice track right between him
02:02and Hayden Deegan and we know things have been intense there oh yeah between those two there's a rivalry for
02:09sure so now it comes back on the track where they get to go for the second time up against
02:14each other for real history on the line here
02:19Hayden Deegan can he be just the third rider to close out this title with two rounds remaining we will
02:25see east west showdown here in St. Louis it's on
02:32Hamaker and Deegan handlebar to handlebar Deegan does not get the whole shot he's boxed in there Davies gets a
02:38good start yeah he's got to play it cool remember this is more of some chaos they make it through
02:43oh Hamaker hits the top block but he saves it how about the start from
02:48Nick Romano he's in second what an awesome awesome beginning to this main oh man what a start for Cole
02:56Davies and I just have a feeling it's going to be a little bit different than what we saw at
03:01Birmingham there ain't no way this dude is gonna
03:06let anyone pass him well he told JT after his heat victory I am just focused on the championship I've
03:13been dreaming about it and working and aiming for it for so long
03:17but if he could defeat Hayden Deegan in an east west showdown that'd be something else oh it would be
03:22a huge again he talked about a championship first but you just have to think that he wants to come
03:29out here and dominate
03:31his teammate in the rest of the field great job for Seth Hamaker as well you talked about it Romano
03:37great to see him out here see what he can do with a good start
03:41there's that triple section look at Hayden is he able to go triple triple yes he does
03:48goes by his teammate Nate Thrasher Nate's trying to come back on the inside great to see Nate back by
03:53the way after that heavy ball last weekend
03:55yeah brutal crash and the whoops there bike just came and pummeled him
04:01so there's two Kawasaki's to to dispense of ahead of Hayden Deegan before JT gets to his teammate
04:10Deegan's on the charge here as we can see and you just wonder I was listening to you guys talk
04:14about Davies
04:15that's his teammate right he's been around Hayden Deegan he knows what makes Hayden tick and you just wonder
04:21him kind of avoiding that question I posed after the heat race you don't want to give Hayden any ammunition
04:27you don't want to give him something to feed off of to that main event so I think it was
04:31probably the wise move
04:32whether he wants to go at Hayden or not just kind of avoid it Sam worried about the championship
04:37Nick Romano had an awkward moment there and that's opened up the gate Deegan just blasts his way through
04:42yeah two for one special right there and there goes Hayden going triple triple triple
04:46Lee I told you this there's so much chatter and how good Cole Davies is and I'm like man
04:52it would have surprised me if this guy right here Hayden Deegan tries to make a pass
04:58by Cole if he's able to catch him and pass him in the whoops and be like what now
05:02I hear all you guys talking about how fast Cole is through the whoops could you imagine
05:07if he was able to do that all right three seconds is the margin 3.2 to be precise
05:11between the teammates game on rub your hands together here we go oh this is so good
05:17this is what I wanted to see oh man championship perspective though Hayden is looking incredible
05:26Max is buried into the pack he's on 10th place right now there's the gap JT talked on that
05:33track report this triple triple section right here is going to be key not only in the 250 but the
05:40450
05:40as well well what you got well we saw where Max Ansley was we know what that means for Hayden
05:47Deegan and wrapping this championship up early and get to speak Ricky to Brian Deegan his dad earlier
05:53and asking about the importance of that he said yeah it's important because of accolades and things
05:57he'll look back on but he said it's also important because if we wrap this up early he's like we
06:02get
06:02extra time on the 450 to prepare for the motorcross season he said if we don't we basically lose half
06:09of that
06:09so it's kind of the equivalent of losing two weeks out of the four in the break then so that's
06:14what
06:14they've got their eyes set on and that's one of the motivation factors here for getting this done
06:18tonight and 1.2 seconds has been eroded from Cole Davies lead here comes Deegan make it 1.4 seconds
06:27now
06:27yeah here you go triple triple good job for Cole Deegan's able to grease it as well
06:36and man he has made up a ton of time he was three tenths of a lap faster that last
06:42lap becoming around
06:43this time lap times 56.1 for Cole Davies 55.2 for Hayden Deegan
06:52JT what you got well I'm watching Hayden Deegan reel him in and I asked Davies on Friday hey
06:59what do you want to work on you're on this winning streak things are going really well in the life
07:03of
07:03Cole Davies but what do you need to do to be better and he said section just like this where
07:08you see him kind of posting in the corner he needs to find more intensity and when you watch Hayden
07:13Deegan that's where he's ex that's where he's excelling Hayden Deegan finds time where other
07:19people simply can't and he may make the pass right here wow he made a mistake in the rhythm lane
07:23here
07:23and you just wonder is Hayden going to be able to get close enough make the move oh he misses
07:28the triple
07:29section Cole does they are together the teammates are right there oh boy here we go the whoops now
07:37listen Hayden's going all the way to the right side Cole is going to the left take a look right
07:42here
07:43Hayden's going to turn down early it's a good run Cole comes up short watch this this is where
07:49Davies has been so blisteringly fast and does get through there faster than Deegan that lap
07:54good run right here but I just wonder right here what's the play for Hayden does he make a move
08:00instantly or does he hang Cole out to try and put the pressure on and see what Cole can do
08:07I think he makes the move and clears out Deegan to the lead just like that all right Cole what
08:13you got
08:15well he keeps messing this up rhythm lane up right here
08:21and just by the crowd's reaction he could tell he knew that Deegan was getting closer and closer
08:28well this is the opportunity where Cole could really latch on to his teammate see where Hayden is
08:35faster I feel like Cole has the ability to make those in-race changes Chad Reed was so good at
08:42that
08:42pulling audibles here's a different line Hayden riding really well through the whoops as well
08:49wow man this guy's just rolling dude look at the gap that he's put on Cole Davies it's just
08:56if he continues this momentum for another four four laps it is game over and another statement win
09:04this has been a blue crew year for sure look at that graphic just to show you the domination
09:10by monster energy star Yamaha riders crazy yeah and this this race team they have built something
09:17special they have it at the goat farm there they have all the assets that they need JT it's like
09:26a big
09:26league franchise over there yeah and they put him in such a great spot to succeed and for Hayden
09:33Ricky you know Ricky you've been in this spot where everything is coming easy on the smaller bike
09:39and these performances are just screaming that he is now ready and he told me right after the heat
09:44race this is why I stayed down to find this level to make sure that beyond the shadow of a
09:49doubt I was
09:50ready to move to the 450 class and I'm thinking about this summer Ricky of what that is going to
09:56look
09:56like when he is up against the likes of Jett and Hunter and Sexton and everyone else yeah I mean
10:02it's
10:02time you're exactly right JT his time has expired there's nothing left for him to give in the 250
10:09class he is uh he's outgrown it and uh he's done a heck of a job he's answered the bar
10:16uh excuse me
10:18he's answered the call pretty much his whole 250 career when he went into this class and it's been a
10:23lot
10:24of fun to watch we're over the halfway mark just a quick reminder to stock up on monster energy drinks
10:29and on the run did you see the pit board from Brent Duffy 6.1 seconds breathe yeah he said
10:37breathe just
10:38take it like don't take it easy but you know that you've got this uh under control we spent some
10:44time
10:44with Hayden yesterday and you asked him hey is it a big deal to get this championship out of the
10:49way
10:49tomorrow and Hayden's response was pretty pretty funny and pretty pretty quick quick he said yeah
10:55dude that way I can party in Nashville next weekend that's right he has a he has a great time
11:00for sure
11:01and and don't let him fool you when when he says that he wants to set his sights on that
11:06450 pro
11:08motocross championship and he won't he also said he won't have to ride this 250 anymore except for the
11:14time that he needs to race it oh comes up a little short this is what we talked about this
11:20track is
11:20becoming very difficult a lot of ruts they're not getting to pop off the jumps like they were early
11:25on in this race but yeah now he can solely focus on the 450 performance JT yeah and we you
11:32were talking
11:33about that pit board there well for Hayden and Ricky you've been in this product seems like I say that
11:38a
11:38lot but it's so nice when you're coming along these parallel straightaways and Hayden can look over
11:43and see Cole Davies going further and further back because he knows that is telling him that Cole
11:49Davies has now basically given up on the race win and he has relented to second place and Hayden's
11:54now able to lower the intensity and ride off into the sunset yeah he's just he's cruising now it's
11:59just staying engaged JT and picking your way through the uh lappers whoa kitchen almost goes down that
12:07was a save that was fourth place gone Nate Thrasher moves up into the top four
12:12yeah great great heads up riding by Nate Thrasher have a feeling you saw that coming so he slowed
12:19up a little bit to avoid any collision that could have happened this is Max Boland ahead of Ryder
12:27DeFrancisco and they are both ahead of Max Anstey so you saw the graphic just a moment ago championship
12:33update with Deegan out in front in command he is going to win back to back 250 west division
12:41championships he stays where he is and Max Anstey stays where he is right at D on the inside of
12:48Max Boland
12:49good scrap good move yeah and he breaks a little bit harder there on that right-hander before the finish
12:55line to Brock or excuse me to block Max to cut back underneath the inside
13:03great pass by Ryder D 34 there on the Rockstar Husky team and he's done a great job this year
13:10man and
13:11he's I feel like he's come a long way in his strength training this looks like he can ride the
13:16bike now
13:16bike not riding him he can muscle it around great seat
13:21there's the one there's the one there's the 141 of Nick Romano he's coming off his best result this
13:29year of the two races which was seven he's about to be overtaken by Ryder D he was in a
13:34potentially
13:35a career high best of six so he's going to fight hard for that over the closing three and three
13:41quarter
13:42minutes plus a lap yeah and I feel like Romano is doing a great job here I mean coming back
13:47fill in guide making all the laps only his third race on the bike and if you're Mitch Payton you
13:54got to be pretty stoked and if you're Nick yourself you got to uh you know have realistic goals and
13:59I
13:59think he's done a fantastic job it's great to see how many he had a very successful amateur career he's
14:05one of the hot stars for sure and just had some had some injuries there when he's on that
14:10whoa monster energy star racing Yamaha just could never really get his feet underneath them and then
14:15having this opportunity maybe as a second chance there's that inside line I was telling you guys
14:20about lovely execution there we saw the last chance qualifier in the 450s started working those inside
14:26Ryder D just made that happen good job it has been a very productive year for Ryder D Francisco
14:33he came into this east west showdown and Max Anstey is down that really opens up the championship
14:40points even more that makes Hayden Deegan's quest for this championship even easier
14:46well and then what it's going to do also is going to boot Kitchen into uh second in the championship
14:52as it runs right now with the Deegan has a 56 point lead versus Anstey at third place with 60
14:58points back
15:01so we've only got two and a half minutes plus a lap to go let's hear from the man out
15:06in front
15:06we'll call him the champion elect about what racking up huge career numbers means to him
15:13yeah for sure I mean little things like that 100 percent especially now in my career I feel like
15:18I've kind of I've done a lot I've accomplished a lot of goals I mean I've accomplished every goal
15:22I've had as a little kid so now it's just adding and I feel like those are little things I
15:25can chase
15:26you know uh pit my name in the record books you know uh adding adding my names to the list
15:31so
15:31well with this win if he gets it it's going to be his 13th career 250 win that's going to
15:41put him
15:41in a tie for third with Jeremy McGrath Austin Faulkner Jet Lawrence yeah he's in uh rarefied air
15:52certainly and he has earned it and JT I think about it he wasn't even supposed to move up as
15:58early
15:59as he did and they that Monster Energy Star Yamaha team put him in there and man did he step
16:06up
16:07well Ricky think about that year that he moved up he could not have a good performance Anaheim 2
16:13when it was called Futures now as SMX Next I think he was fifth on the night it was not
16:18very impressive
16:18and then they move him up and he immediately goes to fourth place in the east coast in Houston
16:23so to your point yes this has been remarkable
16:27JT and Ricky that you know he was chasing at that point JT he was chasing sort of getting better
16:32right
16:33and going for the wins and then after a couple of goes and not getting it getting that supercross title
16:37on a 250 and Ricky you were talking about all the accolades and everything that they've now
16:42wrapped it wrapped up that is what I've been told has been his motivation obviously when he's doing as
16:48well as he is and he's the class of the field that motivation and he's spoken openly
16:52about it starts to wane a little bit so all those goals his dad told me that I need them
16:57that's what keeps him going every week
17:02there is dad Brian
17:05there's his sister hey
17:07I saw I was in the paddock a little bit earlier
17:10a whole lot of his family is here got some friends as well
17:15huge moment oh he's Levi kitchen look at that inside line again and look at that
17:20oh right indeed right at D there is no stopping him
17:24he's on a mission oh yeah he's rolling right now
17:28Levi Levi was nice to him he could have charged that corner a little bit harder to defend the position
17:35but uh he did it oh
17:38two rockstar energy factory house Varner riders there running in fifth and seventh so Daxton
17:44Benick has to go by the last chance qualifier but still a good right he's got a shot at getting
17:49by kitchen for six
17:50you have to wonder Levi probably not a hundred percent still man this track is getting brutal you can see
18:06Levi kind of sitting up a little bit coming into the corners probably feeling it oh there you go yeah
18:15we're good nice to come back for Benick
18:18one more lap to go quick look over his shoulder to double check that it was the white flag
18:23yes it is indeed Hayden
18:27one more to go and you're going to back up your west division championship of a year ago
18:32just like Dylan Ferrandez did in 2019 and 2020
18:36just like Cooper Webb did in 2015-2016
18:42what a magical time for this super talented 20 year old who has his eyes on moving up to the
18:49premier class to the 450s
18:51he's been riding the 450 a lot he told us yesterday he loves it
18:56oh absolutely and he wants to race the best in the business guys that he has looked up to
19:02and it is going to be a lot of fun to watch this summer and the SMX playoffs when we
19:08get there
19:08and he has earned it like it or not you got to respect the talent and he put a straight
19:14beat down
19:15just have a look at the clock 15 seconds 16 seconds over his teammate
19:19Danger Boy has done it again
19:23Hayden Deegan is a champion for the second year in a row
19:29the 250 west division champ back-to-back years
19:37monster energy star Yamaha's number one man aboard the 250 has done it again
19:47what a solid performance Lee I mean straight up dominate
19:51is
19:51is
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